SriRaghavendraswami’s daily routine

Awakening to the pleasant singing of the devotee Vandimagadha, he would first complete his suprabhata to the Parameshwar, then give an audience to the abject devotees eagerly awaiting him, before proceeding to the Kaveri river for his ablutions, duly applying mrittika etc. while chanting ashtakshara, shadakshara, dwadashakshara mantras. Later he would offer arghyas to SriHari and other Jalabhimani Devatas and then wear a clean shathi.
This was followed by the application of dwadashanama panchamudras like chakra etc. with gopiehandana. lie would listen to the purana after chanting (lie I’ranava mantra in the ahnika. He would then go around the vrindavana of his great gum SriVijayindratirlha, oiler his salutations also to SriRathangapani and SriKumbhe- shwara before coming back to the* Malha. The great favour rendered by Srimadacharya, by striking out the incorrect interpretations of those explaining the Brahmasutra to the disciples at the Matha, those comments of his, augmented with explanation by Sri Jayatirtha, are known as the Tattvaprakashika. I he ingratiating feeling experienced by SriRaghavcndraswami while collecting and detailing the commentaries of various ancient sages and that of Sri Vyasaraja (Sri Raghavendraswami’s previous incarnation) namely Tattva-chandrika, were truly very much appreciated by SriHari. In the meantime, the system of his favourite disciples of presenting to each other the various arguments about the principles was very educative for all. Once, one of the disciples, while arguing in favour of the Advaita principle, propounded that jiva and I’.shwara are one. To this, our SriRaghavendraswami who had mastered the Veda-Vedanta and other treatises, explained with his knowledge for their understanding and the great joy of all, that SriHarisarvottama and Vayu-jeevottama is the true meaning of the Vedas.
The disciples would thus feel ingratiated having heard and seen SriRaghavendraswamrs oratory skills, and would shed tears of joy. Such our Swami would complete his morning chores and sit for his afternoon ahnika after another ablution. At this time he would perform the shodashopachara pujas, as stipulated by Srimadacharya in the Tantrasarasangraha, upon the idols of Srimoolaramachandradeva, Garudavahanadeva, Digvi- jayaramadeva, and Jayaramadeva. Along with these, there used to be the Vyasamushtika that had been handed down in tradition from SriVedavyasa’s times through Srimadacharya and another golden idol of SriKrishna which he had brought from Udupi personally. Later he would accept the tirtha and proceed to take alms in the form of Srimoolaramadeva’s prasada. SriRaghavendra who did not allow the word ‘rest’ to come anywhere close to him, would then explain the complexities encountered by the scholars in the subjects of grammar, logic, analysis and Vedanta.
In the evening he would again go through the ablutions and ahnika ritual and light the evening lamp in mangalarati, kept in a golden plate before the Lord’s idol, offer fruits and milk, go around and offer devoted salutations. What a focussed devotion for that Moola- rama! After all, had he not incarnated as Raghavendra- swami only to perform the pujas to Him? A talented poet and singer that he was. he would sing with total devotion, eulogies to SriMoolaramadeva in the form of pada- padya-soola etc. that he composed in Kannada. One eulogy available to us today from the ones he had composed is, ‘Indu enage Govinda, ninnaya padarvindava, toro Mukunda’. Many more of his compositions are lost to us unfortunately, owing to the non-availability of reproduction facilities in those days. The only song that is available has a deep meaning, which becomes clear to anyone who sings it, in the Bhairavi raga as “We do not have any other saviour but SriHari and the burden of protecting us, the always dependent jivas, is upon the Paramatma’. SriRaghavendraswami would spend hours together singing and playing the veena in Si 11 lari ‘s praise and drift into the meditative form of samadhiyoga, visualising the idol of Srimoolaramachandra, becoming lost in his devotion and unaware of himself, shedding tears of joy. Isn’t this height of devotion a gift that he had received from SriNaradamaharshi while being in the womb of Kayadhudevi before being born as Prahlada- raja? Such is the fortune of those close to the Lord. They find SriHari everywhere.

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