Veneration to the Elders

ŚIVAKŌṬYĀCĀRYA'S VAḌḌĀRĀDHANE

D.A. Shankar, R.V.S. Sundaram, Shubhachandra, H.S. Komalesha, D.A. Shankar

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781000294880
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Asian Literary Collections
• Index: Literature

?ivak??y?c?rya's Va???r?dhane (Veneration to the Elders) is the earliest extant prose work in Kannada language written by ?ivak??y?c?rya during 940 CE. This classical text reflects the oral tradition of narrating stories of legendary religious ascetics based on the g?h?s which were taken from Bhagavat? ?r?dhan?. This is a peculiar but commendable way of present­ing stories of the senior and respectable ascetics combining oral and written styles of narration. Thus,
Va???r?dhane stands as an excellent example for an ancient classical text, fit for linguistic and cultural study. Each story in this collection, is wonderful in its own way. Generally, religious stories do not evoke interest but present a series of dull events. However, this text is full of incidents depicting human values, ways of wicked people, self-imposed vows, violence and non-violence and human life with all types of experiences.
Another distinguishing feature of Va???r?dhane is that there is not a whiff of intolerance towards other religions or faiths or sects and this is most remarkable when we recall that most of our early writings indulge in belittling doctrines of faiths other than their own. This positive attitude, in a sense, makes this religious text absolutely liberal and almost secular.
Va???r?dhane is now rendered into contemporary English by a team of writers and linguists.

Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

1
The Story of Sukumārasvāmi

Gāhe

bhallukkiyēṇa ṇiccam khajjantō ghōra vēdaṇaṭṭhōpi

ārādhaṇam pavaṇṇō jhāṇēṇa avanti sukumārō.

Even though eaten continuously for three days and nights by a she-jackal who was his sister-in-law in previous birth; Sukumaāra of Avanti had dreadful suffering, achieved the ārādhanā through right faith right knowledge and right conduct.

To say how it is:

There was a country called Vatse in the Bharata land of this isle of Jambu. Kausambi was a city in that country. It was ruled by a king called Atibaḷa. Manōhari was his queen. The eyes of onlookers used to be delighted by the beauty of Manōhari, justifying her name. She followed the path of truth and non-greediness. She was the embodiment of extreme beauty, grace, auspiciousness, glamour and charming gestures. Both of them enjoyed the sensual pleasures of their liking.

The king’s minister was Sōmaśarma and his wife was called Kāśyapi. Agnibhūti and Vāyubhūti were their sons. They did not pay heed to their parent’s words. They did not study Vedas and other traditional treatises. They were spending the wealth earned by their father and engaged in seven kinds of vices. After the demise of Sōmaśarma, the king enquired after his children. He summoned them and made them to have bath, put on new clothes, ornaments, food and betel leaves with areca nut. He asked them not to be sad and consoled them. He told them to return to their house.

After a few days the king sent his servants and summoned them again. He asked them about all that they studied. They stood with bent heads, with tearful eyes, scratching the floor with their toe without answering. All the people in the royal court told the king, ‘These are fools, not studied anything and have indulged in seven kinds of vices.’ The king sent the brothers back but offered minister-hood and liveli-hood with honour to their cousin who was well versed in traditional treatises. Having heard this, Agnibhūti and Vāyubhūti very sadly donned torn robes in renunciation. They told their mother, ‘Now onwards we will study through asceticism.’ She said, ‘Well, my children, if it is so, go to the city Rājagṛha of Magadhe ruled by king Subala. His queen is Suprabhe. Minister of the king Sūryamitra, my elder brother has the knowledge of everything. I will send a letter through you asking him to make you deservingly knowledgeable. Go and study with him.’ They took leave of her with the letter given to them. After a few days they reached Rājagṛha. They enquired about Sūryamitra’s house and found it. They gave the letter to him. Sūryamitra enquired, ‘From where did you come? Whose letter is this?’ They replied saying that they came from Kausambi and the letter was given by his sister Kāśyapi.

Having read the letter, Sūryamitra came to know about the demise of Sōmaśarma and the fact that the minister-hood was given to others. He learnt that the sons ruined their life getting engaged in seven vices. He read the request made by his sister entrusting the responsibility of making her sons experts in traditional texts, make them knowledgeable and deserving. Thinking that if he gave lenience to them, they would get spoiled and become arrogant as earlier, Sūryamitra told Agnibhūti and Vāyubhūti, ‘I have no sister by name Kāśyapi and brother-in-law by name Sōmaśarma. I am Sūryamitra by name but not your maternal uncle Sūryamitra.’ Further he said, ‘It does not matter to whomsoever you are related. If you have come to study as students with passion by begging alms, wearing torn robes and study day and night without laziness and with compulsion, then it is possible to make you study.’ They said, ‘Please be compassionate, we are greatly blessed.’ They prostrated delightfully and started their studies on an auspicious day, week and proper time for study. For the benefit of study, they prostrated respectfully to their teacher. Sūryamitra made them study continuously day and night with compulsion.

Within a span of seven to eight years, Sūryamitra made them proficient by making them study the four Vedas, six parts of Vedas, eighteen dharma-śāstras, mīmāmsā, nyāya-vistara, grammars, epistemology, prosody, poetics, lexicon, poetry, drama, cāṇakya, fortune telling, śālihōtra (horse lore), pāḷakāvyam (elephant lore), medical knowledge of hānitam, caraka, aśvinīmata, bāhala, medical knowledge of Suśruta, kshārapānīya (alkaline drinks) and other human medical knowledge, astrology and magical practices. They said, ‘Your favour made us become distinguished scholars by learning all traditional texts. We will now go to our home town with pleasure.’ Having said this they bowed and prostrated before the teacher and took leave of him.

Then the teacher said, ‘You are my sister’s children, nephews. I did not give lenience to you as you got spoiled when your father gave you lenience. Thinking that it repeats here also, I did not give you lenience with an intention towards making you deserving and able. Do not get angry for this and forgive me.’ He sent them back giving robes, ornaments and food for the journey.

Agnibhūti, the elder one very happily felt the favour of his maternal uncle. He thought, ‘Not giving lenience, my maternal uncle made us deserving.’ With anger, Vayubhūti, the younger one thought that whatever Sūryamitra did was not fair. ‘He did not even give salt, ghee or butter milk for the food brought by begging. Our maternal uncle did not give or made others give these things. While taking bath in the tank he did not know that he should give oil for head. Every day he used to eat delicious food along with many of his relatives and servants. Even on the festival day he did know that he should feed us. He was a sinner of five great evils. He punished us for eight years as though we were his enemies.’ Thinking like this in his mind with anger he prostrated and went away. Then both of them left and reached Kausambi after few days. They entered their house and prostrated before their mother and told that they had come after becoming scholars.

After having bath and taking food they took rest. On an auspicious day, week, star and auspicious moment they saw the king. Both of them praised the king separately. With appropriate grammatical commentary, they made known their newly acquired scholarship. When all the scholars in the assembly profusely praised them, the king was delighted. He said, ‘Accept the minister’s position of your father and livelihood.’ Both of them prostrated saying that they were greatly favoured, accepted the offer and lived happily. Getting engaged in enlightening the scholars with commentaries of different texts, they were respected by the people and also by the people in the palace. With the entertainment of pleasant storytelling, their time passed on like this.

Here in Rājagṛha, Sūryamitra was given a ring of precious ruby by the king Subala.

One day, Sūryamitra went in the evening to offer holy water to the sun. While he was offering, his ring slipped from his finger and fell into a lotus flower along with water. He walked some distance without knowing and realizing what had happened. Then he looked at his hand. He could not remember where the ring was lost. Without knowing the reason for losing the ring, he looked at different directions with deep sorrow and fear. He saw at a distance, a great Ācārya having divine knowledge, by name Sudharma. He went to him, thinking that the ascetic knew where the ring was. ‘I will ask him,’ he thought and stayed by the side of the ascetic. Sudharmācārya knowing that he is a bhavya said, ‘What man, have you come losing the ruby-ring gifted by the king?’ When he said this Sūryamitra bowed and prostrated and praised him saying, ‘Is there anyone more knowledgeable like this?’ He asked the ascetic, ‘Bhaṭṭāra, please tell me where I can find that ring.’ Bhaṭāra said, ‘Yes, you can find it. Yesterday when you were offering water to the sun, along with water it fell into the flower bud in the lotus pond and remained there. Tomorrow when the sun rises you can find the ring when the lotus comes up from the water.’ Having heard this he felt happy and prostrated once more. He went and kept people to guard the pond and next day by dawn he came and saw the ring on the lotus bud. He took and gave it to the king. Immediately he left the palace. He thought in his mind, ‘I would learn the astrological knowledge of this savaṇa of visualizing all the tiny, concealed and distant material objects in the world, by showing pseudo-modesty to this kṣapaṇaka. With this intention he came back to his home and told his wife Sudēvi his opinion. For the sake of obtaining astrological knowledge he left home and met Sudharmācārya, prostrated and said, ‘Bhaṭāra, I have come with love for learning astrology. Please teach me the same.’

For that Bhaṭāra said, ‘My dear brother! Our knowledge of astrology cannot be imparted or learnt unless one is an ascetic of naked form like us.’ ‘If so please be merciful to give me such initiation,’ Sūryamitra requested. On an auspicious moment he was initiated, and given five great vows. After having recited the paḍikamaṇa, Sūryamitra asked Bhaṭāra to teach him. Bhaṭāra said, ‘Unless you learn the salutations, assessment of self and restraints you cannot be taught.’ He learnt everything quickly and asked, ‘Bhaṭāra, now teach me.’ Bhaṭāra said, ‘You cannot be taught unless you study the life histories of 63 prominent personalities (triṣaṣṭi-śalākāpuruṣhas), ācāra, ārādhanā and other caraṇa scriptures, scriptures like lōgāṇi and saṅgāṇi.’ As Sūryamitra was a scholar, he studied all of them in a short time and said, ‘Bhaṭāra, I read and learnt all the texts which you have told, their nature and meaning. Please explain the knowledge of astrology.’ Bhaṭāra said, ‘One more part of knowledge is there. It is called dravyānuyōga. After you learn this I will explain the knowledge system of astrology.’

When he said thus, Sūryamitra thought that he would learn that part of knowledge with great love now itself. On a good day and auspicious time of a week he was made to involve in the study of knowledge systems. As he went on learning step by step, his false faith diminished little by little. In this way, he heard about all the topics in the knowledge system like attachment, reason for the attachment, liberation and path of liberation, fruits of both attachment and liberation.

He acquired special knowledge skill and belief of nine substances namely jīva, ajīva, puṇya, pāpa, āsraya, samvara, nirjara, bandha, mōkṣa, and also pañcāstikāya and ṣaḍdravya. He understood the nature and qualities of them very much. He became a master of right belief devoid of 25 blemishes which include eight impurities like suspicion, eight kinds of pride, three kinds of ignorance, serving six kinds of wrong perceptions.

He got aversion towards worldly pleasures. He thought that he got to right path responsible for his infinite bliss through deceitful asceticism. Feeling extremely happy in his mind, he met the teacher and submitted that he took to asceticism by using deceitful nature.

He took expiation and penitential retreat and became a supreme ascetic. He followed asceticism for twelve years without leaving his teacher and became an acārya (head of a group of ascetics). With the permission of his teacher he wandered following the rules of staying for one night in the village, five nights in the city, ten nights in the forest. He wandered in villages (grāma), cities (nagara), fort towns (khēḍa), walled towns (kharvāḍa), border towns (maḍamba), port towns (paṭṭaṇa) and coastal cities (drōṇāmukha).

He came to Kausambi and made salutations to all the siddhakṣētras at Udayāvata mountain. He observed fasting for having visited the holy place. He entered the city of Kausambi for begging alms. Without discriminating between small house and big house, he searched for houses fit for accepting food. Sūryamitra entered the house of a Brahmin called Agnibhūti. Having seen Sūryamitra, Agnibhūti came running with great devotion, washed his feet and observed many kinds of meritorious practices like welcoming with respectful procedure for offering food, offering higher seat, etc. He served pure food with great respect observing seven qualities like dedication and devotion. After having food he blessed him and said, ‘May your food offering become inexhaustible.’ When he was about to leave Agnibhūti requested, ‘Bhaṭṭāra, please bless your younger disciple also before leaving’ and took his brother to Vayubhuti’s house. He was delivering commentary to many Brahmins sitting on a big metal seat. Out of egoistic pride he did not come down and welcome him. Agnibhūti went and holding the hand of Vayubhūti said, ‘Bhaṭṭāra is our master, by his grace we got this much money, wealth and grandeur. Therefore getup, go and prostrate.’ For this he said, ‘What’s this, are you making me prostrate before a noble person! These people are always unclean, dirty, they never bathe. Oh! Should I prostrate at his feet?’ Staying in the middle of the assembly of Brahmins he refused to do so and used several mean and harsh words and sent him away. Agnhibhūti said, ‘You ruthless rogue, ignoble man, you speak to the master like this?’ As he scolded Vāyubhūti, Bhaṭṭāra said:

Gāhe

ṇindataṃ siḷahantam sattum mittum tahēva sukha dukkham

jō samabhāva i pecca i sō samaṇō sōya pavvayiō.

Vṛtta

ākṛṣṭaēvavacasā natutāḍitō ’smi

santāpitō ’smi na tu mē hṛtamuttamāṅgam

prāṇā hṛtāḥ mama parairna tu mē samādhiḥ

ityātmacintana parmparayā kṣamēta.

One who considers abuse and praise, an enemy and a friend, pleasure and grief as equals is a Samaṇa and he is the one who has renounced all the worldly affairs.

With anger he spoke to me but did not beat me. He grieved me but not beheaded me, he took away my life, but not my state of deep meditation. Thinking like this, he should be forgiven.

Like this, he contemplated forgiveness. Agnibhūti went to Udayāvata mountain with Bhaṭṭāra and said, ‘Bhaṭṭāra, I took you to the house of a heinous sinner and made you to listen to his abuses. You are not abused by him, you are abused by me. Pardon me for this offence. ‘My sin does not vanish unless you bless me with consecration for asceticism.’ As he forcefully requested, Bhaṭṭāra initiated him at an auspicious moment. He took to asceticism, learned all the procedures studying traditional scriptures and travelled along with his Guru.

Here (at Kausambi), Sōmadatte, wife of Agnibhūti with intimacy and grief spoke to Vayubhūti like this, ‘Sūryamitra Bhaṭṭāraka was first a Brāhmaṇa, your maternal uncle, now a great ascetic and virtuous. When he came to your house you did not get up from your seat and did not welcome and prostrate. This life, prosperity and wealth are due to his blessings. Is this right on your part to abuse, blame and speak with neglect to such a great ascetic?’

She spoke to him in the middle of the assembly of Brahmins like this:

‘You acted in an unfitting manner which is fit for bad, mean, wicked bastards and outcast persons.’ Having heard this Vāyubhūti angrily rebuked and kicked her in the head with his foot.

He grabbed everything from her house and said, ‘Go to the place where your husband has gone and became a Jaina ascetic.’ Saying this he sent her away. She became angry and said fiercely, ‘Scoundrel, let it happen, then I would kill you at least taking birth as a dog or a jackal, and along with my children, eat your legs which have kicked me.’ With such intention she left the house with her children. As time paused she and her children died and were wandering in the cycle of births and deaths.

Here, Vāyubhūti, with extreme egoistic pride scolded and humiliated the ascetic and as a result of this sinful abuse of Jaina-dharma, he died within seven days suffering from leprosy, decay, becoming thin. He was born as a female donkey in a city called Kausambi in the house of acrobats who walk on the rope tied to bamboo poles. Having born there, the donkey carried heavy loads on her back. There was a wound which festered, then the donkey became ill, turned black and died.

Again in that very city it was born as a female pig and died. Again born as a female dog in the house of a cobbler it died. And in a city called Campa in the Magadha country, it was born again as a female dog in a cobbler’s house and died. Again in the same city he was born as the daughter Nīla to the head of cobblers and to his wife Kēśi with ugly form, color, bad odor, bad voice and blind by birth. One day due to disease and hunger she got tired and went to the garden. She was searching, collecting and eating jambu fruits.

By that time here, both Sūryamitrācārya and Agnibhūti wandering in villages, cities, fort towns, walled towns, border towns, port towns and coastal cities and reached the city of Campa. Sūryamitrācārya got clairvoyance while making prostration to Vāsupūjya Bhaṭṭāra’s auspicious place (nisiddhi), with utmost devotion. Then they came to Sambara-nāga-ṭhāṇa in the garden ...