Mantralaya-2053

(Part 2 of the 354th Mantralaya Rayaru Aradhana - Sri Moola Rama)

Date : July 31, 2025

Dear Devotees : Namaskara.

| Sri MannMoolaRamastu Mannmathe Moolamahasamsthhaana Mantralaya Sri Rayaramathe||
|| OM SRI RAGHAVENDRAAYA NAMAHA||

Background

Part 2 of the 354th Mantralaya Rayaru Aradhana series. Sri Raghavendra Swamy’s deep connection with Moola Rama and highlights its spiritual significance of Moola Rama is described in Mantralaya (2053).

Meaning

In this Part 2 of the 354th Sri Raghavendra Gurusarvabhoumaru’s Aradhana article, we explore the divine connection between Sri Moola Rama and Sri Raghavendra Swamy and the depth of his unwavering devotion through the sacred Moola Rama Pooja.

In the holy Vamana Purana, a profound divine vow is recorded. It was spoken by Sri Hari Himself during His incarnation as Sri Vamana Deva, the radiant dwarf Brahmachari. With just three steps, He humbled the mighty King Bali, the noble grandson of Prahlada. In that sacred moment, He made a timeless promise.

Among the many celestial conversations that took place during that divine episode, one stood out for its eternal significance. A boon was granted to King Bali that he would one day attain the position of Indra. Another, more intimate and profound, was bestowed upon His beloved devotee, Prahlada Maharaja.

Sri Prahladaru, the embodiment of unwavering bhakti, endured trials that would break even the strongest of hearts. Yet, his devotion to Lord Narayana never faltered.Prahlada’s faith shone with radiant brilliance. Deeply moved by this steadfastness, Sri Hari gave Prahladaru a divine assurance that “In the Kali Yuga, you shall be born again not merely as a devotee but as the guiding light of dharma. And I Myself shall ensure that you experience My eternal presence through the worship of the sacred Moola Rama idol.”
Why is the Moola Rama idol considered supremely special and sacred?

The divine idol of Sri Moola Rama was worshipped by celestial beings, sages and emperors. It was crafted by Vishwakarma at the command of Sri Rama and Sita. The idol stood on a rounded pedestal, had long ears, a graceful triple bend posture and feet adorned with anklets. It radiated divine beauty.

Lord Brahma was the first to worship this sacred Sri Moola Rama idol with deep devotion and set an example for the entire world. Brahma later gifted it to the Jabali sages who preserved and revered it with unwavering faith.

The Moola Rama idol was then passed on to Sri Rudra Devaru (God Shiva), who worshipped it with great reverence along with Goddess Parvati. Parvati’s deep devotion made her the bestower of auspiciousness to all virtuous women.

Sri Rudra Devaru later shared the spiritual glory of the idol with Markandeya Rishi. Shiva  taught him the Taraka Mantra and revealed that liberation could be attained through the worship of this very form of Sri Rama. Markandeya worshipped with great devotion as per the teaching of Shiva.

In the course of time, the idol was revered by Daksha, Saurabha Rishi and Vivaswan. Eventually, it reached King Ikshvaku of the Solar dynasty. Emperors like Mandhata, Harishchandra and Dasaratha worshipped it with deep devotion.

King Dasaratha, honoring the sacred legacy of the idol, named his beloved son Sri Rama.

Sri Rama Himself worshipped this sacred idol and consecrated it as the Original Rama. During his separation from Sita he gave the idol to her and assured her that it was not just a symbol but his very presence in form.

Sita along with Lakshmana and Jambavan worshipped the idol with deep love and reverence. Later Hanuman carried it through the Treta Yuga and safeguarded it with utmost devotion.

In the Dvapara Yuga Bhimasena, the mighty incarnation of Vayu Devaru, worshipped the idol with deep faith and unwavering strength.

When the Kali Yuga began, the divine idol eventually came to rest in the treasury of the Gajapati kings of Kalinga, where it remained hidden in royal care.

By divine will, Sri Vayu Devaru incarnated as Sri Madhvacharyaru to reveal and spread the eternal truth of Tattvavada.During his sacred journeys, Sri Madhvacharyaru entrusted a special mission to his illustrious disciple, Sri Narahari Teertharu.Sri NarahariTeertharu was a brilliant scholar and had previously served as an administrator in the Kalinga region.Recognizing Sri NarahariTeertharu’s wisdom and character, the royal court of Kalinga welcomed NarahariTeertharu with great respect and appointed him as regent of the kingdom. Sri NarahariTeertharu ruled with justice and care, guiding the kingdom until the young prince came of age. In gratitude for Sri NarahariTeertharu’s noble service and deep devotion, the royal family offered him the sacred idols of Sri Moola Rama.Thus, the divine mission was fulfilled, and the treasured idol came into the hands of Sri Narahari Teertharu, as destined by the Lord.

Sri NarahariTeertharu brought the idols to Sri Madhvacharyaru in Udupi on October 23, 1317 CE. Sri Madhvacharyaru worshipped them for eighty days and then entrusted them to Sri PadmanabhaTeertharu, thus establishing a sacred parampara.

The idol was then worshipped by successive pontiffs, Sri NarahariTeertharu, Sri Madhava Teertharu, Sri AkshobhyaTeertharu, Sri JayateerTeertharu, Shri VidyadhirajaTeertharu, Shri KaveendraTeertharu, Shri VaageeshaTeertharu, Shri RamachandraTeertharu, Shri Vibudhendra Teertharu, Shri JitamitraTeertharu, Shri RaghunandanaTeertharu, Shri SurendraTeertharu, Shri VijayeendraTeertharu and Sri Sudheendra Teertharu each spreading the profound teachings of Dvaita philosophy while continuing the veneration of Sri Moola Rama.

Sri Raghavendra Swamy was chosen by destiny itself. Sri Rayaru’s spiritual path was illuminated by a divine vision of Vagdevi, the Goddess of Speech, who appeared before him in celestial radiance.With a voice filled with divine authority, she revealed a sacred truth that wherever Sri Moola Rama is worshipped, she too resides, blessing that place with wisdom, purity and spiritual power.Vagdevi declared that this ancient and potent Sri Rama idol must be worshipped only by those who have reached the highest state of spiritual renunciation.Thus, by divine will, Sri Raghavendra Swamy was entrusted with this sacred responsibility an honor reserved for the greatest among saints.

Moved by the divine command and guided by Sri Sudhindra Teertharu, Sri Raghavendra Swamy embraced Paramahamsa Sannyasa. Rayaru renounced worldly ties and rose as a beacon of dharma and spiritual light.Vagdevi then bestowed upon Sri Rayaru not a crown of gold but the eternal title of Vidya Samrat, the sovereign of Vidya Samrajya, the spiritual empire of knowledge. Vagdevi entrusted Rayaru with the sacred duty of preserving and spreading the Dvaita Siddhanta through unwavering devotion to Sri Moola Rama.Thus began the reign of Sri Raghavendra Swamy, not as a ruler of kingdoms but as an emperor of truth, devotion and divine wisdom. Chosen by the Goddess herself, Sri Rayaru carried forward the eternal flame of Sanatana Dharma, keeping its light alive for generations to come.

The Haridasaru saints such as Sri Purandara Dasaru and Sri Jagannatha Dasaru glorified the divine idol of Sri Moola Rama through their soulful compositions. Sri Purandara Dasa, after witnessing the worship offered by Sri SurendraTeertharu, composed hymns that celebrated the idol’s divine journey from Brahma to NarahariTeertharu. Sri Jagannatha Dasaru, deeply moved by the devotion of Sri VasudhendraTeertharu, described Sri Moola Rama as the fulfiller of wishes and purifier of all who approach with faith. Dasaru’s Suladi narrates the sacred history of the idol, from its creation by Visvakarma to its worship by sages and noble kings.

Each day, Sri Raghavendra Swamy offered worship to Sri Moola Rama with deep devotion and each time Sri Rayaru experienced the divine presence of Sri Rama accepting his prayers. Sri Raghavendra Swamy’s appearance radiated serenity and spiritual brilliance. Clad in simple saffron robes, Sri Rayaru stood tall with a broad forehead and a graceful frame, holding his danda and japamala. Sri Rayaru’s compassionate eyes reflected infinite grace, wisdom and the divine peace of one immersed in constant communion with the Lord.

As the sun climbed gently into the sky, the devotees would awaken with quiet anticipation. Devotees, young and old, gathered in hushed reverence, for they knew the moment was near. Sri Rayaru, as lovingly called by his devotees, would soon perform the Moola Rama pooja, a worship that had been handed down through the ages from Sri Madhvacharyaru himself.

After Sri Rayaru’s early morning bath in sacred waters, Sri Rayaru emerged wearing clean ochre robes. Sri Rayaru’s forehead shone with freshly applied gopichandana. Immersed in the silent rhythm of Gayatri and Narayana japa, Rayaru radiated a peace that felt beyond this world. No words were spoken. Only the calls of birds and the soft chime of temple bells filled the air. With steady steps and hands folded in prayer, Sri Rayaru walked toward the inner sanctum where Moola Rama awaited him, the ancient deity once worshipped by Brahma, Sita, Hanuman and Madhvacharyaru. This idol, crafted by Vishwakarma, was not just a sacred image but alive with the very presence of Lord Rama.

Inside the shrine, the air shimmered with spiritual stillness. The conch would blow and the pooja would begin.Sri Rayaru performed every step of the ritual with loving precision. First came the abhisheka, where the deities were bathed with water, milk, curds, and sacred herbs. As the waters flowed down the stone forms, it felt as though the gods themselves smiled in joy. The scent of sandalwood paste, fragrant flowers and incense smoke rose into the air like invisible offerings of love.

Sri Rayaru would then offer Naivedya, simple food prepared with care, while softly chanting mantras that had passed down the unbroken Guru parampara. Sri Rayaru’s hands moved in graceful mudras as he performed the shodashopachara, the sixteen-fold worship. Sri Rayaru’s voice, deep and resonant, filled the sanctum with the energy of Veda and bhakti.

During this time, the devotees watching from behind the sanctum wall would forget the world outside. Time seemed to stand still. Many closed their eyes, imagining Sri Rama seated in Ayodhya, worshipped by the greatest sages of yore. Some wept in devotion, feeling the presence of Hanuman and Sita in that very moment.

As the final mangalarati illuminated the faces of the deities, the flames danced across their ornaments, casting a divine glow. The shrine shimmered, not just with the light of the lamps but with the radiance of Rayaru’s unwavering devotion. After offering teertha and prasada, Sri Rayaru quietly sat in deep meditation, his face calm, his soul fully absorbed in the presence of Sri Rama.

This was not a mere ritual, it was a living communion with the Divine, a sacred exchange where grace flowed and devotion came alive.

And so it was that Sri Raghavendra Swamy, day after day, kindled the eternal flame of devotion to Lord Rama through his heartfelt worship of the sacred Moola Rama idol. Sri Rayaru’s pooja was not just a ritual, it was a divine offering of love, discipline, and unwavering faith. Each mantra Rayaru chanted carried centuries of spiritual power, each flower Rayaru offered was heavy with reverence and each bow he made reflected complete surrender to his beloved Lord. Rayaru’s worship was a bridge between heaven and earth, a living expression of unbroken lineage that began with Brahma and reached its radiant culmination in Rayaru.

Even today, centuries later, those who sit in silence before Sri Raghavendra Swamy’s Brindavana in Mantralaya can sense the sacred atmosphere his devotion once created. There is a stillness in the air, as if time itself pauses to listen. The faint scent of gopichandana seems to linger, the distant echo of conch blowing stirs the soul, and in the heart of every true devotee, the image of Rayaru standing before Moola Rama with folded hands rises like a divine memory. Rayaru’s puja lives on not just in tradition, but in the hearts of those who believe.

The daily worship of Moola Rama continues to this day in the Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt, following the exact practice established by Sri Rayaru himself. We are truly blessed to witness this sacred worship, to behold the very idol once adored by Lord Rama and later by Sri Raghavendra Swamy. It is more than a legacy, it is a living miracle, reminding us that true bhakti transcends time and continues to bless all who seek with a sincere heart.

The devotion towards Sri Raghavendrateertharu is the ultimate truth and is the most simple and effective way to reach Sri Hari  - "NAMBI KETTAVARILLAVO EE GURUGALA"! “Those who have complete faith in this Guru will never be disappointed.”

   || BICHALI JAPADAKATTI SRI APPANACHARYA PRIYA MANTRALAYA
   SRI RAGHAVENDRATEERTHA GURUBHYO NAMAHA||