Madhwacharya was a 13th-century Hindu philosopher who propagated the idea of Dwaita Vedanta philosophy. He was a Sanskrit scholar who wrote many books in the Sanskrit language. He was the chief proponent of the Dvaita school of Vedanta. The term Dvaita’ indicate dualism. He was of the belief that the individual soul and God are fundamentally different.
Who is Madhwacharya
Madhwacharya was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu and he believed that Bhakti toward Lord Vishnu is the only route to eternal salvation. He called his philosophy ‘Tattvavada’, which means the realist viewpoint. Madhw’s dvaita philosophy influenced Vaishnavism and the Bhakti movement.
Madhwacharya also founded eight mathas (ashta mathas) in Udupi for the worship of Lord Krishna. He secured the murti of Lord Krishna from Dwarka of Gujarat. He consecrated the Krishna idol in the temple and personally worshiped it for many years. He appointed his eight close disciples as the head of these eight mathas.
Madhwacharya is a third of the trinity of Hindu philosophers (along with Shankaracharya and Ramanujacharya) who tried to decode Vedas and Upanishads in their own way. The three most influential philosophies are Advaita (by Shankaracharya in the 7th century), Vishishtadvaita (by Ramanujacharya in the 11th century), and Dvaita (by Madhawacharya in the 13th century).
However, Madhwa was a fierce critic of the Advaita Vedanta of Adi Shankara and the Vishishtadvaita philosophy of Ramanuja. He believed that this universe is not an illusion but rather a playfield of God.
Early Life of Madhwacharya
Madhwa was born on the Vijayadashami day of 1238 AD in a village near Udupi in the state of Karnataka. His father’s name was Nadillaya Narayan Bhatta and his mother was Vedavathi. His childhood name was Vasudeva. When he was seven, his father performed upanayana (sacred thread ceremony) to Madhwa and sent him to gurukul for studies. His first guru was Totantilaya, a famous pundit at that time.
Vasudeva was a brilliant child with sharp memory. He used to spend most of his time in sports activities and less time in studies. Irritated with this behavior of Vasudeva, Totantilaya once scolded him and ordered him to recite whatever has been taught. Vasudeva promptly read everything taught to him and answered all the questions. This made his guru happy.
When Vasudeva was twelve, he embraced sanyasa after persuading his parents. He approached saint Achytapreksha to initiate him into sanyasa. Achutapreksha initiated him and named him ‘Poornaprajna’. Subsequently, he was named ‘Madhwa’, by which name he became popular.
Debates with other Scholars
Madhwacharya was known for his knowledge, oratory skills, and robust physique. He traveled the whole country to spread knowledge of Vedic philosophy. He used to conduct philosophical debates with other scholars of the time. He traveled to all the important places like Varanasi, Badri, Dwarka, etc to spread the knowledge of Dvaita Vedantic philosophy.
Works of Madhwacharya
Madhwacharya wrote several books and commentaries on Hindu scriptures like the Brahma sutra and Bhagavadgeeta. He also composed many devotional hymns and stotras.
Some of his important texts are Gita Bhashya, Brahma Sutra Bhashya, Anu Vyakhyana, Dwadasha stotram, etc.
What is Dwaita Philosophy?
Dvaita means dualism or duality. It takes into account two attributes or principles that exist separately.
According to the Dwaita school of thought, Atman (individual soul) and Brahman (Ultimate reality who is Lord Vishnu) are fundamentally different.
According to Madhwa, Lord (Vishnu) is full of infinite good qualities without any limitations. He is the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of everything. It is only through the grace of Lord Vishnu that one can be liberated.