The Fifth Delight
Shri Raghavendra Gurusarvabhauma
78. The Majestic Procession of the Bhatta Sangraha
At noon, Shri Raghavendra Swami ascended the presidential seat and cast his glance over the assembly of scholars. There was a certain eagerness in the atmosphere, which did not escape the omniscient Guru’s notice. Understanding the reason behind this excitement, he smiled knowingly.
Among the great scholars of the time, Neelakantha Dikshita, a renowned exponent of all scriptures, was deeply attached to the Bhatta school of Purva Mimamsa. He had numerous disciples and had planned the day’s debate well in advance.
As part of this plan, one of his foremost disciples initiated a scholarly debate, presenting arguments from the Bhatta school of Mimamsa. In response, the senior Madhva scholar Ramachandracharya swiftly countered and refuted the arguments.
After an initial exchange of arguments and rebuttals, Neelakantha Dikshita himself entered the debate, demonstrating his exceptional intellect and reinforcing his Purvapaksha (oppositional stance). He then turned to Shri Raghavendra Swami and addressed him with great reverence:
"O great Swami! So far, we have had the privilege of witnessing the debates of your disciples and scholars of your Matha, and we have been delighted by their erudition. However, we have yet to hear the nectar-like words of wisdom directly from you. I earnestly request you to fulfill this desire of ours today."
Recognizing Dikshita’s clever strategy in posing this challenge, Shri Raghavendra Swami nodded with appreciation and responded with a smile:
"Dikshita, it is our duty to honor the requests of distinguished scholars such as yourself. Let it be so."
Neelakantha Dikshita, joining his hands in respect, added humbly:
"Swami, we do not mean to challenge you to a debate, but we have longed to listen to your divine wisdom."
With a gentle laugh, Shri Raghavendra Swami replied:
"Dikshita, even if you had invited me for a debate, there would have been no harm in that! In fact, we have been anticipating your invitation for the past three days. Now that you have extended it, we are pleased. We shall now respond to your Purvapaksha."
With unparalleled erudition, Shri Raghavendra Swami methodically analyzed and refuted Dikshita’s arguments, providing precise and authoritative answers to every doubt and objection raised. At that moment, he shone with the radiance of Goddess Saraswati herself, captivating the audience with his wisdom.
The sheer brilliance of his intellect left the entire assembly spellbound.
As Shri Raghavendra Swami continued his discourse, Dikshita realized the extraordinary depth of the Guru’s knowledge in Bhatta Mimamsa. The Guru’s flawless reasoning and scriptural references resolved every doubt raised by the scholars.
Finally, Dikshita, overcome with joy and admiration, rose from his seat and exclaimed:
"Sādhu! Sādhu! (Excellent! Excellent!)"
The entire gathering erupted in applause, expressing their admiration through loud cheers and gestures of reverence.
Recognizing this rare moment of divine scholarship, Dikshita now presented a challenge of an even higher order. He posed several intricate and unresolved questions from Bhatta Mimamsa, saying:
"These complex aspects of Mimamsa have remained unresolved for even the greatest scholars. I, too, have struggled with them for years. Swami, please resolve these for me!"
With a gracious smile, Shri Raghavendra Swami answered each question effortlessly, providing unparalleled clarity. What had seemed insurmountable to others now appeared simple and self-evident through his wisdom.
He then asked:
"Dikshita, are you now satisfied?"
Overwhelmed with reverence and amazement, Neelakantha Dikshita could hardly believe his ears. His long-standing scholarly dilemmas had been dispelled as if they were mere trivialities!
He immediately stood up, tied his upper garment around his waist as a mark of humility, and prostrated before Shri Raghavendra Swami three times.
"Swami, I am blessed beyond words! Truly, you are an Abhinava Bhatta (a reincarnation of the great Kumarila Bhatta)! Meeting a scholar of your caliber is my greatest fortune. You have deepened my understanding of the Bhatta school and resolved doubts that I had carried for years. I bow to you in gratitude!"
Witnessing this extraordinary moment, King Tirumala Nayaka and all the assembled scholars burst into joyous exclamations, chanting:
"Victory to Shri Raghavendra Guru Sarvabhouma!"
Lakshminarasimhacharya then took the stage and addressed the assembly:
*"Our revered Neelakantha Dikshita, being a great scholar himself, has wholeheartedly praised the unparalleled intellect of Shri Guru Raghavendra Swami. Today, we have all witnessed his extraordinary expertise in Mimamsa, especially in the Bhatta school.
However, what many may not know is that our Guru has composed a remarkable treatise on Bhatta Mimamsa, titled 'Bhatta Sangraha', which is truly one of a kind!
I now present this monumental text to Dikshita for his review and opinion."*
Upon receiving the Bhatta Sangraha, Dikshita was astounded.
"What! Has Swami himself composed this extraordinary text? This is a historic moment—he has bestowed great honor upon our Bhatta school by writing this grantha! This is a matter of unparalleled joy!"
In honor of this historic contribution, King Tirumala Nayaka made a grand proclamation:
"Just as the great Vidyaranya once honored Shri Jayatirtha’s works by carrying them in a grand procession atop an elephant, we too shall honor this Bhatta Sangraha with the highest royal recognition!"
Thus, it was decided that the Bhatta Sangraha would be placed upon a golden throne and paraded atop a majestic elephant throughout the city.
On the day of the grand procession, the entire royal city of Madurai gathered to witness the celebration.
The decorated elephant, bearing the golden seat upon which the Bhatta Sangraha was placed, led the grand parade.
King Tirumala Nayaka and Neelakantha Dikshita stood on either side, waving ceremonial fans (Chamaras) as a mark of reverence.
The royal artillery fired twenty-one salutes.
The scholars chanted Vedic hymns, and the streets resonated with auspicious music.
Thousands of devotees showered flowers upon the procession, which wound its way through every major street of Madurai, with victory chants resounding through the air.
For two hours, the grand elephant-led procession carried the Bhatta Sangraha through the city, finally reaching the Saraswati Mandira, where it was formally enshrined.
This unprecedented honor evoked memories of the time when Vidyaranya had honored Shri Jayatirtha’s works in a similar manner.
Thus, in the history of Dvaita philosophy, there had been two grand processions of great texts:
1. The procession of Jayatirtha’s works under Vidyaranya’s patronage
2. The historic parade of Shri Raghavendra Swami’s Bhatta Sangraha in Madurai
The assembly roared with joy at this declaration.
That evening, Shri Raghavendra Swami honored Tirumala Nayaka and Neelakantha Dikshita, bestowing them with sacred gifts, titles, and blessings.
The next day, after offering prayers at the temple of Meenakshi-Sundareswara, he dedicated all the honors he had received to Shri Moola Rama before setting out for Shri Rangakshetra.