Brahmarishi Daivaratha, the seer of ‘The Chhando-Darshana’ was born on Monday, 5th day of Pushya Sukla in the Shaka year 1813 i.e. 1891 AD, at Gokarna, a pilgrim center in the North Kanara District of the Karnataka State. Sri Daivaratha’s father Sri Vighneswara Bhat Bhadti was a Vedic scholar leading the simple life of a farmer.
His mother Smt. Nagaveni was the daughter of a learned scholar Sri Ganesa Sastry Hosamane who along with the father of Sri Vighneswara Bhat Bhadti, went to Varanasi for higher studies in Sanskrit literature and Darsana It is therefore, no wonder if the young lad Ganesh—for Sastras. that was the former name of Sri Daivaratha—had the knowledge of the Vedas running in his veins.
Born in a family reputed for Vedic learning for generations, young Ganesh had casually studied the Vedas, viz. Rigveda and Taittiriya Yajurveda and had been practicing Yoga even before his fifteenth year under the guidance of his father. He also attended classes run by the local Vedic teachers. But early enough he decided not to follow the priestly profession of his family but to attain the highest Vedic spiritual ideals.
Contacts with Saintly Personages: Ramdas Maharaj
While young Ganesh was absorbed in his studies and in helping his father, there came to Gokarna a saint by name Ramdaspopularly known as Ramdas Maharaja of Ujjain. Ganesh, naturally, was attracted towards the saintly personage who initiated him into the path of Bhakti Yoga. It was then that Ganesh learnt under his guidance, the art of dancing to the tune of devotional songs. Even now Sri Daivaratha treasures the art of dancing with ardent love and devotion. Young Ganesh who was only fifteen then, left his home in search of spiritual enlightenment with an irresistible urge for it, and toured, along with Sri Ramdas Maharaj and his devotees, for two years, the whole of Northern India up to Nepal, visiting almost all the pilgrim centers there. Ganesh was always at his Master’s service with exemplary love and devotion till the time when Sri Ramdas Maharaj attained Samadhi near Ujjain on the banks of river Charmanvati.
Vasudevananda Saraswati: Tembe Maharaj
On his return home, Ganesha’s inner desire to serve saintly persons found fruition again when he accidentally met another saint great viz. Sri Vasudevananda Saraswati known as Tembe Maharaj. Ganesh became Swamiji’s very close and pet disciple and received training in Hatha Yoga, viz. Asana, Pranayama, Satkriya etc.
Vasishtha Ganapati Muni: The Guru
Later, Ganesh came in very close contact with another saintly genius viz. Kavya-kantha Sri Vasistha Ganapati Muni, a direct disciple of the celebrated mystic saint Sri Ramana Maharsi of Sri Arunachalam. The Muni came to Gokarna with his wife Smt. Visalaksamma and his son Sri Mahadeva, with a view to observe. some austerities at the Uma Maheswara Tapovana of Gokarna. Sri Vasistha Gagapati Muni was a versatile man of learning of a very high Astavadhani, a profound Sanskrit scholar and a poet, and besides, he was an adept in Rajayoga. Ganesh was, naturally, attracted by his magnetic personality and became his most beloved pupil, dearer than his own Guru and Gurupatni during the period of their penance there, doing all kinds of jobs including cooking, serving etc., as a labor of love and devotion. It was there that Ganesh was re-named by his Guru, as ‘ Daivaratha ‘ after the ancient Rsi Devarata to whose Pravara he belongs. Then onwards, Sri Daivaratha had under his Guru proper initiation into the Upanisadic disciplines, viz. Mukhyapranopasana, the Vaidica Vidya etc. He picked up just causally, the art of speaking in Sanskrit also as he happened to participate in Sri Vasistha Muni’s lecture programs.
Study of the Gita and the Upanishads :
In his pilgrimages in the Central part of India, he once again had the Darsana of Sri Tembe Maharaj at Garudeswar on the banks of Narmada. There, he renewed his studies of the Gita and the Upanisads as well as some of the Yoga-Kriyas amidst his usual routine services of Tembe Maharaj. A little later, at the behest of Sri Tembe Maharaj, Sri Daivaratha proceeded to Varanasi to refresh his scholastic studies in Sanskrit.
Bookish Knowledge given up :
He lived on alms in a little hut on the banks of the holy Ganges and there he had the privilege of coming into close and personal contact with great masters of Sanskrit studies, but after a time, due to some inner intuition, he gave up all his attempts to acquire bookish knowledge and decided finally to attain spiritual knowledge through Tapas alone.
Mastery of the Yoga-Kriyas :
Then he came down to Gujarat and halted at Siddapur known as Matrgaya near Ahmedabad, where he carried on a few scientific experiments on his own body observing the vow of Panchagavya, based on the doctrines of Hatha-Yoga, with great benefit. It was there that he mastered the Yoga practices ‘like Khechari Mudra and Vajroli Kriya. He has recorded in his Diaries all the experiences and the results which accrued. It was then that a decision dawned on him to start an Asrama in Gokarna on the pattern of those of the Vedic times.
Face to Face with Ramana Maharishi :
From there, Sri Daivaratha went to Bombay where he stayed for some time and proceeded to Orissa to join Sri Vasistha Muni who was then there. They both went to the Mahendra mountains where they observed penance for a month at the Parasuram Tapovana. Then, Sri Daivaratha went with his Master and his family to pay respects to the great sage Sri Ramana Maharsi at Arunachalam. At the very first sight of the sage, Sri Daivaratha burst into poetry which is known as ” Ramana Vibhaktyastaka The impact of the sage’s spiritual character was so deep on the mind of Sri Daivaratha that he could soon listen and grasp the mystic gospel of Sri Ramana Maharsi. There, Sri Daivaratha had the unique opportunity of having his spiritual doubts cleared by getting replies to his questions from the lips of the holy saint. This interview with the saint has been incorporated in verse-form in the third chapter of Sri Ramana Gita of Sri Vasistha Ganapati Muni. During his stay at Sri Ramanasrama, Sri Daivaratha entertained at times the Maharsi by his devotional dances accompanied by songs. There in the Asrama, Sri Daivaratha being much impressed by the Maharsi’s continuous and natural communion with God, made serious attempts to attain a similar poise.
Revelation of Chhando-darsana: Guru’s Estimate :
From Arunachalam, Sri Daivaratha left with his Guru and Gurupatni for Padavettu, the holy seat of Sri Renukamba, where during the Sarada Navaratra all the three of them performed for the first time a collective Tapas of Mantra-yoga for a month. Further too, Sri Daivaratha continued his Tapas vigorously and during his trance-like condition when unconscious of his surroundings, some words started coming out to the utter surprise of his Guru. On a close examination by the Guru, the words proved to be new Mantras in Vedic language and meters. The Guru at once made up his mind to take them down as he heard them and later compiled them into what is now known as the Chhandodarsana ‘. Then immediately, the Guru busied himself with composing a commentary, viz. the Vasistha AnvayaBhasyam on the Chhando-darshana ‘. As regards this intuitional revelation of the four hundred and twenty-eight metrical Rks of 16 Chhandodarsana ‘, the first-hand impressions of Sri Vasistha Ganapati Muni recorded in this introduction of the work, are worthy of reproduction here ” A word about the young Daivaratha who is now twenty-five, He is not very well-versed in Sanskrit; but he was absorbed in Tapas and Yoga, observing restrictions thereof with all seriousness and severity. He came by this ‘ Chhando-darsana normally unattainable and therefore, I maintain this to be the work of a Rsi. ” This ‘ Chhando-darsana ‘ is in all respects equal to the Rigveda and is expressed in metres akin to those found therein. Hence, in metres, general characteristics, phraseology. meaning and in spiritual content these Mantras are equal to the Rks. I, therefore, commend this to you the learned, possessing the faculty of discrimination between the sat and asat, the unbiased and the pure-hearted – endowed with the power of scrutiny and understanding. In the concluding verses of the AnvayaBhasya similar sentiments have again been expressed thus ” Daivaratha of the Gotra of Viswamitra, like another proto- type Viswamitra, performed Tapas and saw with the eyes of a Rsi these Mantras which are very deep in meaning, pure and purifying too ” Thus, I am proud to state that this Daivarata is a Yogi, a Tapasvi, a Vedavetta and a Mantra-Drashtara who in view of his tapas, learning, culture, good conduct and humility, is worthy of being a Rsi on par with ancient ones ”
Goraksha Brahmacharyasrama :
On his return home from Padavettu, Sri Daivaratha aspiration to found an Asrama took shape along with his marriage to Smt. Sraddhadevi. The Asrama that he started in the year 1919 for young pupils by the name ” Goraksa Brahmacharyasrama ” is there. The study of the Vedas, Sastras, Agriculture and the care of the cows form an integral part of the, work of the Asrama.
At Ganagapur: Austere penances
Sri Daivaratha took time off to go to another sacred place viz. Ganagapur where he observed very austere penances such as Jalopavasa Vrata, living on water for fifteen months and he believes that he attained the highest spiritual experiences at ‘this place where he followed the guidance and dictates of Sri Dattatreya himself.
Meeting great Public Celebrities: Madan Mohan Malaviyaji
Sri Daivaratha’s unique personality has another facet worth noticing. In his constant and wide travels, he came across a number of public celebrities who have contributed to the making of Modern India. On his return journey from Nepal, where Sri Daivaratha was staying with Sri Rajarshi Maharaj Judda Samser as his honored and distinguished guest, he met the great educationist Madan Mohan Malaviyaji at Varanasi. Malaviyaji was blamed at the argumentative skill and power of Sri Daivaratha in his discussion in Sanskrit with the most learned scholars collected from all over India. It was then that the title ‘ Vidya Vachaspati’ was bestowed on him by Malaviyaji in appreciation and admiration of Sri Daivaratha’s deep knowledge of the Vedas.
Gandhiji: His desire
During a lecture-tour in Bihar Sri Daivaratha, accidentally, met Dr. Rajendra Prasad who quickly perceived the spiritual and intellectual abilities of Sri Daivaratha and was attracted towards him. Thereafter, Sri Daivaratha along with Dr. Rajendra Prasadji and Jamnalal Bajaj, met Gandhiji in Bombay and on his request they went to see Sri Ramana Maharsi to seek his blessings and guidance for the freedom struggle.
Dr. RajendraPrasadji: A Devotee
After Independence, Dr. Rajendra Prasadji as the President of the Indian Republic remained a devoted disciple of Sri Daivaratha honoring him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan as his chief personal guest and seeking spiritual guidance from him. According to Sri Daivaratha Dr. Rajendra Prasadji was not only a noble man but also a Rajarshi. During his term of office, our late President paid a visit to the Asrama at Gokarna and was all praise for the same. He expressed his eagerness that all the writings of Sri Daivaratha should see the light of the day for the benefit of scholars. His fore-thought is being gradually given shape to by the earnest efforts of Sri R. R. Diwakar, a great admirer of Sri Daivaratha. Sri Daivaratha was a frequent visitor to Dr. Rajendra Prasadji till his last days.
Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri
Recently, Sri Daivaratha was invited to preside over the ‘ Veda-Parisat ‘ under the auspices of the ‘ Akhila Bharateeya Sanskrit Sahitya Sammelana ‘ celebrated at Delhi on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd January 1964. The Conference was inaugurated by Sri T. T. Krishnamachari, the Central Finance Minister and presided over by Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri. – The Conference and especially the Veda-Parisat was attended by great scholars of international repute. The impact of Sri Daivaratha’s personality on the minds of the scholars and great men attending the Conference was very deep indeed. On the 2nd day, Sri Daivaratha was honored in the Conference with the title ‘ Vidya-Vachaspati ‘ at the hands of Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri as a token of the collective appreciation and admiration of his profound knowledge of the Vedas coupled with the Vedic way of life led by him.
Gift of Oratory :
Shri Daivaratha is endowed with the gift of oratory in chaste Sanskrit language over which his command is superb. He is equally conversant with Kannada, his mother-tongue. He knows and can make speeches in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Marathi and Nepali too. His retentive power and memory are amazing. His lectures on the Vedic gods—lndra and others have been much appreciated by great scholars all over India. His unique interpretation of the Vedic Mantras is an excellent harmonization of their triple significance viz. Adhibhoutika, Adhidaivika and Adhyatmika. He was specially invited to the Veda Satra very recently (Nov.63) to Banaras Hindu University and Tirupati(January 64 Sri Daivaratha is a great painter— artist too. He uses the painted charts drawn by himself to expound many intricate and subtle meanings of the Vedic doctrines. He has undoubtedly created a new interest in the Vedic studies in the mind of modern men and women.
Blend of Modern and Ancient :
Sri Daivaratha’s childlike simplicity of nature is very disarming. Although he is one of the greatest scholars of the most ancient scriptures, he is very well conversant with the most modern trends of thought too. The clarity of his ideas and their expression in his inimitable style is for scholars a rare treat. Whether in the company of the most orthodox or the most modern, he is always at ease and lets others feel at ease too.
Publication of Works :
The Benares Hindu University is shortly publishing one of his works viz. the ” Vedartha KalpaLatika ” to be followed by another publication of his viz., ” Müla Yajurveda “, an original research work. Many of his books on his experiments in Yoga- Kriyas such as Saksatkara Yoga-Sudha ‘, ‘ Vak-Sudha’ Rama- rasayana ‘ etc. yet await publication.
The Chhando-darsana: Its Publication
But the most outstanding work of his is the Chhando- darsana ‘ which he considers a divine gift and the grace of his Guru. As already stated, the work is the finest fruit of his Tapas- Sadhana and consequent intuitional revelation at the age of twenty-five. The four hundred and twenty-eight Mantras in the Vedic meters form the invocations to the various Vedic gods, the symbolic representations of the fundamental powers and doctrines. The ‘ Chhando-darsana ‘ with the VasisthaAnvayaBhasya’- the Sanskrit commentary, the Kalpa the ritualistic manual based on the Mantras and the Süktanukramapika—the detailed contents of the Süktas—the Anuvakas, —is being published with complete translation into English done by two scholars of repute, the late Sri Devudu Narasimhasastry and later after his sad demise, by Prof. S. R. Malagi of Bangalore.
What he believes:
Sri Daivaratha is an ardent believer in the mystic powers of the Gayatri Mantra. His life, aspirations and attainments have been harmoniously blended with the sacred culture of the Vedas. He is firm in his belief that girls in the Vedic times had equal rights with boys to Upanayana and Vedic studies which he proves beyond doubt, on the testimony of the Vedas. He speaks with authority, of the high status the Indian women enjoyed in ancient times in domestic, social and spiritual fields. If what Sri Daivaratha believes is to be put in a nutshell, he says that Kris – Agriculture, and Goseva ‘ care of the cow the two fundamental vocations directly connected with maintenance of life, are to be devoutly followed by Indians, if- our country is to prosper. And secondly, he is of the firm opinion that harmonization of worldly as well as spiritual life is not only possible but also the most fruitful, integral, and big way of life propounded by the Vedas.