Oh Lord Madhava, Purushothama, and Lakshmi Nivasabhoota, may you be pleasedwith me, who is remembering your “leele”! Bhaskara, a brahmin belonging to the caste of Gautama Rishi, wanted to have the darshan of Vyasa Rishi. To fulfill his heartfelt desire, he visited several piligrim centers enroute to Himavat Mountain. On reaching the Himavat Mountain, Bhaskara was intensely praying and deeply thinking how to realize hiswish of seeing Rishi Vyasa. In his deep sleep, he dreamt of Rishi Vyasa who blessed him as follows:
“Oh Brahmin, normally I am not visible to ordinary men. I am highly pleased to appear before you, after seeing your staunch devotion, your visits to Punya Kshetras and your selfless service in pilgrim centers. Please share with me your wishes and I will fulfill them. I am indeed Vyasa. You are worthy of my boons”.
Bhaskara responded: “Oh Swami! Please let me know where I should reside and who I should pray to. Kindly enlighten me to be successful”. Sage Vyasa started telling Bhaskara a story as follows:
“Oh Brahamana, let me tell you the story of a brahmin born into the “Yayavara tribe” from Karnataka. “Yayavara” literally means those that migrate to a different village every day.
Once a Yayavara Brahmin by the name of Madhava started on a pilgrimage tour. He was well versed in Vedas and was a single person without a spouse or children. Madhava visited the pilgrim center of Varanasi,holy Ganges River, crossed several mountains such as Shreeshaila and came upon several places of worship including that of Lord Srinivasa. Upon reaching the banks of Cauvery, Madhava visited Sri Ranganatha temple and thereafter started going towards North for two days before coming upon a “mantap” near a pond.
On completing his ablutions in the pond and saying his prayers of Sandhyavandana, he was wonderstruck by sighting a big anthill. He began to hear melodious music emanating from instruments such as Veena and Mridangam as well as the sound of female voices and anklets. As he was listening to the celestial music, he sighted young angels dressed in silk and elaborate ornaments who began to offer prayers intensely to the anthill with flowers and fruits. They also sang melodiously and danced around the anthill gracefully and disappeared very quickly”.
“At the same moment, Sage Narada came and stood by the East side of the anthill and began to sing by playing his Veena. Madhava who was intensely listening to the music emanating from sage Narada slowly approached the latterwith folded hands. Smilingly, Sage Narada enquires Madhava thus: “Who are you? Why have you come to this thick forest in the middle of the night? What do you want to ask of me? I am Narada. I am here to serve Sri Hari who resides in this anthill”.
Madhava responds: “Which is this Anthill? Which God resides inside the anthill? In what shape does that God appear? What boons that God grants? Who was worshipping this deity in the past? When will this anthill disappear? When will allthe devotees get the darshan of the deity? I beg of you. Kindly enlighten me. I am highly eager to hear the secrets from you”.
“Sage Narada responds with a smile: Oh brahmana! success will be upon you. You are the blessed one. This anthill appears bright as a fire in the night. The only reason the anthill appears bright is because Lord Sri Hari resides inside theanthill. Inside the anthill is the beautiful and auspicious statue of Lord Srinivasa with Prabhavali. On both sides of the “vigraha” are the statues of Goddess Padmavathi.
This statue was worshipped daily by Sudhanva, son of King Hamsadhwaja. At that time, Sudhanva’s place was a village called “Champaka”. Eventually the town was destroyed, and there emerged a forest upon the ruins of the town. The anthill grew over the statue to make sure that it was not damaged.
Daily, a cow comes by and offers the “ksheerabhisheka” on the statue. No one knows about this. Until the time people come upon the anthill in large numbers and witness the “ksheerabhisheka” and clear the anthill, may you reside in this place and offer daily prayers to Lord Srinivasa with devotion!
Once the devotees gather and clear the anthill and build a temple, may you live by offering prayers with devotion and concentration and realize the grace of Sri Hari.
However, do not stay in this area in the night, as angels visit this place at that time. This is a blessed land, as gandharvas, angels, and sages have worshipped in this place. This holy place has also been worshipped by kings such as Sudhanva.
In addition, there are statues of Keshava, Ishvara, and Anjaneya near the tank. So saying, Sage Narada explained the rituals of “Pooja Vidhana” and disappeared. There upon a celestial shower of flowers took place”.
At dawn, Madhava bathes in the tank and, by searching all over the forest, finds beautiful flowers and fruits for worshipping Lord Srinivasa. Thereupon, he sits in the mantap, contemplating all the things that have happened. A herd of cows arrives at the place along with the cowherds who are minding the herd. A cow starts ksheerabhisheka to the anthill and starts smelling the anthill. The cowherds who are surprised, call out to others and find Madhava who had offered elaborate pooja to the anthill. Madhava gives out flowers and fruits to the cowherds after the cow stops the ksheerabhisheka. This then became a ritual for Madhava and cowherds who began to come near the anthill every day and receive the “prasada”of flowers and fruits from Madhava. The cowherds started to bring flowers, fruits, milk, yogurt, ghee, and honey for the daily pooja.
Eventually, at the request of the villagers and cowherds, Madhava started pouring water on the anthill until the statue became visible and the anthill was cleared. There was an outpouring of divine music and a celestial shower of flowers! The villagers felt blessed! Madhava found the statues of Lord Srinivasa and two statues of Goddess Padmavathi upon further digging of the anthill. He and the villagers built a bigger mantapa and installed the idols. He started offering daily worship to the Lord with utmost devotion and concentration. Villagers from the surrounding areas started coming regularly and started celebrating the Brahma Rathotsava in every Vaishaka masa. This province gained fame as Sampige village, as there used to be a place called Champaka in the past in the same location.
Once upon a time, a brahmin by the name of Bhargava who visited Kashi or Varanasi came on foot to Sampige village and planted the Bilva plant he had brought along with him from Kashi without anyone being aware of the same.The
same plant grew into a big Bilva tree, where Goddess Lakshmi resides! There are two Neem trees to the east of the temple, whose leaves are sweet. Near that tree, Sudhanva was put into hot oil by his father. Even now, the waterdrops from Monsoon showers look like oil drops. Lord Srinivasa Mahotsava continues as it did during the times of Sudhanva.
Whoever listens to the kshetra mahatme of Sampige are indeed blessed. Lord Srinivasa will bestow upon such persons his choicest blessings. Those desirous of wealth would beget wealth; students would beget education; those desirous of longevity would be blessed with longevity; those desirous of good health would beget good health; and thosedesirous of “Mukti” would attain “Mukti”. This is the Truth!
So, Bhaskara, go to Sampige. With a free mind, worship Lord Srinivasa and live happily with your disciples. At the time of your departure, share with one disciple all that I have told you and attain salvation. That disciple will, with your blessing, write “Sampige Mahatme” in the form of a book. Let Sampige Kshetra flourish as long as the Sun and Moon exist. May you be blessed. Go to Sampige Kshetra tomorrow”. Sage Vyasa disappears in the dream after saying all of this to Bhaskara.
Bhaskara in turn sets out in search of Sampige to the south of Himavat Mountain and finds an old Brahmin after a few days who looks like the one he had seen in the dream and bows to him in total surrender. The old Brahmin blesses Bhaskara and says, “Oh Brahmin, the Kshetra that Sage Vyasa told you about and the one you are searching for is nearby. You go there tomorrow and be happy.”
Bhaskara reaches Sampige village, spends his time devoted to Lord Srinivasa, and waits for a disciple. Eventually, the disciple arrives and learns all the information related to Sampige from Bhaskara, who orders him to write a book on Sampige and its Kshetra Mahatva. After this, Bhaskara attained salvation at the Lotus feet of Lord Srinivasa. Thereafter, the disciple performed the last rites of Bhaskara and fulfilled the wishes of his Guru. As per Bhaskara’s order, the Sampige Mahatme was written by his disciple.
Lord Sri Hari’s Charanadvaya is my ultimate destination. Oh Lord Srinivasa, you who reside in Sampige, whose Lotus feet are worshipped by Sage Narada and others, in whose heart resides Goddess Lakshmi, who is seated on the pedestal marked by Garuda, who is flanked by Bhoodevi and Sridevi, and the Lord of Godsand Goddesses, my salutations to you!