SRI SHIVA CHIDAMBARA SRI SHIVA CHIDAMBARA CHARITHRE CHARITHRE -Saligrama Subbaramaiah (A Translation of Kannada Original) Prof. Saligrama Subbaramaiah Published by Executive Officer Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, Tirupati. Tirupati 2012 SRI SHIVA CHIDAMBARA CHARITHRE CONTENTS (A Translation of Kannada Original) Marthandadikshitharu Tapodhana 1 Arduous Penance 4 By: The Descent of Chidambara 10 Prof. SALIGRAMA SUBBARAMAIAH The Great Play of Childhood 15 Brahmacharya, A Life of Discipline 18 Prana Prathisthapana, infusion of life 21 T.T.D. Religious Publications Series No: Recovery of lost Treasure 26 Dead Ox revived 29 ©All Rights Reserved Marriage 33 Nirvana of parents 36 First Edition: 2012 Previous life recalled 39 Communion with Narayana Yathi 46 Dead Girl Comes Alive 50 Copies: The Wicked Conquered;TheHonest And Upright Protected 54 Some Events 59 Gurupura, Mentor Town 65 The Coming of Lord Venkatesha 69 Published by Shiva Shastry and Bhakthi Explained 74 L.V. Subrahmanyam I.A.S. The Story of Rajarama 82 Executive Officer, Vishnuroopa Darshana 94 Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, Stone Turns gold and Poverty Eradicated 99 TIRUPATI-517507 Water Spring at Thadasanooru and Thimmappa Gosai 105 Mallappa The Munificent 108 Shirahatti and Around 114 Ghantarava Shastry( Bell sound Shastry) 121 Printed at An Introduction to Yajna 126 Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Press TIRUPATI Preamble to Yajna 130 Foreword Yajna Mahothsava 135 The Terminal Ritual 146 An ardent believer feels greatly secured in the hands of unseen Easy way to the other shore 149 divine Protector who is sometimes seen in human form of flesh and Navalagunda 155 blood. The story of Sri Shiva Chidambara Dikshitaru is one such God's Concise but no less 158 play in this mundane world. Sri Shiva Chidambara (18th Century) be- Lingavathara 163 longed to Murugodu of Karnataka state and became very popular by his devotion and miracles. The life-history of Guru Sri Shiva Chidambara Dikshitaru is beau- tifully narrated in such a captivating way that readers' attention is en- thralled while going through the traditional sacraments extold all along in this text. Putting his heart and soul in a prayerful mood Prof. Saligrama Subbaramaiah has transcribed this work resembling an ancient (Puranic) scripture. I trust that devotees interested in spiritual sadhana will be defi- nitely benefitted in going through this book of enormous value. Tirupati In the Service of the Lord 06 -12-2012 L.V. Subrahmanyam I.A.S. Executive Officer Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Chapter I Marthandadikshitharu- Tapodhana Unlike stories that go back in time, this one is well documented. Some three hundred years ago there lived a brahmin of the name of Thryambaka Bhatt in a village called Gote in the present District of Bijapur, Karnataka State. His wife was Krishnabai. He was a learned Brahmin and knew the Vedas and Vedantha, besides being very proficient in Jyothishya, the science of Astrology. He had four children and all of them had learnt from their father Jyothishya, calculation of the movements of planets and stars and how they affected the day to day lives of ordinary men and women. Marthanda Bhatt, the first of the four, was however a different person. He didn’t like his family profession of astrological calculations to determine and guide the affairs of men although he was as proficient as any in this trade. He was a Shivabhaktha a devotee of Shiva and was disinterested in the affairs of the world as Viraktha. He had succeeded in holding his body and mind under his control and never wavered from the path of service to parents. A worthy son is not a free person in his own family. He had no desire for money or its accumulation into wealth and property. Jyothishya was no long time profession for such a one. To eat and dine at others expense was a sin, he strongly held. But he had to face such situations almost every day. He felt his earning was tainted and his food was unwholesome. He feared that he was filling his basket of sin everyday. One day he left his home for Kashi, the holy place of river Ganga and Vishwnatha. It was also a well known centre of Vedic learning following the hollowed tradition of the Guruparmapara. True learning is that which is learnt under the tutelage of a Guru. He needed sanction and approval of the gods for his adventure. Bhatt went first to Devarahipparigi to worship his family deity, Marthandabhairava and 2 3 then to Pandhrapura where he offered his prayers. Now the road to The grateful disciples requested their Guru to tell them how they Kashi was clear to him, a pure soul whose anthahkaranas, inner should redeem themselves of the debt of gratitude they owe to their instruments, the different layers of his mind from the gross to the fine, Guru and what kind of Gurudakshina, is expected of them. The Guru were clean and spotless. is said to have observed: “Meritorious of my disciples, it is my good fortune to have disciples like you. I expect from you a recompense Bathing in the river Ganga and worshipping Vishweshwara every called Sadachara. I want you to give it to me. I want you to promise day, Bhatt prayed for a Guru. As in answer to his prayers or because that your life manifests sadachara. The four, happily promised that of the merits of his previous lives, or both, he soon came into contact they wouldn’t aspire for the other woman or covet others wealth and with a brilliant person, and erudite scholar in many shastras, called that they wouldn’t indulge in slur or abuse and would desist from Swamyamprakasha. He was a yathi, an ascetic, a renouncer, and of unnecessary or fruitless wrangling. many such attributes. He accepted Bhatt as his disciple and became his Guru. He taught his disciples, the Samhitha, Mimamsa, Nyaya, Swayamprakasha Yathi, permitted AnanthaShastry, Siddheshwar Vedantha and Jyothishya, besides other disciplines. There were many Mahararj and Govindabhatt, the three fellow disciples of Bhatt, to under his tutelage besides Bhatt. There were three others whom Bhat renounce the worldly life and accept the life of renunciation. had met on his way to Kashi. Marthandabhatt too wanted to be a sanyasi. Despite his desire, Bhatt was not permitted to renounce worldly life. He was specifically asked The Yathi after a long period of training and service thought of to become a grishastha, a married man and live his life for the good of testing his disciples and the depth of their devotion. He invited on himself the world and mankind. by the power of his penance, the horrible disease of leprosy. The ailment The Guru asked Marthandabhatt to do an Agnishtoma a yajna, took a foot hold on his body with each passing day. He became a nest sacrificial fire. The pundits of Kashi were immensely pleased with the of worm-ridden wounds and boils giving out puts, blood and offensive fervor and devotion of Bhatt in the doing of the yagna. In recognition of and intolerable smell. The Guru called in his disciples and said: “This is Bhatt’s scholarship, steadfast adherence to the path of Vedic life, a horrible disease. It has come because of my unsettled dues of my sadachara and brilliance, he was honoured and conferred the title of karma of previous birth I must suffer and endure it and I will. You may Dikshitha. Bhatt had become a Dikshitha. go out and save yourselves.” The disciples slowly walked out one after another with the passage of time. Only four, Bhatt and his three friends were left. Undaunted, without giving into disgust and impatience, Bhatt and his friends, rendered matchless service and nursing. Pleased with their resilience, The Guru once again invited on himself, the agents of recovery and good health, and became a normal person glowing with health and fitness. He called the four into his privacy and said: “I enacted this to test you; I am happy with your firm devotion and faith and I admire you.” He transferred to them the power of all his learning and wholeheartedly blessed them and permitted them to go home. 4 5 Chapter II too. He installed the idol, Swaprakasheshwara Linga, following the Shastric injunction. He then moved to Hipparigi, the holy place of Lord Arduous Penance Marthanda Bhairava. Here he returned to doing Gayathrimanthra japa Marthanda Dikshitharu, the renowned scholar of Kashi returned ceaselessly in repeated cycles. How long he stayed here we do not to his native village Gote unannounced as he had left it some twenty know. But one day Lord Marthanda Bhairava, came in his dream and years ago. The family was happy to receive him and the honour he had said: brought to them. “Devotee supreme, I am pleased with your devotion and the Dikshitharu wanted to share all his knowledge and learning and austere life you have led. I know what desire has led you to this act. Do his way of life with his fellow men. Giving away the ancestral land and property to his youngest borther he planned to open a school for Vedic not worry about your progeny. Down south from here, is a well known learning. He opened one on the beautiful banks of the river Malapahari, place called Chidambara Kshethra. With its Panchasabhas, and near Munivalli. He did a Somayagna, in which his expertise was Akashalinga, the holy place is renowned as Gaythri grama. Many acknowledged. He received an invitation to start a similar institution seers and sages like Upamanyu, and Kanva, have attained their desired and establish a tradition of learning and research in Murugodu. Unable boons, successfully completing their penance.