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Q. by Swamiji) What's your explanation for Sarvam Jyanamayam?

A. by Subrahmanya Aiyar) It is not possible to say that in the knowledge of pot, the pot is different and knowledge is different. As scientists explain while seeing the pot, the image of pot falls in eyes (retina), a photo copy goes to the brain, gets transformed, and an image has been stored. This mental image is what we are seeing internally. There is not other than this for the pot. The pot exists in the earth which is outside the brain. Even this knowledge also gets inside the brain. Similary the knowledge of all objects outside the body getting transformed and captured in the brain. Jyana is only thing that exists. There is no object separate from mental image that is knowledge. Therefore Sarvam Jyanamayam.

A. by Swamiji) This scientific argument is despicable. If that is the case when we close the eyes and sleep, as the mental image of pot does not exist, the pot and all other object should not exist. Even after our death nothing should exist (shoonya). But that is not the case. The knowledge obtained due to the transformation in the brain can also be obtained by the machines. Therefore whatever is getting captured is not the knowledge. But knowledge is different than the mental image. That mental image of pot is useful to obtain the knowledge of the pot. You have unified all the three the Jyana, Jyeya, Jyethru {Jyeya=object, Jyethru=one who knows, Jyana=knowledge of object. According to your explanation there is no difference among these three. A photo of a person can be useful to identify the person. But that photo itself is not the person. Similarly the mental image of the pot is useful to obtain the knowledge of the pot. But mental image of pot itself is not the pot. In this statement "I got the knowledge of pot", "pot" is the object [jyeya], "I" is the one who knows [jyethru], "got the knowledge" is the knowledge obtained [jyana swaroopa]. Everyone had experienced that all these three are different and not the same.

(The image of pot that goes into the mind gives the knowledge of structure and size of the pot. Therefore the image of an object being captured in the mind will be helpful to identify the object. But that image itself is not the object. The conclusion is that the knowledge "If I drink mother's milk will lose my hunger" exist already and it has been exhibited at later point of time).

In the service of Sri Hari
G Rajesh

Life and History of Sri Madhwacharya - Part 4

By Late M Rama Rao, Kumbakonam

The studies over, he resolved to take holy order to carryout his divine mission. This quite upset the good and aged parents, who looked upon him as their prop in the their old age and with great persuasion, he succeeded in getting their permission.

Now their was as ascetic named Sri Acyutapreksa, the last in the line of gurus (guruparampara) with Sri Hamsa the form of Vishnu at the head. In his previous birth, he was a monk in the city of the Pandavas and had the fortune of living on the alms, cooked by Draupadi. This secured for him the rare privilege of initiating Vasudeva, who was no other than Bheema, the husband of Draupadi. His Guru Sri Prajna Tirtha had told him in private that though he was preaching outworldly one as God and souls, it was really opposed to all sources of valid knowledge and as such he would do well to worship in Anantesvara and have the true impart of all the sastras. Acyutapreksa did so and one possessed by the God told him that he would have it from his would-be disciple.

Vasudeva had his ordination under him with name Poornabodha, which is synonymous with the word Dasapramati in the Balittha sukta, Rig Veda 22-8 (Dasa-purna, Pramati-Bodha, knowledge). Both the guru and disciple went to have the darshan of Anantesvara and one possessed by the god to Sri Poornabodha by the hand and gave him to Sri Acyutapreksa saying, 'This is fruit of your previous workship for obtaining valid knowledge'.

Sri Purnabodha planned a tour to the Ganges and asked for his Guru's permission. But the Guru unable to brook his separation prayed to God Anantesvara. The merciful God, told Sri Purnabodha through a possessed person that the Ganges herself would come to the tank at Udupi on the third day and he might cancel his tour. They all had the holy Ganges bath on that day and from then, the Ganges, as a mark of God's blessings upon Sri Purnabodha, is manifesting herself in the waters of the above tank, once in every twelve years. That tank is known as Madhva Sarovara.

Sri Purnabodha vanquished may logicians in debates and Acyutapreksa began to teach him Istasiddhi, a treatise on Monism. In order to make him as scholar in philosophy too. Unfortunately the disciple pointed out 32 defects in the opening verse itself and asked for clarification. The poor Guru, being unable to convince him, got angry and terminated his teaching, pleading his inability to teach him. This made the veteran scholars doubt the validity of monism. Once 5 or 6 persons wanted to study the Baghavatha under Sri Acyutaperksa. They were reading out various versions of manuscripts and Purnabodha recommended one, with valid reasons, as the authoritative version of Sri Vyasa. Thereupon the Guru asked him to recite the 5th Skanda, which is a mixture of prose and poetry while the other watched if his recital was according to that authoritative version. His recital and exposition were right off the reel and the whole skandha was finished accroding to that version. All were stunned at his tremendous memory and the Guru exclaimed that it should have been acquired not in this birth but in previous births. Purnabodha coolely confirmed it.

Sri Acyutapreksha then anointed him as King of the Empire of Philosophy under the name of Anandtirtha the author of Sastras giving bliss to mankind. (Sri Vayu is said to be the abhimani of bliss. Geeta Vivritti 13-7). A number of pandits of all systems, Monistic, Jain and Buddhistic like Buddhi Sagara, logicians like Vadi Simha, and so on, entered into diputations with Sri Anandatirtha and suffered defeat at his hand. Once a friend Sri Acyutapreksa, came with a band of disciples, who were veterans in logic. They however could not argue with Sri Anandatirtha and his victory over them earned for him the name of Anumanatirtha. Then began to expound Sankara bhasya in the midst of veterans scholars and logic. Once he laughingly remarked as follows "If we study with prejudice, the Brahma-sutras of Sri Vyasa or Badarayana on the one hand and the Bashya of Sankara on the other, we shall be convinced of the disparity between the two. The sutras teach Vishnu's embodiment of auspicious attributes, the reality of the universe, the gulf of difference between Vishnu and souls and so on. The Sankara bhasya teaches that Sri Vishnu is devoid to attributes the universe is only an illusion, the Gon and souls are one and so on. How can one be the text and the other, a commentary thereon? How again are the host of scholars blind to this disparity and hail the Bashya?

This was an eye-opened to the great pandits and they, being unable to vindicate it, pressed him for his interpretation of the sutras. There upon with the support of srutis and smiritis, he gave his interpretation, which was the forerunner of the future bhashya of his own.

Once during his friendly diacussion with his Guru, he relterated the disparity between the sutras and the Sankara-bhasya. The Guru told him in a sarcastic tone, to write a bhasya, if he knew the true import of the Sutras. However Sri Anandatirtha took up like a swan the good aspect only of his remark. On another occasion, his senior Yati of the Likuca family pressed him to enlighten him, on the true import of the Sutras. All these necessitated the compilation of Sri Madhva Bhasya.

In the service of Sri Hari
M Rama Rao

(Source: Dharmaprakash Journal, Chennai)