I know of no Ultimate Truth other than KṚṢṆA

Śrī Madhusūdana Sarasvatī Svāminaḥ
(16th century)

[A Nyāya scholar of Bengal who became an advaita-sannyāsin, authored 19 works including the  crest-jewel - Advaita-siddhi - and who knew very well that the Supreme Reality is devoid of attributes -- but could not turn away his mind from Śrī-Kṛṣṇa.

This lovely śloka came from him when he was caught in the surge of bhakti.] 

वंशीविभूषितकरान्नवनीरदाभात्

पीताम्बरादरुणबिम्बफलाधरोष्ठात् ।

पूर्णेन्दुसुन्दरमुखादरविन्दनेत्रात्

कृष्णात्परं किमपि तत्त्वमहं न जाने ॥

vaṁśī-vibhūṣita-karān-navanīradābhāt
pītāmbarād-aruṇa-biṃba-phalādharoṣṭhāt
pūrnendu-sundara-mukhād-aravinda-netrāt
kṛṣṇāt-paraṁ kim-api tattvam-ahaṁ na jāne

Śrīmad Appayya Dīkṣita-2

Śrīmad Appayya Dīkṣita's interesting remarks on Yajurveda, Āndhra-deśa, etc.

A rare verse written by Śrī Rāju Śāstrigaḷ in his Dīkṣitendra-Vaṁśābharaṇa runs as follows:

आन्ध्रत्वमान्ध्रभाषा च प्राभाकरपरिश्रमः ।
तत्रापि याजुषीशाखा नाल्पस्य तपसः फलम् ॥

This must have been written by Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita during some interesting experience of his. He says in this verse, that as a consequence of doing penance and meritorious acts, one will be born as an Āndhra, will have Āndhra-bhāṣā as one's mother-tougue, will study the Mīmāṁsā-śāstra of Prabhākara, and will have Yajurveda as one's Veda. While writing the commentary on this, the author says that because the Āndhra territory is situated in the middle of Triliṅga (bounded by three famous Śivaliṅga temples) the area was called as Triliṅgadeśa and its people were called as Trailiṅgas. The persons who live there generally wore the tripuṇdra and worshipped Lord Śiva as Tryambaka. The land has the pratiṣtha of Parameśvara within its boundaries. The people bear the marks of Śaivism and the generally Śivopāsakas. Hence the land is full of merit. Their language is also a very sweet one. The Prabhākara-mīmāṁsā is replete with very interesting dialectical poems and is able to give full work to one's powers of thought and intelligence. Similarly the Yajurveda is very essential for performance of the yajñas, etc. Even a Sāmavedī, if he wants to perform yajñas, has to learn the Yajurveda in order to know the liturgical processes. Hence the importance of Yajurveda for the vaidika-ācāra. Moreover, Śrī-Rudra contains the most potent pañcākṣara mantra. 

The above shows the great attachment of Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita to Lord Śiva which resulted in his partiality to the Āndhra country as in that country Pañcākṣarī was taught to the young children from very tender age.

-- Courtesy : Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita, Dr N. Ramesan, MA, Ph.D, IAS, Hyderabad, 1972, p. 82-83

Śrīmad Appayya Dīkṣita-1

I enjoyed this lovely śloka --

This was composed by Śrīmad Appayya Dīkṣita instantly on an Ārdrā-darśana day at Chidambaram in the month of Dhanu (called Mārgazhi in Tamil). The Thillai Dīkṣitars were conducting sandal-paste abhiṣeka to the Lord Naṭarāja in the early morning hours. Appayya Dīkṣita wondered how the Lord withstood the penetrating chillness?

मौलौ गङ्गा शशाङ्कौ करचरणतले शीतलाङ्गा भुजङ्गा:
वामे भागे दयार्द्रा हिमगिरिदुहिता चन्दनं सर्वगात्रे ।
इत्थं शीतं प्रभूतं तव कनकसभानाथ सोढुं क्व शक्ति:
चित्ते निर्वेदतप्ते यदि भवति न ते नित्यवासो मदीये ॥

maulau gaṅgā śaśānkau karacaraṇatale śītalāṅgābhujaṅgāḥ
vāme bhāge dayārdrā himagiriduhitā candanaṃ sarvagātre
itthaṃ śītaṃ prabhūtaṃ tava kanakasabhānātha soḍhuṃ kva śaktiḥ
citte nirvedatapte yadi bhavati na te nityavāso madīye

A free translation attempt:

The Gaṅgā and the Moon on your locks

Cool-bodied serpents on arms and feet

On the left side, the daughter of Himālaya; wet with compassion
And (cool) sandal all over the body!

How, O Lord (Naṭarāja) of the Golden Hall,

Did you get this strength to endure such extreme chill?

If only did you not stay eternally in my citta

Which burns hot due to sorrows.

Śrī U. Ve. Nāvalpākkam Somayājī Narayana Tātayārya Mahādeśikan

Śrī Yajvā Nārāyaṇa Tātayārya

A brief life-sketch by
P. S. Ramanathan

There is an amazing agrahāram known as Śrotriyam Nāvalpākkam located in the Vandavāsi Taluk in Tiruvannamalai Sambhuvarayar District in the State of Tamil Nadu. The village is very famous for Sanskrit studies. Sastra lives here with all effulgence since the time of Śrī Ayyā Kumāra Tāta Deśikan of the 16th century who under the patronage of the Nayak rulers of the principality of Thanjavur got exempted of all the land taxes as the residents were predominantly Vedic scholars, deeply dedicated to the cause of the Śāstras. Such tax exempted agrahārams were known as “Śrotriyam” and hence this agrahāra got an initial “S” to denote “Śrotriyam”.

When statistically compared with their Smārta counterpart, the number of Śrīvaiṣṇava Brāhmaṇas who performed Somayāgas in the last five centuries is negligible. This lacuna had long ago been filled up by Śrī Ayyā Kumāra Tāta Deśikan who had performed a series of hundred Somayāgas at Veṇṇātrankarai, in the outskirts of Thanjavur. Whether he did it at a stretch himself or organised it for others is not known but it was indeed a mighty great feat which earned him the title -- Tirumalai Caturveda Śatakratu -- which means, he who originated from Tirumalai, mastered the four Vedas and performed a hundred yāgas.

Śrī U. Ve. Nāvalpākkam Somayājī Narayana Tātayārya Mahādeśikan belonged to Śaṭhamarṣaṇa gotra of the Śatakratu-vaṁśa. He was born to Śrī U. Ve. Tātu (Nīlamegha Tātācārya) Svāmī in the year 1889. Consequent to Brahmopadeśa, adhyayana of the Taittirīya-śākhā commenced under the tutelage of Śrī (Maṇiyam) Chellam Srinivasacharya Svāmī. Later he underwent studies in Vyākaraṇa under Śrī Sethumadhavachar (Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati), Pūrva-mīmāṁsā under Navalpakkam Śrī U. Ve. Narasimhacharya Svāmī and Vedānta under his father, Śrī U. Ve. Nilamegha Tātācārya Svāmī. He was trained in Śrauta-prakriyā by Tirukkuṭantai Agnihotram Svāmī. In the mean time Narayana entered the next stage in life, into that of the Gṛhasthāśrama.

This family of Navalpakkam had a śrauta pāramparya and in order to maintain the tradition and recognition, Śrī Narayana Tātayārya made a saṅkalpa and conducted an Ādhāna in the year Vyaya (1946) and in Sarvajit (1947) performed an Agniṣṭoma at Navalpakkam agrahāram adhering to the injunctions of the Śrauta-sūtras in letter and spirit. It is said that to become fit for performing the Śrauta ritual he imposed on himself several austerities extending even to stoppage of travel by all means. Sahasra-brāhmaṇa-bhojana was held. Believe it or not, the enormous expenditure incurred for the conduct of the yāga was met by selling part of his landed property! He came to be known as Somayājī or Yajvā thereafter. His nityāgnihotra continued for a long period with the unstinted support of his Patnī, Śmt. Alamelu Somapīthinī, until her demise.

It is really praiseworthy that Śrī Yajvā had kept a record of the names of the 16 ṛtviks who had participated in the Somayāga.

Hoṭr-gaṇa	Adhvaryu-gaṇa
Hotā – Nā. Te. Aravamudacharyar	Adhvaryu –  Tirukkuṭantai Tatacharyar
Maitrāvaruṇa – Iḷaṅgāḍu Swami Svāmī	Pratiprasthātā – Varadacharyar (Son)
Acchāvaka – Vādhyār Krishnamacharyar	Neṣtā – Azhisūr Kalyanavaradacharyar
Grāvastut – Vaṭavānūr Srinivasaraghavacharyar	Unnetā – Villiambākkam Devanathacharyar
Udgātṛ-gaṇa	Brahma-gaṇa
Udgātā – Pacchakkal Seema Raghavacharyar	Brahman – Seema Tatacharyar
Prastotā – Vājapeyam Ranga Pattaracharyar	Brāhmaṇāchaṁsī – Aṃṃaṇi Devanathacharyar
Pratihartā – Kottaiyur Sarangapani Iyengār	Āgnīdhra – Thocchu Yajnavarahacharyar
Subrahmaṇya – Seema Varadacharyar	Potā – Śailī Pattaracharyar

Śrī Yajvā Narayana Tātayārya like the Dīpa-pradīpa-nyāya has produced a number of scholarly disciples. His sons and grand-sons too have become distinguished scholars in their respective field of learning and are holding eminent positions. 

Yajvā had a retentive memory and had acquired wide knowledge in Sanskrit literature apart from the Śāstras. Being a storehouse of Stotras, he had a habit of murmuring thousands of them everyday. 

जल्पन्तः पुरुषाः पुनन्ति भुवनं पुण्यौघपण्यापणाः ।

jalpantaḥ puruṣāḥ punanti bhuvanaṁ puṇyaugha paṇyāpaṇāḥ

Such pure souls make this world pure by the store-house of the puṇya that they have amassed, as Svāmi Deśika puts it in his Daśāvatāra-Stotra (12). Let us draw the puṇya that we need from the store by remembering them at least.

Śrī Yajvā Narayana Tātayārya Mahādeśikan left his bhautika-śarīra at Srirangam and became Vaikunṭha-vāsī. The Āhitāgni-saṁskāra was performed under the directions of Svargīya Śrī Raghunatha Śāstrin, on the banks of Koḷḷiḍam Kaveri river.

नमो महद्भ्यः

(Thanks are due to Dr. V. Vasudevan and Dr. V. Kannan, grand-sons of Svargīya Śrī Narayana Yajvā, respectively for providing the photo and for according permission to use the biographical details published in Tamil in the Internet).

How do you manage with so many Gods and Goddesses?

A. L. Venkateswaran

The above question was asked in all earnestness by the leader of a delegation from the West.

A well informed and articulate official of the Tourist Department of Uttar Pradesh was taking the delegation round Fatehpur Sikri. (I was also with the delegation). He waxed eloquent on the broad-mindedness of Akbar who had a shrine dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi for his Hindu wife.

Then came spontaneously the million dollar question -- "How do you manage with so many Gods and Goddesses?"

Since the country was then passing through famine conditions, when I heard the question I smelt an undercurrent of cynicism whether the 'feeding' of so many Gods and Goddesses had in any way contributed to the famine among human beings.

The tourist official was perplexed at the question. After a pause, which was embarrassing, I intervened. "Mr. .. You have asked a pertinent question. But I am on horns of dilemma. If I answer your question, I might be misunderstood in my official role. On the other hand, if I don't you would go back to your country under the mistaken impression that there is perhaps no answer to your question. I am, therefore, taking on your question and shall endeavour to answer it in physical and scientific terms."

"Please do. I am interested," was the response.

The following conversation then followed:

I: You must have seen the vast expanse of water in the Ocean?

Mr. S: Yes, I have.

I: Could you suggest the shape of the water in the Ocean?

Mr. S: Not that I can think of.

I: Would you then say that the water has no shape?

Mr. S: Yes, you could say so.

I: If I fill up a glass tumbler from the ocean, does the water have a shape?

Mr. S: The water has the shape of the tumbler.

I: So, we can have vessels of varying sizes and shapes. In all cases the water takes the shape of the container in which it is kept. Now, would you accept that depending on circumstances, water is without shape and with shape?

Mr. S: Yes, that is understandable.

I: O. K. Let us take another example. See that electric light up there. What is the cause of the light?

Mr. S: Electricity.

I: Can electricity be seen?

Mr. S: No.

I: Do you recognise that the same electric power manifests its presence in the rotation of the fan, the tube light, the heat in the filament of the hot plate; boiling of the water in the electric kettle, etc.?

Mr. S: Yes, very much so.

I: Does this not mean that while electricity by itself has no shape or colour, it manifests itself in different forms of energy -- in other words, electricity is both without form and with form according to the environment.

Mr. S: Yes, this too is scientific.

I: Now we shall approach the answer to your main question. According to Vedanta, which embodies the highest level of spiritual perception evolved in India, the entire Universe is pervaded by a Divine Power known as Brahman which is eternal. To take the analogy of the waters of the ocean or electricity, this Divine Power has no shape or form. It is beyond the comprehension of the physical senses. 

Let me illustrate this. As you know the human eye can perceive light only within a limited spectrum of wave length. It cannot see infra red or ultra violet. Similarly the ears can receive and identify sound only in a limited range. 

In other words, our sensory perceptions are finite in capability. The finite senses cannot perceive the infinite Divine Power. But as in the case of water and electricity, the eternal power can be perceived in the manifested form. The Gods and Goddesses in Hindu religion are manifestations in form of the eternal Divine Power.

These forms are real as the shape of water in the vessel or the manifestation of the otherwise invisible electricity in the filament of the bulb.

Further, a person may look upon or conceive of the Almighty as the ever loving mother and we have Goddess (with different names) accordingly. Some conceive of God as the embodiment of knowledge and we have Goddess Saraswati; we have a Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi; the preserver and protector Vishnu; the remover of all obstacles Vighneswara and so on. All these Gods and Goddesses have been realised by the devotees. What is needed is undiluted faith and devotion. In other words, God can be realised in whatever form man conceives. This is in accordance with the Bhagavad Gita where Lord Krishna (an incarnation of Vishnu) has categorically stated that He manifest himself in whatever form He is conceived of.

I may give you one more analogy. The expression Government or State does not produce an impression of any shape or form. But in a concrete form, we have Ministers with specific portfolios. Again we can't explain for example, what infinity in mathematics is, except in relative terms.  If we go on counting numbers we would cross millions and billions and if we then clarify that infinity is still beyond the biggest number one can think of, the intangible concept comes within the realm of comprehension. 

So, in short, there is no contradiction in Vedanta between God with form and God without form. God with form is an aid to understanding the Omnipotent Eternal Almighty and helps to concentrate when one meditates.

I hope it is now clear that various Gods and Goddesses in the Hindu pantheon are integral to, though diverse manifestations of, the eternal divinity which by itself has no shape or form.

-- Courtesy: Bhavan's Journal, June 22, 1975, pp. 43, 45-56.

 

Śrī Kalpathy Eswara Dikshitar

Śrī Kalpathy Eswara Dīkṣitar

Śrī K. E. Ramanatha Dikshitar of Kalpathy, an expert in Veda, Smārta-prayogas and Dharma-śāstra was approached to gather information about his genealogy. This ripe scholar of lovable temperament, after a long pause, made a conclusive statement that the last Agnihotrī in his family was his great-grandfather, Śrī. K. Y. Eswara Dikshitar, son of  Śrī Yajnesvara Dikshitar, who had performed an Agniṣṭoma (Somayāga) in the year 1884 in Kalpathy Agrahāra (Palakkad-Kerala). No other information could be accessible, for the present.

नमो महद्भ्यः।

[Sincere thanks to Sri K. R. Eswaran, son of Sri K. E. Ramanatha Dikshitar for finding out a photograph from his album.]

Śrī. Angarai Kailasanatha Vajapeyi, Śrī. Angarai Arunachala Dikshitar (1901-1970)

Śrī Arunachala Dīkṣitar-Śmt. Lakṣmī Somapīthinī

Angarai is a village in Lalgudi Taluk in Tiruchirappalli District of Tamil Nadu State, India. It is located 15 km towards east of Tiruchirappalli. There is a flourishing Agraharām where about 100 Brāḥmaṇa families live together. The natives of yore proudly claimed to have housed 64 Āhitāgnis who were sponsored by the nearby resident philanthropists to conduct nitya-agnihotras. 

Śrī Kailasanatha Vājapeyī known as Pichhu Dikshitar of 20th century belonged to the 20th generation of the Somayājīs in one of the Bhāradvaja lineages of families who got settled in Āṅgarai. Though details are now inaccessible he had earned the title of “Bahuyājī” which means a person who has conducted many yāgas. The word is suggestive of performance of all the 7 saṃsthās, like the Agniṣṭoma, the Atyagniṣṭoma, the Ukthya, the Ṣoḍaśī, the Atirātra, the Vājapeya, the Aptoryāma and the Cayanas.

Śrī Arunachala Dikshitar was born to Śrī Kailasanatha Vājapeyī and Śmt. Balamba Somapīthinī in the year 1901. Like his father he became well versed in the Taittirīya-śākhā (kramānta) with Ṣaḍaṅga and Śrauta in particular, under the tutelage of the famous Śrī Maṇakkāl Muthu Dīkṣitar (Śrautigaḷ).

As everyone knows the Prayoga edited by Śrī Maṇakkāl Muthu Dīkṣitar is the standard manual in the field of smārta rituals. Both the manuals, the pūrva and the apara, which enjoy authority and currency even today speak high of Śrī Muthu Dīkṣitar’s tradition and achievements. Arunachala had devoted his youthful age entirely for learning which resulted in mastering over the subtleties of the chosen śrauta field and Dharma-śāstra texts. Muthu Dīkṣitar was so proud of this student and he wanted him to exhibit his mastery as a śrautin in the somayāgas conducted by his father, Śrī Kailasanatha Vājapeyī. As a ṛtvik he excelled in his duties as chief of the Adhvaryu-gaṇa and earned extraordinary name and fame which attracted the attention of the local Miṛāsdārs who came forward to sponsor his basic living needs. He was invited to supervise all kinds of saṁskāra rituals and Rudra homas by many which he did authoritatively and with all enthusiasm.

In the year 1920 Arunachala got married to Śmt. Lakshmi who belonged to the same agrahāra. A son, named, Jambunathan was born to them who later became son-in-law of Svargīya Śrī Nūraṇi Somasundara Dīkṣitar.

Soon after begetting a child, Arunachala consecrated the tretāgni and performed an Agniṣṭoma (Somayāga) in 1926 at Āṅgarai and became Arunachala Dīkṣitar (Somayājī). Along with his wife, Śmt. Lakshmi Somapīthinī, he conducted the Nitya-agnihotras, Iṣtis and the occasional rites without break apart from the smārta rituals, thus carried forward the Agni-Upāsanā to the 21st generation. He also performed one of the five Kāṭhaka-kṣudra-cayanas, viz., the Āruṇa-ketuka at Śūlamaṅgalam, Papanasam Taluka, Thanjavur Dt.

He was closely associated with the Śrī Kanchi Kamakoti Maṭḥa and Śrī Mahāsvāminaḥ. In recognition of his expertise in the Gṛhya and Dharma branches of learning he was awarded the titles, “Gṛhyajña” and “Dharmajña”.

Once during a visit to Varanasi, the doyen in Pūrva-mīmāṃsā, Śrī Maṇḍakolathūr Chinnaswami Śāstrī, happened to converse with Dīkṣitar on a Śrauta topic. He also could witness a few Iṣtis performed by Dīkṣitar. Seeing the meticulous way the Iṣti was being performed, Śrī Chinnaswami Śāstrī could not but praise Dīkṣitar instantly. He got so amazed that in the assemblage of a few scholars, he conferred on him the title, “Śrauta-vidyā-sudhākara”. Dīkṣitar valued this recognition above everything because it was presented by a man of vast learning of the Mīmāṃsā-śāstra. Only a wise man can understand the efforts behind acquiring thorough knowledge --  

विद्वानेव विजानाति विद्वज्जनपरिश्रमम् ।

Śrī Arunachala Dīkṣitar, besides being a staunch Vaidika ritualist, was a Devī-Upāsaka too. The great, Śāstraratnākara Tetiyūr Śrī Subrahmanya Śāstrin (1885-1954) was a polymath and a devout Śrīvidyā-Upāsaka. It is a wonder that Śrī Arunachala Dīkṣitar got initiated into the secrets of Navākṣarī, from him.

विद्वान् सर्वत्र पूज्यते ।
vidvān sarvatra pūjyate
A scholar is adored everywhere.  

By this time the name and fame related to Dīkṣitar's achievements in the conduct of Śrauta-yājñas, Atirudra and Caṇḍī Homas grew rapidly and the news had reached the Mahārāja of Mysore and the Śrī Sringeri Maṭha. He was invited by the then Śrī Saṅkarācārya, Śrī Chandrasekhara Bhāratī Svāminaḥ for performance of certain rituals and later at his behest got him initiated into the Srīvidyā-Upāsanā (Pañcadaśākṣarī) through his immediate disciple. The Mahārāja of Mysore extended to him an annual scholarship for his achievements in Śrauta-vidyā, every year, at the time of Dusserah which he enjoyed for several years.

Acquaintances were many for him but true lifetime friends were Śrī Veppattūr Subrahmanya Śāstrigaḷ, Śrī Pāzhūr Subrahmanya Śāstrigaḷ and Śrī Poḷagam Rama Śāstrigaḷ.

Śrī Arunachala Dīkṣitar passed away at the age of 70 in 1970 at Chennai. The Āhitāgni-saṃskāra for this noble soul was conducted as laid down in the śāstras.

It is hoped that someone will come forward to conduct at least an Ādhāna from his family so that the saṃskāra of Agnihotra preserved for the last 21 generations in the family could be retained and passed easily to the next generation............This is the thought, desire at the moment which flashed in the mind of the editor of this rambling note. 

   
नमो महद्भ्यः।

(Thanks are due to Sri. A. Krishnamoorthy and Sri. Eswaran Jambunathan, son and grandson respectively of Svargīya Śrī Arunachala Dikshitar for providing the biographical note and the photograph.)