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
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.