Mantralaya-258

Background

The grandeur of the concluding festival of Sharannavaratri and how our Mantralaya Sri Raghavendrateertha Gurusarvabhoumaru went to the famine affected Tanjore and magnanimously helped the people are described in Mantralaya(258).
 
 

Meaning

Sri Saraswatipooja

Durgashtami Durga Pooja Aradhana of Shakti Devi

Ayudhapooja , Go Ashwa Ratha pooja, Vaahanapooja Pooja of Vehicles.

On the day of Saraswatipooja we perform the pooja of all the books, notebooks, writing materials, calculators,computers and laptops along with Sri Saraswatidevi.These are the Prasaadhanas of Sri Shradamaata. We worship with great Devotion. Books with alphabets we read and teach. Paathaneeya – Pathaneeya. Pooja,Alankara,Naivedya, Arati will be done, books are nothing but  Goddess Saraswati to us.

Finally on the last day of Vijayadashami Seemollanghana and theShameepooja will be performed and the  exchange of Banni to each other wishing all well and live like gold, on that particular day of Vijayadashami Banni will be regarded as gold. On the shamee tree only our Pandavas kept all their weapons, while going to spend the one year of Agnyaatavaasa in Viraatanagara.During Agnyaatavaasa no body should trace them, identify them, if they are identified in that period of one year, then again the Vanavaasa of 12 years will be renewed. That was the rule and the condition was  imposed on them by the Kouravaas.

Paandavaas who were too dear to Sri Krishna their Agnyaatvaasa was completed on the day of Vijayadashami, Arjuna and Pandavaas became victorious on that day only by taking up their Shastraas from the Shamee tree. As a token symbol even after several years we are following. On this day the Kalynotsava of Sri Srinivasadevaru and Mangala of the famous Puraana  Sri Venkateshwara purana will be observed on this day only.

While performing all this Selfless devotion, bhakti will be taken into the consideration by Swami. Who are we? To boast ourselves that we have performed the festival on a grand scale, our Function was fine, it went on well. All such show things are not liked by Sri Hari Vayu Guru. Astikas and Sajjanas are quite contented find pleasure in pooja and paaraayana.

It is heartening to know the following shloka of our Great  Acharya Sri ManMadhwacharyaru in Geeta Taatparya:

NaahamKartaaHarihikartaaTatpoojaKarmachaakhilamaha
TathhaapiMatkrutaaPoojaTatPrasadenaNaa Anyathhaa TadaBhaktiPhalamhaMahyamTatPrasaadaathaPunahaPunaha
KarmanyaasohaHarimevahaVishnohoTruptikarahaSadaa

We have to  offer, submit  and surrender to Sri Hari, this is all yours, you are the doer, inspirer for all things in my life. When this feeling is strong, we become polite, we acquire the affection of God. This feeling should be always in life then only the sajjanas will be successful in life always.

Our Mantralaya Sri Raghavendrateertharu lived in the frame work of all these divine qualities and worked to the welfare of Tanjore by the anugraha of Sri MoolaRamadevaru.Rayaru decided to use the divine power and mantrasiddhi. Miracles are great to us, but for divya chetanas that is nothing but a plaything for them. In the heart of our  Sri Gururayaru we are amazed to know the affection and the  kind concern towards the innocent people, magnanimously distributed the anugraha of Sri Hari - Sri Haribhakti.

After the departure of Vijayaraghavanayak from Kumbhakonam, Rayaru started checking the stock of gold, silver, money, necessary  groceries for immediate use   and  all the valuable things. Engaged four bullock carts. Loaded the entire things of the Sri Mutt – Vidya Mutt. It is very interesting to know and there is no exaggeration to say that Rayaru is the only Saint who has accepted the abundant gift including the villages,lands,gold,silver and even the Shweta Chhatra by the Adil Shaha of Bijapur.Even Navaratnas were also there. Rayaru took all those things to feed the people who were suffering from famine. With all this along with the limited parivaara of Rayara Mutt reached Tanjore.

King  Vijayaraghavanayak welcomed warmly.Rayaru said king look here these are the valuable things of our Vidya Mutt. First take all these things and distribute to the starving hungry citizens of Tanjore.The king became dumb to see all these things. Swamiji my conscious is not permitting me to accept these things of our holy mutt. Sri Raghavendrateertharu said king the assets of the mutt are donated by the devotees and by your forefathers. This is all the property of the public.In times of necessity it must be used. After all what is the use in accepting and accumulating from the devotees and preserving them.  I am not the owner of all these things. Sri Hari and the devotees are the owners. When it is properly utilized I will be highly satisfied and contented and actually that is the intention of Sri Hari. So I have come here along with the bullock carts from the way from Kumbhkonam to Tanjore. Devotees  Sri Raghavendrateertharu has set an example  that how the pontiff! s should be ! and how to act in times of necessity. With a smile handed over the whole thing to Vijayaraghavanayak and made it clear the stand of the Mutts in times of urgent needs. This is a historical record and our Dasas have described all this in their songs.

FOR THE SAKE OF THE DEVOTEES EVEN TO THIS DAY OUR GURURAYA IS NEELA BRINDAVANA VAASA OF MANTRALAYA WITH YOGA MUDRE IN THE LONG JAPA OF SRI HARI.

Sri Raghavendrateertharu asked  Vijayaraghavanayak do not hesitate to utilize the wealth and the groceries of the Sri Mutt. By the anugraha of Sri Hari everything and even more will be restored in   future in the Vidya Mutt.Rayaru  what he told on that day had become true. Distributed liberally to the people of Tanjore, never thought of tomorrow nor of Mutt. As Rayaru became too liberal and magnanimous on that day of famine and gave everything. For that today look at the grandeur of Mantralaya, wealth, comforts and everything is sumptuous. The massive palatial buildings of the Mutt with marble and granite and the new equipments of cooking etc. to feed the mass and mass of the  devotees. We really remember the Amaravati of Indra Deva.

In the parampara of Acharya Peetha very rarely we find this much of kind and liberal attitude. There is no exaggeration to say that our kind Yatiraat Sri Raghavendrateertha Gurusarvabhoumaru is second to none. So the greatest devotee of Rayaru Bichali Sri Appanacharyaru  has said in the thiord shloka of  Sri Raghavendra Gurustotra:

Sri RaghavendrahaSakalaPradaata
SwaPaadaKanjaDwayaBhaktiMadbhyaha
AghaadriSambhedanaDrushtiVajraha
KshamaaSurendroVatumaamSadaayam

Tanjore king Vijayaraghavanayak simply surrendered and squatted on the lotus feet of Rayaru with devotion, firm faith and belief , so Rayaru bestowed him and to his kingdom everything.
Again we remember the wordings of our Sri Gurjagannathadasaru of Kosigi:
 

NAMBIKETTAVARILLAVOEEGURUGALA
NAMBADEKEDUVARUNTE
 

Our lotus feet of Rayaru are so sacred that Rayaru liberally gives everything, all the sins committed by us will be vanished just as Vajraayudha is capable of destroying the huge mountain by the Anugraha of Rayaru. So Tanjore king Vijayaraghavanayak surrendered with devotion and thus fully blessed.
 
 

Poem