SRI SRIPADARAJA TIRTHA & INTER-RELIGIOUS HARMONY
Today is the 515th ArAdhana of Sri Sripadaraja Tirtha (Lakshmi Narayana Muni), vidyA guru of great Vyasatirtha & gaurdian-saint of Saluva Narasimharaya. This thread deals with the inter-religious tolerance shown by Sripadaraja who, otherwise, wrote terrific polemical writings.
His much acclaimed work ‘vAgvajra’ is known for its sharp criticism of such philosophies that reject Dvaita. But this episode from his life history, well supported by inscription & archaeology evidences, affirms his respect towards philosophical opponents.
Narasimha Tirtha, the dais on which inter-religious harmony gets displayed, located at the outskirts of the historical town of Mulbagal, is the place where Sri Sripadaraja entered his brindavana in the year 1504 AD. This place is quite sacred to mAdhvA-s for 2 reasons.
Narasimha Tirtha got its name because of the divine presence of Yoga Narasimha Swamy. This mUrti was first engraved on stone by Sri Akshobhya Tirtha [c.1350-65] who was the 4th successor to Acharya Madhva.
Legend has it that Sri Akshobhya came to Mulbagal to engage in a debate with a Shivite scholar & before proceeding to the debate he drew the image of Yoga Narasimha with akshate which mAdhvA-s smear as a tilaka on forehead.Subsequently, the drawing made with akshate became a stone carving on its own. That is how the sacred pond & the piece of land associated with it came to be known as Narasimha Tirtha. It became a sacred site for mAdhvAs.
This site, for unknown reasons, was subsequently lost to kApAlikas who built a monastery & started calling it as ‘kallu maTha’ [Stone Monastery]. They have installed a Linga for their worship. This Kallu Matha is attested in a 16th century Kannada inscription. Nothing is known about this change of hands as no records are either available or haven’t survived to show the change of ownership of Narasimha tirtha from mAdhvAs to kApAlikAs.
But a shlOka from Sripadaraja Stotra written by Sri Vadiraja [youngest contemporary to Sripadaraja] leaves a vital clue about how the site was regained by mAdhvAs led by Sripadaraja. Here is the shlOka in Kannada script.
Vadiraja mentions of a great kApAlika scholar [kApAlikAMsha vara] from whom Sripadaraja received the land [of Narasimha Tirtha]. He didn’t specify the name of the kApAlika scholar. But it is well known from inscriptions that Mulbagal had been HQ for kApAlikAs & kAlAmukhas. Notwithstanding the non-availability of the name of the kApAlia scholar, it can be understood that at the time of Sripadaraja, Narasimha Tirtha was under the possession of kApAlikAs & the great mAdhva ascetic took up the task of recovering the site. The method he has chosen to accomplish his task was to engage in a polemical debate with the head of the Kallu Matha who gets mentioned as a great kApAlika [vara kApAlika] by Sri Vadiraja in his Sripadaraja Stotra.
In the said debate, kApAlika scholar loses his argument & as agreed before the beginning of debate, he hands over the Kallu Matha to Sripadaraja on ‘as-is-where-is” condition & vacates the place. Thus, Sripadaraja recovers the sacred site of Yoga Narasimha for mAdhvAs & later makes it as his final resing place. But where are the evidences for the inter-religious tolerance of both Sripadaraja &kApAlikAs? Here are they.
The pillars of this manDapa are replete with Shivite iconography. This manDapa had been the central shrine of kApAlikAs where they had installed Shivalinga. [Matha Swamiji performs puja in this manDapa when he is in Mulbagal]. This manDapa has been constructed kApAlikAs next to the Yoga Narasimha shrine. Here are some more images of the Shivite iconography of Kallu Matha.
Throughout the tenure of kApAlikAs, the Narasimha installed by Sri Akshobbya, a vaishNava yati, has been left unharmed.
Sripadaraja Tirtha too left the manDapa erected by kApAlikAs unharmed. The insignia of kApAlikAs were neither removed nor replaced with Vaishnava iconography. In fact, one of the pillars around his brindavana too displays Shivite iconography. I heard from elders that the Shivalinga installed by kApAlikAs was inside the sanctum till 100 years ago. Now there is a Anjaneya pratima in its place & I understand that the linga had developed cracks & thus has to be replaced with a worship-able pratima!
Such was the inter-religious tolerance & mutual respect flourished during the medieval periods which also saw a great amount of khanDana [refutatation] -manDana [eulogium] done by all schools of Vedanta. These philosophical differences never took to physical violence. But were limited to debates & writing rebuttals. Thus the Shivite iconography at Sripadaraja Matha, Mulbagal rebukes the alleged theory of “sectarian violence” within the Dharmik fold.
I pray to this illustrious Guru to shower his choicest blessings on all Dharmikas & lead them on the path of Dharma.
काले फलति सुरदृः चिंतामणिरपि याचने दाता।
वर्शति सकलमभीष्टम् दर्शनमात्रात् श्रीपादराण्मुनिः॥
