Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra mahadesikaya nama:

Avanti Swami
Sri Ramanuja stood before the Deity, enraptured by its incredible beauty. His eyes
despaired of ever imbibing in full the exquisitely gorgeous and immensely life-like
idol of Lord Avanti Swami. To add to the enjoyment, the Lord had not merely one
but four lovely faceswhile the one to the right was magnificently leonine, the
left one was of the Divine Boar, Varaha Murthy. The Lords countenance facing
the Prince of Ascetics was that of Para Vasudeva, as He is to be found at His
eternal abode Sri Vaikunttam.
Unused to such confluence of exquisite divine forms in his own native land, Sri
Ramanuja wondered how he could even begin to describe the splendour of
Avanti Swami to his disciples back home at distant Srirangam. To suit its
inimitable inhabitant, the sanctum sanctorum was huge in dimensions, of
measurements not to be found elsewhere in the entire Bharata Desam which he
had traversed in his search for the Bodhayana Vrittti. The four faces of the Lord
brought to Sri Ramanujas mind the names from the divine thousand, (the Vishnu
Sahasranamam)-- Chatur Murthi: and Chatur Vyuha:. Despite the lapse of long
hours, Sri Ramanuja could not have his fill of the magnificent Lord and continued
to stand and stare, oblivious of the passage of time or the need for him to be on
his way. The four sub-shrines at the four corners outside the sanctum housed
equally enthralling images of Sankarshana, Aniruddha, Pradyumna and Vasudeva,
each challenging the others in terms of exquisiteness, grace and boundless
beauty. There was a sannidhi even for Sri Ranganatha, resplendently reclining on
His snake bed, making Ramanuja feel almost at home, despite being thousands of
miles away from Srirangam.
The outer corridor too boasted of 69 cells dedicated to various deities and demi-
gods forming the parivaara devataas or acolytes of the Lord. The central tower
over the sanctum sanctorum was high and mighty, denoting the magnificence of
the distinguished occupant. There were several beautiful and high-domed
mandapas as one entered the temple, with a grand and tall spire at the entrance.
Right in front of the Lord was a huge Garuda Stambha, with the Divine Carrier
ensconced on a tall pillar, with his hands folded in devotion and his wings half
spread-out, ready to take off at a moments notice on whatever rescue mission
the Lord might want to embark on to save souls in distress.
With the setting Suns rays indicating the lateness of the hour, Sri Ramanuja took
leave of the Deity with distinct reluctance. On the northern side of the outer
corridor, the Yatiraja bowed his head in reverence before the statue of the devout
sovereign Avanti Varma, who had constructed the magnificent edifice in honour
of his Lord. Each pillar of the temple had been chosen by the Emperor personally
and each image carved on them supervised by him with loving care. The Emperor
had begun every day of his life bowing before the Avanti Swami, seeking strength
and inspiration in the conduct of the kingdoms affairs and at the end of the day,
the Emperor returned to the Lord, thanking Him for having enabled the rightful
discharge of royal duties on that day. Though it was not uncommon for rulers to
put up edifices for housing their favourite deities, the scale of conception and
grandeur of execution of this particular divine abode took Ramanujas breath
away and he paid a silent but soulful tribute to the sovereign, for whom the
construction of the temple represented a labour of love.
Reluctantly emerging from the impressive and sprawling temple complex, Sri
Ramanuja performed evening Snaanam and Sandhyavandanam at the Vitastha
River flowing wide and deep right opposite the temple. He wondered at the
Lords propensity to choose riverbanks as His favourite hauntsAatrankarai
kidakkum Kannan mused he, recalling Azhwars tribute. Sharing his indelible
impressions of the temple with his devoted disciple Kurattazhwan, Sri Ramanuja
walked slowly away with quite a few backward glances, till the temple tower
disappeared from his field of vision.
By now, readers must be racking their brains as to the location of this temple. I
hear you remark spiritedly-We have heard of and even visited almost all the
lands sanctified by Sri Ramanujas holy footfalls, but are yet to hear of the Avanti
Swami temple. Are you sure you are not hallucinating or astride again on your
hobby horse which leads you often to imaginary lands? The river Vitastha (or its
modern name Jhelum) might have given a clue to a few readers, but the others
would still be cursing me for keeping them in the dark.
To relieve you of the suspense, the temple described above is located at
Avantipura, which is around 35 km from Srinagar, in the Anantanag District of
Jammu and Kashmir. The once-glorious temple, constructed by Maharaja Avanti
Varman of the Utpala Dynasty in the 9
th
century, now lies in ruins, the victim of
alien marauders and of the ravages of time, though several sculptures are
remarkably well-preserved and tell a tale of past glory. I was in Srinagar recently
on official duty (you have no idea to which nook or corner of the country the call
of duty may take a bank officer) and utilized the opportunity to go to Avantipura,
though I was stoutly discouraged by my colleagues, especially in view of the broad
Thiruman and Srichurnam on my forehead and the dim view Kashmiri terrorists
may take of the same. (Only six months back there was an encounter at
Avantipura between ultras and the armed forces, resulting in quite a few
casualties) However, with my usual foolhardiness, I did go to the temple (that too
using public transport) and I am extremely glad that I did.
When I stood in the temple environs, surrounded by intricately carved colonnades
and sculptures of breath-taking beauty, I could well imagine the premises
reverberating with devotional music centuries earlier, with danseuses depicting
the various pastimes of the Lord in the Krishnavatara. The entire temple came
alive in my imagination and I was able to visualize the vast throng of devotees
from various corners of Bharata Desam, all unified in their single-minded quest
for an uplifting darshan of Avanti Swami. My ears could detect the strains from
the distant past of the Saaraswata rescension of the Shruti, for which Kashmir was
famous. The Sahasranama Archana, with each individual sobriquet in the Vishnu
Sahasranamam pronounced with admirable clarity by the officiating priests,
resounded in my ears. The ceremonial procession of the Avanti Swami, with huge
groups of devotees ahead and behind, enjoying the enthralling sight of the Lord,
appeared in my minds eye. There was too the usual crowd of small vendors
hawking anything and everything, that is an indispensable component of temple
festivals. If the ruins I was witnessing could generate such fervour in such a
prosaic person as my humble self, I could well visualize Sri Ramanujas
enthrallment with Avanti Swami when He presented a glorious and unblemished
countenance to the Yatiraja.
It is similarly quite possible too that Sri Ramanuja paid tribute to the Lord at the
four temples at Parihaspura, which are located not too far away, all built with love
and devotion by the great Kashmiri Emperor Lalitaaditya in the 8
th
century. Here,
there was a glorious temple to Govardhanadhara, the Lord who lifted up a
mountain at Gokulam and bore it on His little finger, for protecting Yadavas and
their cattle from calamitous rain and sleet for seven long days. The Lords idol at
the other temple of Parihaasa Kesava here, sporting a broad and bewitching
smile, was of pure silver (which was, alas, plundered and broken up centuries
later by Emperor Harsha with his leanings towards alien faiths). Another
magnificent temple here was dedicated to Mukta Kesava, with the Deity being
cast in pure gold. A fourth temple housed the giant boar Maha Varaha, adorned
with golden armour. All these temples too now lie in ruins, having been the target
of Buddhists, later of moslem invaders and in recent times, of contractors who
used many of the sturdy stones from the temple walls for laying roads! The
confluence of two great rivers, the Vitastha and the great Sindhu was at
Parihaspura, which served as capital during the times of Lalitaaditya.
I hear you object againAll this is very well and it may be a historical fact that
the Avanti Swami temple did exist: however, do you have any proof that Sri
Ramanuja visited the Avanti Swami temple? After all, our elders have chronicled
the life of Sri Bhashyakara minutely and recorded his visits to the various shrines.
There is in fact a well-known couplet which indicates that he visited Srirangam,
Kaanchi, Thirumala, Ahobilam, Simhachalam, Sri Kurmam, Puri Jagannatha
Kshetram, Badarikashramam, Naimisaaranyam, Dwaraka, Prayag, Mathura,
Ayodhya, Gaya, Pushkaram and Saalagraamam
Srirangam Karisailam Anjanagirim Taarkshyaadri Simhaachalou
Sri Kurmam Purushottamam cha Badaree Narayanam Naimisam
Srimad Dwaravatee Prayaaga Mathura Ayodhya Gaya: Pushkaram
Saalagraama girim nishevya ramate Ramanujoyam Muni:
Do you find Avantipura or for that matter Kashmir anywhere in the aforesaid list?
So dont try to fabricate history!
All of this is indeed true. However, the same history of Sri Ramanuja (as recorded
in the Guruparampara anecdotes) tells us of the arduous journey he undertook to
the Sharada Peetham in Kashmir in search of the Bodhayana Vritti, which formed
the firm foundation on which he built his beautiful citadel of Sri Bhashyam, with
the aid of his adorable acolyte Koorattazhwan. And the Avanti Swami temple at
Avantipura, which was then the capital of the Kashmir kingdom (prior to its being
shifted to Srinagar), must have been a flourishing centre at the time of Sri
Ramanujas visit to Kashmir. The Prince of Ascetics would never have missed an
opportunity to pay obeisance at the most famous Vishnu temple in the entire
Kashmir. It is hence quite probable that Sri Ramanuja did visit the Avanti Swami
temple and did feast his eyes on the magnificent Moorthi. If you demand
historical proof by way of inscriptions or such-like in this regard, I may not be able
to furnish it, but I would point out that such proof is equally unavailable in respect
of many of the kshetras listed in the aforesaid couplet.
Arguments apart, when you see what a difficult journey a visit to J & K entails
even today, our hearts go out to the Bhashyakara, who undertook the same when
transport facilities were unheard of, the only mode of locomotion was by foot,
over huge mountains and deep vales, virgin and dense forests filled with
predators and involving the crossing of deep rivers filled with alligators. What a
degree of commitment to the Vaishnavite cause and dogged determination in
discovering a trail-blazing path to Paradise must have prompted the ascetic to
pursue this dangerous journey despite the daunting odds! We are told by
historians that Sri Ramanujas visit to Kashmir took place when he was in his
forties. And he had for company only the indefatigable Koorattazhwan, on his visit
to Sharada Peetam.
Dear Readers, you have so far heard only half the story, that up to Avantipura.
Sharada Peetam is an entirely different and difficult cup of tea, as far as the
hazardous nature of the journey is concerned. Sharada Peetam too (predictably)
now lies in ruins, but there is ample evidence of the place having been an
acclaimed centre of academic pursuits, with a huge library housing a vast
collection of books on a plethora of subjects. The very fact that the Bodhayana
Vritti was not available anywhere else in the Bharata Desam (renowned for its
centres of learning like Kaanchi, Nalanda, Taxila, etc.) speaks volumes about the
congregation of scholars and the collection of rare tomes of religious and
philosophical importance that Sharada Peetam boasted of. The presiding deity at
this centre (and of the whole of Kashmir) was Saraswati or Sharada and the entire
Kashmir was once known as Sharada Desam. Even the indigenous script was
named after her as Sharada.
Sharada Peetam was a university of renown, established during the reign of
Emperor Kanishka I. Scholars and devotees from afar congregated there for
learning, for broadening their perceptions through an exchange of ideas with
other scholars of different persuasions and for acquiring proficiency in Darshana
Shastras. We learn that it was not strange for students from far flung parts of the
country to come to Kashmir in search of rare books and enlightenment. For
instance, the famous Jain grammarian Hemachandra (author of
SiddhaHemachandra), while composing a new work on Vyaakarana Shastra,
sourced material on the subject from earlier works on grammar, available only at
the Sharada Peetam. The Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang appears to have stayed at
this place circa 623 AD and commented about the flourishing centre of learning.
Thus it was not all that strange that Sri Ramanuja should have travelled from the
southern-most tip of the country to its northern-most, in his quest for the
Bodhayana Vritti.
When Sri Ramanuja reached this place, he found it teeming with scholars of
various persuasions. When he was wondering as to how to access the Sarasvathi
Bhandaaram (library) Devi Sarasvati Herself appeared before him and asked him
to explain the true purport of the Upanishad dictum tasya yathaa kapyaasam
pundareekam evamakshinee. Sri Ramanuja submitted that the Paramatmas eyes
resembled a beautiful lotus made to bloom by the sun. Gladdened at this
interpretation which was infinitely better than the one (Sankaras) comparing the
Paramapurushas eyes to the backside of a monkey, Sarasavati Devi expressed
Her appreciation for Ramanujas scholarship and gifted him a beautiful icon of Sri
Hayagriva, which the Prince of Ascetics accepted with reverence and gratitude. (It
is this beautiful idol which adorns the Parakala Matam even today). She also
bestowed the sobriquet Sri Bhashyakara on Ramanuja and bade him Godspeed in
his endeavours. Despite the benediction from Sarasvati Devi Herself, the people in
charge of the library refused to permit Sri Ramanuja to take away the Bodhayana
Vritti, insisting that he peruse it there itself. However, with the gifted
Koorattazhwan by his side, capable of memorizing entire volumes, Sri Ramanuja
did not have to worry. Having committed the entire Vritthi to memory, Sri
Azhwan wrote out the Vritthi Grantham, enabling his Acharya to compose his
magnum opus, Sri Bhashyam. Guruparampara accounts have it that the local
scholars, enraged at the special favours bestowed on Ramanuja by Sarasvati Devi,
conspired to kill him: however, their plans boomeranged and they became raving
mad. The Emperor of Kashmir, impressed by Sri Ramanujas scholarship and
sterling qualities, became a disciple and prayed to the Acharya to forgive the
Pundits. Sri Ramanuja took pity on the scholars and restored their sanity. Having
successfully concluded his visit to Sharada Peetam, Sri Ramanuja made his way
homeward, visiting other shrines of the Lord en route.
It is this Sharada Peetam, this magnificent centre of learning, thronged for
centuries by scholars of all hues, which now lies in ruins. When the entire Kashmir
came under the rule of Turushkas in the 14
th
century, almost all the Hindu
temples and religious places there were sacked, destroyed and plundered and
Sharada Peetham was no exception. The whole area which resounded constantly
with the majestic cadences of the Shruthi, scriptural discourses and the spirited
verbal exchanges among debaters, is now ominously silent, the only sound being
that of the River Kishen (Krishna) Ganga flowing down below, on whose banks it is
located. Nearby is the confluence of three sacred riversthe Krishna Ganga,
Sarasvati and Madhumatiknown as the Sharada Sangam. Situated at a height of
11000 feet above sea-level and around 120 km from Srinagar, the village Sharadi
now lies in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and is as such out of bounds for us.
The ancient temples at Avantipura, Parihaspura, Srinagar and place names in
Kashmir like Anantnag, Seshnag, etc. (referring to Adisesha), all give a lie to the
popular belief that Kashmir, even during the hay days of Hindu culture and prior
to its coming under moslem influence in the 14
th
century, was essentially a hub of
Saivism. Even granting that there were no divyadesams in Kashmir sanctified by
the nectarine outpourings of Azhwars, Sri Ramanuja must definitely have
worshipped at one or more of the magnificent shrines of Maha Vishnu which
flourished in Kashmir during his times and to which the present day ruins bear sad
but ample testimony.
It is hence my earnest request to Sri Vaishnavas visiting Kashmir as tourists, to
include Avantipura, Parihaspura and other ancient shrines in their itinerary and
experience for themselves the thrill of standing at the same spots at which Sri
Ramanuja stood in all probability, a thousand years back. If you are properly
attuned to the romance of history, you can definitely feel the lilting intonations
from the past fill your ears with a pleasant tingling and a thrilling tremor pass like
lightning through your entire being when you imagine the great pomp and
splendour these temples must have stood amidst and the great festivals that
must have been celebrated on the very grounds you are standing on. The snowy
slopes of Gulmarg or Pahalgam with their skiing/skating sports and their
breathtaking views would probably afford you less of a pleasure than a tryst with
these remnants of glorious history. The sculptures that have withstood the
ravages of man and time bear ample testimony to the beauty and magnificence of
those that have been destroyed. And who knows, if enough people visit these
shrines and if the Lord wills it, there might even be a popular movement for
reconstruction of these temples and their restoration to their former pristine
glory! When the recital of the nectarine outpourings of Azhwaars has often
resounded from the Himalayan ranges whenever Sri Vaishnavas visit
Badarikashramam, it should be our dream to have the recital of the very same
Divya Prabandam reverberate from the hilly environs of Avantipura too!
Srimate Srivan Satakopa Sri Ranganatha Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama: