My Yatras (ನನ್ನ ಯಾತ್ರೆಗಳು)

Photograph of Yantrodharaka 2

Importance of yentrodhAraka hanumAn

Around 1500, shrI vyAsarAja started installing 732 hanumAn vigrahAs all over the kingdom starting with the yantrOdhAraka hanumAn (ಯನ್ತ್ರೋಧಾರಕ ಹನುಮಾನ್) at chakrathIrtha near Hampi. He also composed an ashTaka on hanumAn. There is an interesting anecdote about yantrOdhAraka hanumAn vigraha.

One day in chakrathIrtha (ಚಕ್ರಥೀರ್ಥ) while meditating on mukhya prAna dEvaru (ಮುಖ್ಯ ಪ್ರಾನ ದೇವರು) , he was inspired by mukhya prAna to draw a picture of hanumantha on one of the rocks on the hill. As per the inspiration shrI vyAsa tIrtha (ಶ್ರೀ ವ್ಯಾಸ ತೀರ್ಥ) drew a picture of hanumantha on the rock. It suddenly disappeared. He tried drawing once again. It disappeared again. Then shrI vyAsa tIrtha (ಶ್ರೀ ವ್ಯಾಸ ತೀರ್ಥ) applied digbhandhana (ದಿಗ್ಭನ್ಧನ) and the picture remained and took the form of a vigraha. To this day people who wish to master manthra siddhi, come to this place and practice to achieve their desires.

shrI vijaya dAsa has sung about this hanumAn in his dEvaranAma (ದೇವರನಾಮ) -

ಯೆನ್ತು ವರ್ಣಿಪೆ ನಮ್ಮ, ಯತಿಯಾ, ಯೆನ್ತು ವರ್ಣಿಪೆ ನಮ್ಮಾ
ಯೆನ್ತ್ರೊಧಾರಕನಾಗಿ ಮೆರ್ವನಾ, ಯೆನ್ತು ವರ್ಣಿಪೆ ನಮ್ಮ