Madhvacharya
"Madhavacharya" the dvaita saint
Śrī Madhvācārya (also called Pūrṇa
Prajña, Ānanda Tīrtha)
Born Vāsudeva 1238 CE Pājaka, Udupi, Karnataka, India
Guru Bhagavān Śrī Veda Vyāsa, Acyuta Prajña (Acyuta Prekṣa)
Philosophy Tattvavāda
Madhvacharya (Tulu: ಶ್ರೀ ಮಧ್ವಾಚಾರ್ಯ, Sanskrit: श्री मध्वाचार्यः Śrī Madhvācāryaḥ)
(1238–1317 CE), also known as Purna Prajna and Ananda Tirtha, was the chief
proponent of Tattvavāda "Philosophy of Reality", popularly known as
the Dvaita (dualism) school of Hindu philosophy. It is one of the three most
influential Vedānta philosophies. Madhvācārya was one of the important
philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in many ways, going
against standard conventions and norms. According to tradition, Madhvācārya is
believed to be the third incarnation of Vāyu (Mukhyaprāṇa) and first two being
Hanuma and Bheema.
1 Birth and childhood
1.1 Geography
2 Tour of South India
3 Visit to Badari
4 Installation of Krishna and second visit to Badari
5 Last days
6 Tradition
7 Dharmic establishments
8 Works of Madhvacharya
9 The Essence of Madhva's philosophy
10 Madhvacharya in Other Sects
11 References
12 Other sources
Birth and childhood
Madhvācārya (or Madhva) was born
on the auspicious day of Vijaya-daśami (Dussehra) in 1238 CE (AD) at Pājaka, a
tiny hamlet near Uḍupi. Nārāyaṇa Paṇḍitācārya who later wrote Madhvācārya's
biography has not recorded his parents' names. Traditionally it is believed
that Nadillaya Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭa as name of the father and Vedavati as
Madhvācārya's mother. They named him Vāsudeva at birth. Later he became famous
by the names Pūrṇa-prajña, Ānanda-tīrtha and Madhvācārya.
Before the birth of Madhva, when
his parents had gone for a purchase in the market, a beggar climbed a dhvaja
stambha (flag-post in front of a temple) and announced: "Bhagavān (Lord)
Vāyu deva is going to take birth for the revival of Vedic dharma in Pājaka kṣetra
to a couple." The prediction made by the beggar was discussed by the
parents of Madhva till they reached home.
Even as a child, Vāsudeva
exhibited precocious talent for grasping all things spiritual. As an
incarnation of Mukhyaprana this was not new for him. He was drawn to the path
of renunciation and even as a boy of eleven years, he chose initiation into the
monastic order from Acyuta-Prajña (also called Acyuta Pragna), a reputed
ascetic of the time, near Uḍupi, in the year Saumya (1249 CE). The preceptor
Acyuta Pragna gave the boy Vāsudeva the name of Pūrṇaprajña at the time of his
initiation into sannyāsa (renounced order).
A little over a month later,
little Pūrṇaprajña is said to have defeated a group of expert scholars of Tarka
(logic) headed by Vasudeva-paṇḍita. Overjoyed at his precocious talent, Acyuta
Pragna consecrated him as the head of the empire of Vedānta and conferred upon
him the title of Ānanda Tīrtha (saint of immaculate bliss).
Thus Pūrṇa-prajña is Madhva's
name given to him at the time of sannyāsa (renunciation). The name conferred on
him at the time of consecration as the Master of Vedanta is "Ānanda
Tīrtha". Madhva, a name traceable to the Vedas (Balittha sūktam), was the
nom de plume assumed by the Ācārya to author all his works. Madhvācārya showed
that Vedas talk about him as "Madhva" and used that name for himself.
However, he used Ānanda Tīrtha or Sukha Tīrtha also to author his works.
Madhvācārya was the name by which he was to later be revered as the founder of
Tattva-vāda or Dvaita-mata.
Geography
The country lying to the south of
the Western Ghats from beyond Bombay to kanyakumari comprised the ancient
kingdoms of Konkana, Canara, and Kerala. The Konkana abutted on Maharashtra
country, whose capital was Doulatabad. The language which the Konkan people
speak even now is a dialect of Mahratti. Canara consisted of the modern North
Canara and South Canara, the former being included in the present Bombay
Presidency, and the latter in the Presidency of Madras. Kerala was the
southernmost strip, including the modern British Malabar and the Native States
of Cochin and Travancore. South Canara is the district with which we are most
concerned as the native land of Sri Madhva. In this district, the taluq of
Udupi is, for the same reason, a holy region for every person professing the
Madhva faith. The province of Canara seems to have been under the sway of
Vishnu Vardhana, the great Vaishnava King who was converted by Sri Ramanuja.
This king broke the power of Chalukyan rulers in this part of Southern India.
The Bairasu Wodeyars of Mysore held sway in 1250 A.D. and flourished till 1336
A.D., when their kingdom became merged in the rising Empire of Vijianagar, the
state that Robert Sewell refers to as 'a forgotten Empire' and Suryanarayana
Rao as 'the never-tobe-forgotten Empire' of this peninsula. The Chandragiri
river that runs between Bekal and Kasaragod in South Canara, was the southern
boundary of the ancient Tuluva Kingdom. It is a magnificent stream in the rainy
season. Tradition forbids Nair women of Kasaragod, crossing this river.
Eight miles north of Kasaragod is
the ancient town of Kumbla, now a railway station, close to the sea on a
peninsula. It was a place of great importance at this time, though it is now
much decayed. It was the headquarters of a chieftain whose descendants are now
in receipt of a smal1 government pension under the titular name of 11 Kumbla
Rajahs. Udupi and Mangalore were probably under the immediate rule of this
chieftain, Mangalore being only about 22 miles north of Kumbla. At the time,
one Jayasimha was the Kumbla ruler. He came into contact with Sri Madhva in the
latter part of the saints life and was evidently a great admirer of the
teacher. Among the communities that played a great part in the history of the
times, the Jains seem to have been very prominent. Their Battis, Bettoos, and
Stambbas furnish eloquent testimony to the vast influence they wielded. The
Karkal statue of imposing height and weight, said to be 41 feet high and 50
tons in weight, is a striking item of proof. The Mudbdri temple is a
magnificent monument of their architectural skill. The high pillar at Hale
Angadi is a remarkable specimen of the kind, unsurpassed for delicacy of
workmanship. Similar statues of colossal height and weight speak volumes for
the dominating influence that this community possessed in Sri Madhva's time and
for some centuries later.
The Brahmin communities of the
West Coast are generally classed as Konkans, Saraswats, and Shivalli sects. The
Shivallies are Tulu-speaking Brahmins, and it is with these that we are most
concerned, in the present narrative. Shivalli is an alias for Udupi otherwise
known as Rajata Peetapuram. These names are derived from the deities of the two
ancient temples in this town. The temples of Chandra Mouleeswara and
Ananteswara both face the east, one in front of the other. These were the most
prominent features of old Udupi before Sri Krishna's temple came into existence
in Sri Madhva's time. Udupi is a short designation for Chandra Mouleeswara,
udupa being the Sanskrit word for the moon. In the temple of Ananteswara, the
deity is seated on a pedestal of silver. Hence the town is known as Rajata
Peetapura. Shivalli is a corrupt form of the Canarese expression Siva Belli,
the silver of Siva, in allusion to the silver pedestal aforesaid.
Tour of South India
The Acharya set out on a tour of
South India even in his teens. He visited prominent places of pilgrimage like
Anantashayana, Kanyakumari, Rameshvara and Shriranga. 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 stated that
spirituality 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.
Visit to Badari
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 Badari 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 Badari. There he observed a vow of strict silence for
48 days, bathing in the holy Ganga. And then he set out alone towards
Vyasa-Badari, his cherished destination.
After his return from there, the
task of writing a commentary on the Brahma 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 extraordinary 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
Badari, 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.
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 and
second visit to Badari
The Acharya who stayed in the
environs of Udupi for some more time wrote his bhashyas 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 Krishna 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 Badari.
Once the Acharya had to cross
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 ascetic. The Acharya said, "I worship
that Father who illumines the entire universe; and so do you. 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 fight. He
used to say: "One should cultivate strength 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 Kalasa bears witness to his
herculean strength. This incident is confirmed by the sentence inscribed on
that stone.
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 Kurukshetra. 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.
Last days
After returning home from his
second tour, the Acharya took to initiating social reforms in and around Udupi.
A section of orthodoxy, however, was still active and opposed to his views.
Pundarika-Puri, an advaita ascetic, was also humbled by the Acharya in a
debate. It was around this time that Padmatirtha, a monk envious of
Madhvacharya's erudition and popularity, arranged to have his works stolen from
the custody of Pejattaya Shankara Pandita in Kasaragod. Madhvacharya now
traveled to Kasargod and defeated Padma-tirtha in a philosophical debate. The
essence of this debate was reduced to writing by his disciples and published as
the Vada or Tattvoddyota. The stolen works were eventually returned to
Madhvacharya in a felicitation ceremony arranged by Jayasimha of Kumbla, the
king of southern Tulu Nadu
The Acharya also had an intense
debate for about 15 days with Pejattaya Trivikrama Panditacharya, the royal
preceptor, and emerged victorious. Trivikrama Panditacharya eventually became a
disciple himself and went on to write a commentary called Tattva-dipika on the
Acharya's Brahma-sutra-bhashya and thus paid his tribute to the guru.
The Acharya too was equally fond
of Trivikrama pandita. In deference to the request of the devoted pupil, he
wrote an extensive commentary in verse: 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.
Nearing his seventies now,
Madhvacharya initiated his brother into the monastic order. He was to be known
as Sri Vishnutirtha, the first pontiff
of the present day Sodhe Matha and Subramanya Matha. About the same time,
Sobhana-bhatta received initiation into sannyasa from the Acharya. He later
came to be known as Padmanabha Tirtha.
Both before and after the
initiation of these two, several disciples from various regions of the country
got their initiation into sannyasa from the Acharya. Among them, the names of
eight disciples who chose to stay on in Udupi as pontiffs of different mathas
are, in order of their initiation:
Hrisikesa-tirtha (Palimaru matha)
Narasimha-tirtha (Adamaru-matha)
Janardana-tirtha
(Krsnapura-matha)
Upendra-tirtha (Puttige-matha)
Vamana-tirtha (Sirur-matha)
Vishnu-tirtha (Sode-matha)
Srirama-tirtha (Kaniyuru-matha)
Adhoksaja-tirtha (Pejavara-matha)
The other two celebrated
sannyasin-disciples of the Acharya are Padmanabha-tirtha and Narahari-tirtha.
When Padmanabha-tirtha was
initiated into sannyasa 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.
After initiating several into the
monastic order and installing pontiffs to the mathas, he toured the district
and engaged himself in educating the general public. He also composed the
literary work "Krsnamrtamaharnava". His discourse to Brahmins at
Ujire, where he delved upon the spiritual aspect of ritualism, came to be
published under the title of Khandartha-nimaya (Karmanimaya). Next he visited
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).
In the 79th year of his life, he
decided to take leave of his disciples and proceeded to assign to them the
responsibility of carrying on the tradition of his Tattvavada. Having done
that, on the ninth day of the bright half of the month of Magha in the Kali
year 4418 (1317 CE), he betook himself alone to Badari. The day on which he
proceeded to Badri is celebrated as Madhvanavami to this day.
Tradition
The disciples of the Acharya,
both pontifical and lay, continued his tradition with devout zeal. 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), Jayatirtha (Tikacharya), Vijayadhvaja-tirtha,
Visnudasacharya, Vyasatirtha, Vadiraja, Vijayindra-tirtha, Raghavendra Swami,
Yadupati-acharya, etc.
His philosophy Tattva-vada
eventually inspired the Haridasa cult who heralded the Bhakti movement for
centuries to come. Seminal contributions were made by the Haridasas in fields
of music and literature. Narahari Tirtha, one of the direct disciples, is
responsible for the resurgence of Yakshagana and other forms such as Kuchipudi. Raghavendra
Swami of Mantralayam was a saint in this tradition who lived in the 16th CE and
is revered and worshiped to this day. Several Dvaita mathas and Raghavendra
mathas in particular, continue to be established all over India and in some
places in the US, UK and other countries. All these Madhva mathas continue to
further the propagation of Vedic studies and are also involved in social and
charitable activities.
Madhva, commenting on the
Vedānta-sūtra (2.1.6), quotes the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa as follows:
"The Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda,
Sāma Veda, Atharva Veda, Mahābhārata [which includes the Bhagavad-gītā],
Pañcarātra, and the original Rāmāyaṇa are all considered Vedic literature....
The Vaiṣṇava supplements, the Purāṇas, are also Vedic literature."
We may also include corollary
literatures like the Saṁhitās, as well as the commentaries of the great
teachers who have guided the course of Vedic thought for centuries.
Dharmic establishments
The Acharya did not earn any huge
establishment or property for his matha (monastery). All the property that he
left as legacy to his disciple-pontiffs was just a casket for keeping the
deities of daily worship, a staff and a piece of cloth hanging from shoulders
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 main icon of Lord Krishna at Udupi was
established by Madhvacharya. The number of mathas (monasteries) which came into
being in Udupi itself, yoked to the responsibility of Krishna-worship is eight
(Ashta Mathas). They are Krishnapura, Pejavara, Puttige, Sodhe (Sondhe),
Kaniyooru, Adamaru, Shirur and Palimaru. He also gave icons of deities to all
his disciples for daily worship. The ones in Ashta Mathas are in brackets.
Other Mathas too have idols worshipped by Acharya himself.
1. Palimaru matha (Sri Rama)
2. Adamaru matha (Sri Krishna)
3. Krishnapura matha (Sri
Krishna)
4. Puttige matha (Sri Vitthala)
5. Shirur matha (Sri Vitthala)
6. Sodhe matha (Sri Varaha)
7. Kaniyooru matha (Sri
Narasimha)
8. Pejavara matha (Sri Vitthala)
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 by Sri Padmanabha-tirtha, Narahari-tirtha, Madhav- tirtha and
Aksobhya-tirtha are eight:
09. 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
For the first four mathas (9 to
12) the founder-pontiffs are common, 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.
A 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.
Madhava-tirtha established a
matha at Majjige-halli which developed into an independent branch. 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. Chitrapura-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 lines, one 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. Gokarna - Partagali -
Jivottama Math
22. Kashi Math
The original locale of
Gokarna-matha is Gokarna. Later, pontiffs of this line started a matha in
Partagali (Madagaum - Mathagrama). After one of its celebrated pontiffs,
Jivottama-tirtha, the matha also came to be 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 Kashi-matha in Kashi, it is originally a matha of the South only. A stalwart
champion of Madhva's lineage Shri Vijayindra Tirtha is known to have accepted
Gauda Sarasvata Brahmins as his disciples, thus establishing Kashi Matha. Gauda
Sarasvata Brahmins of the north costal region stretching from Udupi up to
Bombay are disciples of Gokarnamatha. The Gauda Sarasvatas from Udupi up to
Kanyakumari in the south are disciples of Kashi-matha.
Works of Madhvacharya
The Works of Madhvacharya are
many in number and include commentaries on the Vedas, Upanishads, the
Bhagavadgita and the Brahma Sutras. Sri Madhvacharya also composed many works
on the philosophy of Tattvavada.
The Acharya has written four
works on the Sutra-prasthana (the Vedantic school of Brahma Sutra)
1. Brahmasutra-bhashya
2. Sarva-shastrartha-sangraha
(Anubhashya)
3. Brahmasutra-anuvyakhyana
4. Brahmasutra-anuvyakhyana-vivarana
(Nyaya-vivarana)
Two works are on the
Gita-prasthana (the Vedantic school of Bhagavadgita)
5. Bhagavadgita-bhashya
6. Bhagavadgita-tatparya-nirnaya
In the Upanishad-prasthana (the
Vedantic school of Upanisads), the Acharya has written bhashyas or
authoritative commentaries on all the Principal Upanishads. But there is
notable uniqueness in respect of these also. While all the others have
commented only on three chapters of the Aitareya Upanishad, the Acharya's
bhashya covers the entire Upanishad-kanda (of 9 chapters) of the Aitareya
Aranyaka.
7. Mahaitareyopanishad-bhashya
8. Brhadaranyakopanishad-bhashya
9. Chandogyopanishad-bhashya
10. Taittiriyopanishad-bhashya
11. Talavakaropanishad-bhashya
(Kenopanishad-bhashya)
12. Kathakopanishad-bhashya
13. Atharvanopanishad-bhashya
(Mundakopanishad-bhashya)
14. Shatprashnopanishad-bhashya
15.
Yajniya-mantropanishad-bhashya (Ishavasyaopanishad-bhashya)
16. Mandukyopanishad-bhashya
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 bhashya on these verses also. In this connection it is noteworthy how
senior Advaita scholars too like Brahmananda accept that these are original
Upanisadic verses.
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 Mahanamni-khanda of the same Aranyaka. These works
are,
17. Rig-bhashya
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-nirnaya
20. Mahabharata-tatparya
(Yamaka-bharata)
21. Bhagavata-tatparya-nirnaya
Nine topical treatises are
concerned with determining epistemology and ontology:
22. Vishnu-tattva-nirnaya
23. Vada (tattvoddyota)
24. Mayavada-dushana
(Mayavada-khandana)
25. Upadhi-dushana
(Upadhi-khandana Tattva-prakasika)
26. Mithyatvanumana-dushana
(Mithyat-vanuniana-khandana)
27. Tattva-samkhyana
28. Tattva-viveka
29. Pramana-lakhsana
30. Vada-laksana (Katha-lakshana)
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-nirnaya
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 ( It was
added to Vaayu stuthi at the beginning and at the end to show people always the
supreme god is offered prayer prior to others)
39. Dvadasha-stotras (12 in
number)
Further, there is a work which
the Acharya is said to have composed in his boyhood while playing with a ball
(and so it is called ball-hymn), it is a small work of 2 verses 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 Shri Bannanje Govindacharya in the course of his research
in Palm-leaf Manuscripts some years ago.
The Essence of Madhva's
philosophy
Acharya Madhva's line of thought
gave a new turn to the tradition of Indian Philosophy. His philosophy has been
called by the name 'tatva-vaada' in ancient works. In later times, when
relationship between God and soul was the main point of conflict among the
schools of philosophy, it came to be called the 'Dvaita-mata' 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
Acharya, tatvas or categories of reality are primarily two,
svatantra-tatva (Independent
reality)
asvatantra-tatva (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.
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 soul who is still a sadhaka or
religious seeker.
If God is 'bimba' or the original
substrate, 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, 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-consciousness, 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-pancha" or a
'perfect pentad'. In this pentad intermixed in a fivefold 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: Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Samkarashana, Vasudeva and Narayana.
Thus one might distinguish a
five-fold difference too in this world;
1) Difference between one
inconscient and another inconscient;
2) Difference between inconscient
and the soul;
3) Difference between the
inconscient and God;
4) Difference between one soul
and another;
5) 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.
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 because
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'. Its 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 that all-existent God existing in the icon?
Among other significant
contributions of Acharya's Tatvavada, vyakti-vishishtavada 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 specialty. 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 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 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 any 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 (shudra) may be a nobleman (brahmana); on the contrary, a
bramana's son may also be a shudra. 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 traits.
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".
Acharya says about himself that it 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,
Pancharatra 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 ultimate
authorities.
Another means of valid knowledge
besides perception and scripture is inference 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" (anusaari 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, 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 Acharya's spiritual viewpoint.
Madhvacharya in Other Sects
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