The Fifth Delight
Shri Raghavendra Gurusarvabhauma
121. The Significance of the Brindavana Stone!
After completing his successful journey, Śrī Rāghavendra Swamiji, having decided to show mercy and return to Mantralaya, was received and welcomed by Diwan Venkanna Pant upon hearing of his arrival.
That day, after the rituals such as the worship of the deity and the acceptance of bhiksha (alms), Venkanna Pant submitted a report regarding the responsibilities entrusted to him by the Guru. He declared that he had constructed houses for the temple of Śrī Venkateshwara, the deity’s idol, for the close associates of the Maṭha, for scholars, and for the accompanying entourage, and showed everything to the Guru. Śrīpāda (the revered one) saw this and was filled with satisfaction and contentment.
The next day, Venkanna Pant took Śrīyavaru (the revered Guru) near the yajña vedike (sacrificial altar) and showed him the sanctum and Brindavanas that had been constructed according to the Guru’s instructions. The sanctum was agreeable to the Guru's heart. Upon seeing the beautiful Brindavana constructed by Venkanna Pant, the Guru Raja smiled and said, “Venkanna, the Brindavana is beautiful! But it is not useful for us!”
Venkanna, with folded hands, asked, “Why, Gurudeva? Is the Brindavana not good?”
The Guru replied, “The Brindavana is indeed very beautiful. But it is not for us. The one worthy of this Brindavana will come in the future! Let this be reserved for him! Construct a different Brindavana for us,” he commanded.
Venkanna Pant asked, “Swami, on which stone should it be made?”
The Guru replied, “We will show the madhyāhna śilā - ಮಧ್ಯಾನ್ನಶಿಲೆ (midday stone).”
That afternoon, after the rituals of deity worship, tīrtha prasāda, and bhiksha were completed, Śrīyavaru sat in the palanquin and departed. Reaching the area near the stream that now bears the name Mahādvāra in the village, he graciously descended from the palanquin and walked on foot to a nearby field. Pant too got down from his horse and followed the Guru.
Guru Raja came to a spot among several rocks in that field and pointed to a certain black stone and said, “Venkanna, have our Brindavana prepared from this stone.”
Listening to the words of the Supreme Guru, Venkanna Pant was filled with curiosity. With humility, he submitted, “Mahaswami! Every step and word of yours fills me with wonder! Please forgive me for asking, but why have you chosen this stone in particular? This rough stone—what greatness lies hidden in it?”
Śrī Rāya, with a smiling face, replied,
“Venkanna, this is not an ordinary stone, my dear. I had already told you that during the Treta Yuga, Śrī Rāma and Lakshmaṇa sanctified this land with the dust of their feet. Śrī Rāmachandra Deva once rested on this very stone for a duration of seven muhurtas! This stone is sanctified by the touch of the feet of Śrī Rāmabhadra. Therefore, this Brindavana, for this servant of Moola Rāma, must be prepared from this very stone!
Venkanna, this is as sacred and worthy of worship as a Shāligrāma!,” he explained.
Each and every word of Śrī Guru Rāja stirred waves of emotion and devotion within Venkanna Pant! His hair stood on end. On one hand, there was awe and bliss; on the other, sorrow that he would be deprived of serving this supremely auspicious being for long. Overcome with emotion, with a choked voice, filled with devotion, Venkanna Pant placed his head on the Guru’s feet and said:
“Gurudeva! Your movements, speech, form, radiance, your vast knowledge, devotion to Śrī Hari, renunciation, brilliance, and your speech that reveals past, present, and future—all that I see and hear from you, and all the nectar of your teachings that I have imbibed, makes me feel as though none other than the great devotee Śrī Prahlāda Rāja himself has descended to earth in your form!
O Great Soul, we are indeed blessed to have such a purifier of the world as our Guru! Swami, how fortunate I am to be a recipient of your grace and affection! O revered one, I bow to you—I have wholeheartedly accepted your command,” he submitted.
Śrī Guru Sārvabhauma beamed a gentle smile at Venkanna Pant and returned with him to Mantralaya.
Five days after this event, at an auspicious time, amid resounding chants of the Vedas and the grandeur of instrumental music, Śrī Guru Rāja, following all Vedic rites, consecrated his family deity Śrī Venkateshwara in the newly constructed temple with his nectar-filled hands and celebrated a grand festival.
After the consecration of Śrī Venkateshwara, Śrī Rāya began to reside in that very temple. The close associates, scholars, and members of the entourage, after a celebratory gṛhapraveśa (housewarming) ceremony, all began to reside in the houses granted to them by Śrīyavaru, and with full dedication, continued their service to Śrī Rāya.
After a few days, Śrī Rāya, accompanied by a small retinue, graciously proceeded to the village of Gaṇadhaḷ - ಗಣಧಾಳ್, located a short distance across the bank of the Tungabhadra River—a place renowned as a spiritually awakened site.
At Gaṇadhaḷ, in the divine presence of Pañchamukhi Śrī Prāṇadeva (the five-faced Hanuman), who manifests and rules there of his own will (svayaṃvaktā), Śrīpādāṅgalavaru (the revered one) engaged in the worship and veneration of Śrī Mūla Rāma and served Śrī Prāṇadeva for a full maṇḍala kāla (forty days of spiritual observance), practicing intense penance there.
During this time, he attained the complete grace of Śrī Prāṇadeva and received Śrī Vāyu Deva’s consent and blessings for his sacred resolve (saṅkalpa). With this, he turned his mind once again towards Mantralaya.