[Advaita-l] Raja Mudra

[Venkata sriram P]

Dear Sunil,
 
//
Why don't you tell us more about the details of observing the "rAja mudrA" 
of srImukha patra of the amnaya pitha ?
//
 
The raja mudra of all the 4 amnaya mutts is "hamsa".  Though there are
several explanations to this mudra that depict the paramahamsa tattva of
muttadhipatis and their viveka & vairagya tattvas in analogous to the
neera-kshira nyaya of hamsa, it is not an ordinary logo / emblem that
people generally think.  
 
The 4 amnayas represent 4 vedas, 4 mahavakyas of veda, 4 adhyayas of
Brahma Sutra.  It is also interesting to note that for Brahmasutra, 
there is also a short treatise by Sankara called "chatusutri" which
is a short commentary on 4 Sutras of BS.
 
Keeping in view of the above 4 aspects, Sankara established 4 mutts at 
Sringeri, Puri, Badarinath & Dwaraka. 
 
The rAjamudra of amnaya pitha is the symbolic representation of "apara-brahma"
in the form of praNava and also the form of Brahma Sutra.  
 
Nilakanta Dikshitar extols Divine Mother as 
"chatur-adhyAyi rUpaM apara-brahma-mayaM kalahaMsa-vyanjanaM".  
 
The "kala-hamsa" is of the form of chatur-adhyAyi rUpa (4 adhyayas of
brahmasutra) & apara-brahma-mayaM (praNava rUpa) that reiterates the 
sutra "anAvritti sabdAt".
 
Keeping the above upAsana rahasya, the rAja mudra of Sringeri, Puri, Badari &
Dwaraka are designed in the form of "kala-hamsa".  
 
So, we can't image a 5th veda, 5th mahAvAkya, 5th adhyAya of Brahma Sutra. 
 
BTW, in Vyasa Puja Paddhati, a maNDala is drawn by Yatis of Dasanami Sampradaya
during Chaturmasya and Bhagavan Krishna Dvaipayana is worshipped at the centre.
 
In the maNDala, krishna panchaka, vyAsa panchaka, sankara panchaka, dravida panchaka & guru panchaka are worshipped.  
 
There is no mention of sarvajnAtma (the 1st head of Kanchi Mutt as per their records
in Sankara Panchaka of Vyasa Mandala during Chaturmasya Vrata. 
 
A lot more discrepencies are found and as per the valid pramANAs, Kanchi is
not a pitha.  However, Kumbakonam Mutt was the upapitha of Sringeri and they
acted as per the directions of Sringeri Acharyas.  But due to some internal 
conflicts, this upapitha declared independant and drafted it's own Anusasana. 
 
The traditional priets of Kamakoti Pitha ie., who perform the Navavarana Archana
in the Kamakshi Temple have reservations against this sampradaya even though
they respect Paramacharya.  
 
I don't want to delve too deep into the controversies now as i have lost interest
in vAda & prativAda.   Currently my only passion involved is study of 
Ramayana seriously.
 
regs,
Sriram