Balittha Suktha -Text

posted by Webmaster on Sat, 01/31/2009 - 23:30

|| Hare Srinivasa ||

Before going in to the text of Sri BalitthA Suukta, we should know about Srimad Ananda thirtha, who is one of the avatars of Sri  Vayu devaru.

Srimad Ananda Tirtha

Srimad Ananda Tîrtha, also known as Sukha Tîrtha, Pûrnabodha, and Pûrnapragnya, is the founder of the doctrine of Tattvavâda. He is the last of the great Achâryas of Vedanta, and is also the 22nd commentator on the Brahma-Sûtra of Veda Vyâsa. His doctrine asserts, as has already been noted elsewhere, that the differences are eternally real, and that hence there is more than one absolute real, and that Hari (Vishnu) is the only entity praised in the Shrutis and their adjuncts.

Thus, he always identifies the Brahman of the Upanishads with Vishnu, and forcefully argues against the dichotomy of Shrutis (tattvâvedaka / atattvâvedaka) as claimed by Sri Shankarâchârya, saying that such arbitration of apaurusheya scripture is unacceptable both logically and spiritually. He also emphasizes that it is important to understand and specifically reject other schools’ precepts, and hence devotes much time to nitpicking analyses and denunciations of other doctrines. Srimad Ananda Tîrtha is commonly identified with Madhva, the third avatâra of Mukhya PrâNa, the god of life, as given in the BaLitthâ Sûkta of the Rg Veda.

The first two avatâra-s are as Hanumân and Bhîmasena, and the third is Madhva, who came down to Earth as a sanyâsî, in order to avoid decimating the forces of evil (as he had done on the previous two occasions, and as he would have done again — upsetting the flow of Kali Yuga in the process — if he were not a sannyâsî). Srimad Ananda Tîrtha himself makes the claim to being Madhva in several instances, one of which is in the Vishnu-tattva-vinirnaya verse given on the cover page of this section. It was recognized in his own time, and it has been documented, that he had all two-and-thirty shubha-lakshaNa-s that define a rju-tâttvika-yogî, including the prescribed height of six-and-ninety inches (”shaNNavati angulo.apetam“) quoted in the Mahâbhârata-Tâtparya-Nirnaya.

Text of the BaLitthA Suukta
     ---------------------------

 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 ||

It is a distinctive feature of Sri Madhva to have identified himself as an avaatara or incarnation of the deity Mukhya PraaNa, who appears in Vedic texts such as the BaLitthA Suukta, many Upanishads, and the Brahma Suutra of Sri Veda Vyaasa.  Upanishads like the Chhandogya and the BrhadaaraNyaka assign Vaayu a very high position in the celestial hierarchy -- above even Shiva, and next only to Lord Vishnu Himself and his eternal consort, the goddess Lakshmi. He is also described as endowed with special characteristics and powers which make him the greatest soul (jiivottama) among all the classes of souls aspiring for liberation. It is also significant that the two forms of Hanuman and Bhima, described as avatars of Vaayu, have been extremely close to the incarnations of Vishnu -- to Raama and Krishna as described respectively in the two epics RaamayaNa and Mahaabhaarata. The special characteristics identified in the BaLitthA Suukta are seen to be particularly notable from the narration of these Epics.

"Whose three divine forms have been described by Vedic statements (such as the BaLitthA Suukta of the Rg Veda); whose nature is that of great wisdom and ability, is the support of the activity of the worlds, is very worshipful (of Vishnu), and who incarnates with his full potency (with no diminution); that Vaayu, in his first avataara, carried the message of Raama as Hanuman, destroyed a fearsome army in his second with as Bheema, and in the third, as Madhva, composed this work (the Vishnu-tattva-vinirNaya) as a service to Keshava”.

• The first Avatar of Sri Vayu is Hanuman son of Anjana Devi in Tretayuga. His wonderful feats and service to Rama Devaru are described in RAMAYANA.

• The second Avatar is Bheema, in Dwapara Yuga, Sri Vayu Deva appeared as Bhimasena and played the most important part in the destruction of the enemies of God. In the whole of Mahabharata, Bhimasena is the most  important person who never slipped from the path of righteousness and served Sri Krishna.

• The Third Avatar is Sri Madhwacharya in kaliyuga. He was born near Udipi on Vijayadasamiday in the year 1238 A.D. He took to Sanyasa in his 16 th year and became known as ‘Ananda Teertha’. Sri Acharya disappeared, while teaching Aitereya Upanishad Bashya to his disciples, in Ananteswara Temple at Udipi in the year 1317 A.D., He is still alive in the Badrikashram on the Himalayas with his Guru Sri Vedavyasa Devaru. The full Biographical details of Sri Madhvacharya are told in “Sri Madhva Vijaya”. he chose to serve the Lord and Propounded a Philosophy known as Dwaita Vedanta.

 || Sri Hari Sarvothama Vayu Jivothama ||

Tomado de: http://www.raghavendramutt.org/articles/balittha-suktha-text