Sreepada Sreevallabha Charitaamrutam - 2

Chapter –2

Shankar Bhatt meets Sri Siddhendra Yogi and the story of Vichitrapuram. 

 

I (Shankara Bhatt) was recollecting the strange experiences in Marutvamalai and continued my journey while mentally chanting the glorious name of Sreepada Sreevallabha. I visited many holy places on the way. I was getting food without soliciting anyone for it. This was a rare experience. I felt that weight of my body was gradually coming down when I reached the Kadamba forest in the Paandya Kingdom. There was a Shiva Linga of great power. After visiting Eswara there my legs became very heavy. I rested for some time in that Shiva’s Temple and resumed the journey. I found a hermitage nearby. There lived a great person called Sree Siddhendra Yogi. When I prostrated at his lotus feet my body became lighter than a cotton ball. I was conscious of my body feeling but the weight of my body had almost become nil. That great preceptor with a merciful heart stroked my head and blessed me saying, “May you have the darshan  of                        Sreepada Sreevallabha.”  That great Yogi explained, “My son! Shankara Bhatt! The Shiva Linga which you have seen is very powerful. In ancient times Devendra conquered many demons but one of them escaped. He was doing penance. Indra killed ruthlessly that raakshasa while he was in the tapas (penance). Indra lost his lustre because of his sin in killing one doing tapas. Indra visited many holy places for absolution from the sin. As the Shiva Linga in the Kadamba forest of Paandya Kingdom was very powerful all the sins of Indra were removed suddenly when Indra reached Kadamba forest. He wondered at it. With the idea that there was something special and great, he searched the place in all directions. He found a Shiva Linga. Indra worshipped that Shiva Linga with devotion and constructed a temple for that Self-manifested Shiva Linga. So that was a Shiva Linga consecrated by Indra. That Shiva Linga removes all sins and confers all auspiciousness. People with great punya (virtuous merit) can only see that Shiva Linga but for the devotees of Lord Datta meeting with pious people and visiting holy places will take place unasked-for and without any effort.

I again bowed to the lotus feet of Sree Siddhendra Yogi. He asked me to go for the Shiva Linga again. When I went there for the second time, I found a beautiful temple of Shiva. That was not the temple which I visited previously. When I inquired I learnt that it was the temple of Sri Meenakshi and Sundareswara and that I was in the town of  Madhura. I visited the deities and went to the hermitage of Sree Siddhendra Yogi afterwards. The whole area appeared as a thickly populated township. However much I searched I could not find the hermitage of the Yogindra. Recollecting the holy name of Sreepada Sreevallabha I was going random in some direction. The sun-set started. It was getting dark. I saw a focus of light coming from rear side. When I turned back I saw a big serpent with three hoods following me. There were three diamonds on those three hoods. Brilliant light emitted from those diamonds. I was struck with fear. Whenever I stopped the serpent was also stopping. The divine name of Sreepada was swelling-up from the depth of my bosom involuntarily. Similarly the holy name of Sreepada was being uttered from my mouth involuntarily. At last I reached the

ashram

 of Sree Siddha Yogindra. Immediately the divine serpent and the light disappeared. Sree Siddha Yogindra treated me with utmost compassion. He gave me fried chik peas in a plantain leaf as prasaad . I ate bellyful. The palpitation of my heart did not decrease even though I was taking food. Sree Siddha Yogindra massaged my right breast lightly with love. Afterwards, he touched my head with his holy hand. I noticed the slowing down of palpitation of the heart. I also felt as if some foul gases were purged out of my lungs. I also experienced that all bad thoughts and cruel desires were pushed out of my mind. My body temperature increased and I was in a state of stupor.The Greatness of Datta and the qualifications required for obtaining the Grace of Sreepada 

Then Sree Siddha Yogindra stated as following: “Shankar Bhatt! The Shiva Linga which you saw at first and Sree Sundareswara whom you visited later are not different. Sree Dattatreya ordered that you should be provided with this kind of experience. So it was granted to you accordingly. That means that time was rolled back and the Shiva Linga established by Indra and the actual surroundings existing at that time were shown to you. To regard the creation which you witness as real creation is maaya(illusion). Everything is embodiment of consciousness.By the Will of Lord Datta future may become present. The consciousness of Lord Datta is eternal present. Whatever happened in the past, and whatever is happening at present and whatever is to happen in the future will occur according to the Will of Lord Datta. The resolve of Lord Datta is essential for an event to happen, not to happen or to happen in a different novel way. Sree Dattatreya is the personification of that magnificent determination responsible for the creation, sustenance, and liquidation. Now He has taken birth on this earth as Sreepada Sreevallabha. 

The residents of Pithapuram did not recognize Him properly. They failed to understand the philosophy of a Guru. In Kuruvapuram even ignorant persons like fishermen obtained knowledge of Brahman.To get the grace of Sreepada Sreevallabha the ahamkaara (arrogance) within us has to be destroyed. All types of pride are to become extinct. Then only we can understand His power, His mercy and His real nature. 

A merchant named Dhananjaya found the Shiva Linga consecrated by Indra and informed the matter to the ruler Kula Sekhara Paandya. Following the command of Shiva, Kula Sekhara Paandya developed it and built a town there. He named it Madhura. His son Malaya Dhwaja Paandya conducted a sacrifice called‘Putrakamesti’ for obtaining progeny. From the altar of that sacrifice a three year old baby girl emerged as one not born out of womb. She is Meenakshi Devi. She married Sundareswara. The Vegavati River born out of the matted hair of Shiva is sanctifying Madhura town. Maha Vishnu Himself donated the bride to the bridegroom and organised the divine marriage of Meenakshi and Sundareswara in a very grand scale. 

Sree Siddha Yogindra had added, “My son! Shankara Bhatt! Vibrations emanate from every article in the creation. On account of these variegated vibrations, attraction and repulsion takes place with other things. In the gross, subtle and mortal (fleshy) bodies good vibrations due to good deeds and bad vibrations due to sinful acts arise. On account of meritorious virtue desire for meeting pious persons, visiting holy places and interest in righteous deeds will increase. Thereby the virtuous merit gets enhanced. Unless that virtue increases and sin diminishes, we cannot have steady devotion towards Lord Datta.Variety of incidents happen owing to time, accumulated merit or demerit or other causes. You could come here only on account of the boundless compassion of Sreevallabha on you.” 

I was wondering at my extreme fortune and becoming excited in my mind. I was eager to reach Kuruvapuram and I decided not to leave the holy feet of Sreevallabha. When I woke up the next morning I was subjected to amazement and astonishment because I was lying at the base of an audumbara tree(the very sacred Indian fig tree) on a hillock. There was no movement of people in the surroundings. Was my stay during night in the hermitage of Sree Siddhendra Yogi merely a hallucination? Was Sree Siddhendra Yogi a cheat? A magician? Or a devil? Such doubts crept in my mind. The words of Sree Siddha Yogindra about Lord Sree Datta were resounding in my ears. I wondered as to what use it would be for Sreepada Sreevallabha to keep me in such a predicament. Many thoughts were crossing in my mind. I collected my belongings and resumed my journey. My journey continued from morning till noon. I saw a village with small houses. The pangs of hunger increased and troubled me. I am a brahmin and can take meals only in the house of brahmins. I cannot take meals elsewhere. I thought of preparing the meals myself if someone provides the materials. Then I can eat such food. I got a doubt whether any brahmins were living in the village. So I asked some villagers about it. One of them said, “Sir, we are a hill tribe. I am the chief of this hamlet. There are no brahmins in our village. You can accept fruits and honey from us if you have no objection.” There is an adage that one can behave like a low caste sudra on the way during travels. Therefore, I considered that it was not wrong to accept anything offered by anybody in the course of travel. They placed before me fruits and honey from ant hills available in those ravines. When I was about to eat, a crow came from somewhere and started pecking me on my head. I tried to drive it away but in vain. In the meanwhile some more crows gathered. They started pecking my body in all spots in a wanton manner. I was panic stricken and began to run. Those crows were chasing me. There was no one in that village

who could help me. The chief of the village spoke, “Oh! What a strange thing! In our area crows do not harm anyone. We wonder why these crows are so ferocious and obstinate to harm you. You must have abused a siddha purusha or dishonoured him. You are undergoing this punishment because of his curse. If we are to obstruct the course of punishment, we have to incur the wrath of that sage. So we will not

try to change the course of divine play. Please do not misunderstand.” After saying this, the chief kept quiet. I could not take the fruits and honey given to me. My body became blood stained. The crows chased and injured me even though I was running. I felt extremely sad at my dismal state. Has Sree Siddha Yogindra cursed me because I doubted him? But, he had blessed me that I would have the fortune of seeing Sreepada Sreevallabha! Probably, I cannot have the darshan of Lord Sree Datta unless all my sins accumulated from past births are completely destroyed! I do not know how many sinful deeds I had amassed! How many punishments like this I have to suffer if all those sins are to be washed out! Oh! Are so many difficulties and dangers involved in the blessings bestowed for the darshan of Sreevallabha? Oh! God! Still how many punishments you want to inflict on me! Now, who can save me? Sreepada Sreevallabha! Save me! Save me! Saranu! Saranu! Sreepada Sreevallabha! With such thoughts of absolute surrender I slowly reached the root portion of an audumbara tree. I thought that the audumbara tree which is the residing centre of Lord Sree Datta would protect me but, the sport of Lord Sree Datta ran contrary to my hope. An unprecedented foul smell was spreading from my body. Attracted by that odious odour or by the irony of fate big poisonous snakes were coming in a row quickly. They were biting me and leaving quickly. I was troubled by crows before. Now my entire body became poisonous because of bites from venomous serpents. Foam was coming out from my mouth. The strength of my heart began to decline. I thought that I was sure to die at any moment. It was evening dusk. Some washermen were going that way. They washed, dried and bundled the dried clothes. They kept the bundles on the backs of donkeys and were going. They noticed my miserable plight but they hesitated to touch me for some time because I am a Brahmin. As delay might endanger my life they regarded saving life was of prime importance. Hence they seated me on a donkey and took me to their village. For me all troublesome incidents were taking place in a procession on that day. The washermen took me to the colony of cobblers. One of those tanners had knowledge of medicine relating to poison. They kept me on a cot, the bottom of which was laced with cords of ticken. The premises was full of bad smell. That cobbler-physician made juice from some wild herbs. He made me drink that juice. He tied some leaves on the points where snakes had bitten me. He plucked some tender leaves from an audumbara tree. Juice like milk was flowing from those leaves. He kept stems of those leaves in my two ears. I was getting terrible pain. I tried to get up and run away. Two strong men held me firmly. I was helpless. That physician instructed his assistants, “The poison will come into the audumbara leaves. After that you have to burn those poisonous leaves. The man will cry much louder as the poison increasingly gets transferred to the audumbara leaves. So you hold him firmly.” After some time, the poison was neutralised. I became healthy. I stayed in the house of the cobbler all throughout the night. The skin tanner was singing during the whole night “Datta Digambaraa! Datta Digambaraa! Sreepada Vallabha Datta Digambaraa!

” I was lying on the cot. My heart swelled on hearing the extremely melodious names of the Lord. My love for the cobbler enhanced because he became my co-disciple of our guru due to the spiritual relationship. In the next moment I was pained with the realisation that I was born in a superior brahmin caste and that he was a low-caste cobbler.

The teaching of a cobbler called Vallabha Das to Shankar Bhatt

After completing the singing the cobbler came to me. The compassion was overflowing from his eyes. His two eyes were suggesting the experience of self. A doubt crept in my mind whether he was some yogi. He turned to me and said, “Sir! My name is Vallabhadasu. I am an artisan doing work with the hides of animals! I was born in a low caste! There is no doubt about it. Nevertheless, I want to tell you some information. I already knew that your name is Shankara Bhatt and that you are travelling to visit Sreepada Sreevallabha. Not only that. I also know why you were harassed by crows and snakes on the way.”  I was astonished. I thought that probably he made some study of astrology and acquired some proficiency in the subject. Vallabha Das said immediately, “Sir! I am not an astrologer. ‘Sree Kshetra Pithikapuram’ is the birth place of great scholars. It is the holy place where ‘Saanga Vedaardha Samrat Pandit (an emperor in the vedic lore)’ Malladi Bapannaavadhaani actually lived. The vedas while attempting to describe the Supreme Being became tired in the process. They could not pinpoint the phenomenon correctly and simply ruled out every thing saying ‘this is not’, ‘this is not’. Such is the nature of Supreme Being. Pithapuram is the sacred place where that Supreme Phenomenon is born as Sreepada Sreevallabha. Dry philosophy and meaningless debates cannot earn the grace of Sreepada Sreevallabha. There is no need for scholarly excellence to obtain the mercy of Sreepada. On the other hand, pedantic pride will throw us far away from Him. The crows that pecked at you were great pandits who lived in Pithapuram during their previous lives. They could not recognise the divine nature of Sreevallabha and they could not realise Him as Lord Datta. Thus they wasted their whole lives. They could recite vedas upside down, but what use? They were

repeating words like ‘krama, Ghana, jata, swadhya’ and exhibiting their arrogance.After death they went to heaven. Indra praised them. He showered praise on them saying, “Oh! You are ‘kramaanta’, you are ‘ghanaapati ’, you are ‘jati ’, Oh! You are an expert in tarka (argument). What a fortune? How many hundreds and thousands of times you have recited veda? What a merit! What a merit! Only because of that

merit, you could step into Swarga.” All the denizens of ‘Indra Loka’ admired the sky-high. However, these pandits suffered the pangs of hunger. Divine ambrosia was available in heaven. They heard that one is freed from hunger and thirst by drinking it. These people directly submitted their problem to Indra as none paid any heed to them. To that Indra replied, “Veda is the form of Lord’s inhalation and exhalation. Lord is infinite and deathless. Therefore, vedas are also infinite. Vedas are the basis for all dharmas (ethical principles). By chanting vedas you have praised the Lord. As a reward for it we, the celestials are also praising you highly. Otherwise is it possible for you to get encomiums from me?

If one desires food, he must provide food to others. If one donates a grain, we, the celestials enhance it to thousand grains and return them to the donor as a reward. When you have not donated anything how can we help? Because of your vedic recitation, you derived immense benefit. Therefore, you can reside freely in ‘Indra Loka’ as long as it exists. Afterwards you can go to another world. In this way you can remain eternally free. Those who heard the words of Indra faced a difficult situation. It occurred to them that to live eternally without food and suffer prolonged hunger and thirst was indeed an unbearable punishment. Indra said again, “You lived in the holy  ‘Paadagaya Kshetra’ but you performed annual ceremonies to manes of your ancestors without care and concern. You were always calculating the expenditure incurred for such functions. You were also absorbed in the thought that you were eating delicious food items but you were devoid of care and devotion required for the performance of those solemn ceremonies. As a result, your forefathers did not attain noble positions after their death. Your heirs were also behaving like that. Your children also did lament that you lived too long and a large amount of money was wasted on medical facilities provided to you. They even wondered ‘Oh! how much food was wasted?’ 

SreemanNaarayana Him-self incarnated as Sreepada Sreevallabha in the midst of you. When He was showing the way for salvation you abused Him. You indulged in fruitless arguments and counter arguments. Even though all the auspicious traits like omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence and qualities of an incarnation were clearly visible, you became blind people who could not recognise Sreepada Sreevallabha as an avatar of Sree Datta. It is ordained that you remain as crows in the forms of the manes of your ancestors till you drink the blood of a person whose body was purified by the chanting of the sacred name of Sreepada Sreevallabha.” Sri Vallabha Das said, “Shankara Bhatt! It was for that reason they were born as crows and on account of their previous merit they drank your blood and obtained noble status.”  Then I noticed that Vallabha Das was not an ordinary person and that the grace of Sreepada Sreevallabha was completely on him. Sri Vallabha Das added, “Sir! The serpents who were attracted by the scent emanating from your body attained salvation.” 

I said, “Sir! Great Vallabhadasjee! Why should this incident take place? If my body were to be used as food for crows, serpents and other living creatures it would be a harrowing experience for me. I am under constant fear of being attacked by any creature at any time.” Sri Vallabha Das said, “Sir! This is all a sportive play of Sreepaada. Don’t have such fear. Such accidents would not take place in future.” 

Only the One, who gives life, will have the authority to take out life. Therefore, such authority is not vested in any one except God. However, some of your ancestors worshipped Goddess Kaali of the burial ground. With the help of that

mantra they killed many persons whom they disliked. They earned great sin because they were responsible for the unnatural deaths of those people. Due to that sin they took birth as snakes but as you were also born in their family, you were all blood relations. Moreover you obtained the mercy of Sreepada. Because of this small merit this incident took place and they got salvation. A brahmin should be a seeker of truth. A kshatriya should be bound by dharma. A vysya should attend to cultivation, protection of cattle, skilled sale and purchase activities. Therefore, he should be a calm person. A sudra should be a loving one and render services. Even the there is no distinction between caste, creed, rich and poor for the grant of divine grace.

A brahmin can follow the duty of kshatriya and can become a King. When a kshatriya desires knowledge of

Brahman, he can adopt the duty of a brahmin. Had not Kusuma Sresthi who was a vysya chose kshatriya dharma and became a ruler? According to brahmanic dharma killing an enemy is sinful but, in kshatriya dharma it is a prescribed duty. You are a brahmin and a seeker of truth. Therefore, non-violence is a supreme duty for you but not for a butcher. So if a man wants to get proper results from his actions, he should perform the duties according to the dharma adopted by him irrespective of the caste to which he belongs.

As you are at present ill, it is desirable and necessary that you should be with a doctor. That is why you are brought to me. Please note that Sreepada Sreevallabha will observe us every moment. In your childhood you were reciting the prayers about Lord Vishnu. You were prattling with your friends in a funny manner, it is indeed a prayer for Lord Ganesa. For the words in the Sloka

 

“Suklaambaradharam Vishnum Sasivarnam Chaturbhujam

 Prasannavadanam Dhyaayet Sarva Vighnopa Shaantaye” 

you are giving a perverted interpretation for the sake of fun, you were giving the following meanings.

Suklaambaradharam

 = that which bear white clothes,

Vishnum

 = that which is every where,

Sasivarnam

 = white ash coloured,

Chaturbhujam

= four legs instead of four hands,

Prasannavadanam

 = (i) the ass will have a gracious face when it brays, ii) the ass will kick people with its hind legs.

Dhyaayet 

 

= so it’s face is only pleasant to

look at,

Sarva Vighnopa Shaantaye

 = (I pray) for abatement of all obstacles.

 In this way you were jokingly giving a perverse meaning to that holy prayer and extended its meaning as a prayer applicable to an ass. Shankar Bhatt! Lord Datta is a skilled one. The Lord would rectify the mistakes also made by you for fun, in His presence. The washerman brought you to me on a donkey. At that time you were covered with dust and bore an ashen colour. You came here with halting pace and sometimes you walked on all your fours (two hands and two legs) supporting yourself on your hands placed on the ground. Even though you came to the audumbara tree on all your fours gasping for breath you could not avoid the accident. Your hope of escaping from the serpents in this way was belied. You had a placid countenance if you do not convulse with pain. At last you were brought to the village of cobblers. In subjecting you to so many miseries? Sreepada provided entertainment and taught you a lesson. Those tanners were freed from their ignoble births. You were teaching the prayer-sloka of Sri Vishnu to your friend in a  jocular manner. That is the reason why you have come to a position where you have to hear the teaching of a low caste person like me. Now you are here. Tomorrow you may stay in the house of your own caste people. If you disclose this incident even by mistake they will ostracize you. With the good teaching of Sri Vallabha Das the brahmanic arrogance in me decreased. The feeling disappeared that Vallabha Das was a pariah. I had brotherly love for him as if he was my blood relation. I accepted the hospitality of Vallabha Das for two or three days and left the village afterwards. What can I describe about the mercy of Sreevallabha? I was involved in very strange circumstances in a town called Vichitrapuram and came out in a strange way. When I was going on foot from Vichitrapuram some royal servants approached me with humble obedience and inquired whether I was a Vaishnava! Or a Shaiva! I told them that we were smaarthas  who observe no distinction between Shiva and Keshava but, we show some inclination towards ‘Shaivaisam’ and that the pontiff of Southern monastery Sri Sringeri Shankaracharya was our preceptor. They requested me to visit their King. I went with them for the royal audience. On the way I understood some peculiar matters. That King was inviting any brahmin who was seen on that day and questioning, “If this-much is for that-much, how-much will be for this-

much?” No one could give a satisfactory answer to that question. That King conducted a sacrifice some years back to beget sons. Fortunately, he got a son. However, from that day brahmins faced peculiar troubles, as the son born to the King became a mute. The King was of the opinion that because of the defective sacrifice performed by the brahmins, his son became dumb. Therefore, the King got the heads of Shaivaite brahmins completely shaved, marked their faces with the paint of vertical Vaishnavite lines and paraded them on the back of donnkeys. Likewise he got the heads of Vaishnavite brahmins cleanly shaved, marked their faces with horizontal lines made of holy ash, and paraded them seated on the back of donkeys. This situation became unbearable to both Shaivas and Vaishnavas. The King suddenly began to behave in a quixotic fashion.He was donating ‘thotakura (green leafy vegetable)’ liberally to the brahmins. He ordered that thotakura should be cultivated in large acreage of the cultivable land. He was collecting half of the taxes in the form of thotakura. Cart loads of thotakura were collected and kept in the fort. Thotakura was donated in very large quantities and brahmins could not consume it fully. Cooking of rice and eating of other victuals was forbidden for the brahmins. After eating cooked thotakura in the main meals they had to eat cooked or uncooked thotakura as a tiffin. What can the poor brahmins do? All the brahmins who took great pride as scholars in logic, scholars in philosophy and scholars in puraanas(quasi-legendary stories) shed their arrogance and were praying to God silently and pitiably to redress their evil plight. There was a devotee of Datta who was an ardent follower of Datta cult among the brahmins. He said that Lord Dattatreya becomes merciful at mere remembrance and the Lord only can remove their miserable condition. Therefore, all the brahmins observed mandala deeksha (a spiritual discipline for 40 days) and started worshipping Lord Dattatreya. As his son was dumb the King wanted to encourage the language for the dumb. He instructed the raja-guru( preceptor of the king) to write a book on the language of the dumb. That preceptor of the royal court was formerly very haughty. Then he was in a very miserable state and undertook extensive research in the mute language.

 

The discussion between Shankar Bhatt and Maharaja

I was taken before the King. I was perspiring profusely. I thought about how much rigorous test Sreepada Sreevallabha imposed upon me. I was mentally chanting the name of Sreepada without any pause. I was getting courage which I did never possess before. The King posed the same question which he asked all the people. He asked me, “If that

-much becomes this-much, how much this-much becomes?” I replied solemnly, “this-much only for this-much.” The King was taken aback and said, “Mahaatmaa!you are great. I became blessed on seeing you. Only recently I had recollection of the knowledge about my past lives. I was a very poor brahmin in my previous birth. I was growing thotakura in my house. I was offering it freely to all those who asked for it. The brahmins who received it from me were all wealthy and did not suffer from want of food and water. They simply took the vegetable gratis from me but did not cooperate with me on any day. They did not show any mercy on me. Whenever they were deputing me on their behalf for annual ceremonies of ancestors or for marriages, the house holders used to give me large amounts of money and presents. Out of this, the people who were deputing me were snatching 99% and releasing 1% for me. Labour was mine and reward was theirs. In addiotion they were getting free supply of thotakura from my house. I was suffering from acute poverty but continued to donate thotakura as usual. Those brahmins were saying that the vegetable was very tasty and no harm would happen by eating it daily. The circle of time rotated swiftly. As I was donating thotakura inspite of my abject poverty, I am born as a King in this birth. Those brahmins who received that green vegetable from me took birth as brahmins in my Kingdom. In this way I was born many times richer and greater than them. By donating thotakura I became a King. So I am donating greater quantities of that vegetable in cart loads. So I am asking every one what would be the magnificent state I would achieve in future as a result of my present donations. You only gave a correct answer to my peculiar question.” The King concluded his speech. Then I explained, ‘Rajaa! Thotakura was very valuable under the circumstances of your previous life, but considering your present exalted position its value is negligible. Being in a position to donate diamonds, precious stones and gold, you are still donating thotakura. So, however much you donate that green leafy vegetable you cannot get anything more except one hundred times of that thotakura.’ The King was very much pleased with my reply. It gave great relief to my mind that for a casual reply of mine the King gave an account of his previous life. I felt that owing to the great grace of Sreepada the dishonour of riding an ass was avoided. I had already mounted a donkey for misinterpretation of the sacred verse “Suklaambaradharam Vishnum…………” for fun in my childhood. I offered salutations in my mind to Sreepada who saved me from riding an ass in a disgracegul condition. Then started the second test. The test was held in the language of the dumb which was very much dear to the King. The raja-guru began to examine me. Showing his fingers the raja-guru questioned me with signs whether it was one or two. I thought that he was asking me whether I came alone or I was accompanied by any one. I replied with signs showing one finger that I came singly. Then he showed me three fingers. That suggested to me about Lord Dattatreya. I assumed that he was inquiring whether I was a devotee of Datta. I felt that devotion should be kept as a secret. So I showed a closed fist and conveyed the message that it was a secret matter which belong to the innermost heart. For that the raja-guru offered sweets requesting me with gestures to accept. I refused to accept and I showed a pack of flattened rice. I took some flattened rice from the bundle and gave them. My idea was that I like flattened rice more than sweets and that they could also partake them. Then the raja-guru in a profound voice praised, “Ra jaa! He is a great Pandit. It is known that he is a great vedic scholar who mastered all vedas. He is a great expert in the sign language of the deaf.” All of this was perplexing to me. Then raja-guru told the King, “Rajaa! I asked him whether Shiva and Kesava are one? Or they are different? Showing one finger he said that both are one. I showed him three fingers indicating that trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara exist differently. He replied by showing his closed fist and questioned, “Are not the five fingers of the hand existing collectively as one?” I offered him sweet meats requesting him to accept me as his disciple. There upon he indicated that he is not bothered with disciples and that he leads a contented life like Kuchela. Saying so he turned down my request and gave me parched and flattened rice.” I was astonished. Oh! I wondered how vastly varied are the methods of understanding minds and thoughts in the world. Then the third and final examination. Raja-guru was reading the mantras from ‘rudra chamaka’ (verses from ‘Rudraadhya’ invoking the blessing of Rudra for grant of various desires) and wanted me to explain their meaning. Remembering Sreevallabha I began to expatiate their meaning according to my perfunctory knowledge. 

 ‘Ekachame’ means one. ‘Trisrachame’ means number three added to previous 1, it is 4 and its mathematical root is two. ‘Panchachame’ is addition of five to the previous arrived four that gives 9 and its mathematical root is three. ‘Saptachame’ signifies the addition of seven to the already arrived number nine. The total is 16 and the root of it is four. ‘Navachame’ means adding nine to the already derived number sixteen. The total works out to 25 and the root is five. ‘Ekadasachame’ involves addition of eleven to the number twenty five already worked out. The total is 36 and its root is six. ‘Trayodasachame’ is addition of thirteen to previous thirty six. The total comes to 49 and its mathematical root is seven. ‘Panchadasachame’ means additions fifteen to the number forty nine. The total is 64 and its root is eight. ‘Saptadasachame’ is 17+64 = 81 and the mathematical root is 9. The other factors are as following:

 ‘Navadasachame’ 

 -- 19 + 81 = 100 its root is 10

 ‘Ekavingsatischame’ 

 -- 21 + 100 = 121 its root is 11

 ‘Trayvingsatischame’ 

 -- 23 + 121 = 144 its root is 12

 ‘Panchavingsatischame’ 

 -- 25 + 144 = 169 its root is 13

 ‘Saptavingsatischame’ 

 -- 27 + 169 = 196 its root is 14

 ‘Navavingsatischame’ 

 -- 29 + 196 = 225 its root is 15

 ‘Ekatriyamsatischame’ 

 -- 31 + 225 = 256 its root is 16 The above details are shown in the following way for better understanding.

Eka Chame

 01 + 000 = 001 its root is

01

Trisra Chame

 03 + 001 = 004 its root is

02

Pancha Chame

 05 + 004 = 009 its root is

03

Sapta Chame

 07 + 009 = 016 its root is

04

Nava Chame

 09 + 016 = 025 its root is

05

EkadasaChame

11 + 025 = 036 its root is

06

Trayodasa Chame

 13 + 036 = 049 its root is

07

Panchadasa Chame

 15 + 049 = 064 its root is

08

Saptadasa Chame

17 + 064 = 081 its root is

09

Navadasa Chame

 19 + 081 = 100 its root is

10

Eka Ving Satis Chame

21 + 100 = 121 its root is

11

Trayo Ving Satis Chame

 23 + 121 = 144 its root is

12

 

Pancha Ving Satis Chame

 25 + 144 = 169 its root is

13

 

Sapta Ving Satis Chame

27 + 169 = 196 its root is

14

Nava Ving Satis Chame

 29 + 196 = 225 its root is

15

 

Eka Triyam Satis Chame

 31 + 225 = 256 its root is

16

 I explained in the foregoing manner the mathematical mysteries enshrined in the vedic mantras of rudra chamaka. (The above explanation brings to light the mathematical genius of our ancestors. Modern concepts of arithmetical progression, geometric progression and other scientific formulae are to be found in the vedic texts–Translator). My explanation was highly appreciated by the scholars of the court. I was amazed at my own explanation. Again I added, “All this is about the mystery of atoms responsible for creation. This was known to Sage Kaanaada. Various metals form according to the different arrangement of the number of atoms.” On account of the great mercy of Sreepada Sreevallabha I came out of the Vichitrapuram in a strange way in the above manner.

 

Victory Victory unto Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha!