About Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya ( 1199–1278 CE), also known as Purna Prajna and Ananda Tirtha, was the chief proponent of Tattvavāda "philosophy of reality", popularly known as the Dvaita (dualism) school of Hindu philosophy. It is one of the three most influential Vedānta philosophies. Madhvācārya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in many ways, going against standard conventions and norms. According to tradition, Madhvacarya is believed to be the third incarnation of Vayu (Mukhyaprana) and first two being Hanuman and Bhīma.
Birth and childhood
Madhvacarya (or Madhva) was born on the Vijayadashami day in 1199 CE (AD) near Udupi, a town in the south-west Indian State of Karnataka. Narayana Panditācārya who later wrote Madhvācārya's biography. Traditionally it is believed that Nadillaya Nārāyana Bhatta as name of the father and Vedavati as Madhvacarya's mother. They named him Vāsudeva at birth. Later he became famous by the names Pūrna-prajña, Ānanda-tīrtha and Madhvacarya (Flood 2003)
Before the birth of Madhva, when his parents had gone for a purchase in the market, a disabled person(has no legs) climbed a dhvaja stambha (flag-post in front of a temple) and announced: "Bhagavān (Lord) Vāyu deva is going to take birth for the revival of Vedic dharma in Pājaka kṣetra to a couple." The prediction made by the disabled person was discussed by the parents of Madhva till they reached home.
Even as a child, at the age of 3, his father initiated his educational lessons. One day the lesson of practicing the alphabets was over and next day it was repeated. Vasudeva asked his father: "Why repeat the same thing? Was over yesterday. Teach me something new."
The father felt both surprised and happy. What a talented child we have he wondered. He was struck by this child's grasping power. He was concerned that the child may be affected by somebody's evil eye. His mother would wave before him some pepper and other things (to ward off evil) and pray for his welfare.
The father continued to teach the child at home. Before long, Vasudeva was able to read all the books and would try to understand them. It was a pleasure to hear his readings from the texts. He had a fine voice and purity of expression.
When Vasudeva was five, his mother took him on a visit to a nearby place called Neyampalli. It was evening and the puranik (raconteuradept at delivering religious discourses) discourse was in progress. People were listening with keen interest to the discourse by Madithaya Shivabhatta, a well-known puranik. At one stage, Vasudeva, sitting beside his mother, got up and said: "Respected puranik, the meaning in the purana text says one thing and you are saying another."
Shivabhatta became annoyed at the boy's insolence. But Vasudeva narrated the meaning of the concerned verse in a lucid manner. People were pleased and agreed with him.
On another occasion, Nadillaya himself was corrected by his son. He was also a well-known ‘puranik'. Once, during a discourse, he could not remember the meaning of a word instantly. He avoided that word and continued. Vasudeva stood up and said "Father, you have named all the tree, but did not mention ‘lakoocha' and its meaning. It means ‘hebbalasu(in Kannada)' doesn't it?"
Nadillaya did not feel insulted. He felt happy that he had learnt the meaning of the word from his son. He felt proud to be the father of such an intelligent boy.
When Vasudeva was seven, his father performed his Upanayana (sacred thread-wearing ceremony) according to the custom and then on to a guru for studying Vedas and classics as a disciple of Totantillaya, a respected Vedic scholar of that period.
Totantillaya felt the boy's manner a bit strange. The boy would appear only at the time of the lessons and would spend the rest of the time in the playfield.
In the field, Vasudeva, with his strong physique beyond his age, would be surrounded by his playmates. Each day it was a different game. One day it was running, Vasudeva would came first. Another time it is swimming and he would be the first to reach the goal. It was wrestling the other day and though the entire band of his playmates attacked him, he would humble them with terrific blows. His mates were astonished at the prowess of Vasudeva whom they considered ‘Hanuman in swimming and Bhimasena in weightlifting'.
Guru Totantillaya would not approve the boy's behavior. He felt he was not studying properly and once called him: "Oh, you are a master of knowledge! You learn things without reading. Let us see, recite the 'Suktas' (hymns) you have been taught so far."
Vasudeva sat cross-legged and recited in a ringing, clear voice all the hymns in the correct pattern and without a single mistake. The Guru gave up testing him. Vasudeva's studies and sports both continued.
Vāsudeva exhibited precocious talent for grasping all things spiritual. As an incarnation of Mukhyaprana this was not new for him. He was drawn to the path of renunciation and even as a boy of eleven years, he chose initiation into the monastic order from Acyuta-Prajña (also called Acyuta Preksha), a reputed ascetic of the time, near Udupi, in the year Saumya. The preceptor Acyuta Prajna gave the boy Vāsudeva the name of Pūrna Prajña at the time of his initiation into sannyāsa (renounced order).
A little over a month later, little Pūrnaprajña is said to have defeated a group of expert scholars of Tarka (logic) headed by Vasudeva-pandita. Overjoyed at his precocious talent, Acyuta Prajna consecrated him as the head of the empire of Vedānta and conferred upon him the title of Ānanda Tīrtha (saint of immaculate bliss).
Thus Purna-prajna is Madhva's name given to him at the time of sannyasa (renunciation). The name conferred on him at the time of consecration as the Master of Vedanta is "Ānanda Tīrtha". Madhva, a name traceable to the Vedas (Balittha sūktam), was the nom de plume assumed by the Acarya to author all his works. Madhvācārya showed that Vedas talk about him as "Madhva" and used that name for himself. However, he used Ānanda Tīrtha or Sukha Tīrtha also to author his works. Madhvācārya was the name by which he was to later be revered as the founder of Tattva-vāda or Dvaita-mata.
Geography
The country lying to the south of the Western Ghats from beyond Bombay to Kanyakumari comprised the ancient kingdoms of Konkana, Canara, and Kerala. The Konkana on Maharashtra, Govapuri(Goa) whose capital was Daulatabad. The language which the Konkan people speak even now is Konkani. Canara consisted of the modern North Canara and South Canara, the former being included in the present Bombay Presidency, and the latter in the Presidency of Madras. Kerala was the southernmost strip, including the modern British Malabar and the Native States of Cochin and Travancore. South Canara is the district with which we are most concerned as the native land of Sri Madhva. In this district, the taluk of Udupi is, for the same reason, a holy region for every person professing the Madhva faith. The province of Canara seems to have been under the sway of Vishnuvardhana, the great Hoysala King. The Bairasu Wodeyars of Mysore held sway in 1250 A.D. and flourished till 1336 A.D., when their kingdom became merged in the rising Empire of Vijayanagara, the state that Robert Sewell refers to as 'a forgotten Empire' and Suryanarayana Rao as 'the never-to-be-forgotten Empire' of this peninsula. The Chandragiri river that runs between Bekal and Kasaragod in South Canara, was the southern boundary of Canara Kingdom. It is a magnificent stream in the rainy season. Tradition forbids Nair women of Kasaragod, crossing this river.
Eight miles north of Kasaragod is the ancient town of Kumbla, now a railway station, close to the sea on a peninsula. It was a place of great importance at this time, though it is now in ruins. It was the headquarters of a chieftain whose descendants are now in receipt of a small government pension under the titular name of 11 Kumbla Rajahs. Udupi and Mangalore were probably under the immediate rule of this chieftain, Mangalore being only about 22 miles north of Kumbla. At the time, one Jayasimha was the Kumbla ruler. He came into contact with Sri Madhva in the latter part of the saints life and was evidently a great admirer of the teacher. Among the communities that played a great part in the history of the times, the Jains seem to have been very prominent. Their Battis, Bettoos, and Stambbas furnish eloquent testimony to the vast influence they wielded. The Karkala statue of imposing height and weight, said to be 41 feet high and 50 tons in weight, is a striking item of proof. The Moodubidri temple is a magnificent monument of their architectural skill. The high pillar at Haleyangadi is a remarkable specimen of the kind, unsurpassed for delicacy of workmanship. Similar statues of colossal height and weight speak volumes for the dominating influence that this community possessed in Sri Madhva's time and for some centuries later.
The Brahmin communities of the West Coast are generally classified as Konkana Saraswats, and Shivalli sects. The Shivallies are Kannada-Tulu speaking Brahmins. Shivalli is a village near to Udupi otherwise known as Rajata Peethapura. These names are derived from the deities of the two ancient temples in this town. The temples of Chandramouleeshwara and Ananteshwara both face the east, one in front of the other. These were the most prominent features of old Udupi before Sri Krishna's temple came into existence in Sri Madhva's time. Udupi is a short designation for Chandra Mouleeshwara, udupa being the Sanskrit word for the moon. In the temple of Ananteshwara, the deity is seated on a pedestal of silver. Hence the town is known as Rajata Peethapura. The name Shivalli is from the Kannada expression Siva Belli, the silver of Siva, in allusion to the silver pedestal aforesaid.
Madhvacharya ( 1199–1278 CE), also known as Purna Prajna and Ananda Tirtha, was the chief proponent of Tattvavāda "philosophy of reality", popularly known as the Dvaita (dualism) school of Hindu philosophy. It is one of the three most influential Vedānta philosophies. Madhvācārya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in many ways, going against standard conventions and norms. According to tradition, Madhvacarya is believed to be the third incarnation of Vayu (Mukhyaprana) and first two being Hanuman and Bhīma.
Birth and childhood
Madhvacarya (or Madhva) was born on the Vijayadashami day in 1199 CE (AD) near Udupi, a town in the south-west Indian State of Karnataka. Narayana Panditācārya who later wrote Madhvācārya's biography. Traditionally it is believed that Nadillaya Nārāyana Bhatta as name of the father and Vedavati as Madhvacarya's mother. They named him Vāsudeva at birth. Later he became famous by the names Pūrna-prajña, Ānanda-tīrtha and Madhvacarya (Flood 2003)
Before the birth of Madhva, when his parents had gone for a purchase in the market, a disabled person(has no legs) climbed a dhvaja stambha (flag-post in front of a temple) and announced: "Bhagavān (Lord) Vāyu deva is going to take birth for the revival of Vedic dharma in Pājaka kṣetra to a couple." The prediction made by the disabled person was discussed by the parents of Madhva till they reached home.
Even as a child, at the age of 3, his father initiated his educational lessons. One day the lesson of practicing the alphabets was over and next day it was repeated. Vasudeva asked his father: "Why repeat the same thing? Was over yesterday. Teach me something new."
The father felt both surprised and happy. What a talented child we have he wondered. He was struck by this child's grasping power. He was concerned that the child may be affected by somebody's evil eye. His mother would wave before him some pepper and other things (to ward off evil) and pray for his welfare.
The father continued to teach the child at home. Before long, Vasudeva was able to read all the books and would try to understand them. It was a pleasure to hear his readings from the texts. He had a fine voice and purity of expression.
When Vasudeva was five, his mother took him on a visit to a nearby place called Neyampalli. It was evening and the puranik (raconteuradept at delivering religious discourses) discourse was in progress. People were listening with keen interest to the discourse by Madithaya Shivabhatta, a well-known puranik. At one stage, Vasudeva, sitting beside his mother, got up and said: "Respected puranik, the meaning in the purana text says one thing and you are saying another."
Shivabhatta became annoyed at the boy's insolence. But Vasudeva narrated the meaning of the concerned verse in a lucid manner. People were pleased and agreed with him.
On another occasion, Nadillaya himself was corrected by his son. He was also a well-known ‘puranik'. Once, during a discourse, he could not remember the meaning of a word instantly. He avoided that word and continued. Vasudeva stood up and said "Father, you have named all the tree, but did not mention ‘lakoocha' and its meaning. It means ‘hebbalasu(in Kannada)' doesn't it?"
Nadillaya did not feel insulted. He felt happy that he had learnt the meaning of the word from his son. He felt proud to be the father of such an intelligent boy.
When Vasudeva was seven, his father performed his Upanayana (sacred thread-wearing ceremony) according to the custom and then on to a guru for studying Vedas and classics as a disciple of Totantillaya, a respected Vedic scholar of that period.
Totantillaya felt the boy's manner a bit strange. The boy would appear only at the time of the lessons and would spend the rest of the time in the playfield.
In the field, Vasudeva, with his strong physique beyond his age, would be surrounded by his playmates. Each day it was a different game. One day it was running, Vasudeva would came first. Another time it is swimming and he would be the first to reach the goal. It was wrestling the other day and though the entire band of his playmates attacked him, he would humble them with terrific blows. His mates were astonished at the prowess of Vasudeva whom they considered ‘Hanuman in swimming and Bhimasena in weightlifting'.
Guru Totantillaya would not approve the boy's behavior. He felt he was not studying properly and once called him: "Oh, you are a master of knowledge! You learn things without reading. Let us see, recite the 'Suktas' (hymns) you have been taught so far."
Vasudeva sat cross-legged and recited in a ringing, clear voice all the hymns in the correct pattern and without a single mistake. The Guru gave up testing him. Vasudeva's studies and sports both continued.
Vāsudeva exhibited precocious talent for grasping all things spiritual. As an incarnation of Mukhyaprana this was not new for him. He was drawn to the path of renunciation and even as a boy of eleven years, he chose initiation into the monastic order from Acyuta-Prajña (also called Acyuta Preksha), a reputed ascetic of the time, near Udupi, in the year Saumya. The preceptor Acyuta Prajna gave the boy Vāsudeva the name of Pūrna Prajña at the time of his initiation into sannyāsa (renounced order).
A little over a month later, little Pūrnaprajña is said to have defeated a group of expert scholars of Tarka (logic) headed by Vasudeva-pandita. Overjoyed at his precocious talent, Acyuta Prajna consecrated him as the head of the empire of Vedānta and conferred upon him the title of Ānanda Tīrtha (saint of immaculate bliss).
Thus Purna-prajna is Madhva's name given to him at the time of sannyasa (renunciation). The name conferred on him at the time of consecration as the Master of Vedanta is "Ānanda Tīrtha". Madhva, a name traceable to the Vedas (Balittha sūktam), was the nom de plume assumed by the Acarya to author all his works. Madhvācārya showed that Vedas talk about him as "Madhva" and used that name for himself. However, he used Ānanda Tīrtha or Sukha Tīrtha also to author his works. Madhvācārya was the name by which he was to later be revered as the founder of Tattva-vāda or Dvaita-mata.
Geography
The country lying to the south of the Western Ghats from beyond Bombay to Kanyakumari comprised the ancient kingdoms of Konkana, Canara, and Kerala. The Konkana on Maharashtra, Govapuri(Goa) whose capital was Daulatabad. The language which the Konkan people speak even now is Konkani. Canara consisted of the modern North Canara and South Canara, the former being included in the present Bombay Presidency, and the latter in the Presidency of Madras. Kerala was the southernmost strip, including the modern British Malabar and the Native States of Cochin and Travancore. South Canara is the district with which we are most concerned as the native land of Sri Madhva. In this district, the taluk of Udupi is, for the same reason, a holy region for every person professing the Madhva faith. The province of Canara seems to have been under the sway of Vishnuvardhana, the great Hoysala King. The Bairasu Wodeyars of Mysore held sway in 1250 A.D. and flourished till 1336 A.D., when their kingdom became merged in the rising Empire of Vijayanagara, the state that Robert Sewell refers to as 'a forgotten Empire' and Suryanarayana Rao as 'the never-to-be-forgotten Empire' of this peninsula. The Chandragiri river that runs between Bekal and Kasaragod in South Canara, was the southern boundary of Canara Kingdom. It is a magnificent stream in the rainy season. Tradition forbids Nair women of Kasaragod, crossing this river.
Eight miles north of Kasaragod is the ancient town of Kumbla, now a railway station, close to the sea on a peninsula. It was a place of great importance at this time, though it is now in ruins. It was the headquarters of a chieftain whose descendants are now in receipt of a small government pension under the titular name of 11 Kumbla Rajahs. Udupi and Mangalore were probably under the immediate rule of this chieftain, Mangalore being only about 22 miles north of Kumbla. At the time, one Jayasimha was the Kumbla ruler. He came into contact with Sri Madhva in the latter part of the saints life and was evidently a great admirer of the teacher. Among the communities that played a great part in the history of the times, the Jains seem to have been very prominent. Their Battis, Bettoos, and Stambbas furnish eloquent testimony to the vast influence they wielded. The Karkala statue of imposing height and weight, said to be 41 feet high and 50 tons in weight, is a striking item of proof. The Moodubidri temple is a magnificent monument of their architectural skill. The high pillar at Haleyangadi is a remarkable specimen of the kind, unsurpassed for delicacy of workmanship. Similar statues of colossal height and weight speak volumes for the dominating influence that this community possessed in Sri Madhva's time and for some centuries later.
The Brahmin communities of the West Coast are generally classified as Konkana Saraswats, and Shivalli sects. The Shivallies are Kannada-Tulu speaking Brahmins. Shivalli is a village near to Udupi otherwise known as Rajata Peethapura. These names are derived from the deities of the two ancient temples in this town. The temples of Chandramouleeshwara and Ananteshwara both face the east, one in front of the other. These were the most prominent features of old Udupi before Sri Krishna's temple came into existence in Sri Madhva's time. Udupi is a short designation for Chandra Mouleeshwara, udupa being the Sanskrit word for the moon. In the temple of Ananteshwara, the deity is seated on a pedestal of silver. Hence the town is known as Rajata Peethapura. The name Shivalli is from the Kannada expression Siva Belli, the silver of Siva, in allusion to the silver pedestal aforesaid.
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