The daily routine, according to Madhwa

I have often been asked whether there is any text or guide to tell us how we have to perform our daily ablutions and how do we lead our daily life. They also want to know what are the rituals that we have to perform as a Brahmin.

Well, the answer is yes, there is such a book and that it is written by none other than Madhwacharya himself.

The book gives us in details the everyday ritual we have to perform and the regular drill that we should keep up with. The book is a short one and it comprises of 41 verses in Sanskrit. The work is called Sadakara Smriti or Hymns for Pure Living.

This Smriti is important as it gives us complete details about a man’s daily activity from an orthodox point of view, keeping in mind the Vanarashrama and Brahminical way of life.

The Smriti details the routine which we should follow from morning till night. Unfortunately, some of what has been said here  has no bearing on present day life. Yet, many of the points such as taking bath, performing sandhavandana and meditating on Hari can be adapted in daily life.

The topics in the Smriti include Sandhya, Brahmayajna, Vaisvadeva and the duties of ascetics. Madhwacharya himself says the verse is also a short anthology on the percepts of  Vyasa and his religious life.

All the 41 verses are in the Anustubh metre. It starts with the right time to wake up, the first activities to be performed in the morning, taking bath and the correct method of doing so, intoning the correct mantras and performing meditation of Japa and performing  Sandhyavandana.

Another beautiful verse here tells us the right way to serve God-Hari.

As per the Smriti, the wake up time is around 4 a.m., and finish all your ablutions quickly. Do not forget to remember God while waking up at Brahmamurata.
The Smriti says recite “Odrutasi varahena” mantra and apply  tulasimruttike on the body. Then take a dip into the water thrice and chant the names of Vasudeva, Narayana, Vishnu or Krishna.
After taking bath, perform Achamana and recite “Apo hishtha” and sprinkle water on the body. Repeat this process again and instead of saying“Apo hishtha” chant the Aghamarshana Sukta,  “Rutvancha satyam cha”.

Hold your breath and immerse your head into the water and recite purushasukta and sprinkle water on your head.
When you complete your bath, wear dry cloths, perform  Achamana and sprinkle water on the body reciting “Apo hishtha”. Then purify the water by reciting “Suryascha mamanyuscha” and drink the water. Chant the name of Narayana and recite Gayatri Mantra and give arghya three times.
The next step is sprinkle water around you by reciting “Asavadityo brahma”. Then perform Achamana, give tarpana to Narayana, wash the cloths which should be kept on the eastern side.
Madhwacharya says meditate Gayatri Mantra thousand or hundred or at least ten times in the morning. Do this in a standing posture till the Sun rises.After Sun rise, you can sit and perform the ablutions.

The Acharya says perform the morning sandhyavandana when stars can still be seen in the sky and  evening sandhyavandana when the Sun can still be seen. He says it is essential to maintain silence while performing Sayam sandhyavandana.

If you have meditated on Gayatri Mantra once, meditate on Narayana mantra thrice. After the japa concludes, remember the devotees of Vishnu like Brahma, Indra, guardians of eight directions, other devatas, teacher and parents.
During the afternoon, take a bath once again and worship Hari according to Veda-Pancharatra-tantrasara.
Vaishvadeva and Baliharana should be performed everyday.

The time to sleep is after 9 p.m. Go to sleep thinking of Janardana and if you happened to wake up, think about Janardana and go back to sleep.
The Acharya says all the above hold good for both Gruhastas (married people) and Vanaprastas. Except Vaishvadeva, Baliharana and Dantadhamana , the rest of the austerities should be performed by Brahmacharis also.
He says, sanyasis should not perform vaishvadeva and baliharana. However, the seers should perform Devara pooja from the things they have collected without asking. They should take bath with “pranava”,  and they should give tarpana only to Vishnu.
Throughout the smriti, Madhwacharya makes it clear that a person should never cease thinking about Narayana.Whatever he does, he should always keep in mind that Vishnu is supreme. Here, the Acharya says the Taratamya should be followed strictly and in accordance with the Puranas and Shastras.

The temple where no two pillars are alike

This temple has nearly 1,500 pillars and all of them are intricately carved. But what sets this out from other temples in India is that no two pillars are the same. Morever it has 38,000 idols and carvings, big ands small.

Each pillar of the Rishabanath or Adinath temple in Ranakpur village of Pali district of Rajasthan is different from the other. Built in marble, this beautiful structure can at best be described as poetry in architecture.

Generally regarded to be among the most spectacular of the Jain temples in India, this structure was built almost 600 years ago. It is also called the Chow mukha (four faced) temple and Trailokya Deepak. It has 29 halls and 80 domes and 32 arched gates.

The upper and lower parts of the domes are linked by brackets that have deities' sculptures.

The entire structure is 313 feet in breadth and 290 ft in length.

Light colored marble has been extensively used and the pillars are so built that you just cannot count it on your own. Every time you start counting, you lose the numbers and you have to start again.

It is not only the pillars that stand out here. All the statues in the temple face each other and with the pillars they form a beautiful symmetry.

One of the many carvings which are worth a detailed look is made of single marble. It is of 108 snakes with as many hoods and so many tails that you cannot find the end of the tail. Another peculiar feature of this carving is that it faces all the four directions.

However, the largest image or carving is in the axis of the temple on its western side.

The temple is designed as a structure with four faces. It is on a small hill and it has several domes and cupolas. It was built in 1437 by Dhanna Shah under the patronage of Rana Khumba, the ruler of Mewar.

In the temple complex, there are several other temples, including Chaumukha temple, Parsavanath temple, Amba Mata Temple and Surya Temple. The Chaumukha Temple is the most important and  temple with the deity of  four-faced Chaturmukha. This is a structure dedicated to Adinath, the first Tirthankara of the Jains. The deity of  Adinath, sitting on padmasana,  is white in color and about 180 cms in height.

The Temple has four different doors to get inside the chambers which then take you to the main hall where this image of Adinath is consecrated.

The pillars or columns change their color from gold to pale blue every year. The prayer hall has two huge bells each weighing 108 kgs. The temple has one of the largest  subterranean vaults spread over a mammoth area of 48000 square feet..

Another peculiarity about the temple is that its exterior is carved with erotic poses. This contrasts sharply with the beautiful but covered and modest carvings in the interior of the temple.

Some o the images and carvings are mutilated, thanks to the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb.

The temple is said to have taken 65 years to build.

There are two smaller temples nearby built after two other Jain Tirthankars, Neminath and Parsvanath. The small but beautiful Sun Temple here is even today under the control of the royal family of Udaipur. This temple is known for its superbly carved windows.

Rankapur is only a village which is between Udaipur (90 kms) and Jodhpur (160kms). The nearest railway station is Falna or Phalna which is 30 kms away. Rankapur is well-connected by roads and tourists generally make it a day trip from Udaipur. A local bus from Udaipur stops right opposite the temple every hour and its costs Rs 45 per person. The journey back to Udaipur takes about three hours.

Another must at the Rankapur temple is having food at the Bhojana Shala. The food is simple but extremely delicious. It is purely vegetarian but the taste is well, yummy. Eat to your heart’s content and have as many helpings as you want.

There are some good hotels around the village. You can also stay back in the rooms of the temple. They are clean but Spartan and cost you Rs. 200 per day.

Other attractions are a jeep Safari or nature hike through the Rankapur valley or the nearby Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary

A horseback safari through the Aravalli mountains, the Ranakpur Valley and the Kumbhalgarh wildlife sanctuary is worth a try.

   

An ode to a brother

The pioneer of the Dwaitha system and saint philosopher Madhwacharya not only write several books but he was also instrumental in inspiring all people around him to write, compose and even give discourses on Dwaita Siddantha.

All the four direct disciples of  Madhwacharya-Padmanabha Theertha, Narahari Theertha, Madhava Theertha and Akshobya Theertha have left behind an important body of work, mainly in the field of philosophy.

Similarly, Narayana Panditacharya and Trivikrama Pandit who were closely associated with the Acharya (Madhwacharya) wrote on their Guru himself and his teachings.

Madhwacharya’s sister, Kalyani Devi, and brother Vishnu Theertha, too were inspired by the Acharya and wrote to express their support to Dwaitha system.

Kalyani Devi too was a scholar and she too along with Vishnu Theertha had been given education in Shastras and other religious texts by her parents.

Her father is believed have been her first teacher and late she came under the influence of her brother-Madhwacharya.

She is known to have authored  three works Krishna Stotra,  Anu Vayustuti and Laghu Taratamya Stotra.

All the three books are in Sanskrit and they form an important part of the Sanksrit writing during the Hoysala period.   
The Laghu Taratamya Stotra starts with an invocation to Vishnu and places him among the first in the hierarchy of Gods and Goddesses. The rest of the Gods come later.  

Both Anu Vayu Stuti and Laghu Taratamya Stotra deal with the gradation of gods and they place Hari at the top, with the rest of the gods following him.

The third work-Krishna Stotra- as the name itself suggests, is a work on Krishna. Kalyani Devi is believed to have written it after seeing the Krishna idol her brother consecrated in Udupi-the Sri Krishna Temple.

The Krishna Stotra comprises eight verses and it was first printed from Kumbakonam. It is out of print now.

However, apart from these three works, nothing else is known about her.

Another Kalyani Devi we come across almost during the same period is the sister of Trivikrama Panditacharya.

She too wrote a short composition on Vayu, extolling his virtues and referring to the three incarnations. This work too is called Laghu Vayu Stuti. It is in six verses. It is a short composition of  22 lines with five paragraphs of four lines each and the last paragraph has just two lines.

The Stuti too is a short work. Here, Kalyani Devi praises Vayu and his incarnation. It uses a constant refrain in the second line of each verse- “Anandatheertha mahamunirajam govinda bhakta shikhamanimide”.

This means that I worship Ananda Theertha, another name of Madhwacharya. The Stuti dwells on the three avatars of the Acharya-Hanuma during the Ramayana, Bheema in the Mahabharata and now Madhwa.  

The Stuti is a beautiful play on Sanskrit words and it gives us several meanings. If one meaning of Ananda Theertha is Madhwacharya, another means he is the head of a monastic order, the chief of an order and the first among equals.

Govinda can be broken into Go which in Sanskrit means cow. A deeper meaning is one that gives and one which is a Kamadhenu. Madhwacharya here is the Kamadhenu who has given us the nectar of Dwaitha.

The word Go in Govinda can also mean Vedas, rays of the Sun God, Varuna or water, Indra's weapon Vajra and even the sky or Akasha. It could also depict the Earth, Heaven or Swarga, and some of the organs like a hair or eye.

Thus, the Stuti yields multiple interpretation

Kalyani Devi remained unmarried and she spent time at her house near Vishnu Mangala in Kasargod, Kerala.

Her brother, Trivikrama Panditacharya, wrote the more famous and comprehensive work, Sri Hari Vayu Stuti, during this time.

Trivikrama Panditacharya also wrote commentaries on the Dwaita philosophy and a poem narrating the story of Usha and Aniruddha called Ushaharana.

Narayana Panditacharya composed Madhwavijaya, Manimanjari and a poem called Parijataharana. The daughter of  Trivikrama Panditacharya was also known as Kalyani Devi. She too is known as an author but there appears to be no information about them.

Thus, Madhwa, inspired a number of people to write. Even after he disappeared, his influence continued with the Haridasa literature in Sanakrit and Kannada where all the Madhwa saints and composers who came after him, accepted him as their inspiration and his teachings as their Neethi.    

  

The place where Krishna studied

It has been known as a centre of education for several centuries so much so that even during the period the Mahabharata it was a centre of excellence. It was here that Krishna and his brother studied along with their close friend Sudhama.

Over the next few centuries, it emerged as a major city during the period of the Mauryas, Guptas and others. India’s greatest Emperor, Ashoka, stayed here as did the Gupta emperors Chandragupta Vikramadita and his father Samudragupta.

This is also the place where India’s best astronomers and mathematicans composed their works. It was also the home of India’s greatest literary figure, Kalidasa.

However, its glory faded with the advent of Muslim rulers and today this city is a pale shadow of its once glorious past.  

Today, the remnants of the ashrama where Krishna studied still exists. It is one of the most important places in the area of the city known as Ujjain 

During the Mahabharata period, this place was well-known for imparting education. Lord Krishna and his brother Balarama and of course Sudhama studied in the ashrama of  the sage Sandipana or Sandipana here.

The Sandapani ashram is a must see spot in Ujjain, which is full of legends. Krishna came here as a young boy along with his elder brother Balaram and persuaded Sandapani to accept them as his disciples.

There is a place in the Sandapani Ashrama where Krishna is supposed to have washed his writing tablets and also those belonging to his perceptor. This area is called Anka Patha. The numerals 1 to 100 are found inscribed on a stone by Sandapani.

When the time came for Krishna and others to go back home after they finished their education, they wanted to give Guru Dakshina to their preceptor. Krishna ensured that Sandapani got back his long lost son, Prabhasa.

Prabhasa had been taken away by Shankasura, a demon who lived in a conch.

There is an interesting story on how Sandapani came to Ujjain. The city was facing a severe famine and during one of the Kumba melas, Sandapani came here. The then king of Ujjain, Jayatasena, requested the help of Sandapani in getting over the famine.

The sage then prayed to Mahakaleshwar, the reigning deity of Ujjain and the famine subsided. Since them Sandapani settled in Ujjain and he also started his ashrama, whish soon became a major center of learning.  

Along with Krishna, the seer also trained the sons of Jayatsena.

It is believed that Krishna and Balarama learned Dhanurveda and Astras in just 64 days, elephant and horse training in 12 days and Vedas in 50 days. The Vidyasthali is the place where Krishna studied.
Another place in the ashrama is the Gomti Kund which is a stepped water tank.

This tank was believed to be the main source of water to the Ashramites during the time of Krishna, There is a beautiful  idol of Nandi near the Gomti Kund and it belongs to the Sunga period. The Sungas succeeded Maurayas to the Magadha Empire.
There is an interesting story about the origin of this tank.

Though Sandapani had settled down in Ujjain at the request of King Jayatsen, he could never forget the Gomati river where he used to bathe daily during Brahmi muhurta.

Though the Gomati was far off from Ujjain, the seer never gave up his daily ritual. Krishna decided to alleviate his teacher’s problem. In just a day, he dug  a pond and requested Gomati to come and stay there. Next day, by the time seer was going to bath, the Gomati Kund was ready.

Another important event connecting the Gomati kund to myths is about the origin of the Bhagavad Gita. One day, Shiva appeared beside the Gomati Kund as he wanted to see Krishna as a student.

Shiva called Krishna and taught him the essence of life, Gita.

It has the shrines of  Sandapani, Krishna, Balarama and Sudama. The shrine also houses the Samadhi of the sage. There are two temples on the ashram premises -the Kundeshwar Temple dedicated to Shiva.

This temple has an image of Vishnu on one wall representing Krishna, Sudama, Balaram and the other students on another wall. It also has an image of Kubera on another wall.

Ujjaini is so full of legends and myths that there is even one about the origin of its name. 

Ujjaini gets its name from the act of the churning of the ocean-Sagar Manthan. The river Kshipra that flows across Ujjain is regarded to have originated due to the churning of the ocean by the Gods and Goddesses. The ashrama is about 2 kms away from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. It is less than 200 kms from Bhopal.

 

The other Gomateshwara

If one is world famous, the other is not even known in its neighbourhood. If  one is remembered every day as one of mankind’s greatest achievement, the other is not even mentioned.

If one is accounted among the tallest, the other is small in size. They are a sharp study in contrast.

They are two sculptures of the same deity and perhaps even from the same sculptor. They both belong to the same dynasty and perhaps they are only a few years apart. Unfortunately, only one of them is well-known while the other is languishing in obscurity.

The contrast is between the same status of Bahubali or Gomateshwara, While the Gomateshwara in Shravanabelogala in Hassan district is too well-known to merit any mention, its earlier cousin located in the village of Tippur or Tippurur in Maddur district of  Mandya district is not even in the tourist books. Nor is it on any tourist itinery.

Both the statues were built by the Gangas of Talkad. A local legend of  Tippur or Bastitipur has it that Chavundaraya, the poet-minister-builder and commander of the Gangas first built the statue of Gomata here before going in for a bigger statue in Shravanabelogala. 

If the Gomata in Shravanabelogala is 57 feet in height, the statue at Tippur or Aretippur is just four feet in height. The statue at Tippur is similar in construction to its big brother in Shravanabelogala.      

It has floral scrolls and creepers winding up its leg and historians say it is a prototype of the one at Shravanabelagola.

However, the statue is reckoned to be crude and looks unfinished. It is set on a small hillock, adjoining another hillock. Thus the construction of the statue, the two hills and floral patterns on the idol make it a prototype of the bigger one.

This statue is believed to be the oldest among all the seven statues of Bahubali or Gomata in Karnataka. There is another eighteen foot statue of Bahubali near Basadihalli in Mandya district. Basidihalli is better known today as Kurubara Basti. This statue too is uncared for and is almost in ruins.  

During the period of the Gangas, Shravanabelogala, Tippur and even Basadihalli were well-known Jain centers. However, after the Cholas overran Gangas around 1000AD, only Shravanabelogala retained its former glory while the other two gradually fade away. Today, except for Shravanabelogala, the other two are not even mentioned.  

The two hillocks of Tippur are called Kanakagiri or Jinagudda and Savanappana Betta. An edict found in Tippur says that the place was called Tippeyur or Bastiya Tippur. There is historical evidence to prove that a basadi was built here during the time of Ganga kings (916-17 AD).
A soldier called Manaleyar built the basadi during the period of the Ganga Emperor Neetimarga Permadi. The basadi was later gifted  to Jain saint Kanaka Bhattararya. It was this saint who gave the hillock the name Kanakagiri.
Kanakagiri is now an  open-air museum housing several Jain memorials and sculptures. There are ruins of four basadis built of brick. In a heap of bricks that lie scattered here, one can still spot the foundations of these structures. In the middle of this heap of bricks is a stone edict. This edict is inscribed by poet Balachandradeva in memory of his father and guru Kandarpadeva and mother Sonnadevi.
The edict also points out that the Jain centre was given away to Maddur’s Sriramachandra Deva by the 14th century.
There is a beautiful tank on Kanakagiri called Kanakagiri Teertha. On the banks of this tank are some Jain sculptures that point to the existence of Parshwanath and Suparshwanatha basadis. There are several other sculptures all strewn around on the ground here.
Towards the north of Kanakagiri is Savanappana Gudda.
Here, atop the hill is a ten feet tall statue of Bahubali. The edict found here points out that the statue was constructed  here in 918 AD much before the Gommateshwara statue in Shravanabelagola which was constructed in 984 AD.
This statue is called Savanappa by locals. The Savanappana Gudda is being harmed by stone quarrying.
Stones are being cut away with the help of machines. Sometimes, dynamite is also used to blow up some parts of the hillock, sending out vibrations across the area. If mining continues unabated, in a few years, the hill is likely to be history.
The local deity of Tippur village is Jinamma. Unlike in some villages where a sacrifice is offered to the grama devata (village deity), Tippur village has no such practice. This could be because of  the Jain influence of non-violence.

  The Jain centre of Basadi Hoskote is situated at the backwaters of KRS in Mandya district.

It is just 55 kms from Mysore and it houses a shrine of Gomata apart from five basadis called pancha basadi.

The basadis are dedicated to Adinath, Shanthinath, Neminath, Mahavir and Bahubali. However, the primary attraction here is the  18 feet high idol of Bahubali.

The unique feature of the shrine is the fact that though there are no Jains residing in and around the village, villagers of  Sapanahalli, Basasi Hoskote, Hosa Mavinakere, Hale Mavinakere, Ganjigere, Ballenahalli, Murukanahalli, Kurubarabasti, Kabbalagerepura and Machgonahalli  participate in the puja.

Take the Mysore -Channarayapatna state highway via Modur and travel further on Bookanakere, Machagonahalli and reach  Kurubarabasti or take the Krishnarajapet, Vittalapura, Ganjigere, Machagonahalli road and reach Basadi Hoskote.
The statue here is carved out of soap stone and is seen leaning to its right side. There are beautifully carved branches, petals at the feet and legs of the statue. There are mutilated pieces of sculpture and  damaged sculptures of Parshwanatha and other Tirthankaras in sitting (padmasana) and standing (kayotsarga) postures.

The river Cavery flows nearby.
Another statue is at Gommatagiri, which is about 20 km from Mysore and it is located situated in Bilikere hobli of Hunsur taluk.

Gommatagiri is an acclaimed Jain centre of learning an philosophy. The 700-year-old statue of Gomata is on a 50 meter tall hillock called Shravana Gudda.

The statue of Gomata is an early Vijayanagar creation in granite. It has serene facial expressions and curly hair. This Jain centre attracts many pilgrims during the annual "Maha masthakabhisekha" in September.

The statue at Gommatagiri has striking similarities to its famous counterpart in  Shravanabelogala except that it is dwarfed in size in comparison.

However, the statue at Gommatagiri is in danger of being irretrievably damaged due to quarrying, and the explosions triggered off in the region have resulted in cracks at the base of the statue. The joints supporting the hillock have widened because of the blasts and the hillock needs to be strengthened.

Gommatagiri is on a diversion road from Bilikere and about 12 kms from Yelwal.

Thus there are five main monolithic statues of Bahubali in Karnataka measuring more than 20 feet in height. They are the statues of Bahubali of  57 feet at Shravanabelogala in Hasan district built in  981 AD, the 42 feet statue at Karkala in Udupi district built in  1432 AD, the 39 feet statue at Dharmastala in Dakshina Kannada district built in 1973 AD, the 35 feet statue at Venur in Dakshina Kannada district in 1604 AD and the 20 feet statue at Gommatagiri in Mysore district built in the 12th Century.

The khadi clad traveller

India’s fight for freedom coincided with the rise of Mahatma Gandhi as the first among equals of a galaxy of freedom fighters, social and political reformers and saints, all of whom had a direct bearing on the awakening of the new India.

If Rabindranath Tagore was the voice of  literature, Vivekananda the votary of religion and Subash Chandra Bose the voice of the youth, Gandhi was the  “non-violinist” and a true man of the masses.

Wherever Gandhi went and whichever part of undivided India he stayed, he drew huge crowds. In Karnataka too, the influence of Gandhi was felt in the several movements that he championed from the Quit India struggle to the Dandi march.

Though much of  Karnataka then was under the Wodeyars, Gandhi did influence the people of the princely State and also the rest of  the regions-Hyderabad Karnataka, Bombay Karnataka. The massacre by the British of several innocents in Vidurashwatha near Gauribidanur drew a quick and immediate response from Gandhi and other national leaders.

He visited Karnataka, including Bangalore several times. His public meetings drew huge crowds and he was popular with the people and leaders alike.

On returning from South Africa in 1915, Gandhi  visited Madras and at the request of  D.V. Gundappa, he made a short visit to Bangalore on May 8th 1915 to unveil the portrait of Gopala Krishna Gokhale.

Gandhi had taken the rail from Madras to Bangalore and at Bangarpet, he was garlanded and honored on the platform by local Gujarati merchants. This was his first visit to the princely state of Mysore.

During his second visit to Karnataka in 1917, Gandhi came to Belgaum and stayed there for five days, inaugurating the Bombay State political conference.

Gandhi again visited Karnataka in 1920 and this time he stayed in Bangalore on August 11 as part of the Khilafat movement. He addressed a public conference and then left for Madras by rail.

A week later, while returning from Madras, Gandhi visited Mangalore and Kasargod on August 19.

Three months later, Gandhi again returned to Karnataka and this time he came to Nipani in Belgaum district  on November 7. he then visited  Chikkodi, Hukkeri, Sankeshwar and halted at Belgaum. On 10 November 10, he came to Dharwad and the next day  addressed gatherings at Hubli and Gadag.

During his 1921 tour of Karnataka, Gandhi spent time on May 27 and May 29 in  Bagalkot, Bijapur and Kolhar. The same year, unavoidable circumstances forced him to stay at Bellary Railway Station for few hours on September 30 night. Later he proceeded to Guntkal by train in the morning.

In 1924, Gandhi presided over the Belgaum Congress from December 20 to December 27.

During 1927, Gandhi undertook a State-wide tour of Karnataka as part of the Khadi campaign. He visited Nippani on March 31 where he fell ill with a slight paralytic stroke. On doctor’s advice, (1st April) he left Belgaum on April 1 to Ambolki for rest.

It was from Amboli that Gandhi came to Nandi Hills on April 20.

He stayed in the resort for 45 days (April 20 to June 5 ) and then came down to Bangalore via Chikballapur on  June 5, 1927.

Gandhi stayed back in Bangalore from June 5 to August 30.

During his stay here, he visited Yelahanka on July 2, Tumkur and Madhugiri from Julty 14 to July 16, Mysore , KRS, K.R. Nagar and Srirangapattana and then returned to Mysore  on July 23,  Ramanagar and Kanakapura  on July 31 and August 1,  Arasikere on August 2,  Holenarasipur and Hassan from August 2 to August 4,  Davangere on August 12,  Harihara, Honnali and Malebennur on August 13,  Shimoga on August 14 and August 15, Ayyanuru, Kumshi, Choradi, Ananthpur and Sagar the next day and  Thirthalli, Mandagadde, Gajanur on August 17.

Gandhi stayed on in Shimoga on August 17 from where he visited Bhadravathi, Kadur and Birur the next day and  Chikmagalur on August 19.

He was taken to Belur, Halebid and Arasikere on August 20 after which he returned to Bangalore. Ten days later, he left for Vellore by train.

Gandhi once again visited Karnataka during the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930. Gandhi toured Karnataka from 1934 to 1936 as part of what he himself called Harijan uplift programmes.

In 1934, Gandhi visited Vidhuraswatha, Gowribidanur, Doddaballapur, Tumkur, Tyamagondalu, Nelamangala, Bangalore and then came to Mysore January 5, 1934. In Mysore, he visited Tagadur, Badanawal, Nanjanagud and then proceeded to Mandya,  Maddur, Besagarahalli, Shivapura, Somanahalli, Channapatna, Ramanagar, Kanakapura, Bidadi, Kengeri and reached Bangalore on January6.

On January 10, he left for Vallavi Kote and after touring Tamil Nadu, visited Mysore, Tittimatti, Kikkeri, Ponnampet, and Hudigere. Later he came to Virajpet, Bellur, Somwarpet, Gundagutti, and stayed on February 23 at Madikeri.

After Madikeri, Gandhi came to Sampaje, Sullia, Puttur, Uppinangadi, Vittala, Kannadaka, Pane Mangalore, Bantwal and halted at Mangalore on February 24. he then visited Gurupura, Bajpe, Katilu, Kengoli, Mulki, Padabidri, Kapu, Ratapadi, Udayavara, Udupi, Brahmavara  the next day before halting at Kundapur for two days on February 25 and February 26.

The next day Gandhi visited Bhatkal, Honnavara, Kadri and halted at Karwar on February 27. He then visited Binaga, Chandiya, Ankola, Hiregutti, Mandageri, Kumta, Ammanapalli, Hegde and halted at Sirsi on February 28.

He then came to Kanasur, Siddapura, Dasanakoppa, Isur, Yakkambi, Samasaji, Alur, Devi Hosur, Haveri, Byadgi, Motebennur, Murugamut and halted at Haveri on March 1.

From Haveri, Gandhi came to Ranebennur, Harihar, Davanagere, Duggatti, Bennihal, Harappanahalli, Kottur, Kudligi, Kanavihalli and halted at Sandur on March 2.

He halted in Sandur for a day and then visited Bellary, Hospet, Banapura, Gadag, Jakkali and halted at Hubli on March 3. His next visits were to Dharwad, Marewada, Aminabhavi, Moraba, Harobidi, Hongala, Uppina Betageri, Hirehullekere, Saundatti, Gural Hosur, Bailhongal, Sampagaon and Bagewadi on March 4. He finally halted at Begaum for two days-March 4 and March 5. He then visited Tondekatte and returned to Belgaum on March 6.

He then visited Yamakamaradi, Ontamuri, Hukkeri, Gokak, Sankeshwar, Gadihingalga, Hattikanagale, Nippani, Bhoj, Havinhal, Kotahalli, Dholagarawadi, Chikkodi, Ankali and halted at Shedbal on  March 7.

On March 8 after visiting Mangasuli, Banahatti, Athani, Honnawad, Tikota, Toravi, Bijapur and Ilkal, he left for Hyderabad.

This exhaustive tour of more than two months brought about social awareness to the downtrodden and they started gaining self-confidence and courage.

Please remember that the roads then were bad and the connectivity not so good as it is today. Yet, Gandhi went about almost the entire length and breadth of the State without rest. We can only say one word-fantastic and mindblowing. 

In 1936, Gandhi fell ill due to high blood pressure and he was advised rest. He came to Nandi Hills during May 1936. He reached Nandi Hills on  May 11 and stayed there till May 20. The next day  he left for Bangalore after visiting Chikballapur, Sidlaghatta, Chintamani, Kolar, Bangarpet and KGF. He came to Bangalore  from Malur where he stayed upto June 10, 1936.

After visiting Kengeri he left for Madras on June 11. This was his last visit to Bangalore and the princely State of Mysore.

In April 1937, Gandhi visited Hudali in Belgaum District, to inaugurate a khadi Exhibition. He stayed there from April 16 to  April 21. This was his last visit to Karnataka.

After this, till his death in 1948, he never could visit Karnataka. However, he had a friend in Sir Mirza Ismail, the then Dewan of Mysore and Maharaja of Mysore, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar.

The Sarvamoola Grantha on palm leaves

A well-preserved 700-year-old palm leaf manuscript belonging to the Palimar Math in Udupi is one of the rarest books in the Madhwa Parampare.

The book has always drawn attention, not only for its antiquity but also for the fact that it was written by Hrikesha Theertha, the first and favourite disciple of Madhwacharya.

The 250 manuscripts are handwritten and they contain the entire set of  39 works of  Madhwacharya, the 13^th century saint-philosopher from Karnataka and the fountainhead of Madhwa philosophy.

Popularly believed to be the third of the avatar of Hanuma-Bheema and Madhwa, his works put together are called as Sarvamoola Grantha. The 250-odd manuscripts contain all the 39 works of the Acharya and they are in Tulu.

Handwritten by Hrikesha Theertha, the manuscripts are in the Palimaru Matha at Palimaru, 7 kms from Udupi. The matha is adjacent to the serenely flowing Shambaavi river.

The matha is as old if not slightly older than the grantas. The main deity of the matha is Kodanda Rama with Seetha and Lakshmana. These idols were gifted by the Acharya himself to Hrikesha Theertha when he made him the founder-pontiff of the Palimaru Matha.

Hrishikesha Teertha (1250-1330 AD) is the first among the eight seers of the Asta Mathas to be ordained into the Dwaitha order. That is why the cycle of Paryaya system for Krishna pooje begins with this matha.

The Sumadhwavijaya mentions that Hrishikesha Teertha was one of the favorite disciples of  Madhwacharya. He used to read out the verses of Bhagavatha during discourses by the Acharya.

He is the author of  “Sampradaya paddati” and “Anumadhvacharita” both of which deal with the early life and works of Madhwa.

Since he was a favourite of the Acharya, he was given the name Astotkrsta.

The Sampradaya Paddathi is a work in 26 verses. This is perhaps the first work or among the first few works on the Acharya and his texts.  

In the Sampradaya Paddathi, Hrikesha Theertha refers to the Sanyasa given by the Acharya to his brother Vishnu Theertha. He also talks about Madhwacharya asking Vishnu Theertha to keep his works in safe custody and to retrieve them at a later date.

We owe to Hrikesha Theertha the information that Padmanabha Theertha was a native of Karnataka. The seer acknowledges that Padmanabha Theertha played a vital and important role in spreading Dwaitha thought and philosophy in north Karnataka and Bombay Karnataka areas.

The Madhwa Vijaya calls Padmanabha Theertham the “Guru of Karnatakas and other good men”.  

He has personally made a copy of Sarvamoola Granthas in Tulu script on palm leaves even as the Acharya dictated them in Sanskrit. The manuscripts were copied on to silicon wafer to preserve them for posterity.

The manuscripts are housed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Palimaru Math and worshipped by successive pontiffs. These  manuscripts first saw the light of day when Bannanje Govindacharya, noted Sanskrit and Kannada scholar, persuaded the then Palimaru Math pontiff Vidyamanya Tirrtha to publish them.

Mr. Govindacharya, who edited and printed the works, has clarified that the Acharya wrote 39 and not 37 works.

These manuscripts were digitalised along with the digitilisation of more than 2,000 volumes of palm leaf manuscripts belonging to Sode Vadiraja Mutt of Udupi, which are between two and three 

centuries old. 

The Jala Samadhi of a King

It was 1067 AD and south India was repeatedly seeing a conflict between the Chalukyas of Karnataka and the Cholas of Tamil Nadu.
The Chalukya Emperor Someshwara (1043-1069), the first, had repeatedly stood as a bulwark against the Cholas. Someshwara had not only managed to guard his territories of Karnataka well but he had victories against his other enemies. In 1051, he had invaded Malwa and overrun the Paramara kingdom and its capital Dhara.
 Someshwara had shifted the capital of the Kalyan Chalukyas from from Manyakheta (present day Malkhed ) to Kalyani (Kalpana or Basavakalyan in Bidar district).
He had developed Kalyan into a magnificent city. He had repeatedly taken on Rajendra Chola, his son Rajadhiraja Chola and his brother Veerarajendra.
Someshwara, unfortunately, is one of the most underrated emperors of Karnataka. The Tamil and Chola texts are uncharitable to him and the Kannada texts have not done full justice.
What is undeniable is that Someshwara was a warrior without any fear and this is borne out by the many times he faced the Cholas. Whether he lost or won is not the criteria. What matters is that he prevented the Cholas from subjugating the entire south India.
The Cholas were frustuated by the stand of Someshwara. They had tried to overrun the Chalukyas seven times but had failed.
The Chalukyas were not Someshwara’s only enemies. The Paramars of Dhara and the Chalukyas of Gujarat were also at war with him. In 1054, Someshwara had invaded Malwa again and killed the Paramara Emperor, Bhoja. The same year he had killed the Chola Emperor, Rajadhiraja at the battle of Koppara (Raichur).          
 Unfortunately, historians and even Chola texts of the period mistake Someshwara the first with his son the second Someshwara. Infact, one of the Chola texts goes on to belittle this Emperor and calls him names.
The reason is as follows. In 1059, Someshwara sent an invitation to the Chola Emperor, Rajendra Chola the second, for a battle at Kudala Sangama on River Krishna. Remember that parts of Raichur and Gulbarga district then were under the Cholas.

Someshwara, in his invitation, also specified the date and time of the battle. Instead of viewing this as an act of a brave emperor, the Tamil and Chola texts belittle this act. What I fail to understand is how this noble act could be seen in any other light. 

Someshwara had chosen Kudala Sangamam as the place of the battle. He wanted to take revenge for the earlier loss he had suffered at the hands of the cholas.

When the Cholas received the message, Virarajendra-the brother of  the ruling Chola Emperor- immediately set out for the battle and camped near Kandai for the Chalukyan army to arrive. The exact date set for the battle, according to Virarajendra’s inscription found at Manimangalam, was Monday, 10 September 1067 AD

The Chola army waited for more than a month but the  expected battle never took place. The Cholas wrongly believed that Someshwara had no stomach to face them. They then devastated the surrounding countryside, erected a pillar of victory on the banks of the Tungabhadra river and went back.

It was only later that the Cholas realised that Someshwara had committed suicide by drowning himself in the Tungabhadra. The Cholas tried to claim credit for this incident too, saying that Someshwara died because he could not face them. This is entirely false and there is no iota of  truth in this assertion.
By 1067, Someshwara had already realized that the Chalukyan torch would be further carried on not by his elder son Someshwara the second by his second son Vikramaditya. He had also realised that Vikramaditya was sufficiently intelligent to safeguard the Kannadigas. He wanted to make Vikramaditya the Emperor but the latter had turned it down, saying that Someshwara as an elder had a better claim.
Someshwara was astonished and pleased by the manner in which Vikramaditya conducted himself. It was in March 1067 that he decided to call on the Cholas for battle. Both Vikramaditya and Someshwara the second were away from the kingdom and the Chalukyas made all preparations for their regular war with the Cholas. 

A few days after Someshwara sent the invitation of war to the Cholas, he fell ill and no doctor in the kingdom could cure him. Days passed into weeks and weeks into months and there was no cure in sight. The ailment was finally diagnosed as malignant fever.

One of  Someshwara’s literary giants, Bilahana, has written a poignant account of the suicide. Bhilana was a poet and author. His  Sanskrit work Vikramanka Deva Charitam gives us an account of the suicide.

The book says Someshwara was suffering untold miseries and that his body felt as hot as coal. There was no respite from the raging fever and even the sandal paste applied on his body and medicated oil was of no avail.

Someshwara then decided to end his life instead of waiting for Death. He thought that the best option was to die in the Tungabhadra.

He then decide to enter Jala Samadhi at Kuravatti, a small village. Accompanied by his wives, children, ministers, army and others he reached Kuravetti, now in Bellary district. By then news of the Emperors; decision had spread far and wide and thousands of people assembled at the spot.

On the morning of the Jala Samadhi, Someshara took bath, performed his morning rituals, including pooja and seated in the royal palanquin, made his way to the river side.

He removed his royal robes and wore only the barest minimum to cover his modesty. The Brahmins, who had assembled n large numbers, began chanting mantas and wrapped Shalya or clothe around his stomach.

Several ministers and relatives of Someshwara then gently escorted the Emperor into the waters of the Tungabhadra. Someshwara waved them aside and  stood in the waters distributing wealth to the poor and needy, scholars and also to the Brahmins.

After some time, Someshwara bid adieu to the people and his Queens. He then began going deeper and deeper into the Tungabhadra. With each step he took towards death, the eyes of the onlookers filled with tears.

 All the while, Someshwara was praying to God. He began moving into the deeper waters. When water reached the neck of Someshwara,  he stopped and turned back to look at his Queens and subjects.

He then began the ritual of Surya Namaskara-prayer to the Sun. He then closed his eyes and began praying for Moksha. For one last time, he opened his eyes and looked on the thousands of people who stood watching him aghast. He folded his hands towards them and slowly walked into the deeper waters.

The flowing waters of the Tungabhadra soon covered him and he was lost forever. The news soon reached his second son Vikramaditya who reacted with pain and anguish. By the way, Someshwara the second was crowned the Chalukya Emperor.

As far as the Cholas were concerned, they knew nothing of what  had happened. They erroneously assumed that Someshwara was scared to wage war and claimed victory in a war that never occurred, installed a pillar of victory, destroyed the countryside and left.

When the news of Someshwara’s suicide reached the Cholas, they were uncharitable to the Chalukya even in death. They said it was due to them that Someshwara had died. This is a fallacy as the above accounts prove that Someshwara was not a coward by a brave person who stood as a bulwark against Chola expansion. It is perhaps the frustration of not being able to conquer the entire south that made Cholas and Tamils uncharitable towards Someshwara and the Chalukyas.

(I have based this article after going through Chalukyan accounts, inscriptions and texts. I have also referred to the work of Bhilana and even some Chola records.)

The man who conquered the senses

He punished himself and his body in such a manner that people talk about it even today. He lived for several decades as a Grihasta before being initiated into the ascetic world.

If his brother was the pioneer of the Dwaitha system, this man was its more austere face-a man who choose the hard path for salvation. He sat on a stone so cold and meditated for so many years, that people found it hard to even touch the stoen, let alone sit on it.

Like his brother he too disappeared and both have no Brindavanas to commemorate them. If the elder is Madhwacharya, his brother is Vishnu Theertha. 

Vishnu Theertha is the younger brother of  Madhwacharya. It is to him that our Acharya or Madhwacharya gave his works in copper plates. These plate were buried at Kumara Parvata near Kukke Subramanya and Madhwacharya’s brother, Vishnu Theertha,  was given the task of reincarnating in the Kali Yuga and once again preach the teachings of Madhwa.

Today, Vishnu Theertha is better know just as the younger brother of  Madhwacharya. But not many know that he is the founder pontiff of two Madhwa mathas-the Sode Matha which was started by the Acharya himself as part of the Asta Mathas and the Subramanya Matha.

When his parents died, Vishnu Theertha approached Madhwacharya and insisted on being given Sanyasa. He had led the life of a householder for several years and he wanted to become a Sanyasi.

He is acknowledged as a great Yogi who did severe penance and set high standards of  morality. He performed penance at Kumara Parvata near Kukke Subramamya. Many of these events have been describes in Madhwa Vijaya.

He is supposed to reappear again in Kaliyuga with the texts of Madhwa. This is alluded to by both Hrikesha Theerta, the founder-pontiff  of the Palimaru Matha in his Sampradaya Paddathi and also Vadiraja Theerta in Sarasabharati Vijaya.

Vishnu Theertha’s only known work is Sannyasavidhi, a book of four chapters and containing 699 verses. It is a metrical text about the duties of a sanyasi.

It is in Tulu and it is still preserved in the Sode matha at Sode, Sirsi. Another original manuscript of Sannyasavidhi is in the Oriental Library in Mysore.

Vishnu Theertha says he has depended on the Samhitas (The first part of each of the four Vedas-Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana are called Samhitas. They are a collection of Mantras.) and Panchararta (The Pancharatras are a continuation of  vedic tradition. Madhwa has given them the status of being one of the Sadagamas as they expound the concept of Bhakti).

The first chapter deals with Vishnu Bhakti, types of Adhikaris and also speaks about the Dwaitha system. At one point, Vishnu Theertha warns readers not to fall into the trap of  Adwaitha.

The second chapter deals with different systems of initiation of a Sanyasi as per the Vedas, particularly Rig Veda. The third chapter is on the way of life of a Sanyasi and Grihasta. The last is a miscellaneous collection of contents dealing about Brindavanas and the entombment of Brahmin saints.

Vishnu Theertha occupies an important position in the Madhwa Parampare as he showed people that the senses could be controlled by severe penance and deep concentration. He sat for long periods on the cold stone and it made him a true ascetic.

The cold stone melted away all his desires and senses and he became a true sanyasi in the real sense of the word. People who came to see him marveled at his self control and the severity of the penance left them, dazed.  

Vishnu Theertha lived a very frugal life. He subsisted only on Panchagavya which he took once in five days when he was doing penance at Kumara Parvata. He gave this up later and lived only on fallen Bhilwa leaves and water.

One fine day, he just disappeared from view, becoming the first after the Acharya to do so. The other seers who disappeared are Bramanye Theertha of  Abbur Kundapura Vyasaraja Matha and Jitamitra Theertha of Raghavendra Swamy Matha.  

The Chola who lost his life in Raichur

Koppara in Raichur district is a well-known pilgrim centre. It has the famous temple of Lakshmi Narasimha which is situated on the banks of the Krishna.

Several centuries ago, Koppara, now in Devadurg taluk, was the place where a mammoth ceremony was organised by a Vijayanagar king to honor  Madhwa saints performing chaturmasa. It was at this place that a young Lakshminarayana, who gave a beautiful discourse on Nyaya Sudha, was given the title Sripadaraja Theertha.

This incident occurred sometime in the late 1400s or early 1500s. However, there is an other significant event that changed the course of history of south India. This event happened almost a thousand years ago.

Koppara was scene of a massive battle between the rampaging Cholas and the Chalukyas. The Cholas were a Tamil based dynasty, while the Chalukyas were Kannadigas. They were at war with each other for more than one hundred years.

Bitter rivals in south India, the two were at each other’s throat right from 992 AD when Cholas fought the Chalukyas at Rattepidi and defeated the Chalukyan commander Satyashraya.

The enmity between the two dynasties continued till 1120 when the last battle was fought in 1120 when the Chalukyan King Vikramaditya, the sixth, took on Vikrama Chola. The continous conflict weakened both the powers and led to the birth of the Hoysala Kingdom of Dwarasamudra.

Coming back to Koppara, the Cholas were initially routed in the battle that took place near the Krishna river in 1054 AD. The Chola Emperor, Rajadhiraja, was killed in battle by Someshwara the first, the Chalukya King.  

Rajadhiraja, also known as Kopparakesarivarman Rajadhiraja Chola I had succeeded his father, Rajendra Chola, in 1018. Rajendra Chola is considered to be among the greatest kings of India and Rajadhiraja was an able and capable son.

Rajadhiraja had helped his father overcome the Chalukyas.Yet, the Chalukya power had not diminished. The Chalukyas of Kalyan (Basavakalyan) had overthrown the Rastrakutas in 973 and  Someshwara I (1043-1068) had succeeded in resisting the efforts of the Cholas to subdue Karnataka.

He had also built a new capital called Kalyana (modern Basava Kalyana in Bidar district).

A born fighter, Rajadhiraja was apprehensive about the growing power of the Chalukyas. He decided to subdue the Chalukyas and  he went to war against the Chalukyas. He defeated the Western Chalukya forces in  the battle at Dannada on the banks of Krishna and set fire to their fort.

He followed up this victory with a number of raids into the Chalukya country. In one such raid, the Cholas captured several generals and feudatories of Chalukya and demolished the Chalukya palace at Kampali. The victorious Chola forces crossed the Krishna river and erected a victory pillar at a place called Yetagiri.

After more fighting, the capital of Chalukya was sacked and the Cholas built a pillar of victory in Kolhapur, which is now in Maharashtra.

Rajadhiraja entered the capital and coronated himself as  Vijayarajendra. The Chalukya Emperor, Somesvara I, fled towards Rodda and Kadambalige.

In 1054, Rajadhiraja once again decided to take on the Chalukyas. He personally led the Chola army and the two met at Koppara. Rajadhiraja (54) was atop an elephant and he was guiding his soldiers when he was killed by an arrow.

The Chalukyas had decided to concentrate their strength on the commander of the Cholas. Since, Rajadhiraja personally led the attack, Someshwara had asked his troops to concentrate on him. This tactic paid rich dividends as they managed to first mortally injure the Chola Emperor and then kill him. 

When the Chola army saw their king dead, they fled in panic. On their part, the Chalukyas rejoiced in their victory but this was short lived as Rajadhiraja’s younger brother, Rajendra Chola, who was holding himself back as a reserve, suddenly fell on the Chalukyas.

But this action was a little to late and Rajadhiaraja had died on the elephant. To this day, he is known as Yanai-mel-thunjina Devar-the Emperor who died on an elephant.

The Cholas, however, succeeded in defeating the Chalukyas but they had paid a heavy price. Much of their army had been routed and their Emperor slain. Rajendra crowned himself in Koppara s the next Chola Emperor and egged on his soldiers to fight.

He too was initially injured in the battle but he came back to the battlefield, inspiring the Cholas and demoralizing the Chalukyas.

(The Chola accounts say the battle saw the death of several Chalukya stalwarts such as  Jayasimha, the crown prince and two other prominent royals- Pulikesi and Dasapanman. However, this is false as Jayasimha did not die. After Vikramaditya took over as the Emperor, he made Jayasimha the Governor of Banavasi. Jayasimha continued to live decades after the Chola accounts killed him.)

Someshwara then shifted his capital from Kalyan to Manyakheta or Malkhed and developed into one of the finest cities of the times.

The Chola or rather Tamil texts speak much about the victory of the Cholas in the battle of Koppara but the Chalukyan accounts are silent. They, however, say that Rajadhiraja was killed in the battle.

The battle marks a turning point in the Chola-Chalukya relations. Try as they might, the Cholas could not subjugate the Chakulyas. While the Cholas managed to retain Tamil Nadu, the Chalukyas continue to hold sway over Karnataka, thanks to Someshwara.

Koppara is 47 kms from Raichur and 14 kms from Deodurg. It is 397 kms from Bangalore.