Written by London Swaminathan
Post No. 970; Dated 10th April 2014

Hindus always think about big numbers. ‘Aim High’ was their motto. Looking at the tallest peak in the world, they thought only lofty things. From the Rig Veda, the oldest scripture in the world, we read hymns with big decimal numbers. Their Yuga calculation and the life span of one Manu or one Brahma give us mind boggling numbers. This shows that they were not primitive nomads, but great mathematicians. Later scriptures support this view. Here is one more amazing figure of 640 million (64 Crore) women in another hymn!!

Bhaskara Raya (1690 – 1785) was a great devotee of Mother Goddess. Born In Maharashtra and educated at Kasi (Varanasi), he attained fame in Tamil Nadu by writing a commentary to the Lalita Sahasranamam. It is a monumental work. He wrote and explained the meaning of all the 1008 names of goddess with great insight and scholarship. Normally a person cannot write such a work unless there is divine grace. His life shows he was a blessed one.

Bhaskara’s father Gambira Rayar was a scholar and he taught him a Mantra on Sarasvati which helped him to get the gift of the gab. He mastered many subjects in his early age under Narasimhananda nath in Varanasi. But Gangadhara Vajpayee is the one who taught him Gauda sastras. He learnt Atharvan Veda and started giving discourses about Devi Mahatmiya. It is one of the Upa Puranas that describes the greatness of Goddess (Devi in Sanskrit).

He married Anandhi and later Parvati. He initiated his first wife into the worship of the goddess. She also mastered the subject and was instrumental in building a temple for her husband after his death.

Bhaskararaya, before migrating to Tamil Nadu at the invitation of Marathi King of Thanjavur, went to Gujarat and other places and won many awards. He defeated many scholars in debates. Marathi king of Thajavur (Tamil Nadu) gifted him a village near Thiruvalankadu and he died at the ripe old age in Thiruvidaimarudur. The village that was given to him is called Bhaskararayapuram.

Maha Chathushashti Koti Gana Sevitha (worshipped by 640 million)

A few miracles are also attributed to him. When he was living in the holy city of Kasi, some scholars who were jealous or who don’t like his way of Tantrik worship, challenged him in the public. They wanted to tarnish his image. Bhaskararaya wanted to settle the score once and for all and so invited them for a Yaga he performed. His opponents who were waiting for an opportunity attended the fire ceremony (Yaga). They tried to trap him by asking some unanswerable questions. One of the names in the list of 1008 names, describes the Goddess surrounded 640 million Yoginis (devoted women assistants). The scholars asked him to explain the term .He explained it immediately. Then they asked him to recite the names of all the 640 million Yoginis and explain their appearance, origin and history. With the help of his intuition he got ready and asked them to copy whatever he says. The challengers were ready with pen and paper (in those days it was palm leaves and ink or stylus). He kept on giving names one after another with minute descriptions. They realised his greatness before long and fell at his feet. Another enlightened soul in the crowd, Kunkumananda Swami, warned all the challengers not to test him. The reason was that he could see the goddess herself sitting on his shoulder reciting the 640 million names.

The Lalita Sahasranamam commentary known as “Sowbagya Sagaram” is an authority on Goddess Worship. In addition to his monumental commentary on the 1008 names of the goddess, he wrote some Sanskrit books. It is said that he was inspired by goddess herself to write the commentary. The commentary is divided into twelve parts named after 12 aspects of the sun. He said in his introduction that this commentary will be appreciated by all from Gandhara (Afghanistan) in the West to Kamarupa (Assam) in the East and Kedar (Himalayas) in the North to Ram Setu in the South. He knew all the secrets and deep mysteries of Mantra sastras.

Another miracle attributed to him was burning a Danda (holy stick of another saint) of an ascetic. The saffron clad ascetic used to go to Shiva temple through the street where Bhaskararaya was living. Everyone in the street fell at the feet of that ascetic except Bhaskara. One day in the presence of ascetic someone questioned his behaviour. Then he asked the ascetic to place his Danda and his saffron cloth on the ground. Holy men should carry the holy stick whenever they go out. As soon as Bhaskara prostrated before the cloth and stick to pay his respects, they were in flames. Then he told the crowd that this was the reason he did not prostrate before the ascetic. It was very clear that he was more powerful than the ascetic.
His commentary stands as a proof for his immense scholarship. From North to South it is the Veda for all the Devi Upasakas (Worshippers of Mother Goddess).

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