Sumadhva Vijaya 13: Traiyodasha Sarga

Sumadhva Vijaya 13: Traiyodasha Sarga

                                                                                                                    

After completing ‘Chatyurmasa’, Shri Madvacharya went towards "Sahya Parvatha". King Jayasimha had sent a messenger to Shri Madvacharya with a request to see him to take back the Granthas stolen by Padmatheertha. Then Shri Madvacharya went towards Kasargod to meet the king Jayasimha. As the riverYamuna follows the river Ganga, sajjanas or (wise people) were following Shri Madhvacharya. Shri Madvacharya with his attractive personality made his journey towards Kasaragod. Even Devathes, Gandarvas, Munis without their appearance were offering their prayers to Shri Madvacharya. In Kasaragod, Acharya visited Madeneshwara temple. After spending the night there next day in the early morning, Shri Acharya preceded his journey towards west by honouring the king’s invitation. One of his shishyas carried Shri Acharya on his shoulder; a group of Shishyas held umbrella over Acharya; and some of the Shishyas carried the books. A Sishya carried the box containing Shaligraama. Many people who were following dharma shaastras prostrated to Acharya. Acharya’s personality has been vividly described. His teeth were shining like kundpushpa, his lips were beautifully red, his wide eyes resembled thavare flower (kamala), and his beautiful ears filled with thulasis, and his beautiful face, which were all the indication of doing good to sajjanas and doing bad to durjans in all the thrilokas. With his devotees surrounding him and in the presence of king Jayasimha, Acharya reached Vishnumangala temple. Shri Madvacharya , the avatar of Vayu Devaru in the midst of king Jayasimha and kings of different countries looked like Full Moon covered by Mars and stars in the sky. . Acharya’s Bhagavatha pravachana on Dashama skanda made the pundits assembled there very happy. At that time there lived a pundit by name Subrahmanya of “Likucha” vamsha with “Angeerasa gothra”. He was married to a devotee of Lord Krisha. Unfortunately, the children born to them died soon. The couple worshiped “HaiHara” and through the grace of Vishnu and Hari, a male child born to them was named as Thrivikrama. Thrivikrama became Thrivikramapundithacharya and composed “Vayu Sthuti” which is an everlasting sthuthi describing the three avatars of Hanuman, Bhima and Madvacharya. (Thrivikramapundithacharya’s son Narayanapundithacharya is the Author of “Sumadhva Vijaya”). During his young age itself, Thrivikrama showed his brilliance in writing poems of great Caliber. He became a great scholar in Advaita shaasthra. Maayavaada containing one lakh twenty five thousand (1, 25000) granthas was mastered by Thrivikramapundithacharya. Once his father Subrahmanyapundit called his son Thrivikramapundithacharya secretly and told him not to believe that Bhagavantha as”Nirguna”, but to worship “Vasudeva” as “Jnaananda” swarupa. This made him to think seriously and he came to the conclusion that the commentary (Bhashya) given to Vedvyasa’s Brahma Sutra by 21 Vedanta Institutions are not collaborating with the Vedvyasa’s Brahma Sutra even though the Bhashya given by Shankaracharya cannot be ignored, the nirgunathwa of Bhagavantha (Brahma) cannot be agreed. Maayavaadis requested Thrivikramapundithacharya who was well versed in Vedas, Shaasthras, and kaavyas to challenge Madhvacharya. Thrivikramapundithacharya started reading granthas of Madhva Shaasthras during nighttime with the help of his brother Shankarapundithacharya who was already a Sishya of Madhvacharya. He was very much impressed with the Madhva Shaasthras. Then Thrivikramapundithacharya met Madhvacharya in Vishnumangala and argued with him for 15 days before becoming his Sishya (disciple).                                                                          

Prepared by: J. Sudhindra Simha, Bengaluru.

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Sumadhva Vijaya 1: Prathama Sarga

Sumadhva Vijaya 1: Prathama Sarga

A Bird's eye view

Shri Sumadhva Vijaya- Prathama Sarga                                                              

In this Sarga, the poet Narayana Panditacharya narrates the first two avatars of Vayu devaru as Hanumantha and Bhima. The Sarga starts with a prayer to Lord Narayana who is the Supreme Controller of the Universe. Then he compares Shri Madhvacharya with Sun. He opines that Sun removes darkness with his rays, whereas Acharya is greater than Sun because he not only eradicates the darkness but also gives the right knowledge to righteous people. Then he acknowledges his father Shri Vikrama Panditacharya for giving a valuable grantha “Tatva Pradeepika” which was published with the permission of Acharya. Tattva Pradeepika is a commentary on Sri Madhva's Bhashya of the "Brahma Sutra”. He also implores that he might have gone wrong in his description of the avatars and likens it to possible misarrangement of beads when making a garland. He admits that it is an attempt to purify himself that he has taken this task. 

Avatar of Hanuman: Anjaneya is the son of Kesari and Anjana Devi. Some people interpret that the name Hanuman is attributed to the Indra's Vajra Ayudha hitting him on the jaws - “Hanu” (jaw) and “man” (disfigured or prominent). However this is not the correct reason. 

Hanu means Jnana (knowledge). Hence Hanuman means "Jnanavan". 

When Hanuman prostrates to Rama, an emotionally overwhelmed Rama lifts him up with his both hands. Hanuman introduces Rama to Sugriva in order to get back Sugriva’s kingdom from his brother Vali with the help of Rama. But Sugriva doubts about Rama’s power and tells Rama about Vali’s power and shows to Rama about a hole in a saal tree made by Vali with one shot. To clear the doubts of Sugriva Rama penetrates 7 trees of saal in a row with one arrow. After going through the trees, the arrow passes through other lokas by killing asuras and returns to Rama. This makes Sugriva happy and he gets confidence in Rama’s strength. Sugriva recognized Rama as supreme man, whereas Hanuman recognizes Rama as Lord Narayana. Rama helps Sugriva to get back his kingdom by killing Vali. Afterwards, it is Hanuman only who persuades Sugriva to help Rama in constructing the bridge with his vanaras to reach Sri Lanka.. By the order of Rama, Hanuman crosses the Ocean and meets Akruti Sita and makes her happy by giving the message of Lord Rama’s welfare and gives the ring given by Rama to Akruti Sita to establish himself as a genuine messenger. In turn, Akruti Sita gives Hanuman Chudamani and tells him to give it to Rama. After the war, when Rama was coronated in Ayodhya, with a view to satisfy people, he sends Sita for “Agni Pravesha” to test her purity. Akruti Sita enters Agni and comes back as real Sita from Kailasa and joins Rama. Sita Devi offers her necklace with precious stones to Hanuman and Rama asks Hanuman to take anything for the help and services rendered by him. Being a great devotee of Rama of highest order, Hanuman asks for a permanent place at Rama’s feet and seeks his blessing forever. This shows the true “vairagya “of Hanuman. Rama offers himself to Hanuman and grants him sahabhoga Brahma padavi in the next kalpa. In other words, poet justifies that  "Hari is sarvothama and Vayu is jeevothama”. Hanuman is chiranjeevi and it is said that even now Hanuman is living in kimpurushakhamda serving Swamy Shri Ramachandra. 

Next Bhīma’s avatar is described. Pandu’s wife queen Kunti gave birth to Bhima by invoking the God of wind, Vayu. When he was an infant, he slipped from Kunti’s hand breaking down the shathashrunga parvatha when it was touched by him; such was his enormous strength. That is why Bhima is known as “akhanaashmasama”. Duryodhana hated Bhimasena from childhood, because he was always defeated by Bhima in all the games played. Duryodhana hatched many plans to kill Bhima like giving poisonous food, by leaving poisonous snakes to bite, by dumping in a deep madavu pramanakoti. Bhima survived by all these tests. He digested the poisonous food easily; the snakes lost their teeth and died; he came up easily from the madavu. Duryodhana hatched a plan to burn the Pandavas alive at a lac palace . Bhima set fire to the palace after carrying all five of them (Kunti and brothers) safely. This is a great role played by Bhima in escaping from wax palace. At that time Bhima kills the rakshasa Hidimba, he meets his sister Hidimbi, and by the advice of Vedavyasa Bhima marries Hidimbi. During their stay at Ekachakra they came to know of a demon, Bakasura a cannibal. The powerful Bhima killed Bakasura and made the people happy. The Pandavas were successful at the Swayamwara. Due to instructions of Vedavyasa devaru Bhima married Droupadi. That is, Rajahamsa married Rajahamsi. Seeing Krishna in the Swayamwara  Bhima was delighted. When Yudhishthira wanted to conduct Rajasuyayaga Krishna warns him that he cannot do Rajasuyayaga without killing Jarasandha who is very powerful. Then Bhima convinces Yudishtira that he will take up the responsibility of killing Jarasandha. Krishna tricked Jarasandha into having a wrestling bout with Bhima. Bhima killed Jarasandha and helped        Yudishtira to conduct Rajasuyayaga. Bhima killed Kitchaka who tried to dishonor Droupadi. He killed the Kichaka’s allies also. Droupadi was attracted by Sougandika pushpas in Gandhamadhava parvatha in Badarikashrama forest. At the time of bringing Sougandika pushpas which was desired by Droupadi, Bhima killed wicked Manimantha who had two tongues with red eyes with several boons who was a leader of thousands of Krodavasas sarpas. Bhima killed Krodavasas also. In Kurukshetra war, Bhima destroyed almost all akshohini sene (army) of Kouravas including Bhishma and all sons of Drutharashtra, Bhima also was admired by his pupils as a noble Yuvaraja. Bhima was a role model as a devotee to Krishna, as a husband, as a brother and as a Yuvaraja. Bhima and his brothers made Parikshithth the grandson of Arjuna and Subhadra, the sister of Krishna as Emperor. 

The poet then explains how Manimantha was born as Sankara in a Brahmin’s house in Kaladi and took Sanyastva and misinterpreted Brahma Sutra. He became known as “Prachanna Boudha” as he was a follower of Boudha Tatva. Shri Madvacharyaru has remarked in his several granthas that Boudhamatha and Mayavadi’s tatvas are similar to one another. The followers of Sankara started spreading the news in all directions that the Prapancha (Universe) is false; Bhagavantha is nirguna; there is no difference between Jeevathma and Paramathma. As a result, the existence of Supreme Lord Vasudeva was eradicated from the minds of wise people. The Sarga closes with saying that Manimantha and other daityas, the haters of Bhima took birth in Kaliyuga, and spread philosophy similar to Buddhism. Hence good people also lost faith in Vasudeva, the supreme Lord. Hence incarnation of Vayu as Madhvacharya took place. In the end of each Saga’s shloka(poem) the word “Ananda” appears. Hence Shi “Sumadhva Vijaya” is also called as “Anandanka”.                                                                                                             

Prepared by: J.Sudhindra Simha, Bengaluru

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