Mantralaya-2065

(Sanjaya, a great spiritual figure, and the reason why the Lord was so dear to him)

Date : Oct 23, 2025

Dear Devotees : Namaskara.

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

Background

Sanjaya, a great spiritual figure, and the reason why the Lord was so dear to him, is described in Mantralaya (2065).

Meaning

In this Mantralaya Series, we explore the lesser discussed yet profoundly spiritual figure Sanjaya, the blessed soul upon whom Lord Sri Hari bestowed the rare divine gift of witnessing His actions directly.

Sanjaya is one of the most extraordinary yet often overlooked figures in the Mahabharata. His life exemplifies devotion, truth and divine wisdom. Though neither a warrior nor a sage in the traditional sense, his spiritual depth and unwavering integrity made him a divine instrument through whom the true purpose of the Mahabharata war was revealed to the world.Sanjaya was the charioteer and later minister of King Dhritarashtra, the blind Kuru ruler.

When the Kurukshetra war was about to begin, Sage Vyasa, moved by compassion for King Dhritarashtra, offered him the divine vision to witness the battle firsthand. Dhritarashtra, however, declined, saying he could not bear to see the destruction of his sons. Out of grace, Vyasa bestowed this extraordinary gift, the Divya Drishti, upon Sanjaya instead.

With this divine vision, Sanjaya could see every moment of the war as if it were unfolding before his eyes. He witnessed the movements of the warriors, the strategies of the armies, and even the unseen hand of destiny guiding each event. Most wondrous of all, he beheld Lord Krishna’s cosmic form, the Virata Rupa, revealed to Arjuna during their sacred dialogue on the battlefield.

Why did Lord Sri Hari bestow such a rare blessing upon Sanjaya? The answer lies in the divine insight revealed by Sri Madhwacharyaru. In his Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya, Madhwacharyaru explains that Sanjaya was no ordinary human, but a celestial being born with a sacred mission. In his previous birth, he was Tumburu, the Gandharva renowned in the heavenly realms for his deep devotion and service to Lord Vishnu. Tumburu, who once sang the eternal glories of Lord Sri Hari, was born as Sanjaya to play a vital role in the great unfolding of Dharma during the Mahabharata. His divine task was to witness the Lord’s cosmic plan and narrate the sacred events with a heart attuned to the will of the Supreme.

Sri Krishna, knowing the depth of Sanjaya’s soul, granted him the rare privilege of hearing the entire Bhagavad Gita directly from the Lord and witnessing His Virata Rupa. Sri Madhwacharyaru explains that when Krishna revealed this cosmic form, Sanjaya saw it with a blurred vision, while Arjuna beheld it with perfect clarity. This difference arose because Arjuna’s devotion was far greater than Sanjaya’s. Yet even a blurred vision of Sri Hari was an extraordinary blessing for Sanjaya, an experience granted to only a select few among the gods.

Sri Vysaru’s gift to Sanjaya was not just the power of physical sight, it was the profound vision of spiritual insight. He could see beyond the surface of the battlefield and grasp the true essence of Dharma. Sanjaya understood that every event, every victory and defeat, unfolded according to the Lord’s divine plan. His narration to Dhritarashtra was far more than a simple account of the war. It was a sacred discourse on righteousness, duty, and complete surrender to God’s will. Whenever the blind king’s heart wavered with doubt, grief, or attachment, Sanjaya spoke with clarity and detachment. He guided the king to remember that Dharma ultimately prevails and that Lord Krishna, the Supreme Soul, orchestrates all actions in the universe for the highest good.

Even though Sanjaya served Dhritarashtra, his heart was always aligned with Lord Krishna and the Pandavas. His loyalty to truth was greater than any worldly obligation. Madhwacharyaru explains that Sanjaya was a devotee of the highest order, whose inner purity made him worthy of receiving divine vision. He could discern the difference between right and wrong, Dharma and Adharma, and never allowed personal bias to cloud his understanding. His devotion to truth and his surrender to Krishna made him an ideal messenger of divine knowledge.

Sanjaya’s life represents the power of divine insight. While Dhritarashtra was blind both outwardly and inwardly, Sanjaya could see not only the physical events but also the spiritual essence within them. His vision was guided by faith and devotion, not by the limitations of human perception. Through him, the Mahabharata conveys that true sight is not what the eyes perceive but what the purified heart understands.

After witnessing the entire war and narrating it to the king, Sanjaya did not become proud of his divine gift. Instead, he remained humble and detached, fully aware that his vision was the grace of Sage Vyasa and ultimately of Lord Krishna Himself. He understood that his role was not to judge but to convey the truth as it was revealed. His speech reflected both wisdom and compassion, helping Dhritarashtra grasp the inevitable victory of Dharma and the destruction that follows when one sides with falsehood.

Sanjaya’s story teaches the essence of spiritual vision and surrender. He reminds us that service to truth, devotion to the Lord, and detachment from the results of action form the foundation of real knowledge. Though he did not fight with weapons, his words became mightier than swords, for through them, the world heard the immortal message of the Gita and the final triumph of righteousness.

In the spiritual light of Madhwacharyaru’s interpretation, Sanjaya is not merely a narrator but a seer chosen by destiny to record the divine play of the Lord. His earlier life as Tumburu the Gandharva, his divine sight, his unwavering honesty, and his devotion to Lord Krishna all show that even in the midst of war, peace and wisdom reside in the heart of one who sees God in all actions.

Sanjaya remains a timeless symbol of divine witness, illustrating that true Dharma lies in recognizing the Lord as the controller of all and surrendering one’s mind and heart completely to Him.

We must understand that Sri Hari’s vision knows no boundaries. He does not see our religion, nation, or gender. He sees only the true essence of the soul. To every devotee, He grants His grace and blessings according to their devotion and readiness, limitless and impartial. This divine truth shines clearly in the life of Sri Raghavendra Swamy, whose devotion and miracles reveal the boundless mercy of Sri Hari. Even today, devotees of all castes, creeds, genders, and nations continue to experience the full blessings of Sri Raghavendra Swamy, a living testament to the universality of God’s grace.

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||