Vyaasaraaja Yoga Vaibhava

हरि सर्वोत्तम । वायु जीवोत्तम | श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः

Maagha BahuLa Amaavaasya commemorates an awe-inspiring and miraculous event that occurred about 500 years ago (30 January 1521 CE, Vikrama Saṁvatsara).

On this day occurred the dreaded Kuhu Yoga, an extremely inauspicious planetary configuration capable of destroying Emperor Krishnadevaraya and his entire empire.

However, this calamity was averted by Vyaasa Teertha.

To ward off the danger, Krishnadevaraya ceremonially handed over the kingdom to the Vyasa Teertharu , who was coronated with full royal pomp and grandeur. As the saint-king ascended the throne, he cast his saffron robe upon it — and the serpent-like Kuhu Yoga was destroyed.

Now hailed as Shri Vyaasa Raaja, this king among saints was honored by Krishnadeva Raya with Ratnaabhisheka, a ceremonial bath of diamonds and other gems. This practice continues to this day in Sri Vyasaraja Matha (Click thumbnail below to see Flyer).

Here is the Charama shloka of Shri Vyaasaraajaru that is chanted everyday, along with a simple translation. More details are in the official page HERE.

An inscription (1527 CE) issued by Krishnadevaraya in honor of his Guru demonstrates the immense reverence commanded by Vyaasaraaja

निगम-आगम-निर्णोति-निर्जर-अधीश-मन्त्रिणे
नृपेन्द्र-मुकुटी-रत्न-नीराजित-निज-अङ्घ्रये ।
शेषाय नर-वेषाय शिक्षित-अन्तर-वैरिणे ।
पुराण-पुरुष-ध्यान-पुष्यत्-पुष्कल-मूर्तये ।
मध्वाचार्य-मत-अम्भोज-मार्तण्ड-आयित-तेजसे ।
ब्रह्मण्य-तीर्थ-शिष्याय ब्रह्म-निर्मल-मूर्तये ।
व्यासतीर्थ-यतीन्द्राय विद्वद्-इन्दीवर-इन्दवे ॥

To he:
who is the delegated assistant (मन्त्रिणे) of Hari, Lord of the immortal Devata-s (निर्जर-अधीश) as established (निर्णोति) by Vedas and scriptures (निगम-आगम);
whose own sacred feet (निज-अङ्घ्रये) are worship by the light (नीराजित) of the jeweled crowns (मुकुटी-रत्न) of mighty kings (नृपेन्द्र);
who is like Shesha himself (शेषाय) in human guise (नर-वेषाय) having won over (शिक्षित) the inner enemies (अन्तर-वैरिणे);
whose abundant and majestic form (पुष्कल-मूर्तये) has been nourished (पुष्यत्) by meditation (ध्यान) on the Ancient Supreme Person (पुराण-पुरुष);
whose radiance (तेजसे) is like the rising sun (मार्तण्ड-आयित) showing the lotus (अम्भोज) of Shri Madhvaacaarya’s doctrine (मध्वाचार्य-मत);
who is the disciple (शिष्याय) of Shri Brahmanya Teertha (ब्रह्मण्य-तीर्थ);
who is the embodiment (मूर्तये) of untainted Brahman (ब्रह्म-निर्मल);
To this Vyaasateertha, the king of ascetics (व्यासतीर्थ-यतीन्द्राय),
who is like the moon (इन्दवे) to the blue-lotus of learned scholars (विद्वद्-इन्दीवर);
unto him — I offer my reverent salutations.

Notes:

• Vyaasaraajaru is the 3rd of four avatara-s of Shankukarna, a celestial being who assisted Brahma for daily pooja to the Lord. One day he was late and seemingly cursed to be born as a demon (details HERE).
• However, in reality this was his path to liberation since his first incarnation was Prahlada who received Lord Narasimha’s blessing and ended up ruling as Emperor for thousands of years.
• To complete his Raaja yoga, he took his 2nd avatara as Baahlika Raaja. In this life, he ended up on the wrong side of the Mahabharata war, only to be blessed by Bhima’s mace to move on to his next life as Sanyaasi.
• And in his 3rd avatara as Vyaasateertharu, there was a bit of Raaja yoga left – which was needed to thwart Krishnadeva Raya’s Kuhu Yoga!
• And in his final avataara as Raghavendra Swami, Shankukarna uses his excess merit to bless all good souls and guide them on the right path.
• Here is a connection to Purandara Dasa: https://sahuri.org/articles/why-mareya-beḍa-manave/
• More information on Shri Vyaasaraaja is available at:
  • Life Story (T.T.D. Religious Publications Series No. 1098): VYASARAYALU
  • Sri Vyasaraja Stotra: https://madhwaprameyamahodadhi.blogspot.com/2017/05/shri-vyasaraja-stotram.html
  • Blog: https://madhwasakha.com/guru/shri-vyasa-teertharu/554

/Raghunath Rao/ “Do your Best … and leave the Rest … “

(All mistakes mine – all credit to Gurus and Acharyas )

|| sarvaṁ śrī kṛṣṇārpanamastu ||