Aaradhana of one of the greatest saints – Sri Sripadaraja theertharu on 3rd June 2012.
- “Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya” manthra is one amongst the Asta maha manthras, was given by Naradha maharishi to Sri Dhruva raaja.
- His main motto was to establish a big gurukula at Mulbagal, to spread Dvaita vedantha (philosophy) and Dasa Sahithya.
- Sri Vyasarajaru and Sri Hayagreeva Theertharu (who later ascended the Sri Sripadaraja peetha) were the first students of his university.
- The greatest contribution of Sri Lakshminarayana Muni (Sri Sripadarajaru) is “Dasa sahitya” and his pen name is “Rangavittala”.
Uttanapada was a king of the Solar Dynasty. Uttanapada was a fragile and an uxorious king. He had two wives, named as Suruchi and Suniti who were blessed with a son each. Uttanapada was particularly more affectionate towards Suruchi. As a consequence, his other wife Suniti and her son Dhruva were not much paid attention. One day during the absence of his wife Suruchi, the king took Dhruva on his lap to fondle him. Queen Suruchi when saw this became annoyed and asked the king to stop loving the child and put him down. This incident hurt the little lad who went and complained to his mother Suniti. His mother calmed the grieving prince and asked him to pray to the Sriman Narayana for happiness.
That night, when his mother was asleep, Dhruva left the house and began walking towards the mountains. He walked and he walked and he walked, and thought only of Narayan. Finally he came to the edge of the northern sky, where he met the sage Naradha and asked him, ‘Swami, Where can I find Narayan?’
‘Stay right where you are,’ answered Naradha. ‘Think only of Narayan, and have patience. You will find him.’
So Dhruva stopped where he was, and meditated, thinking only of Narayan. Narada Maharishi blessed him with Dwadasaksara mantra for his prayers. Prince Dhruva faithfully and strictly followed the advice and started his penance standing on the toe of his right leg with folded hands and prayed the Lord.
Dhruva raaja
During his prayers he preferred to pray merely eating fallen green leaves and water for some time and continued the penance with mere water for some more time.
Further his prayers were continued with no food or water but by mere breathing. When he could not see the Lord even at the cost of deep devotional prayers, he stopped breathing and prayed the Lord by holding his breath.
This was the height of penance anybody at any age (dhruva was only five then) could undertake. His meditations released such tremendous energy that the very earth shook and disturbed the Saptarishis, the Seven Sages, who were meditating nearby. They wondered who it could be who was releasing such energy by the strength of his meditation. ‘It must be a great king, or a god,’ they said, ‘to have so much power.’ They were amazed to find it was only a little boy. The Rishis surrounded him and prayed with him as he meditated.
Soon Indra, the king of the gods, became worried. What does this little boy want from Narayan?, he wondered. Maybe it is my throne in the heavens that he will ask for! So Indra tried to distract Dhruv from his meditation. He took on the form of Suniti, Dhruv’s mother, and begged him to come back home. But Dhruv barely heard. Indra sent all kinds of monsters and snakes and evil creatures to scare the boy and make him give up his meditation, but Dhruv stood still and calm, unaware of everything except Narayan.
When the Supreme Lord could not test any further the boy’s sincere prayers, he immediately came down to the Dhruvaraja’s place without even informing his concert Shri Lakshmi and stood before the boy.
Sriman Narayana and dhruva raaja
However, Dhruvaraja did not open his eyes inspite of the Lord standing before him. Thus the Lord who was being seen by Shri Dhruva in his inner vision disappeared from his inner vision when Shri Dhruva opened his eyes to see the same form of the Lord as was seen in his inner vision.
At the sight of the Lord, Dhruva was dumb founded and could not speak anything because of over joy. By the grace of Mahalakshmi he was able to praise the Lord who bestowed him the kingship of the kingdom for 36000 years after which he was made the Emperor of Dhruva Mandala for a period of one Brahma Kalpa, which is 100 years of Brahma.
Dhruvaraja now being the king of Dhruva Mandala is in-charge of controlling the Navagrahas, the Kalachakra, etc. His Loka Dhruvaloka is situated 13 Lakh Yojana above Rushi Mandala from where he controls the movement of Sun, Moon & other planets. Dhruvaraja holds his office of the emperorship of the Dhruvaloka for that period.
Dhruva Mandala
The above picture shows the position of “Dhruva Mandala”. This has been visualized and conceptualized by Sri Sri Vignananidhigalu, Senior Peethadipathi, Sri Sripadaraja Math. Painted with the help of Artist.
Since this is an official post – Dhruvaraja thought that he would not be entitled to attain Moksha, the desired goal of every soul. He wanted to know the attributes of God in a disciplined manner during a lifetime in a place designated for the purpose in the universe i.e. Bharata. Accordingly, Dhruvaraja came down to the earth in an Amsha and assumed Sanyasa to complete his Sadana and goes by the name Shri Sripadaraja.
Sri Sripadaraajaru
NOTE : Vishnu turned Dhruva into a little star and placed him high in the sky, above the world, and away from all jealousy and evil. The Seven Rishis, who had protected Dhruva as he prayed, Vishnu turned into seven bright stars and placed them protectively around the little Dhruva-star.
Even today, when you look up into the sky, you will be able to see a little star shining high above. This little star never moves, for it is Dhruva, who never moved from his meditation of Narayan. We call this star the pole star. Children in India still call it ‘Dhruva-tara’ or ‘Dhruva-star’. The seven stars of the Seven Rishis can also be seen, slowly moving around the pole star. These Seven Stars form the constellation known as Saptarishi in India, and as the Great Bear in other parts of the world.
Sri Lakshmi narashima devaru – Sripadarajaru prathishtapana
- Sri Sripadarajaru did prathistapana of Sri Lakshmi Narayana devaru at 5 places, Mulbagal is one amongst. (on the very spot where Sri Krishna danced to the tune of Sri Vyasarajaru, when the unopened samputa opened by the touch of Sri Vyasarajaru).
- Sri Vyasarajaru started his prana devara prathistapana from Mulbagal (1st being at Mulbagal town math and 2nd at Sri Narasimha theertha).
Sri Vyasaraajaru in Sri Vyasa Guha near Sri Sripadaraja brindavana
Madhwa saints 