FRANGA N SATAKAM Poem in Г ОО verwes in Konkani \ Peeves holhama С Halla ya k BHASHA PRACHAR SABHA KONKANI BHASHA BHAVAN COCHIN - 682 002 हरिरंग भट शतकम HARI RANGA BHAT SATAKAM HARI RANGA BHAT SATAKAM Poem ia 700 verses in Konkani by N. Purshothama Mallaya, Cochin. KONKANI BHASHA PRACHAR SABHA KONKANI BHASHA BHAVAN COCHIN - 682 002 कोंकणी भाषा प्रचार सभा प्रकाशन्‌ - २३ HARI RANGA BHAT SATAKAM Poem in 100 verses in Konkani Konkani Bhasha Prachar Sabha, Kochi - 2. First Edition - 2003 Copies :500 Price Rs. : 65/- Publishers : KONKANI BHASHA PRACHAR SABHA Sahitya Vibhag, Konkani Bhasha Bhavan, Palace Road, Kochi - 682 002. Printers : VASANT INDUSTRIES Town Hall Road, Kochi - 682 002. Typesetters : GANESH COMPUTERS Opp. Gujarathi School, Kochi - 2. PREFACE HARIRANGABHAT SATAKAM is a poem in hundred verses composed by me in Konkani language covering the life of Brahmasri Vedamurthi Hari Ranga Bhatjee, Dasagranthi, one of the very few well-known Sanskrit and Vedic scholars of Southern India. He was born on 10th January, 1861 at Gosripuram, Cochin, as the second son of the late Srimathi Lakshmi Bai and Brahmasri Ranga Bhatjee, Chief Priest of the Cochin Thirumala Devaswom Temple. Upanayanam, Thread-wearing-ceremony, was performed to him at a very young age when he was only seven years old. As there were no schools founded in those days to give education in schools, he was taught to read and write Malyalam, the regional language of the State, under ASAN, the local vernacular teacher. He lost his mother when he was aged 10. When he attained the age of 15, he was sent to Benaras to make study of Vedas and Vedangas. He joined the Sanga Veda Patasala, Benaras in the year 1876 and studied Veda under Brahmasri Vinayaka Bhatjee Dongre. Hari Ranga Bhatjee completely mastered the Dasagranthas viz. Sakala Samhita, Pada and Krama, Aitereya Brahmana, Aranyaka, Siksha Kalpa, Vyakarna, Niruktha, Chandas and Jyothisha and completed his studies in 1889. After getting the title Dasagranthi from Kashi Vishwa Pandits at Benaras he sat for the tests conducted by Н. Н. Srimad Indirakantha Tirtha Swami of Gokarana Parthagali Jeevotham Math, Goa on 15-4-1889 and Н.Н. Srimad Varadendra Tirtha Swami of Sri Kashi Math Samsthan on 23-4-1889 to know his proficiency in the Vedas and Vedangas he had studied at Varanasi and that after passing the tests he was given Testimonials by. both the Swamijis recognising his proficiency in Vedic studies. He later came down to Cochin and got married in 1889 to Ganga Bai, daughter of Mridanga Vidwan Rama Kini of Eramallur gramam of the : erstwhile State of Travancore. He founded at Sunkeri Karwar a Veda Patasala in January, 1891 at the premises of Sri Krishna Temple under the name Arya Veda Patasala, Sunkeri. He continued teaching Veda and Vedangas to Vaidics there till 22nd May, 1905. Later he left Karwar for Udupi accepting the request made by the Adhikaris of Sri Venkataramana Temple, Udupi for establishing a Veda Patasala for Vaidics. He founded the Veda Patasala under the name Sri Vyasa Ranghupathi Veda Patasala at the premises of Sri Venkataramana Temple, Udupi on 26th May, 1905. All the priests serving the temple and purohits of the town were given full training in Vedic studies by teaching them Vedas and Vendangs and thereby revived Vedic Studies . After teaching the Vedas to his pupils for 12 months in the Patasala, Brahmasri Hari Ranga Bhatjee left Udupi for Manjeshwar and founded a Veda Patasala at the premises of Bhadra Narsimha Devasthanam, Manjeshwar on 25th May 1906 under the name Sri Madanandeshwar Arya Veda Patasala , Manjeshwar and trained all purohits there teaching them Vedas in othodox fashion. He continued teaching Veda to Vaidics in the Patasala for 3 years and six months. Later, he left Manjeshwar for Cochin to propagate Vedic studies in Cochin, his own native palce. There he decided to construct a house based on Vastu sastra out of the money he earned by teaching Vedas in order to fulfil the wishes of his wife Ganga Bai on a plot of land he got as his share ofthe ancestral property by way of division at South Cherlai, Cochin nearby the temple. He laid Foundation Stone for the house in the Malayalam Era 1085 on the lOth day of the month of Medam, corresponding to Christian Era 1910 A.D. But unfortunately for him, while the construction ofthe house was is progress his wife died on 26-6-1910 A.D. He stopped the work of the construction of the house for a short period. Later, he resumed the construction of his house and completed the work in the year 1911 A.D. The House Warming Ceremony (Grihapravesha) ofthe House was performed on Friday 12 noon on the 30th day of Mithunam of the Malayalam Era 1086 corresponding to 1911 A.D. He started teaching the Veda in the newly constructed house. Also, he taught Vedas to Vedic students studying in the Cochin Thirumala Devaswom Veda Sastra Samskrita Patasala, Cochin run by Cochin Thirumala Devaswom, Cochin. It was stated that Brahmasri Hari Ranga Bhatje took initiative for the performance of Puthra Kameshti Yaga at Cochin and Sakala Samhita Yagna at the request of Brahmasri Krishnachari at Mangalore. Vaidics from Goa, Maharashtra, Belguam, North and South Canara districts of Karnataka, Malabar region of Kerala, southern part of the erstwhile Travancore State and in and around Cochin got training in the study of Veda in the orthodox fashion under Brahmasri Hari Ranga Bhatjee during the period of his life. He revived Vedic learning and was found to be the first Keralite to go over places outside Kerala for revival of Vedic studies by establishing Veda Patasalas at different places and teaching Veda at the time when journey from one place to another used tc take place mostly by Bullock-cart and crossing many ferris. He became instrument again to bring back the hereditory learing of Veda by Vaidics. Also, the proficiency and greatness of Dasagranthi Hari Ranga Bhatjee will be known from the writing of eminent personalities of those days. They include the Arya Veda Patasala Sunkeri, Karwar, visited by H. H. Srimad Indirakant Tirtha Swami of Gokarna Math in the Saka Era 1823 corresponding to 1901 A.D. Khanda Krishna Garde, Deputy Education Inspector, Karwar on 29-8-1902.and Ravjee B. Karandekar, Assistant Eduction Inspector, Sothern Districts, Bombay Presidency on 13-9-1903. They gave their opinions expressing their satisfaction in the teaching of Veda in writing in the Visitors' book kept by the Arya Veda Patasala, Sunkeri. As regards Sri Vyasa Raghupathi Veda Patasala, at Udupi this is what the then Deputy Collector, Madurai A. Upendra Pai visiting the Patasala in his letter dated 7-10-1905 writes, "....I th as given me very great IV pleasure to see today the Vyasa Raghupathy Veda Patasala and hear the recitation of Rig Veda by the pupils thereof. The greatest credit is due to Hari Ranga Bhat, Dasagranthi of Cochin for having started the Patasala and for conducting it as purely a matter of self sacrifice. The thanks of all the people of our caste are due to him for receiving the ancient Vedic learning again in our caste where it has unfortunately became nearly extinct. As a . member of Gowda Saraswath Brahmin community I earnestly hope that his labour will be crowned with complete success and that he would be the instrument of again brining back their lost hereditory learning to the vaidics of our caste and thus prove the benefactor to our community ...." The High Court Vakil A. Subha Rau Pai founder ofthe Canara Bank who visited the Veda Patasala at Udupi on 20th December, 1905 writes," Ia m glad to say that I found the institution making good progress. Great credit is due to Hari Ranga Bhatjee, Dasagranthi for having taken pains to revive vedic learning in our midst and the success with which God has blessed his earnest and almost entirely unselfish labours in this good cause...". Also the then Deputy Collector of Adoni, V. Rama Rau in his letter dated 9.3.1906 writes, "It is certainly creditable to the good and intelligent citizens of Udupi that there is among the Gowda Saraswath Brahmin community of that place a well organised Vedic Patasala ably conducted by Brahmasri Hari Ranga Bhatjee, which I had the great pleasure in visiting. The way in which the recitations are made. is simply enchanting, and | was V pleased to find that the able teacher has been giving his pupils practical lessons..." The other eminent personality who wrote on Brahmasri Hari Ranga Bhatjee was Sahitya Kusalan M. Seshagiri Prabhu a well known Malayalam Grammarian and Sanskrit Scholar who in his letter dated 2-6-1916 writes, "...He has studied the Rik Samhita both in its Samhita and in Padapatha, the Aitereya Brahmana апа Arayakas and also the six Vedangas. He canrecite апу portion of these ten granthas in the orthodox fashion... He is well-up in Prayoga or in the ritual of all the important Samskaras and can train up young purohits in theirreligious work...." ү Besides Vedic Teacher, he was found to be a Historian, Research Scholar, Writer and contributor of articles which appeared in Malayalam monthly 'Saraswatha Mitram'. Also it is seen from the letter addressed under date 3-1-1906 to Ammembal Subha Rau Pai, High Court Vakil and Founder of Canara Bank by Hari Ranga Bhatjee that the founding of Veda Patasala at Mangalore originated from the guidelines and advice givento A. Subha Rau Pai by Hari Ranga Bhatjee. Hari Ranga Bhat was proficient in many a language and knew besides Konkani. his mother tongue, Sanskrit, Marathi, Kannada, Hindi, Urudu, Tulu and Malayalam. He played an important role for women education in Kerala by sending his daughter N. M. Saraswathi Bai, the first woman teacher of Kerala who entered teaching profession defying orthodoxy, as a VI