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Deities of Our Maṭha
Mūla Gopālakr̥ṣṇa Dēvaru
Mūla Gopālakr̥ṣṇa Dēvaru is in a standing pose, sports a flute, and is about to play it. Spiritual significance of the above is as follows: flute is Mahalakshmi Devi and the divine sound that emerges out of it is Mukhyaprana. This divine combination, is indeed the bestower of Shastraic knowledge.
Mūla Paṭṭābhirāma
The Mūla Paṭṭābhirāma is in a sitting pose and sports the Gyana Mudra, while Vedavyasa Devaru is Gyana Murthi. It is worthwhile to recall that Shri Vadirajatirtha has composed a song ಜಯ ಜಯ ಶ್ರೀ ಹಯವದನ ಜಯ ಜಯ ಶ್ರೀ ಕಾಲದಮನ jaya jaya śrī hayavadana jaya jaya śrī kāladamana in which all the above deities are referenced.
Vyāsamuṣṭhi
Acharya Madhva was blessed with this Vyasamushthi by Lord Narayana at Narayanashrama. There is an explicit mention of this in Shri Madhva Vijaya as well as the Bhavaprakashika composed by Narayana Panditacharya.
तीर्थं स्वपार्श्व भूमिञ्च मोक्तुं नेच्छति सन्मथौ त्वत् स्नानाम्बुनि गङ्गास्यात् शिलास्वास्महमित्यदात्
tīrthaṁ svapārśva bhūmiñca moktuṁ nēcchati sanmathau
tvat snānāmbuni gaṅgāsyāt śilāsvāsmahamityadāt
प्रापस नारयणतः शुद्ध शिलातम प्रतिमा: यासोस पद्म सहितो दोशहित सन्निहित:
prāpasa nārayaṇataḥ śuddha śilātama pratimāḥ yāsosa padma sahito doṣahita sannihita:
The holy Vyasa Mushthi in Shri Matha’s possession goes by the name “Vishva”, hence the traditional appellation of our institution is विश्वपावन मठ ‘Vishvapavana Matha.’
तत्रापि विश्वो राजेन्द्रमठे अस्माकम् सुपूज्यते विश्वेन पावितत्वात्धि विश्वपावन सन्निधे
tatrāpi viśvo rājēndra maṭhē asmākam supūjyatē viśvēna pāvitatvātdhi viśvapāvana sannidhē`
Since the presence and worship of Vyasa Mushthi of name ‘Vishva’ happened in this institution, it got the above name among the society.
Yogapaṭilla Lakṣmīnr̥simha Dēvaru
This Pratima was sculpted and worshipped by Shri Jayatirtha with an intention to obtain Lord’s blessings toward ensuring that regular and special activities in the Shri Matha proceed in the same grand manner without any hindrance.
Digvijaya Paṭṭābhirāma Dēvaru
This deity of Digvijaya Paṭṭābhirāma Dēvaru is an exact replica of the Mūla Vigraha. This was prepared specially by Shri Rajendratirtha so that His disciple Shri Jayadhvajatirtha worship this deity when the Mula Vigraha was away on tours for missionary purposes (digvijaya for ಸತ್ಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತ ಸ್ಥಾಪನೆ satsiddhāṁta sthāpanē).
Pānḍuraṅga Viṭṭhala Dēvaru
This is a deity of Lord Viṭṭhala (विट्ठल) obtained by Śrī Brahmaṇyatīrtha, based on divine revelation in His dream and worshipped to date. The antiquity of the deity has not been ascertained. We can observe the typical standing pose of Lord Viṭṭhala on a brick (ಇಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಮೇಲೆ ನಿಂತ ನಮ್ಮ ವಿಟ್ಠಲ ತಾನು, ittigē mēlē ninta namma viṭṭhala tānu).
Bēḍi Kāḷingamardhana Dēvaru
One more Deity being worshipped in the Shri Matha is that of Bēḍi Kāḷingamardhana Dēvaru (ಬೇಡಿ ಕೃಷ್ಣ ದೇವರು). This was originally worshipped by Śrī Vyāsatīrtha and was handed over to a solitary saint (ಬಿಡಿ ಸನ್ಯಾಸಿ, single sanyasi) by name Yatiraja Wodeyar for His daily worship (by either Srī Vidyāpatitīrtha or Srī Vidyāvallabhatīrtha, the prevailing Swamiji) and was returned to the Shri Matha after his lifetime. This Pratima is extremely attractive and is capable of inducing ecstasy in viewers. Tradition has it that this Pratima was fettered using golden ornaments by Yatiraja Wodeyar to prevent it from moving around and playing (and hence the name).
Digvijaya Gopālakr̥ṣṇa Dēvaru
Śrī Brahmaṇyatīrtha prepared an exact replica of Mūla Gopālakr̥ṣṇa Dēvaru that goes by the name of Digvijaya Gopālakr̥ṣṇa Dēvaru, worshipped and passed on to His disciple Śrī Vyāsatīrtha for His daily worship during His travel for missionary purposes (Digvijaya for ಸತ್ಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತ ಸ್ಥಾಪನೆ, satsiddhaṁta sthāpanē). It is sincerely believed in tradition that the innumerable accomplishments of Śrī Vyāsatīrtha during His sojourn are a result of His worship and blessings of this Deity.
वाराहावपि वासुदेवसहित: कुर्यात् सदामङ्गलम् vārāhāvapi vasudēva sahita: kuryāt sadāmaṅgalam is the reference from tradition.
Śrīnivāsa Dēvaru
Swarnamaya Shri-Bhu-sameta Shrinivasa devaru, Pratima of Lord Vedavyasa that was prepared and worshipped by Shri Shrinathatirtha. It is a unique Pratima handed down by Acharya Madhva that was worshipped by Shri Padmanabhatirtha, and is accompanied by a unique Pratima of Mukhyaprana Devaru (on a wooden plank) that is representative of the seven hundred and thirty two idols consecrated by Shri Vyasatirtha throughout the country.
श्रीमद्प्राज्य हृदादि मस्करि कराम्भोजात संसेविता:
सर्वाभीष्ट सुरद्रुमा प्रणमतां कुर्वन्तु सन्मङ्गलम्
ṣrimad prāgya hrudādi maskari karāmbōjātha samsvita: Sarvābhīśta suradrumā pranamatām kurvantu sanmangalam
Santāna Gopālakr̥ṣṇa
Everyone desires worthy progeny (ಸತ್ಸಂತಾನ satsaṁtāna) in this world. In anticipation of this need, Shri Vyasatirtha got sculpted a Deity of Santāna Gopālakr̥ṣṇa along with primary consorts Rukmini and Satyabhama and worshipped it. This is one of the deities worshipped every day in Shri Matha from His time.
There is a firm belief in a tradition that propitiates this Pratima with an offering of dates (Karjura), obtaining blessings from the Swamiji, and partaking offered dates along with holy rice (Mantrakshata) fetches meritorious offspring. Positive fruits of the above worship have been experienced in our tradition and saints of the stature of Śrī Śēśacandrikācārya stand as a testimony to this belief.
Yajñavarāha Bhūvarāha Vāsudēva
Further, Śrī Vyāsatīrtha also had three silver deities made: Yajñavarāha Bhūvarāha and Vāsudēva. It is to be noted that Vasudeva Murthy also goes by the special name of Narthana Krishna. The speciality of the three deities is that on special occasions (such as Sudarshana homa prior to Taptamudra Dharana), these three idols get worshipped alongside at the time of offering the final oblations in fire (पूर्णाहुति Purnahuti). We understand from tradition that Śrī vyāsatīrtha had Yajñavarāha Bhūvarāha and Vāsudēva Pratimas were sculpted at Tirupati (Venkatachala) and the Bhuvaraaha Pratima was sculpted at Srimushnam.
वाराहावपि वासुदेवसहित: कुर्यात् सदामङ्गलम् vārāhāvapi vasudēva sahita: kuryāt sadāmaṅgalam is the reference from tradition.
Lord Hayagrīva & Dhanvantari
Acharya Madhva also made and worshipped Pratimas of Lord Hayagriva and Lord Dhanvantri, forms that govern the knowledge and health aspects respectively. Further, after visiting Srimushnam and having the darshana of the Lord Varaha, Acharya had a Varaha Murthy made and worshipped. These three idols were inherited by Sri Padmanabhatirtha and passed on to Sri Rajendratirtha from Sri Vidyadirajatirtha by disciplic succession.
Ratnagarbha Śāligrāma
There is one रत्नगर्भ शालग्राम ratnagarbha śāligrama having the presence of Lakshmi Devi along with Lord’s Matsya form that was worshipped by Acharya Madhva, which is an embodiment of all wealth and prosperity. It is a tradition in the Matha to perform the combined worship of this Shaligrama along with Vyasa Mushti.
श्री व्यासोमणिगर्भ मूर्ति सहित: श्री मध्वराट् पूजित:
śrī vyāsomaṇigarbha mūrti sahita: śrī madhvarāṭ pūjita:
Sri Vidyaratnakara Tirtha has composed the following Vedavyasa stuti on this pratima:
साधुचातक मेघाय वेदपङ्कज भानवे: भोध चम्पक भूशाय वेदव्यासाय ते नम:
sādhucātaka mēghāya vēdapaṅkaja bhānavē: bhodha campaka bhūśāya vēdavyāsāya tē nama:
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