[Advaita-l] Modern day seer: Brahmarshi Devarata

[Praveen Bhat]

praNAm all,

A year and a half back, I heard about a seer from Gokarna, Brahmarshi
Devarata devarAta) who was with Vasishta Ganapati Muni since his
childhood days. During his dhyAna one day, Devarata began to chant
something loudly which was not known during the time. When Ganapati
Muni heard it, he started writing it down since he knew that it was
part of the Vedas, then extinct. These were later recognized to be Rik
mantras by Vedic pandits and called as chhAndoga darshana. Ganapati
Muni has himself written an introduction/ commentary to the same. In a
book exhibition at Honnavara, I managed to fetch an old, torn, copy of
the same, but unfortunately its no longer in print. Perhaps,
hopefully, there are efforts going on to reprint the same.

Around a month back, Devarata's idol was inaugurated at Gokarna where
he had set up a Vedic school long back which got washed away due to
its proximity to the sea. Its not so much of an ashram, but just two
rooms built one over the other, with the idol on the 1st floor and
plans to make Devarata's photos and books available on the ground
floor. The ashram is at a 10-15 minute walk from Gokarna kshetra,
a.k.a. dakshiNa kAshi. A book was released in Kannada on Devarata's
life by swarNavalli maTha, recently, at Sonda, Sirsi, Karnataka. Those
interested may kindly contact the maTha.

On my visit to Gokarna last month, I returned with a feeling of shame
that not much support is provided by the govt to preserve works of the
only (?) known modern day mantra dRshTa, much less publicizing it!

Om tat sat,
--Praveen Bhat
/* Through what should one know That owing to which all this is known!
--Br.Up. 4.5.15 */