Madhvacarya
is generally shown with two fingers upraised. This indicates his philosophy of dvaita
or duality.
(Life and Teachings)
By
Bannanje Govindacharya
Foreword
Acharya Madhva, the 13th century saint and philosopher,
incarnated in Parashurama Kshetra (present day
Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka State).
Acharya Madhva propounded in his teachings that there are
two realities in the Universe. The first one is called
as Independent reality that is God Himself and the second
is the dependent reality comprising of the universe,
matter and souls. Acharya Madhva established 8 maThas called ashTamaThas in Udupi, besides installing Lord
Krishna there, and one maTha
outside Udupi, all for the propagation of bhakthi which is the quintessence of
Vedic lore.
Vidyavachaspati Shri Bannanje Govindacharya's name ranks as one of the top
most among the contemporary
scholars and exponents of adhyAtma of our country. He had edited the Sarvamula Granthas
of Shri
Madhvacharya from the original manuscript of Hrishikesha
tirtha, the first disciple of Acharya Madhva. He can
also speak and write with authority and depth on Vedas,
Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Bhagavatha,
Bhagavadgeetha and Samskrutha literature. His expressions
through words, written and said, carry new
dimensions and inner vision to the people who read and hear
him.
Bangalore 29.5.1997
Shri Bannanje Gonvidacharya’s Sixtieth Birthday
Felicitation Samiti,
Bangalore.
3
MADHVACHARYA
Vasudeva
Karnataka is a land that has nurtured all religions, which
has supported intellectuals and which has given the
world great thinkers and saints.
For instance, let us take the three celebrated Acharyas.
Acharya Sankara is from Kerala. But Sringeri, one of the
most important religious centers (maThas) established by him, is situated in Karnataka. Acharya
Ramanuja is
from Tamil Nadu. But his favorite place Melukote is in
Karnataka. As for Acharya Madhva, he is of course a
glorious son of Karnataka and proud gift of Karnataka to
the field of World Philosophy.
In Karnataka, who does not know South Kanara District? And
in the district, the taluk of
Udupi, and, in that
again, the city of Udupi
with the temple
of Krishna holding the
churning-rod? Belle1 is a village about eight
kilometers south of Udupi. Close to it is a lovely hamlet
called Paje2 bounded by rocks and hillocks. Acharya
Madhva was born in this unknown hamlet. This inconspicuous
village came to be celebrated as a holy place of
pilgrimage by the birth of this Acharya. It gained
celebrity as 'Pajaka-Ksetra'.
We should go back 744 years from now. As many as 4338 years
have passed since the inception of the Kaliyuga3
and the 4339th year is running. Indeed, the Vijayadasami,
following Navaratri, in the bright half of the
month Asvayuja in the year Vilambi (1238 CE) is a day of
great festivity. On the afternoon of that day, Acharya
Madhva was born in this tiny hamlet of Kamataka4. The name
given to the child by his father was 'Vasudeva'.
The Acharya's father belonged to the family of Nadillaya5.
Narayana Panditacharya who wrote a biography of
the Acharya has not recorded the names of the Acharya's
parents. But it is believed by some that the father's
name was Nadillaya Narayana Bhatta and the mother's name
was Vedavati.
Purnaprajna: Anandatirtha: Madhva
Even from childhood, the religious student Vasudeva had
spiritual leanings. He was drawn to the path of
renunciation. Further, he possessed an extraordinary
intelligence. While the parents were eager to prepare him
4
to set up a family, Vasudeva went far away from home and
family, thinking that the entire universe was his
home. Even as a young boy of eleven years, he chose
initiation into the monastic order from Achyuta-prajna, a
reputed ascetic of the time, near Udupi, in the year Saumya
(1249 CE).6 The preceptor Acyuta-prajna7 gave the
boy Vasudeva the name of 'Pumaprajna' at the time of his
initiation into samnyasa.
Only within forty days of his initiation into Sanmyasa, a
very remarkable episode occured in Acharya's career.
Expert scholars in Tarka (Logic) of nation-wide fame, such
as Vasudeva-pandita, arrived in Udupi in the course
of their search for a competitor who might conquer them in
debate. This proud scholar who had sounded his
drum of victory everywhere in the country was defeated by
the little monk- Purnaprajna.
Rejoicing at the extraordinary brilliance of the little
monk, his preceptor Acyuta-prajna consecrated Purnaprajna
as the head of the empire of Vedanta and conferred on him
the title 'Anandatirtha'.
Another time, a Buddhist scholar visited the holy center of
Acyuta-prajna. He was accompanied by another
scholar, Vadisimha, who had embraced Buddhism after his
defeat by Buddhisagara in a philosophical debate,
though he was originally a follower of Vedic religion.
Purna-prajna silenced both these Buddhist scholars who had
traveled all over the country winning certificates of
victory in philosophical debates. The joy of Acyuta-prajna
was boundless. The title Ananda-tirtha conferred by
him on Puma-prajna at the time of the latter's consecration
function became indeed meaningful.
Thus Puma-prajna is the Acharya's name given to him at the
time of Samnyasa. The name conferred on him at
the time of consecration as the Master of Vedanta is
'Ananda- tirtha'. And the favorite nom de plume assumed
by him by choice is the Vedic name 'Madhva". The
Acharya gained publicity later on by this favorite name
itself, traceable to the Vedas.
Southern Tour
The Acharya set out on a tour of South
India even in his teens. He visited prominent places of pilgrimage
like
Anantasayana, Kanyakumari, Ramesvara and Sriranga. Wherever
he went, he delivered discourses and
preached the message of his Tattvavada or religious truth
to the people. This initiated a new discussion among
scholars all over India. The Acharya refuted in clear
terms a few age-old beliefs. He started that spirituality
5
should not be mixed up with superstitions. As a result,
there was hot opposition to him from some orthodox
extremists. But the Acharya braved it all with courage,
without yielding to any mean threats.
The urge which was deeply surging in the heart of the
Acharya for long turned into a firm resolve as a result of
this tour. 'The superstitions in the way of this path of
philosophical truth should be wiped out! My whole life
should be dedicated to the spread of ultimate truth.'
The first task accomplished by the Acharya as soon as he
returned to Udupi, after adopting this firm resolve,
was the writing of a commentary (bhasya) on the
Bhagavadgita.
The Call of Badri
In course of time, the Acharya desired to tour North India and to spread the message of vedic religion
far and
wide. The holy center of Badri beckoned him irresistibly.
Fired by the wish to visit holy places like Vyasa's
hermitage, the penance-grove of Nara-Narayana etc., and to
present his commentary on the Gita as a tribute to
sage Vyasa, the Acharya moved straight to Badri. There he
observed a vow of strict silence for 48 days, bathing
in the holy Ganga. And then he set out alone towards
Vyasa-Badri, his cherished destination.
After his return from there, the task of writing a
commentary on the Bramha-sutras came to be undertaken by
the Acharya. The Acharya never wrote any work of his by
hand. It was his practice to dictate continuously to
his disciples who would take them down. His composition of
works was as facile as his discourse. A disciple of
the Acharya, Satya-tirtha by name, reduced to writing in
palmleaves, what ever was dictated by the Acharya.
In the meantime, the Acharya's influence had spread far and
wide throughout the country. Scholars all over
India were stunned by his extra-ordinary genius, never seen
or heard of before. The circle of his disciples grew
bigger and bigger. Some ascetics got initiation from him
and were admitted into the order of samnyasa.
Once, while returning from Badri, the Acharya was camping
en-route in a holy place on the banks of the
Godavari. Here he was accosted by an eminent pundit,
Sobhana-bhatta by name. This person was well known in
that region as a peerless scholar. This visit changed the
entire career of the man. Seeing the extraordinary
personality of the Acharya, and listening to his wonderful
discourses, he was so much overwhelmed that he
became the Acharya's disciple and joined his retinue.
6
Achyuta Prajna's cup of happiness was full on seeing
Acharya Madhva back home after his resounding victory
in all parts of the country and on his rich retinue of
disciples hailing from different places. Though in the
beginning he too had his own doubts about the Acharya's
view of ultimate reality (Tattvavada), now he became
a whole-hearted adherent of the Acharya's new philosophy.
Installation of Krishna - Return
to Badri
The Acharya who stayed in the environs of Udupi for some
more time wrote his bhasyas or authoritative
commentaries on all the ten Upanisads. He composed glosses
on forty hymns of the Rigveda, opening up for the
first time its vista of spiritual significance. He also
wrote the treatise Bhagavata-tatparya highlighting the
essential teachings of the Puranas. Many topical handbooks
were also authored by him to suit different
occasions. A large number of devotional songs too were
composed by him which could be sung by his disciples,
while moving with him in groups.
It was during this period that the Acharya installed the
image of Krishna9 which he found in the western ocean
near the Udupi sea-coast. After sometime, he left some
disciples behind for performing Krishna's worship and
undertook his second tour to Badri.
Once the Acharya had to cross the river Ganga. The other
bank was under Muslim rule. Although stopped by
the Muslim soldiers on the other side, the Acharya boldly
crossed the river and reached the other bank. He was
taken before the Muslim ruler who was filled with wonder by
the boldness of the ascetic10. The Acharya said: I
worship that Father who illumines the entire universe; and
so do you. Are we not both children of that only
God? Why should I fear then either your soldiers or you?'.
Hearing such words for the first time from the mouth of a
Hindu monk, the Muslim king was astounded. He was
filled with reverence for this unique monk. He begged the
Acharya to stay permanently in his kingdom and
offered gifts of several jagirs. But the Acharya who was
free from wordily cravings, rejected the offer and
walked on to Badri, with the monk's staff in his hand.
Once, when his party, was attacked by a band of robbers on
the difficult road to the Himalayas The Acharya
made his pupil Upendra-tirtha silence them after a fierce
flight. He used to say: ‘One should cultivate strength
7
of body even like strength of mind; it is impossible for a
weak body to house a strong mind’. Accordingly he
had made his disciples achieve strength in their body as
well as in their Vedantic pursuit.
To the people of that time, the Acharya’s physical strength
itself was something miraculous, because his body
was strong and adamant. Even to this day, the huge rock-
boulder lifted up and placed in the river Bhadra by the
Acharya, near Kalsa bears witness to his Herculean
strength. This incident is confined by the sentence inscribed
on that stone.11
The Acharya had darshan once again of Lord Narayana and of
sage Vyasa. On his return home thereafter, he
wrote the treatise - Mahabharata-tatparya-nirnaya. On his
way home, he visited Kashi. There he held a
philosophical debate with an elderly Advaita ascetic,
Amarendra Puri. Sri Puri had to go away silently, humbled
by the dazzling genius of the Acharya.
Then came Kuruksetra. Here occurred a strange episode. The
Acharya got a mound there excavated and
demonstrated to his disciples the buried mace of (the epic
hero) Bhima therein; and once again had it buried
under the ground.
Later on, the Acharya arrived in Goa on his way back to
Udupi. With his sweet music there he enthralled the
audience. The Acharya's musical genius also was as unique
as his perfect physique and brilliant intellect.
Writers contemporaneous with the Acharya have acclaimed
rapturously the Acharya's musical expertise as well
as his rich melody of voice.
Everything Unique
As already stated, Acharya Madhva toured over the length
and breadth of India twice. He propounded his philosophy
of theism (tattva-vada) before the best scholars of the
country. The whole assembly of the learned was
humbled by his brilliant genius.
The Acharya rescued from oblivion several sections of the
Vedic literature that had become obsolete by his
time. He also showed the way of synthesizing revelation
(sruti) with mythology (Purana). He brought out the
hidden spiritual significance in Vedic literature12 . He
challenged the veracity of twenty one bhasyas or
8
expositions of the Brahmasutras which had been in the field
up to his time, and made people subject them to a
reconsideration13.
Thus, Acharya Madhva's is a unique personality in Indian
history, with a many-sided genius. He was a
matchless scholar in philosophy. He was a unique research
explorer in the Veda and the literature on the Veda.
He was a profound specialist in ancillary Vedic branches of
study like astronomy, phonetics, ritualism etc. He
was highly accomplished in the science of sculpture. He was
the founder-preceptor who gave a form of its own
to Karnataka Music. He was a great composer of musical
songs, and an eloquent orator. What is more, he was a
man of strong body with a well-proportioned physique; and
yet a bold selfless monk with utter unconcern to all
these extra-ordinary endowments.
Christianity too had spread slightly at the time of the
Acharya. Islam had spread already to a remarkable extent
in North India. In Karnataka too, Jainism and Virasaivism
had taken deep root along with a plethora of other
religions of India. Against the background of all these
religions, the revival of Vedic religion became the
Acharya's primary mission.
In this task of religious revival, the tradition established
by the Acharya too was unique. He wrote several works
in Sanskrit devoted to distilling the essence of the
sastras or authoritative texts to suit the learned. But those
advanced treatises were hardly within the reach of the
masses. Hence the Acharya, who was a great musician
and composer himself, wrote lyrical pieces meant to be sung
in lucid Sanskrit. He got musical songs (kirtanas)
composed in Kannada by his disciples and made them popular
by arranging them to be recited by bhagavatas or
professional songsters. This Kirthana literature,
inaugurated by Naraharitirtha grew sumptuously in the hands of
later preceptors like Sripadaraja, Sri Vyasatirtha and Sri
Vadiraja. This tradition of music-composer-monks
continued till Sri Raghavendra Swamin who was a profound
musician on the lute (vina). Thus the Vyasapathway
grew into the dasa pathway in Kannada. This tradition
yielded to the Kannada region such mysticsaints
as Sri Purandaradasa, Kanakadasa, Vijayadasa, Gopaladasa
and Jagannathadasa. Even women-mystics
like Helavanakatte Giriyamma illumined this tradition. The
original founder of this tradition of expounding the
Vedic message in Kannada was Acharya Madhva; it should not
be forgotten that he was the source-head of
inspiration for all these later authors. It is indeed
because of this farsighted vision of the Acharya that the holy
Ganga of dasasahitya flowed in the Kannada land and made
Kannada literature more glorious than ever.
9
The Acharya's contribution is not limited to what we noted
so far. He brought into vogue a new medium of folkart
in the open-air theatre known as Bhagavatara ata and
Dasavatarada ata (show of Ten Incarnations) through
his disciple Narahari-tirtha. This art has continued up to
our time developing into an effective medium of folkart
in the districts of North and South Kanara and had received
recognition in India and abroad. This art, in its
turn, gave inspiration for the development of Kucupudi
art-form in Andhra.
The many sided genius of the Acharya is indeed amazing.
What is even more amazing is the fact that the
Kannada people are entirely unaware of the extensive
contribution of this great son of the Kannada soil.
Last Days
After his return home from the second tour, the Acharya
took the lead in initiating such social reforms within
the environs of Udupi. Although he was mature in mind and
on the other side of sixty by now, he had to face
some opposition in his birthplace itself. A section of
orthodoxy opposing his new message was still active.
It was about this time that an Advaita ascetic,
Pundarika-Puri by name, came to Udupi seeking a debate with the
Acharya and had to go back in utter discomfiture.
Meanwhile, a monk called Padmatirtha arranged for the theft
of the rare library of the Acharya, kept in the custody of
one Pejattaya Sankara Pandita in Kasaragodu. The
Acharya be took himself to Kasaragodu and defeated
Padma-tirtha in a philosophical debate. The cream of the
Acharya's thesis on that occasion was reduced to writing by
the disciples. This itself became a treatise called
Vada (lit 'thesis') or Tattvoddyota. Later on, Jayasimha of
Kumble, the king of the Tulu region, invited the
Acharya to his court and honored him by arranging for the
return of his stolen library. Pejattaya Trivikrama
Panditacharya, who was the royal preceptor of the time,
carried on a long debate with the Acharya for fifteen
days and at last became his disciple, bowing down to the
latter's greatness. He then wrote a matchless
commentary called Tattva-dipika on the Acharya's Brahma-sutra-
bhasya and thus paid his tribute to the guru.
The Acharya too was equally fond of Trivikrama pandita. It
was in answer to the request of this devoted pupil
that the Acharya wrote an extensive commentary in verse,
viz, Anu-vyakhyana on the Brahma-sutras. The
Acharya was dictating this work- to four disciples
simultaneously, on each of the four chapters, without any
break. At the same time, the composition of the work
Nyayavivarana was also completed.
Acharya Madhva completed his four-monthly stay (chaturmasya)
at Kasaragodu and returned to Pajaka. There
he initiated his brother into the monastic order, since he
was longing for it with a deep sense of detachment.
10
This was Sri Vishnutirtha, the first pontiff of the present
day Sodematha and Subramanyamatha. About the
same time, Sobhana-bhatta living on the bank of the
Godavari also came to receive initiation into samnyasa
from the Acharya. He became famous later on as
Padmanabha-tirtha, the founder of the line of pontiffs in
Desastha-mathas.
Both before and after the initiation of these two, several
disciples form various regions of the country got their
initiation into samnyasa from the Acharya. Among them, the
names of eight disciples who chose to stay on in
Udupi as pontiffs of different mathas are as under, in the
order of their initiation":
1. Hrisikesa-tirtha (Palimaru matha)
2. Narasimha-tirtha (Adamaru-matha)
3. Janardana-tirtha (Krsnapura-matha)
4. Upendra-tirtha (Puttige-matha)
5. Vamana-tirtha (Sirur-matha)
6. Vishnu-tirtha (Sode-matha)
7. Srirama-tirtha (Kaniyuru-matha)
8. Adhoksaja-tirtha (Pejavara-matha)
The other two celebrated samnyasin-disciples of the Acharya
are:
9. Padmanabha-tirtha (Desastha-mathas)
10. Narahari-tirthal15
When Padmanabha-tirtha was initiated into samnyasa is not
definitely known. There were several who had got
initiation before him. It appears that he should have been
initiated into the order some time between the dates
when these eight pontiffs were initiated into the order.
The Acharya was now seventy. Even at this age, he toured
all over the district and engaged himself in educating
the general public. He composed for the benefit of a good
natured Brahmin, Eda-Paditaya, in the village Idya16,
the literary work "Krsnamrtamaharnava". Then he
went on to Ujire and exposed there the spiritual aspect of
ritualism in order to open the eyes of Brahmins who had
faith in the ultimacy of rituals. This discourse itself
came to be published later under the title of
Khandartha-nimaya (Karmanimaya). Next he visited
11
Panchalingesvara temple at Paranti, which he found in a
dilapidated condition, without any worship or festivity.
He made arrangements for the resumption of proper worship
there according to the rituals prescribed by the
ancient scriptures (agamas).
The Acharya's life span of 79 years was thus one teeming
with activity. When he thought that his life mission
had been served, he put the responsibility of carrying on
the tradition of this Tattvavada or philosophical thesis
on the shoulders of his disciples and betook himself to
Badri, all alone, without any thought or care. The day on
which he thus proceeded to Badri was the ninth in the
bright half of the month Magha in the Kali year 4418
(1317 CE). Even now, the anniversary of the Acharya is
celebrated as Madhvanavami on the said day itself17. .
Tradition as it has Developed
The disciples of the Acharya, both pontifical and lay,
continued this tradition with devout zeal. They nourished
the young plant by supplying it constantly with the waters
of their penance and erudition. Hundreds of
dialectical treatises came to be written. Among the writers
belonging to this school we may roughly classify
some outstanding ones in the following chronological order:
Vishnu-tirtha, Padmanabha-tirtha, Narahari-tirtha,
Trivikrama- panditacharya, Narayana Panditacharya, Vamana-
Panditacharya, (Traivikramaryadasa)18, Jayatirtha
(Tikacharya), Vijayadhvaja-tirtha, Visnudasacharya,
Vyasa-tirtha, Vadiraja, Vijayindra-tirtha,
Raghavendra-Swamin, Yadupati-acharya, etc.
The Acharya did not earn any huge establishment or property
for his matha. All the property that he left as
legacy to his disciple-pontiffs was just a casket for
keeping the gods of daily worship, a staff and a piece of
cloth tied on the sides like a bag to receive alms
(jolige). Later, the mathas took better shape as the number of
their devout adherents became more and more. Below is a
broad sketch of the Madhva- mathas now existing:
The number of mathas which came into being in Udupi itself,
yoked to the responsibility of Krishna-worship is
eight:
1. Palimaru-matha19
2. Adamaru-matha
3. Krsnapura-matha
12
4. Puttige-matha
5. Sirur-matha
6. Sode-matha
7. Kaniyuru Matha
8. Pejavara Matha
It is a local custom to call the mathas after the names of
villages where the original gifted properties of the
matha are situated. Thus the matha which had its property
in the village Palimaru is now called Palimaru-matha.
The older name of the Sode-matha was Kumbhasi-matha. Later
on, in the time of Vadiraja, when the matha was
established at Sode in North Kanara, it became famous as
Sode- matha.
The mathas in Karnataka which were developed respectively
by Sri Padmanabha-tirtha, Narahari-tirtha,
Madhav- tirtha and Aksobhya-tirtha are eight:
9. Uttaradi-matha
10. Sosale Vyasaraya-matha
11. Kundapura-Vyasaraya-matha
12. Raghavendra-matha
13. Mulubagilu-matha
14. Majigehalli-matha
15. Kudli-matha
16. Balegaru (Banagara)-matha
13
For the first four mathas the founder-pontiffs are the
first four mentioned above, viz, from Padmanabha-tirtha to
Aksobhya-tirtha. A traditional branch of Vyasaraya-matha
itself came to be established at Kundapura in the
district of South kanara and came to be termed
Kundapura-Vyasaraya- matha.
Another branch of the matha founded by Padmanabha- tirtha
became Mulubagilu-matha. Sripadaraja (alias
Srilakshminarayana-tirtha) who was one of the pioneers of
dasa-literature and the preceptor of Vyasa-tirtha was
one of the illustrious pontiffs who illumined the tradition
of this matha.
Still another branch of Madhava-tirtha established a matha
at Majjige-halli which also came to be developed. In
the same way, two branches of Akshobhya-tirtha grew into
independent mathas at Kudli and Balegaru.
Apart from these there are four more mathas in the Tulu
region:
17. Subramanya-matha
18. Bhandarkeri - matha
19. Bhimana-katte-matha
20. Citrapura-matha
The Subramanya-matha has grown out of Vishnu- tirtha's line
itself. It is said that the line of disciples under the
pontiff Acyuta-prajna, who in turn was the guru to initiate
the Acharya into samnyasa, branched into two linesone
at Bhandarkeri and the other at Bhimanakatte. Bhandarkeri
is located some 20 Km north of Udupi in
Barakuru. Though Bhimana-katte (Bhima-setumunivranda) is
also a matha of Tulu region, its original sourcehead
is a place called Bhimanakatte on the Tirthahalli-Shimoga
road. According to folk-tradition, the
Chitrapura-matha is only a branch of the Pejavara-matha.
This matha is situated at Citrapura, some 35 Km.
away from Udupi on the Udupi-Mangalore highway.
Two more mathas of Gauda Sarasvata Brahmanas who
illuminated the Madhva school are quite famous:
21. Gokama-Partagali Jivottama-matha
22. Kasi-matha
The original locale of Gokarna-matha is Gokama. Later,
pontiffs of this line started a matha in Parta-gali
(Madagaum ... Mathagrama). After one of its celebrated
pontiffs, Jivottama-tirtha, the matha also came to be
14
called Jivottama-matha. According to the traditional list
of pontiffs in this matha, its founder pontiff is reckoned
as Sri Narayana-tirtha who had his initiation into samnyasa
from Sri Ramachandra-tirtha, the tenth pontiff of
palimaru-matha at Udupi.
Though there is a branch-centre of Kasimatha in Kasi, it is
originally a matha of the South only. Gauda
Sarasvata Brahmins of the north costal region stretching
from Udupi up to Bombay are disciples of Gokamamatha.
The Gauda Sarasvatas from Udupi up to Kanyakumari in the
south are disciples of Kasi-matha.
Besides these, two more important Madhva organizations in
North India deserve mention here:
23. Madhva-Gaudiya-matha of Bengal
The Madhva-Gaudiya-matha is a Madhva religious center in
Bengal. One of its branches existed also in what is
now Bangladesh. A temple of Acharya Madhva also existed there.
The International Hare Krishna pantha is an
outgrowth of this.
Acharyas's Works
The Acharya has written four works on the Sutraprasthana
(the Vedantic school of Brahmansutra);
1. Brahmasutra-bhasya
2. Sarva-sastratha-sangraha (Anubhasya)
3. Brahmasutra-anuvyakhyana
4. Brahmasutra-anuvyakhyana-vivarana
Two works are on the Gita-prasthana (Vedantic school of the
Bhagavadgita) :
5. Bhagavadgita-bhasya
6. Bhagavadgita-tatparya-nimaya
In the Upanishad-prasthana (the Vedantic school of ti
Upanisads), the Acharya has written bhasyas or
authoritative commentaries on all the major Upanisads. But
there is notable uniqueness in respect of these also.
While all the other have commented only on three chapters
of the Aitareya Upanishad, the Acharya's bhasya
covers the entire Upanishad-kanda (of 9 chapters) of the
Aitareya Aranyaka :
7. Mahaitareyopanishad-bhasya
8. Brhadaranyakopanishad-bhasya
15
9. Chandogopanishad-bhasya
10. Taittiriyopanishad-bhasya
11. Talavakaropanishad-bhasya (Kenopanishad-bhasya)
12 Kathakopanishad-bhasya
13.Atharvanopanishad-bhasya (Mundakopanishad-bhasya)
14.Satprasnopanishad-bhasya
15 Yajniya-mantropanishad-bhasya (Isavasyaopanishad-bhasya)
16.Mandukyopanishad-bhasya
The verses occurring in the middle of the Mandukyopanishat
are mistakenly held to be Gaudapada's karikas.
But Acharya Ramanuja has accepted that these form original
portions of the Upanisat itself. But Madhva has rejected
the old wrong notion once for all by writing bhasya on
these verses also. In this connection it is
noteworthy how senior Advaita scholars too like Brahmananda
accept that these are original Upanisadic
verses20.
The Acharya not only blazed a new pathway of spiritual
interpretation of the Veda, by writing a commentary on
40 hymns of the Rig veda, but also showed the way leading
to a synthesis of Samhita, Brahmana and Aranyaka
texts by commenting upon some chapters of the Aitreya
Brahmana and the Mahanan-ini-khanda of the same
Aranyaka. These works are:
17. Rg-bhasya
18. Khandartha-nirnaya (Karma-nirnaya)
So also, there are three works of his that lay bare the
heart of the Mahabharata and the Bhagavata in a bid to
synthesize the teachings of Itihasas and Puranas:
19. Mahabharata-tatparya-nimaya
20. Mahabharata-tatparya (Yamaka-bharata)
21. Bhagavata-tatparya-nimaya
Nine topical treatises are concerned with determining
epistemology and ontology:
22..Vishnu-tattva-nirnaya
16
23. Vada (tattvoddyota)
24. Mayavada-dusana (mayavada-khandana)
25. Upadhi-dusana (Upadhi-khandana Tattva-prakasika)
26. Mithyatvanumana-dusana (Mithyat-vanuniana-khandana)
27. Tattva-samkhyana
28. Tattva-viveka
29. Pramana-laksana
30. Vada-laksana (katha-taksana)
Seven works offer guidance regarding performance of
ceremonials and rituals as laid down in law-books,
regarding building architecture, mantra and tantra and
duties and practices of householders and mendicants:
31. Krisnamrta-maharnava
32. Tantra-sara-sangraha
33. Sadacara-smrti
34. Jayanti-nirnaya
35. Om-Tat-Sat-Pranava-kalpa (Yati-pranavakalpa)
36. Nyasa-paddhati
37. Tithi-nimaya
In the field of devotional literature, there are two works
of his; one is a stotra or hymn of praise; the other is an
anthology of compositions set to music and meant to be
sung:
38. Narasimha-nakhastuti
39. Dvadasa-stotras
17
Further, there is a work which the Acharya is said to have
composed in his boyhood while playing with the ball,
it is a small work in a unique meter:
40. Kanduka-stuti
Of these, 38 had been published formerly. Two, viz.
Nyasapaddhati, that explains the daily routine duties of
mendicants, and Tithinirnaya, that is a unique work on
mathematics indicating precise formulae for the
determination of each date's extent, are works which were
first noticed by me in the course of my research in
Palm-leaf Manuscripts some years ago.
The Essence of Madhva’s
Philosophy: Tattvavada: Dvaita
Acharya Madhva's line of thought gave a new turn to the
tradition of Indian Philosophy. This has been called by
the name 'Tatvavada' in ancient works21. In later times,
when the un-philosophical trend emphasizing only
conflict became prominent for recognizing Vedic schools of
thought only in terms of Dvaita-Advaita etc., this
came to be called the 'Dvaitamata' or 'dualistic school'.
But from the standpoint of True Vedic tradition, this is
not a name that can be fully justified
In the philosophical system of the Acharya, tattvas or
categories of reality are primarily two: svatantra-tattva
and asvatantra-tattva (i.e. Independent reality and
dependent reality). God who creates the universe is the
Independent reality; the entire universe created by him is
the dependent reality.
Lord Narayana alone is the Supreme Independent God-head.
The entire Veda hymns only His praise by various
epithets such as Agni, Indra and Varuna. Monotheism alone
is thus the quintessence of Vedic literature and not
polytheism.
All names (of God) are only epithets; God is the Ocean of
all qualities or excellence. Hence any name is good
enough to invoke God. All names designate only God. Not
only Vedic words, not only Sanskrit names,
whatever the word may be, in any language wherever in the
world, every name will designate Him alike. For,
there is no sound or word, in any language of the world,
which is not essentially a name of God.
18
Though God is one, divinities are many. These divinities
are not God: they are only souls that have realized
God and risen to a high state by acquiring siddhi or divine
power. These siddhas or realized adepts can serve as
gurus to guide the jiva or soul who is still a sadhaka or
religious seeker.
If God is 'bimba' or the original substrate, jivas or souls
are His pratibimbas or images. The image is always
dependent on the original substrate; it can never become
identical with it. One original substrate can have many
images. Even so the souls can be many. Each soul has its
own distinct individuality, different from another. So
many souls, as many varieties. Along with all these
differential gradations, these souls are all entwined in the
single thread of similarity to God in their
knowledge-aspect.
Just as souls, the inanimate substances too that go into
the creative apparatus of the universe are innumerable.
Thus the soul (jiva), who is at the center in the triple
categories of God-soul inanimate world, becomes involved
in the meshes of samsara or bondage when he leans towards
one side; becomes liberated if he leans to the other
side.
There is one important point to be noted here. Mukti or
liberation does not mean any cessation of the World
itself It is not any disappearance of a World falsely held
as real. Liberation means release from the bondage of
the world. The world, does exist even after release; but
there is no bondage. Earlier, the soul being unaware of
its power of self-conscious- ness, was ignorant of the original
substrate, (viz. God); and had become a tool in
the hands of the inconscient, searching in vain for the
original. But now (in release) he has conquered
inconscient Nature; for he has now become conscious of God,
who is his original and also the First Cause of the
entire universe.
The inconscient world is five-faceted; five
elements, five elemental essences, five sheaths, five sense-organs
etc. That is why it is designated as "pra-panca"
or a 'perfect pentad'. In this pentad intermixed in a five fold
manner, the principle of prana or life is also a five-fold
entity of prana, apana, vyana, udana and samana.
Moreover, it is being controlled all the time by God who
also assumes five forms, viz: Anirudha, Pradyumna,
Samkarasana, Vasudeva and Narayana.
Thus one might distinguish a five-fold difference too in
this world; difference between one inconscient and
another inconscient; difference between inconscient and the
soul; difference between the inconscient and God;
19
difference between one soul and another; difference between
soul and God. This difference is neither temporary
nor merely practical; it is an invariable and natural
property of everything . For such is the law of nature: One is
not two; two is not one.
The Acharya effected a synthesis and integration between
several self-contradictory notions which had
accumulated by his time regarding God, devotion and the
universe. We might refer here to some of the
important ones among them:
God is both endowed with forms and is formless; both
qualified and unqualified. He is endowed with forms
becuase He has a body of knowledge and Bliss. He is
formless because he has no body within, the reach of our
finite thought. He is qualified because He possesses in
perfection all good or auspicious attributes. He is
unqualified also because He is devoid of all material
adjuncts. When viewed from the right standpoint, it will be
realized that all modes of utterance express varied aspects
of the only truth. The Vedic literature will not open
out its secrets to one who is not having this synthetic
vision.
The World is not a magic show improvised by any magician.
It is ultimately true. From another standpoint, it is
untrue also. But then the word ‘untrue’ does not mean ‘false,’it
means 'dependent reality'. It’s truth is restrained
by God; hence it is untrue.
Similarly, there is no truth in the objection that the
Vedic religion is tainted with iconolatry or image-worship.
For, it does not worship icons; it worships only God
symbolized by the icons. Is not the all-existent God
existing in the icon?
Among other significant contributions of the Acharya's
Tattvavada, vyakti-visistavada or unique individuality
of every soul and svabhavada or theory of unalterable natural
law governing humanity deserves notice. The
following is a summary statement of it:
There is no object like another. There is no person or jiva
like another. No man's nature is like that of another.
Underlying everything and every individual person, there is
a unique individuality or speciality23. The all-round
and complete development of this special personality is
indeed the goal of human life. Human life of bondage
(samsara) is none other than a practical workshop that
helps the individual soul to attain the perfect
20
development of his personality in dependence upon God.
Mukti or release is only a state of perfection or
enjoying the bliss of such a perfect development of one's
own personality.
Each one's attainment is commensurate with one's effort.
Our development is in keeping with our personality.
The sea is full; the tank is full; even water-pots may be
full of (of water). But that fullness is not identical in all
these. The volume varies according to the variation in
size. Everything is full; yet it is full of variation also.
There are no two things in this creation which are
identical. Even two leaves of the same tree are not exactly
identical. Hence the idea that all become one or all become
identical ultimately, is only a sugar-coated sop. It is
an idea opposed to scriptures. It is an idea going against
the very law of Nature.
The development of an individual takes place strictly in
accordance with his inner nature. The environmental
factors only help manifest what is already rooted in one's
inner nature. Thus inner nature is the spontaneous way
of life for a Jiva. It is an innate characteristic rooted
firmly in the jiva from time immemorial. No amount of
effort can alter its course. A sattvika or pure-hearted man
cannot become a tamasa or evil minded one. Nor can
a tamasa turn into a sattvika. One's attainment of
perfection is nothing but a complete manifestation of one's
unique individual nature.
The idea of chaturvarnya or "four colors" in the
Gita vindicates this view only. The Gita idea of "four colors" is
quite distinct from the idea of "four castes"
prevalent today. It is an idea that relates only to the soul's inmost
nature or personality-trait. The true color of the soul
needs to be discovered. That indeed is a right social order.
In such a social order, the son of a low-born (sudra) may
be a nobleman (brahmana); on the contrary, a
bramana's son may also be a sudra. For, varna of 'color' is
not something which is transmitted hereditarily; it is
something quite personal; something which is determined by
the individual's own personality traits24.
Only one who knows God can know the secret of the universe.
It is impossible to know the universe completely
by scientific research into matter. Hence one should know
God Himself. It is only by knowing the root that one
can tackle a tree. This indeed is the pathway of knowledge
(Jnanayoga). The principle that unites the soul to
God like a thread is called prana-tattva or the "vital
principle". It is the one principle that embodies all souls and
is also termed "jivottama-tattva" or the
"principle of perfect jiva-hood". The Acharya says about himself that
it
21
is an aspect of this supreme principle that incarnated
itself in human form as Madhva in order to lay bare the
Supreme Truth.
The pathway of Jnana-yoga or knowledge supreme is not
opposed to Karma or action. The very dichotomy that
the pathway of action is for the ignorant, while that of
knowledge is for the adept, is absurd. Knowledge without
action is an impractical intellectual exercise. Action
without knowledge is but blind orthodoxy. Knowledge is
necessary; knowledge-full action too is necessary. At the
same time, an understanding of God's infinite glory is
equally necessary. Having understood God's greatness, it is
necessary to love him devotedly. The world also
deserves to be lived, since the wonderful universe is just
His creation in sport (lila)". Denying the world is as
good as denying God's own infinite greatness. We should all
dedicate ourselves to our duty in the following
spirit: "We are all subjects in the kingdom of God;
rendering assistance to those who are in distress is the tax we
owe to God Himself, our king"". Such an integral
synthesis of the pathways of knowledge, action and devotion
becomes a perfect pathway for one's life.
The physical eye is not enough for the development of
knowledge. The inner eye has to be opened; one has to
turn inward. There are only two ways in which that goal can
be realized; one is direct personal experience; and
the other is the word of wisdom bequeathed to us by sages
who were "seers" of the Veda. Their word is a torch
to illumine our way. In the light of that torch and along
that way alone we should walk on and discover Truth.
Thus when both the word of scripture and our own immediate
experience coincide, it becomes the highest
criterion confirming our conviction. In order to achieve
it, a continuous process of hearing, cogitating and
realization of the scriptures is called for.
Not even scriptural statement is to be accepted if it is
against one's own conscience. An awakened conscience
can discover the integral unity underlying all Vedic
statements. It is in order to demonstrate this synthetic
essence of the Vedas that the Brahmasutras, Bharata,
Pancaratra and Puranas have been written. These alone are
primary authorities. Texts of smrti (moral code), written
by sages like Manu, are acceptable as authorities only
when they are in conformity with the essential message of
the Veda. They are not at all ultimate authorities.
Another means of valid knowledge besides perception and
scripture is interference or reasoning. Although it is
an instrument of valid knowledge, it is not an independent
instrument. Hence it is spoken of only as "anu-mana"
( ... anuusari pramana) or 'ancillary instrument of
knowledge'; it can be developed only as a supplementary
instrument to the other two, i.e., perception and
scripture. It is important to note that in supra-sensory matters,
22
nothing can be established by inference or reasoning
independently. For, anything one desires can be
established by reasoning. Those who do not possess this
awareness can establish nothing by the strength of their
reasoning.
Therefore in regard to supra-sensory facts and especially,
in regard to God, there is no use in one's surrendering
oneself to reasoning. One should surrender oneself only to
God. One should surrender oneself to the voice of
hoary sages and wise men who realized God; that is to say,
to the Vedic words. One should know through word
of sages, and having known, one should experience it;
having experienced, one should see; having seen, one
should succeed; having succeeded, one should gain.
And for that, one should surrender oneself to God; one
should know through surrender; and knowing, one
should again surrender. This awareness is the key to bliss.
This is broadly the sum and substance of the
Acharya's spiritual viewpoint. .
The Acharya has discovered several unique facts about the
physical world, the order of creation and the basic
principles that govern creation. Some of them may be
mentioned here:
1. The material ethereal sky that is one of the five
elements filling this universe is that which suffers destruction
along with the universe. It is permeated by a super blue
color, beyond the reach of the bare eye. But there is
another sky that fully pervades the universe, within and
without; which transcends the universe and is eternal. It
is called ‘auyakarta-akasa’ or ‘undifferentiated space’ 27.
2. The atoms which are the micro-elements of physical
matter are not at all ultimate and indivisible entities. In
every atom too there are innumerable subtle particles28.
3. There is life movement in plants, herbs and creepers
too. That vegetation-life too can respond to the actions
of man. There are plants that thrill to the melody of music
and yield sprouts, flowers and fruits29.
4. No matter is completely destroyed. Destruction is another
name for only a change in form. We say that the
body is destroyed. But really speaking, the body is not
destroyed, it has become ashes; that is all. Thus existence
and non-existence are two sides of the same coin30.
23
5. From the microcosm to the macrocosm, the entire universe
is completely interfused. To understand any one
thing completely, a complete knowledge of the entire
universe becomes necessary. By knowing one, all can be
known. One who does not know all, does not know even one31.
6. Enclosed within the fifteen fences of name, lordship,
thought, speech, action, strength, food, mind, sense
organ, earth, water, fire, air, sky and faith, the
sixteenth jiva- kala or soul's particle lies hidden. When these
fifteen inconscient fences are broken, the soul gets
self-awareness. This is called self-realization. To one who
has attained self-realization, the way beyond to
God-realization becomes easy32. First, the realization is of the
‘I’ principle. Next comes the realization of the ‘He’
principle. This is the secret of the realization of “So’ham”
(I:HE), the Ultimate Truth. One who is unaware of his own
self, or one who mistakes such awareness of self
itself as ultimate realization, can never progress in the
pathway of God- realization.
On the whole, Acharya Madhva's life-message is this:
Kuru bhumksva ca karma nijam
niyatam
Hari-pada-vinamra-dhiya satatam
Harireva paro Harireva gurur-
Harirevajagat-pitr-matr-gatih
(Dvadasa-stotra)
(Do thy duty alloted by God to These
And eat what comes to thy share!
Hari is God Supreme, Hari the 'Teacher great,
Father and Mother too is Hari, beware!)
tadalam bahu-loka-vicintanaya
Pravanam-kuru-manasa misa pade
(Stop then thy worldy cares endless,
Pin thy mind at the Lord's feet boundless!)
24
NOTES
1. In the local language Tulu this village is known as
Bolle. The eastern and western portions of this village are
called Mudu Belle and Padu Belle respectively in Kannada.
There is a small stream in between the two portions.
Sri Madhvacharya was born in the western portion of the
Belle village.
2. Paje-Paade means rock in Tulu. This is a suitable name
for the place surrounded by the slopes of rocks and
thus presenting a lovely view. Unfortunately the present
day contractors are indiscriminately breaking the rocks
spoiling thereby the historic beauty and serenity. A new
organization by name Pajaka Foundation is striving
hard to protect the village and to rejuvenate its hoary
past and culture. There is a unique temple of Parashrama
on a rock in front of the house where Sri Madhvacharya was
born. Just by the side of it there is a hillock known
as Kunjargiri, with a shrine of Goddess Durga on the top.
In ancient works this hillock is recorded as Vimana
Giri. (Madhva Vijaya 2-1 1). Beyond the hillock is the
border of the Belle village. As soon as we cross the
border we step into the area known as Paaje Halli. The
Sankritized form of this name is Paajaka and hence the
place came to be designated as Paajaka Kshetra.
3. Anu Madhvacarita records this in clear terms
trisataabdoottara catuh
sahasraabdheebhya uttaree
eekoona catvaarimsaabdee vilambi
samvatsaree
asviina sukladasamii divasee
bhuvipaavanee
paajakaakhyee sucikseetree
durgayaa- caabhiviiksitee
jaatoo madhyaahnaveelaayaam
budhavaaree
maruttanuh (anu.ma.ca.2.4)
According to this Madhvacharya was bom in 4339 kali Era
(1238 A.D.) Sri Acharya himself has revealed his
time of birth in his Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya thus:
catuh sahasree trisatoottaree
gatee
samvatsaraanaam tu kalau
prithivyaam
jaatah punarvipratanuh sa
bhiimah
daityairniguudham haritatvamadha
(ma.bhaa.taa.ni. 32.120)
25
Some scholars infer this statement that 4300 kati Era (1199
A.D.) is the year of his birth. In fact Sri Acharya has
simply said here that he was born after the kali Era 4300.
This only indicates the round figure, and not the figure
39 after the beginning of the century. The statement does
not answer the question as to which exactly is the year
after 4300 Kati Era. Another work Anu Madhavacarita answers
this in exact terms by metioning the year 39.
Another statement of Sri Acharya lends support to this:
bhuusrii bhinnaaki einyoonaat
kalyahaat kaalavardhitaat
garudadhyeeya vaakyaaptam
tyoktvaa
sauram vrthaapalam (tithi
airnaya.2)
This stanza explains the method to be employed while making
astronomical calculations about the dates and
times. The Acharya records here the year of his composing
the Work. The Calculations are as follows:
(bhuusriibhinnaaki cintya / garudadhyeeya) X kaala
The corresponding numbres are (1610424/11323)X31 = 4409.
Accordingly Sri Acharya wrote the work in 4409 Kali Era. If
4300 is the year of his birth, we have to presume
that he wrote it in his 109th year. But it is historically
known that he lived only for 79 years.
eekoonaasiiti varsaani bhuutvaa
maanusadrtigah
maagha suddha navamyaam badariim
yayau
(anu.ma.ca. 10)
Hence it is more appropriate to believe that he was born in
4339 kali Era. Sri Narahari Tirtha's Sri Kurma Inscription
(Epigraphia Indica Vol. vi-25) seems to support this view.
As per that inscription Sri Acharya was 70
years when he wrote Tithi Nirnaya.
4339+70 = 4409 i.e 1308 A.D.
Madhvacharya's date of birth is also recorded in certain
kaiftyats of the Mathas and other works. Since they do
not tally with one another none of them can be taken as
authoritative statements. Great scholars like
26
Manjeshwara Govinda Pai and C.M. Padmanabhacharya have
accepted 4339 Kali Era as the year of Sri
Madhvacharya's birth.
4339 is a unique number. The sum total of these numbers is
10. (4+3+3+9=19=1+9 = 10) The sum total of the
cubes of these numbers is also 10. If we go on adding the
cubes of cubes also we get three numbers 847,919 and
1459. Even if we go on adding like this the sums will
confine to these three numbers. The sum total of these
three figures is also ten. The number thus indicates the
praana tatva and the secret of avataara traya.
bhaktirjnaanam sa vairaagyam
prajnaa
meedhaa dhrtih sthith yooga
praanoo balam caiva vrkoodara iti
smrtah ee,kad dasaatmakoo vaayuh
(ma.bha.taa.ni 2.134.5)
4. There is controversy about the date and month of his
birth also. Some records proclaim vijayadasami, day in
asvin month and other record maagha suddha saptami. It is
difficult to come to any conclusion until we come
across a reliable evidence. But oral traditions speak of
vijayadasami as the birthday of Sri. Acharya. The
almanacs also record vijayadasami as the birthday of Sri
Madhvacharya. Hence the evidence found in Anu
Madhva charita seems to be more reliable. Regarding the
name of the day also one can observe that
vijayadasami does not fall on Wednesday as observed by the
author of Anu Madhvacarita, but on Monday.
5. Nadillaya is a Tulu word meaning a man of middle house.
This is sometimes wrongly recorded as
nadyantillaya. The Sanskritized form of this word is
Madhyageha Bhatta.
6. bhuusureendroopaniitooyastata
eekaadasaabdakee saumyeejagraaha
bhagavaam
sturiyaasramamaThaamam
(anu.ma.ca.5)
7. Some modem writers have wrongly recorded this name as
Acyuta Preksa. A stanza of madhva Vijaya is
responsible for this misconception.
na naamamaatraacchucimarthatoopi
yam
27
janoocyuta preeksamudaaharat
sphutam
(ma.vi.4,6)
But in the commentary on this stanza Vedangatirtha writes
like this ‘achyuta preeksam acyutaprajna
naamaanamityarthah’. Evidently Narayana Pandita, the author
of Madhvavijaya used the word Achyutapreksa
to indicate that the people used to respect this saint as
if he had the vision of Lord Acyuta. This kind of change
of epithets is noticed elsewhere also.
Instead of the name Purnaprajna the author of Madhva Vijaya
ernploys the epithet, Purnabodha also (Madhva
Vijaya 4.33).
Moreover, Narayana pandita himself wrote a commentary Bhava
Prakashika to Madhva vijaya. He explains the
word this way. ‘Acynta preeksah preeksaa prajnaa
pratibheeti’. In another place he explains it in clear terms as
‘acyutee aatmaa buddhih prajnaa asyeeti acyutaatmaa acyuta
prajnah’.
Another stanza in the guruparampara tradition also confirms
this.
vamsasyaadiin sanakaadiinupaasee
duurvaasam paratirthaakhya
bhiksum
satyaprajnam praajnatirtham ca
pascaal
pascaacchisyaanacyutaprajna
madhvau
Even among the earlier saints the word prajnaa was in
vogue, Satyaprajna is an example. The name of
Madhvacharya is also Purna prajna, hence it is quite
appropriate to believe that the original name of the saint
was Acyuta prajna.
8. Yadiimanupradivoo
madhava aadhavee
guhaasantam
maatarisvaamathaayati
(rg veda 1.141.3)
28
9. The popular legend now current among the devotees is as
follows. A cargo ship loaded at Dwaraka was
proceeding towards the South. When the ship was passing
through Malpe there arose a big tempest and the
captain cried out for help. Sri Acharya, engaged in
meditation at the sea- shore heard this and waved his bark
garment towards him. The tempest subsided. The captain
sailed in the direction of the garment that was waved
towards him and saluted the saint and requested him to
accept any commodity that he desires from the ship as a
mark of his gratitude. The Acharya did not accept any money
or gold but took out only a lump of gopi mud. A
lovely idol of Krishna found inside the lump of mud was
later on established at Udupi.
The source of this legend is not known. No ancient work
supports this legend. It must be of recent origin. The
19th pontiff of Sri Palimar Matha (18th century) Sri
Raghuvarya Tirtha gives a different version of the story in
his commentary on Anu Madhva Vijaya.
dvaarakaayaam rugminiivanaakhya
pradeesee
goopiicandana madhyee lagnaam
goopiicandana
buddhyaa saam yaatrik-airaaniitaam
ruupyapiithasampiipeeplavee
bhinneejaladhau magnaam
sriikrisnapratimaa maaniiyee ........ mathee
pratisthaapayaamaasa.
According to this statement the ship carrying the idol of
Krishna from Dwaraka wrecked at the sea near Udupi.
Sri Acharya took it out from the bottom of the sea and
established it in Udupi. This legend seems to be more
ancient and trustworthy. We can consider this as authentic
record since it was written by a traditional pontiff.
The popular story of the tempest, like that of Krishna's
image turning towards the west for Kanakadasa, must be
a later invention by the local sthala purana writers.
10. Precious little is known about this Muslim ruler. Some
believe that he must be Balban. But considering the
fact that this is an incident that had occured during the
oidage of the Acharya this must have occured during the
reign of Jalal uddin Chilji (1 290-97 A.D.) Or Alla uddin
Khilji (1 296 - 1316 A.D.).
11. On the rock a beautiful status of the Acharya with a
stick danda in hand is sculptured with the following
inscription carved below.
29
srii madhvaacaaryaiah
eekahasteena aaniiya sthaapitaa silla.
12. Kapali Sastri, a disciple of Sri Aurobindo in his Rg
Veda Bhashya Bhumika writes about the commentary
on Rg Veda by the Acharya thus:
veedaanaamadhyaatma parataa
naastiiti koo naama bruutee madhvabhaasyeesu.jaagratsu.
13. The ancient texts mention these 21 commentators :1.
Bharati Vijaya, 2. Sachidananda, 3. Brahma Ghosha,
4. Shataranda, 5. Udvarta, 6. Vijaya, 7. Rudra Bhatta, 8.
Vamana, 9. Bhartr Prapancha, 10. Dravidacharya,
11. Brahma Datta. 12. Pishacha, 13. Vrttikara, 14. Vijaya
Bhatta, 15. Vishnukranta, 16. Vadindra, 17. Madhva
Dasa, 18. Shankara, 19. Bhaskara, 20. Yadava Praksha, 21.
Ramanuja.
Among the Bhasya (commentaries) of the above mentioned
philosophers, only those of Shankara, Bhaskara
Yadava Prakasha and Ramanuja are available now.
14. One stanza of Guruparampara mentions the names of the
saints thus:
vandee hriikeesamathoo nrsimham
janaardanam cintaya
dhiirupeendram
srii vaamanam samsmara
visnumeemi
sriiraamamanceehamadhooksajam ca
15. If we convert the letter of the names of the ten
disciples into the numbers according to the ka-ta-pa-ya system
of numeration and go on adding the cubes we get only three
figures: 153, 370 and 371. These three are
unique figures in their own way: the sum total of their
cubes is also the same number.
13+53+33 = 153, etc.
16. Vishvapathi Tirtha, the commentator of Madhva Vijaya
calls this place Kokkada. But Vedanga Tirtha the
ancient commentator and Raghuvarya Tirtha, the commentator
of Anu Madhva Vijaya record this as idya.
17. The figures of the year of his initiation and departure
to Badri are also interesting just like the figures
derived from the letter of the names of his disciples. Sri
Acharya was initiated in the year 4350 Kali Era, which
30
gives the figure 153 when the cubes of individual numbers
are added. His departure to Badri was in the year
4418 which again gives the figure 3 7 1.
18. He is the son of Pejattaya narayana Panditacharya. Till
recently his works were not discovered. The author
of the present book edited and published his commentary on
Acharya's Anubhashya. The present author has
with him the manuscripts of another six commentaries on
Upanishats yet to be published.
19. These mathas are grouped into four pairs. If the
swamiji of one matha expires without initiating his
successor it is the responsibility of the swamiji of the
other matha of the pair to initiate the successor.
20. Brahmanada Saraswathi in his commentary Gurachandrika
on Madhusudana Sarswathi's Advaita Siddhi
makes a significant statement.
maanduukoopanisad vyaakhyaaruupa
gaudapaadaacaarya grantjastha prathama prakaranookta slookeebhyah
srutitveena vaidika
prasiddheebhyah. (Oriental Library
publication, Mysore 1937. Vol.11 page 291).
Also note a sentence of Advaita Siddhi in the page number
251 in the same volume.
anaadi maayayaa suptoo yadaa
jiivah prabudhyatee ityaadi srutisu.
It is clear from this that Madhusudhana Saraswathi also
accepts the karikas of Manduka as sruti vaakya.
21. Sri Vadiraja in his Yukti Malika refers to Acharya's
siddhaanta as tatvavaada.
Pareeca tatvaadee asmin
gariiyastii bharoo mama.
It is worth mentioning here that the Bhagavata commentators
of Bengal, the followers of Chaitanya refer to
Madhvacharya as the preceptor of tatvavaada.
22. The words advaita and dvaita in addition to indicating
the meaning of abheeda and bheeda have the
connotation of yathaarthajnaana and ayahaarthajnaana also.
Hence the word dvaita may sometime create
confusion.
23. bhinnaasea
bhinna dharmaascapadaarthaa nikhilaa api (Anu Vyakhyana 2.2.6.).
24. svabhavikoo
braahmanaadih samaadyaireeva bhidyatee. yoonibheedakrtoo bheedoojneeya
caupaadhikastvayam. (Gita Tatparya. 4-13.)
31
25. bahu
citrajaged bahudhaakaranaat para sakiranantagunah paramah (Dwadasha
Stotra.)
26. naanaajanasya
susruusaakarmaakhyaakaravanmiteeh, (Gita Tatparya. 6.3.)
27.
bhuutamapyasitam divyadrstigoocarameevatu,
utpadyatee avyaakrtam hi gaganam
saaksigoocaram.
(Anu Vyakhyana 2.3)
28.
mahattvaanutvayoornaiva visraantirupalabhyatee. (Anu Vyakhyana 2.3.6)
29. giitaat
puspaphalaavaaptih sparsaat kaarsyam rasaar sthitih (Anu Vyakhyana
2.2.10)
30. sarvee bhaavaa
abhaavaasea padaarthaasteena sarvadaa
astyabhaavoostica dhvamsoo
deehaabhaavasea bhasmataa. (Anu Vyakhyana
2.2.6 )
31. eekam ea
tatvatoojnaatum vinaa sarvajnataam narah na samarthoo macheendroopi tasmaat
sarvatrajqnaseet (Gita Bhashya. 4.9 )
32. samyak samaahitaanaam tu
praptaanaam soodasiim kalaam
aparooksadrsaam
kvaapi turiiyam drsyateepadam. (Manduka Bhasya
)
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