JAGADGURU SHRIMAN MADHWACHARYA

 

                                          brahmanta gurava: sakshat ishtam daivam shriyapati:
                                            acharya shrimadacharya santu me janma janmani

                                    JAGADGURU MADHWACHARYA

Srimad Ananda Teertha, also known as Poornaprajna and Madhvacharya, is the propagator of the doctrine of Tattvavada. He is the last of the great Acharyas of Vedanta, and is also the 22nd commentator on the Brahma-Sûtra of Veda Vyasa.


His doctrine asserts that the differences are eternally real, and that hence there is more than one absolute real, and that Hari (Vishnu) is the only entity praised in the Shrutis and their adjuncts. Thus, he always identifies the Brahman of the Upanishads with Vishnu, and forcefully argues against the dichotomy of Shrutis (tattvaavedaka / atattvaavedaka) as claimed by Sri Sankaracharya, saying that such arbitration of apaurusheya scripture is unacceptable both logically and spiritually. He also emphasizes that it is important to understand and specifically reject other schools' precepts, and hence devotes much time to nitpicking analyses and denunciations of other doctrines.

Srimad Ananda Teertha is commonly identified with Madhva, the third avataara of Mukhya PraaNa, the god of life, as given in the BaLittha Sukta of the Rig Veda. The first two avatara-s are as Hanuman and Bheemasena, and the third is Madhva, who came down to Earth as a sanyasi.

Srimad Ananda Teertha himself makes the claim to being Madhva in several instances, one of which is in the Vishnu-tattva-vinirnaya. It was recognized in his own time, and it has been documented, that he had all thirty-two shubha-lakshaNa-s that define a ruju-taattvika-yogi, including the prescribed height of ninety-six inches ("shaNNavati angulo.apetam") quoted in the Mahabharata-Tatparya-Nirnaya.

However, he is firmly set against the notion of accepting doctrines because they come from prophets or claimed gods. He also dismisses claims that only part of the Vedas are useful, and claims that even the so-called karma-kaNDa portions of them are only meant to worship Hari.

Sumadhvavijaya is a biographical account of Acharya Madhva composed by Sri Narayana Panditacharya, the son of Sri Trivikrama Panditacharya, who was a contemporary of Acharya Madhva. The generally accepted dates for Madhva are 1238-1317 CE (AD), while those for Narayana Panditacharya are 1295-1370 CE. It is very likely that the young Narayana was associated with many of the events covered in detailed descriptions of Acharya Madhva’s life.

Dr. B.N.K. Sharma says “Madhva’s biography, unlike others of its kind, has a perfect historical perspective and never indulges in anachronisms and episodes of a compromising nature to the subject. We get a pen-picture of Madhva saying that he had all the maha purusha lakshana-s. Madhva was a great sportsman, and also a good wrestler, mountaineer, etc. The early incidents of digesting horsegram as a baby still on mother’s milk, eating thousands of plantains and drinking pots of milk as a young lad, and eating all the food offered by several hosts in Badarinath, as well as keeping a complete fast with total silence for 48 days in that extremely cold and difficult place before going to meet Sri Veda Vyasa — all portray Madhva as one who was not an ordinary person dependent on food.”

Similarly, Madhva is said to have shown that God is present everywhere, even as a toddler of two years, by his actions in visiting the temples. The attachment of his parents to the beautiful child, and their sorrow when he renounced the world at the young age of eight years, are poignant, but Madhva maintains his dignity and conviction without hurting them.


    ACHARYA MADHWA'S SHISHYAS AND THEIR IDOLS
1)Sri Padmanabha Tirtha                 –  Moola parampare ( *)-
Info about Shri Padmanabha Teertharu  http://dwaitadarshana.blogspot.in/p/mahan-madhwa-yatigalu.html
2)Sri Hrishikesha Tirtha                  –  Palimaru Matha- Shri rama along with seeta and laxman                           3)Sri Narasimha Tirtha                    – Adamaru Matha- Sri Kaliyamardana Krishna
4)Sri Janardana Tirtha                    – Krishnapura Matha - Kaliyamardana Shri Krishna
5)Sri Upendra Tirtha                       – Puttige Matha- Sri Vittala
6)Sri Vamana Tirtha                        – Shirooru Matha- Sri Vittala
7)Sri Vishnu Tirtha                          – Sode Matha- Sri Bhuvaraha
8)Sri Ramachandra Tirtha              – Kaniyooru Matha- Sri Narasimha
9)Sri Adhokshaja Tirtha                 – Pejavara Matha- Sri Vittala
* - Shri Padmanabha Teertha's Parampare continued(**) from narahari-madhava-akshobya-jaya-vidyadhiraja(***)-vageesha-ramachandra  . During parampara's Shri Ramachandra teertha's period mula parampare got splitted 1) Shri Vibudendra teertha 2) Shri Vidyanidhi teertha . Shri Vibudendra teertha's parampare later became famous as SHRI RAGHAVENDRA SWAMY MATHA , named after famous saint Shri Raghavendra teertha .  present pontiff of the matha is Shri Subudhendra teertharu.  And Shri Vidyanidhi Teertha's parampare later became famous as SHRI UTTARADI MATHA ( present pontiff Shri Satyatma Teertharu )  .

** And during Madhwacharya's direct disciple Shree padmanabha teertharu another guru parampare continued from Shri Lakshmidhara teertharu . Now this parampare is known as SHRI SHRIPADARAJA MATHA ( Present pontiff Shri Keshava nidhi teertha ). The name Shripadaraja matha is came because of the famous pontiff of the matha Shri Lakshminaraya teertharu . Later Shri Lakshminarayana teertharu became Shripada rajaru . Shreepadaraja was vidyashishya of Shri Vibudhendra teertha and vidyaguru of Shri Vyasaraja teertha . The name shripadaraja was given by his guru Shri Vibudhendra teertha of Shri Raghavendra swamy matha.

***During Shri Vidyadhiraja teertha's period, moola parampare took another turn .Another parampare started by Shri Rajendra teertha ( the Vidyaguru of  Shri Vibudhendra teertha of Raghavendra swamy matha ).This matha later known as SHRI VYASARAJA MATHA named after the famous pontiff of the matha Shri Vyasaraja teertharu ( Who was Rajaguru of Vijayanagara samrat  Krishnadevaraya )