[Advaita-l] manyu-sUktaM - as per dvaita siddhAnta

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste,

Currently, I am studying different commentaries on r^g vEdiya "manyu-sUkta" as this sUkta happens to occupy a special position in my anuSTAna.   sAyaNa commented on this from a different perspective whereas the dvaitAchArya shrI. Ananda tIrtha perceived this sUkta from another angle. shrI madhvAchArya says that every vedic hymn have three (3) meanings ('trayarthAnAM shrutiSu).  And says that comprehending these different meanings of vedas is beyond the capability of ordinary humans and it is therefore essential that to understand these, one must study the commentaries given by traditional acharyas. 

In dvaita-siddhAnta, two great scholars wrote commentaries on this manyu-sUkta viz., shrI madhvAchArya (Ananda tIrtha) and shrI. dhIrEndra tIrtha. shrI.dhIrEndra tIrtha, happens to be the 8th muttAdhipathi of rAghavEndra mutt of mantrAlayaM and succeeded shrI.varadEndra tIrtha.  shrI.dhIrEndra tIrtha, in His pUrvAshrama, was shrI.jayarAmAchArya who was a great scholar of tarka,vyAkaraNa and vEdAnta.

Now, coming to the concept of "manyu-sUkta", as mentioned above, shrI.madhvAchArya "envisions" ugra-nrisimha as the adhiSTAna-tattva of manyu.  His Holiness says that this was first envisioned by the mighty bhimasena while killing the DussAsana in mahAbhArata war.

shrI.Ananda tIrtha says:

smarannrisimhaM bhagavantaM IshwaraM sa-manyusUktaM cha dadarsha bhaktyA
yastE manyO ityatO nArasimhaM sOmaM tasmai chArpayaccchONitAkhyaM

After killing Dussasana, the mighty Bhima, remembered shrI.nrisimha and praised Him by reciting the "manyu-sUkta" and offered the blood of Dussasana as the sOma-rasa to nrisimha in that yajnA of war.

Based on this idea of "nrisimha-swarUpa" in manyu-sUkta, shrI.dhirEndra tIrtha AchArya of rAghavEndra mutt, wrote a wonderful commentary on manyu-sUkta keeping in mind shrI.nrisimha as the adhiSTAna dEvata for the word "manyu".

As the common meaning holds that "manyu" is anger ie., rudra, shrI dhIrEndra tIrtha interprets manyu as nrisimha who is the internal controller of rudra (manyu) and says that etymologically, the word "manyu" has it's root as "manu-avabOdhanE" ie., the Knowledge / Embodiment of Knowledge.  

Here, shrI.dhIrEndra swamiji beautifully puts as:

manu avabOdhana ityataH yajimanishundhidashijanibhyO yujiti yucch pratyayE "manyu" riti siddhyati

So, shrI.nrisimha is being praised as the controller (presides over) of rudra (in the form of manyu) and also bestower of Knowledge (the jnAna). He is the embodiment of Knowledge (saha-svatA), possessor of wealth (bhAmaH prachEtaH), commander of Sense Organs (indraH). He holds all the weapons (avighadvajra-sAyaka) and destroys both internal & external enemies. Narasimha is appealed to destroy all the evil-doers (vijahi shatrUn) and is requested to give strength & will-power to fight our enemies (asmAsu asmat sambandhiSu pr^tanAsu sEnAsu OjaH dhEhi / naH vimr^dhaH nudasva //).

After destruction of enemies, there emerges a joy of triumph (dyumantaM ghOSaM). Finally, the devotee prays the Lord Narasimha to bestow the desired things and the Ultimate Bliss (abhimAtishAhaH, vasUni Abhara, madhu pibAva, samsruSTaM ubhayaM dhanaM asmabhyaM dattAM).

The uniqueness of this commentary by shrI.dhirEndra tIrtha (8th muttAdhipati in the lineage of shrI.rAghavEndra tIrtha of mantrAlayaM) is that He moves away from the sAyaNa bhASya in interpreting the word "tApasa" which refers to the father of the mantra-draSTa (seer) of manyu sUkta (the draSTa is "manyu" and the father's name is "tApO" muni). shrI.dhIrEndra tIrtha mentions that here "tApasa" should be interpreted as penance, discipline, meditation out of which is born the manyu (jnAna). Thus, He gave a sublime status of this manyu-sUkta which is adopted by all madhvAs for internal meditation purpose. Thus, He says that the chanter of manyu-sUkta receives the prasAda of bhagavAn nrisimha and attain the status of eternal bliss from where there is no return to the bondage of samsAra. 

The last line of the commentary (iti manyu nAmaka shrI-nrisimha prArthana) reiterates again that the adhiSTAna dEvata of the "manyu-sUkta" is bhagavAn nrisimha. 

iti shrIrAmachandra-charaNa-yugaLa-rajO-abhilAshi....
sriram