The three forms of Mukhya PraaNa.

As has been noted, Srimad Ananda Tiirtha has repeatedly made the claim to being Madhva, the third avatar of Mukhya PraaNa; some of the shloka-s he has composed tend to run quite similarly to the one from the Vishnu-tattva-vinirNaya that has already been quoted. He, who has unequivocally and repeatedly asserted the total, unconditional, and irremediable superiority of the Supreme over all others and the complete dependence of all other souls upon Him, and who has maintained that the apparent inconsistencies in Vedas should not be explained away by specious theories of mahaavaakya, anuvaada, adhyaaropa, etc., but must be squarely faced and all integrated into a consistent whole (eka vaakyataa), can hardly make a claim of his own position in the hierarchy of souls openly and with crystal clarity, unless this is supported by valid praamaNa-s -- which, in Vedic schools, rest upon the correct interpretation of the Vedas and Upanishads, and their adjunct texts. For instance, the following are the claim and exposition given near the end of his bhaashhya on the BrhadaaraNyaka Upanishad:

      yasya trINi uditAni vedavachane rUpANi divyAni alam.h  | 
      baT.h taddarshatamitthamevanihitaM devasya bhargo mahat.h  | 
      vAyo rAmavachonayaM prathamakaM pR^ixo dvitIyaM vapuH  | 
      madhvo yat.h tu tR^itIyakaM kR^itamidaM bhAshhyaM hi tena prabhau  ||

After this quotation, he goes on to expound upon the BaLitthA Suukta as follows (we first give the Suukta itself in full for easy reference, and then the exact commentary given):

 baLitthA tad.hvapushhedhAyi darshataM devasya bhargaH sahaso yato.ajani |
 yadImupahvarate sAdhate matirR^itasya dhenA anayanta sasrutaH || 1 ||
  
 pR^ixo vapuH pitumAnnitya Ashaye dvitIyamAsaptashivAsu mAtR^ishhu  |
 tR^itIyamasya vR^ishhabhasya dohase dashapramatiM janayantayoshhaNaH || 2 ||

 niryadIM budhnAnmahishhasya varpasa IshAnAsaH shavasA krantasUrayaH  |
 yadImanupradivo madhva Adhave guhAsantaM mAtarishvA mathAyati || 3 ||

 prayatpituH paramAnnIyateparyApR^ixudho vIrudho da.nsu rohati  |
 ubhAyasya janushhaM yadinvata AdidyabishhTho abhavad.hdhR^iNa shuchiH || 4 ||

 AdinmAtR^irAvishadyAsvA shuchirahiMsyamAna urviyA vivAvR^idhe  |
 anuyatpUrvA aruhastanAjuvoni navyasIshhva varAsu dhAvate  || 5 ||

      hanushabdo j~nAnavAchI hanumAn.h matishabditaH  | 
      rAmasya svR^itarUpasyavachastena anayanta hi  | 
      bhR^itamo bhIma ityukto vAcho mA mAtaraH smR^itaH  | 
      R^igAdyA itihAsasya purANaM paJNcharAtrakam.h  | 
      proktaH saptashivAH tatra shayobhImaH tataH smR^itaH  | 
      madhu iti Ana.nda uddhishhTo veti tIrthamudAhR^itam.h | 
      madhva Ana.ndatIrthaH syAt.h tR^itIyA mArutI tanuH  | 
      iti sUktagataM rUpatrayametat.h mahAtmanaH  | 
      yo veda vedavit.h sA syAt.h tatvavavit.h tatprasAdataH  ||

      sAdhako rAmakAryANAM tatsamIpagataH sadA  | 
      hanumAn.h prathamo j~neyo bhImastu bahubhuk.h pitoH  | 
      pR^itanaxayakArI cha dvitIyastu tR^itIyakaH  | 
      pUrNapraj~naH tathA Ana.ndatIrthanAmA prakIrtitaH  | 
      dasheti sarvamuddishhTaM sarvaM pUrNamihochchyate  | 
      praj~nA pramatiruddhishhTa pUrNapraj~naH tathA smR^itaH  |

      asAmantaH patitve tu gUDhaM kaliyuge harim.h  | 
      asatyaM apratishhThaM tat.h jagadetaH anIshvaram.h  | 
      vAdadbhiH gUhitaM sa.ntaM tR^itIyo asuH mathAyati  |
      yena vishhNostu varpAkhyan.h guNanaj~nasishhuH parAn.h  | 
      iishAnAsaH sUrayashcha nigUDhAn.h nirguNoktibhiH  | 
      tretayAM dvApare chaiva kalau cha yete kramAt.h trayaH  | 
      eteshhAM paramo vishhNuH netA sarveshvareshvaraH  |
      svayambhubrahmasa.nj~no.asau parasmai brahmaNe namaH  |

Let us see the free translation (based mainly upon the exposition of Sri Vaadiraaja Tiirtha) of the above original source text of the commentary of Sri Madhva himself upon the BaLitthaa Suukta:

The three forms of Vayu which have the auspicious qualities of `kriiDaa' (sporting), etc., are well described in the Vedic texts -- as being of the essence of strength (bala), full of pious knowledge (j~naana). They protect the world, impart divine knowledge and are extremely holy and sacred. All the three forms appeared in the world per the desire of the Supreme Being. Just like the main (muula) form, these forms also are full of strength and knowledge (with no diminution during incarnation). The first form of Hanuman takes the words of Sri Raama (to Sita). It also teaches the precious and auspicious knowledge from Muula RaamaayaNa to its disciples, for their salvation. The second form, as Bhima, is the main destroyer (of evil forces of the Kauravas and others). The third form of Madhva has composed this bhaashhya (BrhadaaraNyaka) to please the Supreme Lord -- Sri Hari.

The word `hanu' means `j~naana' (knowledge). Therefore, Hanuman has been called `Mati' in the Suukta. The words "R^itasya dhenaa anayanta sasrutaH" mean that Hanuman carried the message (dhenaa) of Sri Raama (R^ita) who is always Eternal or Changeless and who is the essence of Truth, to Sita. (Note: that `R^ita' means Truth, or Supreme Truth, etc., is accepted, as in the Taittiriiya Upanishad's `R^itaM vadishhyAmi'.) `R^itasya dhenaa anayanta sasrutaH' can also mean that he taught the immutable and eternal truths such as the Muula RaamaayaNa (the original RaamaayaNa composed of a hundred crore shloka-s, given by Lord Hayagriiva to Brahma) to his disciples for their salvation. "p.rksho vapuH" describes the Bhima incarnation. `bhiima' has the same meaning as "aa shaye saptashivaasu matR^ishhu." `Bhima' is "one who has all knowledge of the sacred texts" (shaastra-s). The expansion in support of this is given as `bhR^itaH maH yena sa bhImaH' -- bhR^itaH (supported, repository of); maH, from the same root as pra-mAH, (sources) of valid knowledge, or pramaaNa-s, yena saH (from whom). `maa-tR^i' means all the valid shaastra texts. These are the four Vedas -- Rg, Yajur, Saama and Atharva, along with Itihaasa, PuraaNa and Pancharaatraa. `shaye' means "well versed in." Bhima is well versed in all the seven sources of valid knowledge given above. The words "tR^itIyamasya vR^ishhabhasya dohase' describe Sri Madhva. The word `madhva' means "the author of `va' (shaastra-s) which give `madhu' (bliss). Similarly `tiirtha' means the same as `va'. Thus `Ananda Tirtha' and `Madhva' mean the same thing. It is stated that anyone who understands correctly the reference to the three forms of Vaayu described in this Suukta, will understand all the Vedas correctly and will secure valid knowledge (tattvaj~naana) with the blessings of Vaayu.

The first form of Hanuman is always close to the Lord's incarnation of Sri Raama. It carries out all the duties given by Him. The second form of Bhima eats enormous quantities of food and destroys all evil forces always. The third form of Vaayu is also called Puurnapraj~na or Ananda Tiirtha. `dasha' means `sarva' (All) and `puurna' (complete). `praj~na' and `pramati' both mean "all sacred and valid knowledge." Evil preceptors who try to obscure true knowledge of the Lord in the Kaliyuga preach that the world is unreal, or that it will be shown as unreal when true knowledge is secured, that there is no ultimate Controller (Creator, etc.) for the world (which does not exist in reality). Vaayu's third form Sri Madhva reasserts the supremacy of Sri Hari over all else, by reviewing the entire valid scriptures (Rg and other Vedas, etc.) just as churning milk secures butter. Even the wise savants like Rudra, etc., were taught by this form the full and auspicious qualities of Vishnu such as bliss, knowledge, etc., when they were confounded by the false teaching that the Supreme Reality is a nirguNa (one without any attributes). The three forms of Vaayu incarnate in the Treta, Dvaapara, and Kali Yuga-s, respectively. Vishnu, who is the Supreme, and is the Deity of all deities, is known as Svayambhuu (self-powered) and as Brahman; salutations to that Superlative Brahman.

The BaLitthA Suukta has been:

quoted in full by Sri Madhva in the Sri Mahaabhaarata Taatparya NirNaya -- second chapter, along with other (Smrti) pramaaNa-s.

commented upon in similar words in the following: Sri Taittiriiya Upanishad Bhaashya, Sri Aitareya Upanishad Bhaashya, Sri Chhaandogya Upanishad Bhaashya.

mentioned indirectly in his compositions Brahma Suutra Bhashya, Anu-vyaakhyaana, Vishnu-tattva-vinirNaya -- with the same pattern of words "yasya trINi uditAni veda-vachane..."

mentioned in the TantrasaarasaN^graha, another composition that shows (among other things) that this Vedic text describes the deity Mukhya PraaNa.

This section is due to Shrisha Rao, with much help and advice from D. Prahladacharya and N.A.P.S. Rao.

|Previous| |Next| |Main|

Created June 18, 1996; last updated June 18, 1996