Mantralaya-254

Background

Meaning

SoathhaBhallapuriBhairavaBhatto
VeerabhadraItiVishrutaVidwaan
NarmanaivaParibhooyaNarendraad
GraamaRatnamachiraatSamaGruhaahnaat

In Vellore in the Aasthaana of Venkatapatiraya there were several well versed pandits, always ready for debate. Among them Veerabhadra and Bhairavabhatta were the most prominent pandits. They were so powerful that no body has defeated them so far. Venkatapatiraya king praised Sri Raghavendrateertharu, the way in which he won the debate. Presented fertile plenty of lands and villages to Rayaru. Added to this the king Venkatapatiraya himself performed the Kanakaabhisheka to Sri Raghavendrateertharu and expressed his happiness towards the extraordinary knowledge of Rayaru. As a rememberance of this in Mantralaya today in the list of sevas we find Kanakaabhisheka.

Madhurai was the center of learning and culture of knowledge in all the branches in those days. In the Asthaana of Tirumalanayaka the chief minister Sri Neelakantha Dixit and several pandits came forward and invited for debate and Vaakyaartha pertaining to Meemaamsa shastra with our Yatiraat Sri Raghavendrateertharu. Rayaru gladly accepted the invitation and won the debate in Madhurai. As there is a saying that there is no prejudice for good qualities our Neelakantha Dixit arranged a big procession that he brought an elephant with amabaari placed the famous Bhaatta sangraha of Rayaru he himself took the lead by doing the chaamara seva and thus the entire men of letters of Madhurai whole heartedly praised the knowledge of our Yatiraat Sri Raghavendrateertharu. This scene reminds the days of our Sri Jaiteertharu, the sixth pontiff of our Sri Madacharya peetha.

Sri Vidyaranyaru a profound scholar hearing the knowledge of our Sri Jaiteertharu – Sri Teekakrutpaadaru came to Yergol at the rock cave, which was the shape of Shankha(previously it was the ashrama of Shankhu Rushi) to test Sri Jaiteertharu.Simply amazed to see the abundant knowledge. Gave his heart to the famous work:

SRIMANNYAAYASUDHA

Placed the sacred book on the elephant and made a big procession. We feel happy to know that Sri Gururaya was honoured like Sri Jayarayu. Devotees this is the high quality of Sri Raghavendraswamiji. This is the paanditya prachaya parichaya of our Sri Raghavendrateertha Gurusarvabhoumaru.

The author of Sri Raghavendra Vijaya Sri Narayanacharya and the author of Sri Gurugunastavana Sri Vaadeendrateertharu, the fifth pontiff after Rayaru i.e. 22nd. Pontiff of our Sri Madacharya peetha. Have beautifully described about the maha paanditya mahima of Rayaru. It is quite heartening to know that that the Ibrahim Adilshaha of Bijapur donated lands and villages and honoured with the title JAGADGURU and presented shweta chhatra to Rayaru. That shweta chhatra is there even today in our Rayara Mutt.All our pontiffs have accepted that honour. What an appropriate name to our Rayaru as Jagadguru Sri Raghavendrateertharu.

Again this reminds rajaanaam guruhu iti Gururajaha and also Guroonaam iti rajaha Gururajaha as we all say Gururajaru. The dearest devotee Bichali Sri Appanacharyaru has said in Sri Raghavendra Mangalashtaka:
 

SaalankaarakaKavyaNaatakaKalaaKaanaadaPaatanjala
TraiyarthaSmrutiJaimineeyaKavitaaSangeetaPaarangataha
ViprakshatraVidanghrijaataMukharaanekaPrajaasevitaha
SriMatSadguruRaghavendraYatiraatKuryaatDhruvamMangalam

The kind and the most learned and efficient Rayaru accepts seva from all the sections of society, and the author of Sri Raghavendratantra Sondur Sri Krishnavadhootaru has said:
 

YathhaaShaktihi Yathhaa Bhaktihi Sevakaanaam Phalapradam
YavanaadyaischaSamsevya Vande

As per their capacity and devotion those who perform the seva of Rayaru are the beneficiaries. Apart from Hindus even the Muslims also perform the seva  namaskara and pradakshina to Rayaru. All the chetanas of Manukula today are surrendered to Mantralaya Rayaru. As already said Rayaru has no barrier of neither religion nor nation. All are the devotees of Mantralaya Sri Raghavendrateertharu. So our Haridasas have said: Munchae Maadiri Neevu Manchale Yaatre. Devotees let us lovingly proclaim this slogan to the world today.

We find the following shloka of Bichali Sri Appanacharyaru in the famous Sri Raghavendra Gurustotra:

NirastaDoshoNiravadyaVeshahaPratyarthaMookatavanidaanBhaashaha
VidwatParigneyaMahaVisheshoVaagvyaikhareeNirjitaBhavyaSheshaha

Sri Raghavendrateertharu is away from all the doshas, Vesha Niravadya vesha danda,kamandala dhaari,kaashyaaya vasanadhaari Rayaru had been to Pandharapur during the sanchaara, there was a great scholar – prakaanda pandita, khyata vaadi by name Shesha. He came for debate. So far no body has defeated Shesha as he was very powerful. During the debate Vaakyaarthhaa Sri Raghavendrateertharu quoted the points from Sri Vijayeendrateertha’s famous grantha Vaagvaikhyaree and defeated the undefeated Shesha. This is a great record of Rayaru and Bichali Sri Appanacharya has recorded this through ashukavitva on shraavana bahula dwiteeya on the day of Brindavana Pravesha while crossing Tungabhadra from the Japadakatti.

After Pandharapur Rayaru had been to Kolhapur and took the divya darshana of Sri Mahalaxmi. There Chhatripati Shivaji met Rayaru and acquired the complete Anugraha. Shivaji also liberally offered lands, gold and villages. It is quite interesting to know that Rayaru did not ask anything, we can say that Rayaru is the only pontiff who has acquired so much. Where ever Rayaru had been there proved fruitful mahima by the Anugraha of Sri Hari.

Again please look at this shloka of Appanacharya:

Agamya MahimaLokaeRaghavendroMahaaYashaha
SriMadhwaMataDugdhabdihiChandrovatuSadaanaghaha.

Let us surrender completely to Mantralaya Sri Raghavendrateertharu.
 
 

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