MADHWA DWAADASA STOTRAM : TIPPANI PREFACE

PREFACE 

Why write a commentary on Shrimad Ananda Theertha Muni’s Dwaadasha Stotra ? Aren’t there any commentary already ? There are  Eight known commentaries on Dwadasa Stotra attributed to the following  :

Gangodamishra, 

Gûdhakartrka, 

Chalari Narasimhacharya, 

Channapattana Thimmannacharya,  

Umarji Tirumalacharya, 

C M Padmanabhacharya, 

Punyashravana Bhikshu, 

Sri Vishwapati Tîrtha

Why one more ? 

Shrimad Ananda theertha Muni is a multi dimensional personality, being a scholar, philosopher, deep bhakta , poet, grammarian and a Hatha Yogi. Other commentators have taken a theological perspective and focused on Acharya’s Vishnu Bhakti as a lens. The new commentary focuses bringing out the hidden Ashtanga Yoga / Tantra messages in the Dwadasa Stotras. 

To start with there is a scholarly opinion expressed by Dr Bannanje Govindacharya that the Dwadsa sotra was not conceived as 1 2 stotra by ShrimadAcharya to start with. According o him, there were many slokas that Acharya crafted as he was traveling with his key disciples to propagate his philosophy. Some one put 12 of them together and called it Dwadasa Stotra. 

This is discernible by quick look at the set of 12 stotras. They do not have the same metre Chandas nor there is any common story or message. The thread that connects them together is acceptance of Shri Hari as the only independent entity capable of granting moksha and the means for that.

The key takeaways from this Dwadasa stotra set are :
a) Having declared that Hari is beyond human ability to understand , Acharyaru answers the next logical question-how do we know him and reach his feet. Shri Hari alone help us understand who he is.
b)Shri Hari alone can destroy our ignorance that engulfs us , preventing us from knowing and doing right things.
c) Acharyaru gives us a method to get Shri Hari’s blessings . He tasks us to do dhyana meditation , visualizing Vishnu in our heart. The Amala Bhakti that many scholars positions as alternative to Dhyana is just another name for Dhyana.  In Maha Bharata tatparya nirnaya, Acharya defines Bhakti as a supreme friendship to atma jnAnana that excludes everything else in the world . 

महात्म्यज्ञानपूवर्स्तुसुध्रुद्दःसर्वतो अधिक  |

स्नेहोभिक्तिरित प्रोक्तस्तया मुिक्तन्नर्चान्यता||MBTN 1:84

d) It is imperative that we do not sing this as a sloka but use the definitions of Vishnu roopa as means of picturing him in our heart and meditate on that form

e) Shri Hari creates the universe and gives Life to jIvas so that they can break the cycle of births and attain moksha. Creation is not mere Leela of Ishwara but a purpose for jiVas.

f) Our approach could be anything but it must have deep meditation as the key platform.

This is a small Kanike at the feet of ShrimadAnanda Theertha Muni. It is heartening to make this Kanaike during the Madhwa Navami of 2019

Paddy Rao

New Jersey, USA