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Saba Sara Sangraha - Part 10

Sri Sri 1008 Sri Sathyadhyana Swamiji, Pontiff of Uttaradhi Mutt 

Q-Subba rao) What is the evidence for existence of swarga? If you say Vedas are the evidence then, how to understand whether Vedic statements are true or not?

A-Swamiji) I am very happy, you have come to my way. It is enough even if you have small doubt of existence of heaven and hell. Even with that you should get interest in doing good activities like bath etc. Even if heaven and hell does not exists, good activities will not bring loss. If heaven and hell exist , and if you do not do the good activities then the result will be hell, alternatively if you do the good activities merits will be more. Even in dvaita and advaita, similar state is there. If you worship as prescribed in advaita philosophy then "Ghatayantihi Rajano Rajaaham iti Vadinam"- "When the real king exist, if you say you are the king then there is a possibility of real king killing you".

As per this logic Sri Krishna's statements like "Maam Aprapya Yeva Kounteya" - "Without reaching me"will be problematic as per Advaita. Therefore even if you do not have confidence with Dvaita philosophy it will not bring any loss. Similarly even if you have doubt whether heaven and hell exist or not you should do good activities.

Q-Subba rao) Swamiji if you say like this then whatever philosophy come till 1930 will give bad results only, Vedas and others are only false people should do seva to Ghandiji and make their life useful, otherwise they will reach hell. If I write a book saying like this then people has to do seva to Ghandiji even with doubt. With this Vedas will also get neglected. What is your reaction?

A-Swamiji) Ok. There is no truth in your words, but your words are fraud and have incorrect perception (Branthi). All these things we will explain you tomorrow along with authenticity of Vedic statements. In fact nobody had written any book as such you indicated. People use to say that we should do service to this society. But didn't say that you will get hell if you didn't do service to the society. Even if they say, the concept of hell has to be taken from vedic statements only. Therefore their statements will get hit from the stick of Vedas (i.e. Indirectly they accept Vedas). What else you want to listen?

Q-Subba rao) Swamiji ! We don't want heaven but want to escape from hell. Therefore tell us Dharmic statements that will help us to escape from hell. With doubt it's not possible for us to forsake wordly activities and do only Vedic activities (Activities prescribed in Vedas).

A-Swamiji) We'll prove that heaven/hell exists. Even with doubt, activities prescribed for Varna/Ashrama like snana, sandhyavandana will protect us. We should do important activities without fail. "Na paradharaan gathchet, Na suram pibet"- (Don't see other's wife, don't drink Wine) - Such bad activities should never to be done. Not only that. As per my tomorrow's explantion, we should do good activities without expecting the results (Nishkaama Karmaa). Build trust with Vedic statements , and do good activities with strong and convicted mind. With all these, you will get good knowledge through that you will get liberation. You need to understand all these first.

Introduction to characters in Mahabharata - Part 4

By Sri Sri 1008 Sri Suvidyendra Swamiji
 
Ekalavya - Guru Bhakti has to end with Bhakti towards Mukunda.
 

When we hear the word Ekalavya, Guru Bhakti will come to our mind immediately. He gave his thumb, an important finger as Guru Dhakshina after the completion of education for the education obtained from Guru. If Ekalavya is having devotion with his Guru then why didn't he got fame in his life. This is a common doubt. If this doubt has to be cleared then Ekalavya has to be seen in the light of Nirnaya thrown by Sri Madhvacharya.

Before practicing the shastras (shastra vidya) in front of Drona's idol, earlier he learned Paishacha vidya from group of devils (pishachi). From this force only, he fought against Sri Krishna with Jarasanda and got defeated. When second time Ekalavya came for war, Sri Krishna showed his unimaginable power (Achintya Adbhuta Shakti) by giving birth to Pradyumna without the help of any woman. Pradyumna defeated Ekalavya in the war. Sri Krishna then wanted to give birth to Pradyumna through Rukmini Devi. So he took back Pradyumna in his stomach and proved the world that for creation, sustainance, and destruction, he doesn't need anybody's help.

Ekalavya thought that it's not possible to kill Sri Krishna using Paishacha Astra. In order to get Divine astras "Divyaan astrani Aaptum", he came to Dronacharya with bad intention. Dronacharya was not interested to teach this hunter along with Brahmanas and Kshatriyas "Shishyosi mama nishade nivartasva gruhaneva" - "You are my disciple. But I won't teach you. You can go to your home", Dronacharya said and sent him. Ekalavya went back to home, created an idol of Dronacharya, worshipped him and obtained Astra Vidya. When Arjuna came to know this and asked Dronacharya, Dronacharya went and got Ekalavya's thumb as a Gurudakhina without Daakshinya (shame). As Dronacharya obtained Guru Dakshina, he taught Ekalavya the Astra Vidya in the Raivata mountain. Even a single paise offered to Guru remembering the supreme God in him will being more benefits. Without this knowledge, even if the entire body is offered cannot give good results but will give bad results only. How the Antaryami thought (i.e. God inside us) will come to Ekalavya who is nobody but Manimanta who thinks he is God.

Along with Rukmini, Ekalavya fought against with Sri Krishna, Ekalavya fought against Sri Krishna when he took over Rukmini using Divya Astras given by Drona. At that time those Divya Astras didn't help him. He ran away from there, thinking that protecting his prana is good. Then he thought that the Astras obtained from Guru will not help him to kill Sri Krishna. Then he pleased Rudra Deva and obtained the boons from him. Then he came to fight with Sri Krishna third time along with Poundraka Vasudeva after Sri Krishna's return from Kailasa. As per the word "Moorakke Muktaya- will complete third time", Sri Krishna without considering the boons of Rudra Deva, sent Ekalavya to eternal hell.

Whatever devotion we have with Guru that should help us to develop devotion with supreme Bhagwan Mukunda. Thinking against the supreme, whatever devotion/worship of Guru will not bring good results. Ekalavya's charecter conveys this message.

Life and History of Sri Madhwacharya - Part 10

By Late M Rama Rao, Kumbakonam

1. Sri Narayana is full of 2. countless auspicious attributes. So he is known as Brahman. 3. He is knowable by the Vedas only 4. He is the creator 5. of the Universe and everything in it. The Sankhya system says that the primordial Matter or Jadaprakriti itself turns into this universe, even as the milk itself turns into curd. It is therefore, the independent cause (Creator) of the Universe and not Narayana. This is wrong. The Veda says that Narayana makes the milk turn into curd. If it becomes curd by itself, why does it not turn so sometimes? All systems must acknowledge the Vedas as an authority apart from Perception and Inference to acquaint us with Dharma and Adharma, heaven and hell and a lot of other things, which are beyond the range of Perception and Inference. If those things are denied, there will be no theme for their system must be pitied and it is a misnomer. Moreover an inanimate object cannot create anything. Only animate and sentient beings can create. To create the whole Universe and its contents, one must be omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. That one is Narayana alone and none else. Thus Sri Madhva established his theories, refuting all the other systems also in his own inimitable way.

After hearing the illuminating lecture, Sri Trivikrama advanced many arguments against his system. Sri Madhva met with them with his counter arguments and condemned his arguments as flimsyand fallacious. Then Trivikrama quoted Vedic texts in support of his Advaita theories. Sri Madhva brought home to him the true interpretations of those texts without prejudice to other Vedic texts. Thus they continued their debate for fifteen days and at last Sri Trivikrama could neither argue further nor answer Sri Madhva's questions. The disciplined Sri Trivikrama stood up, fell at the Guru's feet and prayed with folded hands, "Oh Lord ! Pardon please my inconsiderateness. Let the servitude of the dust of your lotus-feet be indeed given to me."

It was given by Sri Madhva and his conversion was another landmark in the progress of Sri Madhva's mission. At the pleasing command and with the being grace, of the Guru, he wrote a gloss on his Sutrabhashya known as Tattva Pradipa. Eulogising each of the 33 works of Sri Madhva written so far, he prayed to him to write a metrical work on the sutras which can be easily committed to memory. Sri Madhva dictated sportively the work of Anu Vyakhyana an the four chapters of the Sutras to four disciples at the same time, thereby giving a sly hint that he is the would-be-four-faced Brahma. Sri Nyaya Sudha, the magnumopus of Sri Jayatirtha (the celebrated commentator) is the commentary on this Anu Vyakhyana. He composed another work Nyaya Vivarana codifying the Nyayas of Purvapaksa and Siddhanta reffered to therein.

Now the parents of Sri Madhva who were taken care of by the younger brother of Sri Madhva were no more, and later met Sri Madhva in King Jayasimha's court and begged him for Sanyasa. But Sri Madhva sent him back saying it was not the time for it then. His younger brother neither ate nor slept from then and was looking forward to the glorious day of his ordination, just as Bharata was, for the return of Sri Rama after the exile of 14 years. After the autumn was over, Sri Madhva went to Pajakakshetra, his place of birth and made his brother an ascetic, with the name of Vishnu Tirtha.

Words cannot fully describe the greatness of Sri Vishnu Tirtha. He retired to the Harishchandra hills, gave up food and practised penance tasting Panchagavya only, once in five days as a first step and then living on the fallen leaves of the Bilva tree. On the entreaties of his dear disciple, he visited Udupi, blessed the people there and once more retired to Kumara Parvata where it is believed he is still in penance. He will come out on the decline of Madhvaism and revive it with the help of the coppper plates, in which, Sri Madhva has written all his works and which are perserved in a place called Setutila. This is recorded in the Sampradaya Paddhati of Hrikesha Tirtha.

He is the first pontiff of (1.) Sri Sode Mutt, one of the eight mutts founded by Sri Madhva to carry on, by turns, the worship of Lord Sri Krishna installed by him at Udupi. The illustrious Sri Vadiraja is the twentieth descendant in that lineage. The other seven mutts with their seven pontiffs are as follows:-

(2.) Sri Palimar Mutt - Sri Hrishikesha Tirtha

(3.) Sri Adamar Mutt - Sri Narasimha Tirtha

(4.) Sri Krishnapura Mutt - Sri Janardhana Tirtha

(5.) Sri Puttige Mutt - Sri Upendra Tirtha

(6.) Sri Sirur Mutt - Sri Vamana Tirtha

(7.) Sri Kaniyur Mutt - Sri Rama Tirtha

(8.) Sri Pejavar Mutt - Sri Adhokshaja Tirtha

Sri Madhva nominated Sri Padmanabha Tirtha, Sri Narahari Tirtha, Sri Madhava Tirtha and Sri Akshobhya Tirtha as his direct successors in the above order after his disappearence for carrying on his torch of Dualism. Besides there were hosts of disciples of all countries and of all ashramas of whom, the noteworthy are the trio of Likuca family. viz., Sri Trivikrama, his brother, Sri Madhva's librarian Sankara, and another Sankara of their family.

At the request of the people of Ekavataka village on the bank of Kanva Tirtha near the modern town of Manjesvar, Sri Madhva spent his Chaturmasya there.