Sri Raghavendra: The Mascot of Mantralaya

DR P. NAGARAJA RAO

Sri Raghavendra stands out as the brightest star in the long list of saints of Madhva hagiology. He occupies a prominent and significant status in the galaxy of the Swamijis. His popularity is incredible. He is alike loved and adored by one and all. He is the favourite of the masses and the scholars alike. His admirers and disciples are not confined to any caste or sex or sect or any part of the country. It is not a boast, when we state that the largest number of Brindavans are of Sri Raghvendra scattered all over India from Badri to Kanyakumari, from Kutch to Assam. Sri Raghavendra is known for many things and is the complex of several excellences. Hisgreatness is unsurpassable (agamyamahima), his compassion for suffering humanity is infinite (atyantadaya) and his popularity is astounding and breath-taking (visesajanapriti). Added to all these he is a reputed scholar witha substantial output of 42 works to hiscredit (prakanda pandita).

He is essentially a mystic and a man of God. He had the vision of the Lord (aparoksikrta srisah). As the giverof gifts he has no equal (apeksitapradatadanyahna vidyate).

The masterly hymn of Appannacharya, the contemporary of Sri Raghavendra, is a little masterpiece. It states for us all that we need to know about the agamya mahima of Sri Raghavendra.

Let us spell out the contents of his agamyatva. Those who recite his stotrawith devotion are cured of their diseases like leprosy. The blind regain their sight, the dumb becomes eloquent, the barren bear children, the poor become affluent. There is no limit to hisinfinite compassion in the matter of bestowing his grace.

One has only to turn to the pages of Raghavendra Vijaya of Narayanacharya, the saint’s sister’s son and the Guruganastavaof Vadindra to learn about the marvels he worked. He had great yogic powers. Once he turned scalding sandal paste into its original cold state, byrecital of the varunasukta. He restored the dead to life and elevated the illiterate Venkanna as the Diwan to the Governor of Adoni, Siddhimasnad. The Khan Sahib gave away the village of Mantralaya to the saint (See Madras District Gazetteer–Reprint 1916–Chapter XV, Adoni Taluk, Page 213). He restored on another occasion a dead boy to life. His miracles are not performed to catch attention or to advertise himself. It was his compassion and the particular need of the disciple that urged him to perform the miracle. His miracles are not of the type that has reduced religion to necromancy. He worked miracles to relieve his disciples of their troubles. This he did by bestowing on the disciple his accumulated fund of punyafor which he has no selfish use. He was a spiritual benefactor of mankind by the bestowal of the fruits of his tapasyaon his disciples. He was ready there to help his afflicted disciples when their shrill cry for refuge reached him.

The Yogi and the compassionate soul do not exhaust the greatness of the saint. He is a foremost intellectual. He is the master Tippanikarawith Tippanison all important classics in Madhva philosophy.

II

Let us have a look at the comprehensive range his Tippaniscover. He has given us the word for word meaning in simple Sanskrit of nine Upanishads with the exception of Aitareya. They are called Khandarthas. They keep close to the Bhashyas of Sri Madhva on the Upanishads.

On the Gita Prasthana he has three books. The first two are commentaries on the Jayathirtha’s “Prameyadipika” and “Nyayadipika” which are commentaries on Madhva’s “Gita Bhashya” and “Gita Tatparya.” Raghavendra’s Gitavivritiis a direct commentary on the Gita. It is a marvel of compression and a masterly treatise. The most substantial book on a sublime scripture.

Raghavendra has several works on the Brahma Sutras. Some of them are Tantradipika, Nyayamukthavali and Tatvamanjari. With great humility he calls his works Tippanis. They are eye-openers to the findings of Jayathirtha. He has commented on most of the works of Jayathirtha and has delighted in taking his place by him. He has commented on Jayathirtha’s Tattvaprakasika(the direct commentary of Madhva’s Sutra Bhashya)under the title of Bhavadipa.

His Tippanipar excellence is on Jayathirtha’s Nyayasudhacalled Parimala. The Nyayosudhais a commentary on Madhva’s Anuvakhyana, the matrical masterpiece of the Acharya. Raghavendra has earned the title, Parimalacharyaby his splendid gloss on Nyayasudha. In the concluding verses of Parimala, Raghavendra writes:

“Those scholars and rasikaswho are desirous of drinking Nyayasudha, let them first inhale the fragrance of Parimala.”

The Parimalais 1200 pages in length. It is an indispensable guide to the understanding of Nyayasudha. It is a difficult book to summarise, and it highlights the unique nature of the work.

The prime purpose of all the scriptural passages is Lord Narayana, so say the Vedas. In the Anuvakhyana Sri Madhva states likewise: Jayatirtha raises the question as to why the Brahma Sutras should restate the supremacy of Sri Lord Narayana, which is described in the scriptures? He answers this question thus: “The scriptures have for their clear content the supremacy of Narayana: it is the function of the Sutra to explain and establish them with the help of arguments.”

It redounds to the credit of Sri Raghavendra to state the arguments in full in the Parimala. He writes that the Lord is the prime purport of all the Vedas. The reason for this is, Lord Narayana is the purport of the Purushasukta which is the root of all the Vedas. What is in the root is in the fruit also. What is in the source book is explained in the commentary also.

The Lord is the purport of the Purushasukta, because he is in turn the purport of the root of the Purushasukta that is the Gayatri. He is the purport of Gayatri, because He is also the purport of the root of Gayatri that is the Vyahrti (Bhur, Bhuvaha, Suvah). The root of the Vyahrti is the Pranava (am). Being the purport of (am), the Pranava in an orderly way He becomes the purport of the entire Vedas. So runs the arguments in the ParimalaRaghavendra’s treatment of Omkaara and the necessity to have it in the first Sutra in the beginning and the end is a distinct contribution in interpretation. He too like the author of the Nyayasudhasummarises the entire theme of the Brahma Sutras in the Mangatacharana.

Another great work of Sri Raghavendra is his independent commentary on the Bhagavad Gita called the Gitavivritta. It presents in a combined form the two commentaries of Sri Madhva on the Gita. What is of special interest in this work is his easy style. The avatarikaintroduces the verses and he situates it well to the theme. The grammatical genius, that Raghavendra is, has helped him to split the verses. In every chapter, he has something original to say, to drive home to the reader the contents of Sri Madhva’s Bhashya. His remarks particularly about the removal of the conflict between the Sankhya and Yoga ways is remarkable. He says Sankhya and Yoga are not used by Sri Krishna as technical terms. They mean renunciation of desire and dedicated activity. They do not mean the ascetic way of life and the householder’s life. These two may be incompatible in the single person, but not the renunciation of the desire for the fruit of the activity and living a god-dedicated life of activity. The psychological insight of Sri Raghavendra in the Gita, verse 11-14 is remarkable. The ordinary opinion that the pleasure and pain result from the contact of the sense organs and the objects if refuted by Sri Krishna. That is brought out by the particle tuwhich is interpreted as an interrogation form. Is it merely the contact by those organs with the objects that bring about pleasure and pain? No, is the answer. The cause is the egoistic attachment abhimanasahakrta eva sukha dukharya karanam na tu kevala matrasparsah. There are several similar sastric appetisers for the reader in Raghavendra’s commentary.

Sri Raghavendra has given in his lucid Tippanisin a brief way the meaning on the texts of Upanishads. Clarity and brevity characterise them. Particularly the Brihadaranya, Chandogya and the Katha Upanishad, Khandarthas are magnificent models of Tippanis. So are his commentaries on Jayatirtha’s Tika on the Dasaprakaranas. His little commentary on Sri Madhva’s Anubhashyais a wonderful work on the sutraprasthana. He has really proved Sri Madhva’s claim of the Anubhashya: that it is the essence of all Sastras. Raghavendra’s commentary has not only shown how the Anubhashyain sarvasastrartha sangrahah, but also how Sri Madhva is the priyatamaof the Lord.

Besides his commentaries, Sri Raghavendra has done a good deal of work on the Vedic literature. He has commented on five of suktasin the Veda. He was a great Mimamsaka among the Madhva commentators. He has a splendid commentary almost an original work on the 12 chapters of Jaimini’s Poorva Mimamsa Sutras. The book is named Bhaattsangraha. The book is being published and the first six chapters have come out.

It is a great surprise that Sri Raghavendra amidst his hectic sastric writings never forget the duty to enlighten the average reader on the essentials of Sri Madhva religion. He has a cryptic and a beautiful digest of Madhva’s Mahabharatatatparyanirnayawhich summarises the favourite book of Madhva.

He has given us in simple poetry the story of Sri Rama and Sri Krishna under the titles of Rama Charitra Manjari, and Krishna Charitra Manjari. The sragdharametre of the verses does not only please the mind but also delights the ears. There we have the happy wedlock of sound and sense. The author of Raghavendra Vijaya Narayanacharya describes: “In the eleven verses Sri Raghavendra has summarised Rama’s Charita which runs in Valmiki in 24 thousand verses. He must have caught the music of Valmiki for he was himself a great player on Vina (Vainika). Both these literary works are springs of devotion and springs of good poetry.

Lastly, Sri Raghvendra, out of great compassion for mankind, has given a guide forthe day’s activities and he resolves one should take fromthe time he wakes up from his bed till he retires. This is embodied in his inspiring prose work called Pratah sankalpa gadya.

Sri Raghavendra has excellent logical acumen, which he discloses in his commentaries on the great works by the sage Vyasatirtha. His commentary on Vyasatirtha’s Chandrikais called Prakasaand his commentary on Vyasatirtha’s Tarkatandavais called Nyayadipa. Both the works are profound in their presentation and contents. He draws heavily on Vijayendra’s commentaries and humbly acknowledges it.

III

Sri Raghavendra, apart from his Sastric works, was a great spiritual personality. His entire form was his Tapasya. It is the experience of devotees when they go to Mantralaya and live near his Brindavan that they experience immense peace and absolute comfort. Our doubts are dispelled and conflicts resolved, minds lighted, paths illumined and darkness driven out. We return full of hope and joy. These great saints do not lecture to us eloquently, but they create a mood and make us sense a consuming heat and kindly light from their presence. They work miracles, if we bring full hearts and believing minds to them. Referring to such men, Lord Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavata:

“It is not that there are no purifying agencies in the shape of rivers and deities made of clay or stone. But they purify us, after a long time interval. The very vision or darsanof the sage cleanses us of all our defects instantaneously.” The power and the charm of the saint, Raghavendra’s personality has no parallel in Madhva hagiology. These great saints work in a wonderful way on us and their influence is unobtrusive and ineffable. Their gestures are benedictions, their words are wisdom and their conduct is perfection. Living in company with them is the only antidote in an age of attrition like ours. They are the salt of the earth, that keep us pure and disinfected. It is through them divine light filters down into our world of darkness. They are the channels of spirituality, but for them, the world would be a blind place. They bear the burden of the world by their Tapasya. Wherever they walk, that place is sacred. These saints are gentle, but not weak, determined but not aggressive. They are as clean and refreshing as the mountain air. They light a lamp and drive away darkness, and wisdom dawns from their words. They sanctify the places they visit. They give us faith, in our hour of doubt; they inspire hope in us when we have doubts approaching us on all sides. When we are lost in resentment and haste, they call us to the path of love and service. Their sole mission is to forgive our foolish ways and make us return to God. These souls are never in tension, never in jitters, always contented, easy and natural in their way of life. They despise none. They take kindly to the lonely and the lost. They do not count the rich nor their praise. They are free from the cares of the world and do not trouble about the needs and the wants of their body. They are temperate in their habits, modest in appearance, earnest in prayer and are ever devoted to God. They have no bitterness or malice for any. The miracles they work are only for the relief of the disciples and not for display. They answer to the description of the Sthitaprajna, Yogarudha, Bhakta, Gunatita of the Gita. “It is through the birth of such men who live, God-centered lives, that their family becomes blessed, and pure, their mother is of fulfilled nature and the earth itself is sanctified.”

We get a very clear account of the characteristics–Raghavendra’s style in Vadindra’s Guruganastava. He writes: “The saint never entertains any wrong or unwholesome ideas, nor does he force any wrong ideas on the scholars during discussions and debates. He never desires wrong things nor does he express ideas in so many words. He is never repetitive in his writing, nor does he erase what he has written once.”

“Raghavendra is the mellow fruit of the tree, i.e., Madhva Siddhanta–verily the Kalpataru. This tree has grown from the seeds of the Brahma Sutras sown by Lord Vedavyasa in the field”–Vedas. The sprouts are reared by Sri Madhva. Its seedlings and spreading branches are the work of the ancient commentator Jayatirtha. Vijayindras is its flower and Sri Raghavendra is the mellow fruit.

IV

Sri Raghavendra comes out of a great family of musicians and expert Vina players. With Vina in his hand, he entered the Brindavan some three hundred years ago, erected by him built around Salagramasin Mantralaya on the banks of the Tungabhadra amidst Vedic chanting approached by Appannachar reciting the Stotra from the other side of the bank. When Raghavendra entered the Brindavan, he gave his only song in Kannada in Bhairavi raga. Students of music opine that this single song of the saint and his musical accumen represents the raga in its perfection. It is common knowledge that a slight slip from the svarasthanasof Bhairavi will land us in Mukhari a doleful raga. The song runs as follows:

“Indu enage govinda ninna padara vindava toro mukunda indira
ramana (pa). ...
ninagayya dhiravenugopala paruganiso enna” ...

“Oh Lord reveal to me today your lotus feet: Oh Mukunda the Lord of Indira.

Oh, Lord of Lakshmi, whose face is resplendent, the Nandagopa, the lifter of the mount Mandara and who is full of bliss.

I am deeply bruised by the buffets of Samsara and I despair of finding a way out of it and felt desolate.

You condone my faults like a loving father and give me the Divine vision of your feet, Oh, Father of Manmatha.

I did not spend my life in devotion for I was foolishly living like a fool. I did not sing of your glories nor praise you. I request you, the divine charioteer Krishna to protect me and save me.

I associated myself with evil men and strayed away from the right path. There is none to protect me except you. Oh, mighty Venugopala lift me up and protect me.”

This song is the swan song, the last and the first of the great saint. From the time he entered Brindavan to this day, thousands rush to him and receive his grace and return with joy and happiness. He stands as the magnificent symbol of refuge to all who seek him. In short, resorting to the Guru and seeking his grace is an act very necessary for spiritual life. Going to a Guru is not an act of formality, but an absolute necessity.

The Guru not only shows us the way, but also imparts light, steadies the faltering steps of the disciples in the path. The Guru makes the faith of the disciples strong, cautions him about the pitfalls on the path. He gives us the master plan and grades it according to the differing abilities of the disciple. He highlights the signposts and lays down the guidelines and chalks out the way. The spiritual territory is a strange unknown field and one needs a guide if he is not to lose his path and make mistakes. The Chandogyastates: “He who has the Guru knows.” The Guru is the central pivot on which every spiritual movement moves. The Svetasvatarasets forth: “The philosophical wisdom shines forth in the high-souled devotees, who look up and worship the spiritual teacher, i.e., the Guru as they do God. The Guru is the gateway to spiritual life. Faith in God, reliance on the Guru, intense Sadhana, and Utsaha, that is, joy in religious life–all lead to please God and through His grace we attain Moksha.”