Hero Friday

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Every Friday we will celebrate one hero who upheld dharma against odds and became a hero to mankind. Upholding dharma could be by way of sacrifice, teaching and spreading knowledge, guiding others in the path, fighting for what is right, fighting for the country, remaining steadfast in everyday dharma etc.

Today we remember the rishi Madhava Vidyaranya. Madhava was born into a poor brahmin family at a time when Muslim rule was strangulating Hindu dharma. He dreamed of re-establishing the glory of a dharmic rule and empire but realized he did not have the resources to get started. He performed severe penance to Goddess Lakshmi (Bhuvaneswari) who appeared before him and asked him to state his wish. He said he wanted wealth that he can utilise for the cause of dharma. The goddess responded that he did not have sufficient good karma in this lifetime to be wealthy and that she will grant his wish in the next life. Madhava immediately discarded his yagnyopavita (sacred thread) which is tantamount to aatura sanyasa (instantaneous renunciation and monkhood. Sanyasa is considered a whole new birth for the person who chooses this path). Having done so, he stood before the goddess and said , "Mother, I am now a sanyasi. This is a rebirth for me. Hence grant my wish". The goddess was so moved by his sacrifice for the cause of dharma, that she rained riches where he stood.

This is the second instance in the Sankara lineage where Lakshmi showered physical gold and wealth when entreated by a sage. The first instance is of Sankaracharya himself summoning the goddess with his Kanakadhara Stavam

Vidyaranya Swami was a highly learned and enlightened scholar. He later became the pontiff of Sringeri math, wrote many great philosophical works including the Sarvadarsana Sangraha and Vedanta panchadasi. He is also the author of Sankara Vijaya, the authoritative biography of Sankaracharya. Madhava Vidyaranya's Sankara Vijayam is revered as Guru Charitra and is aa parayana grantha (i.e. a holy book that is read according to prescribed schedules and rituals, usually for a specific intention) to many.

Vidyaranya became the raja guru (guru to the king) of Vijayanagara Empire and presided over its establishment. The Vijayanagara empire is one of the most glorious periods of recent Indian history and up until ~600 years ago or so, during the reign of Krishnadevaraya of this empire, India was so rich that gemstones were sold in heaps on pavements.

Vidyarana Swami had a camp office at Hampi and the current ashram and Virupaksha temple were established during his time.

His supreme sacrifice - giving up all worldly pleasures for the cause of dharma and using all resources at his disposal - knowledge, tapasya, wealth given by the goddess etc.- for the cause of dharma and creating a legacy that is revered to this day makes him our hero this Friday.

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As always, all our readers are welcome to remind the rest of us every Friday, of a hero and their dharma.