THE THREE GREAT PHILOSOPHERS OF SOUTH INDIA WHO GAVE ADVAITHA, VISHISTADVAITHA AND DWAITHA PHILOSOPHIES

PART III : H.H. MADHWACHARAYA

Friends,

Having given a very brief biography and principles propounded by ADI SHANKARA and RAMANUJA , I am giving hereunder, a small biography and an entirely a new concept i.e.DWAITHA or DUALISM given by another great SAINT called MADHWACHAARYA.

In a tiny village called PAJAKA in Udupi district in Karnataka state, in the year 1238 AD, a boy was born on Vijaya Dashami day of the Lunar month Ashwin to a devout couple by names Madhyageha Bhatta and Vedavati. They named the child as VASUDEVA which is a synonym of Maha Vishnu., since he was born by the blessing of Lord Vishnu whom the couple prayed in varied ways for over 12 years. The story is that on hearing the prayers of the couple, Sriman Narayana asked VAYU to be born to the couple. In fact, Madhwas believe that he is the incarnation of VAYU like, BHEEMA and HANUMAN. In childhood itself Vasudeva was inclined towards spirituality and had great talents in grasping spiritual knowledge, He was very sturdy and well built. Madhwas have many stories to tell about the miracles Vasudeva perfomed as a child. Due to space constrain I shall narrate only one instance. When he was only ONE YEAR OLD once he accompanied his father’s bullocks by just holding them on their tips of tails and took them for grazing. His parents searched for the child but it was a vain attempt. However, the child returned home in the evening with the bullocks. This shows his great endurance power.

While he was a young boy of eleven years old i.e in the year 1149 AD. he chose to become a SANYASI under a great SANYASIN called ACHYUTHA PREKSHA who named VASUDEVA as PURNAPRAJNA. Here-in , I would like to state that PURNAPRAJNA TRUST, managed by MADHVAS is running many institutions for the benefit of mankind and their Educational Institutions are very famous for their excellence in teaching. This great Sanyasin , Poornaprajna had profound knowledge in SANSKRIT, VEDAS, UPANSHADS etc. and LOGIC OR THARKA SHASTHRA. Achyuta Preksha conferred upon Poornaprajna the title “ANANDA THEERTHA” for his knowledge in VEDANTHA and THARKA SHASTHRA through which he defeated VASUDEVA PANDITHA an eminent logician of his times, and, his disciples. In fact MADHWA is the PENNAME assumed by POORNAPRAJNA while writing his works on VEDAS. This is the exact reason why he is revered as MADHWACHARYA the author of DWITHA OR DUALISM and how he came to be known as MADHWACHARYA. As a teenager POORNAPRAJNA toured all over south which include Thiruvananthapuram, Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram and Srirangam He had no belief in superstitions and faught tooth and nail against it. He WAS SEVERELY CRITISIZED FOR HIS ATTACK ON ORTHDOXY. He then returned to UDUPI and there he wrote his BHASHYA or commentary on BHAGAVAT GITHA. This commentary . he took to BHADRINATH where daily after bath in the holy river GANGA observed MOUNA VRATHA for 48 days. Thereafter he went to VYASA BADRI and believied to have met the GREAT SAGE VEDA VYASA and presented him with his BHASHYA ON BHAGAVAT GITHA. In his original Bhashya, it is said that he had written that the Bhashya was written with the help of Veda Vyasa which was changed by Veda Vyasa himself as “I have written with my own capacity and not with the help of Veda Vyasa”.

UDUPI SHREE KRISHNA TEMPLE

Friends, it is now the right time to tell about this wonderful temple situated in UDUPI which is as famous as Sri Venkateshwara Temple of Tirupati , Srirangam Temple and Lord Krishna Temple of Guruvayur. It is said that Madhwacharya once noticed a ship which lost its direction in the sea at Malpe, a small coastal village near Udupi. Madhwacharya immediately took his saffron anga vasthram ( over-cloth) and waved it like a flag looking towards the ship. The captain of the ship noticed this and took the ship to shore. He was very much pleased with the Acharya’s action and in gratitude he asked Madhwacharya to take any thing which he liked from the ship. Madhwacharya who was a sanyasin had no much desires and hence he took a mound of dried GOPICHANDANA from the captain. On breaking open this mound he found a small and beautiful idol of Lord Krishna. This he installed in the Temple at Udupi which is now one of the famous temples of Lord Krishna. Madhwacharya, then formed eight Mutts and appointed eight Heads for these mutts to perform POOJA, which are given below and which are situated in UDUPI Ratha Veedhi or Car Street.

(1)Phal.imar mutt : hrishikEsha Theertha (2) adamAr Mutt : Narasimha Theertha (3) Krishnapura Mutt : Janaardhana theertha ( 4) Puttige Mutt : Upendra Theertha (5) Kaaniyoor Mutt : Vaamana Theertha (6) Sode mutt : Vishnu Theertha (7) Shiroor Mutt : Raama Theertha and (8) Pejawar Mutt : Adhokshaja Theertha.

The peculiarity of this Temple is that Lord Krishna’s idol in this temple is facing the west. Although no one can tell exactly, why this idol is facing west, according to some, there was a devotee called KANAKA DASA who was from a low caste and who could not enter the temple because of his being born in a low caste. Being a great devotee of Lord Krishna he used to stand daily on the western side of the temple and performed his prayers. Lord Krishna was well pleased with him and in order to give Darshan He turned towards the west. This is one belief. All my friends reading this might have heard about KANAKA DASAR KRUTHIS.

I can narrate many stories about this great saint who gave to the HINDUS the DWAITHA SIDDANTHA but due to space constraint I like to cut short this biography.

MADHWACHARYA’S DUALISM

The Dwaitha Siddantha differs from the other two theories on five counts They are :-

“ (1) JeevaiEEshwara Beda, or difference between the soul and Vishnu;
(2) Jada-EEshwara Bheda or difference between insentient and Vishnu;
(3) Mitha-Jeeva Bheda or difference between any two souls;
(4) Jada-Jeeva Bheda or difference between insentient and the soul;
(5) Mitha-Jada Bheda or difference between any two insentients..

To clarify: ISHWARA is a sentient being, and the JIVA is also sentient. However they are not fully alike. While ishwara is fully independent JEEVA is fully dependent. It is the energization by ISWARA that is responsible for the activity of the JIVA.

According to Madhwa ( Let us not forget his actual name after he was initiated in to SANYAS i.e POORNAPRAJNA ) as all the three saints believe, LORD VISHNU is supreme. Why I included Shankara Bhagavathpaadar also is, because of the difference with him only another great SAINT BHASAVESHWARA started his famous LINGA CULT called LINGAYATS as HH. Shankaracharya said that “SHIVA AND VISHNU ARE ONE AND THE SAME”. And in Sandhya Vandanam especially performed by BRAHMINS says “ AkAshAth pathitham thOyam yaththa gachchathi saagaram , sarvadevanamaskaarah: keshavam prathi gachchathi” meaning as all the waters fall from the sky go to the seas, in the same way all prayers towards all DEVAS ultimately reach KESHAVA. And in samarpanam or conclusion we say “Kaayena vaachaa manasEndriyair vaa bddyaathmanaavaa prakruthe swabhaavath, karOmi yadyath sakalam parasmai naaraayannayEthi samarpayaami. This is not intended to say that we are wrong but only to show as to why the great saints differ in their approach

Coming again to Madhwa’s teachings. He says further that the universe is real and the five differences are real, the leagues of Jeevas are cohorts of VISHNU and are superior or inferior among themselves; salvation is the experience of Jiva’s own joy; This can be achieved only by flawless devotion or Bhakthi towards Vishnu.. etc.

After establishing the Lord Krishna Temple and the Mutts, Madhwacharya again went to Badri. He has authored many books some of the important works are his commenries on VEDIC HYMNS like Rig Veda BHAASHYA, KARMANI MAYA , BHASHYA ON VARIOUS UPANSHADS, BHASHYA ON BHAGAVAT GITHA Etc. HH. Madwacharya lived for 79 years i.e till NAVAMI OF SHUKA PAKSHA (BRIGHTER HALF OF THE MOON ) in the month of Magha of PINGALA SAMVATHSARA. Madhwas believe that this great saint is still alive and guiding them in all spiritual matters.

Friends, let us prostrate before all these three great saints with all reverence who made HINDUISM a most DYNAMIC RELIGION.

Regards to one and all.

P.R.RADHAKRISHNAN