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Madhvacarya

This version was saved 14 years, 9 months ago View current version     Page history
Saved by Juan Castañeira
on June 26, 2009 at 3:50:44 pm
 

 

 

At the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada there is a list of disciplic succession. This list was first published by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and enumerates the most prominent members of the guru-parampara. This accounts for some time gaps. Kavi Karnapura in his Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (22-) lists the gurus up to Lord Chaitanya. Their abridged biographies follow.

 

Biographies up to Laksmipati Tirtha and Visnu Puri (19.) are Copyright © 2000 Jaya Tirtha Charan dasan. All Rights Reserved. (www.hknet.org.nz/guru-parampara-contents-page.htm)

 

 

Rest of biographies comes from O.B.L. Kapoor's compilations available from our Library (Gva-ac.zip, Gvaa-y.zip)

 

 

1. Krsna

2. Brahma

3. Narada

4. Vyasa

5. Madhvacarya

6. Padmanabha Tirtha

7. Nrhari (Narahari) Tirtha

8. Madhava Tirtha

9. Aksobhya Tirtha

10. Jaya Tirtha

11. Jnanasindhu

12. Dayanidhi

13. Vidyadhiraja (Vidyanidhi) Tirtha

14. Rajendra Tirtha

15. Jayadharma (Vijayadhvaja) Tirtha

16. Purusottama

17. Brahmanya Tirtha

18. Vyasa Tirtha

19. Laksmipati Tirtha, Visnu Puri

20. Madhavendra Puri

21a. Isvara Puri

21b. Nityananda Prabhu

21c. Advaita Acarya

22. Lord Caitanya

23a. Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami

23b. Svarupa Damodara

24. Raghunatha dasa Gosvami

25. Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami

26. Narottama dasa Thakura

27. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura

28a. Baladeva Vidyabhusana

28b. Jagannatha dasa Babaji

29. Bhaktivinoda Thakura

30. Gaurakisora dasa Babaji

31. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami

32. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada


 

5. Madhvacarya

 

He was born in a Sivanni brahmana class family in the Pajakaksetra of Udupi village in the year 1040 Saka. His parents were Sri Madhyageha Bhatta and Srimati Vedavidya. His childhood name was Vasudeva. At the age of twelve he was initiated by Acyutapreksa. His sannyasa name was Purnaprajna.

 

He obtained the Deity of Udupi Krsna (Nrtya Gopala) from a boat full of gopi-candana. The Deity is holding a curd-making stick in one hand and a string, used for pasting curd, in the other hand. Though the Deity was very heavy, Madhvacarya carried it alone from Vadabhandesvara.

 

The following are the names of the eight Udupi Mathas and their main heads:

 

1. Palimara - Sri Hrsikesa Tirtha

2. Adamara - Narahari

3. Krsnapura - Janardana

4. Puttige - Upendra

5. Siruru - Vamana

6. Sode - Visnu

7. Kanuru - Srirama

8. Pejavara - Adhoksaja

 

The following are the names of the Deities in the above mentioned maths respectively: Sri Ramacandra, Sri Krsna, Caturbhuja Kaliya-mardana Sri Krsna, Vitthaladeva, Vitthaladeva, Bhuvaraha deva, Nrsimha deva, and Vitthala deva. In the Sri Krsna matha there is a Deity of Balakrsna, installed by Madhvacarya.

 

The following are books written by Madhvacarya:

 

1. Gitabhasya

2. Brahma Sutrabhasya

3. Anubhasya 4. Pramana-laksana

5. Tattva-viveka 6. Rigbhasya

7. Upanisada bhasya

8. Gita Tatparya Nirnaya

9. Dvadasa Stotryas

10. Sri Krsnamaharnava

11. Srimadbhagavata Tatparya

12. Sri Mahabharata Tatparyanirnaya

13. Sri Krsna Stuti

 

The major works of Madhvacarya are his commentaries on the Brahmasutras, Upanisads, and the Bhagavad-gita. Most of his thirty-four works are philosophical, although there are a few poems and devotional compositions. Yamaka Bharata is a poem narrating the story of Mahabharata in Yamaka verse. Bharata Tatparya Nirnaya are his learned critiques on the Bhagavata and the Mahabharata. He was also wrote commentaries on some hymns in the Rg Veda. He relied heavily on evidence from the Puranas, rather than on the Vedic texts or logic. (An Encyclopedia of South Indian Culture, pp. 278-279)

 

 

Other Great Associates of Madhwacarya:


 

Sripad Visnu Tirtha

 

This is the younger brother of Madhwa who became the founder of Sode Mutt. He was an incredible yogi and renunciate, living in a cave no wider than his body standing. In the pastime at Kanvatirtha some of his qualities are recorded in Madhwa Vijay. Tradition has it that to this day he is still performing austerities on the Kumara Hill at Subrahmanya Ksetra of the western Ghats. Hrsikesa Tirtha, in his book Sampradaya Paddhati, states that in the Kali Yuga Visnu Tirtha will re-appear to preach Madhwa philosophy there. His only known work is a book on the duties of 'sannyasa', including the importance of 'Visnu-bhakti', roles of 'grhasta' and 'sannyasa ashramas', and cleanliness, bathing, 'tilak', 'japa' (regulated chanting), worship of Deities, offering foods to the Lord, fasting, and vows taken during the four months of the rainy season etc.

 

Sripad Visnu Tirtha was given beautiful Deities of Bhu-Varaha by Sripad Madhwacarya. Lord Varaha is very nicely decorated with Bhudevi seated on His left thigh. Incidently at the Sode Mutt they also have a Deity of Hayagriva, Who is whitish and is seen with 'jnana mudra', a book, 'japa mala', and a white conchshell respectively in each of His hands. He is the presiding Deity of knowledge and was brought there by Vadiraja Tirtha, the twentieth swami of the Sode Mutt who appeared around the sixteenth century and lived for 120 years.

 

In the Madhwa Vijay (15:96-116.) there is a nice description of the final pastime of Visnu Tirtha joining Madhwa after the passing away of their parents at Pajaka-ksetra which will be included later.

 

Srila Trivikrama Panditacarya.

 

 

Sriman Trivikrama Panditacarya took his birth in the family of Likuca (Pejjataya) like Madhwa, near modern day Kasagar. He was a 'Shivalli Brahmin', and His father was Subrahmanya Pandit of the 'Angirasa Gotra'. Trivikrama was the eldest of three sons, and he emerged as a scholar of the Monist Adwaita school, although he never saw himself as a 'mayavadi', because he was never satisfied with it's conclusions. 

 

He became the court pandit of Jayasimha Maharaja, the King of Kumbla. There is an incredible story of the meeting between Trivikrama, the King and Madhwa, during which Madhwa stated all known philosophies, and one by one smashed them all. He then lured the court pandit into a debate and over fifteen days changed the mind of the doubting Trivikrama into a Madhwa Vaisnava. After being soundly defeated by Madhwa at Visnumangala and becoming Madhwa's disciple, Trivikrama wrote three books. Madhwacarya showed him many favours, due to his devotion and dedication. Trivikram Panditacarya was a householder. His youngest son was Narayana Panditacarya who is the compiler of the biography of Madhwa (Madhwa Vijay) from which I have taken the details surrounding Madhwa's life for the compilation of this book. He too was very learned, and devoted to Madhwa. There are about twenty books accredited to Narayana Panditacarya. He spent about thirty years growing up in the association of Sripad Madhwacarya.

 

Another that came much later is Sriman

Vishnu Puri

 

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