Sri Madhvacharya -5.

Sri Madhvacharya had many disciples belonging to the Sanyasa ashrama and many disciples who were house holders. He vanished from the sight of men in his eightieth year in the month of Magha on the 9th day of the bright fortnight while he was teaching the Aitareya Upanishad Bhashya to his disciples. A shower of flowers is said to have rained on him and he vanished from the sight of men in the shower of flowers.




Sri Madhvacharya has written in all thirty seven works. and they are collectively called Sarvamula. Four of his works are on Brahmasutras, two on Bhagavad Gita, ten are the commentaries on ten Upanishads, one on the Mahabharata and one on the Bhagavata in order to determine their import and ten are the prakaranas. The Rigbhashya is a commentary on the Rigveda (for a few typical Riks). Seven of his works are of the Stotra type. Nobody can fail to be impressed by his works. His method is very brief and simple. His logic is infallible and energetic. The depth of his scholarship is seen in the profuse ness range and variety of quotations from various religious texts. His familiarity with the Upanishadic, puranic, tantric and other literature is in ample evidence in all his works. He is singularly free from the use of alankaraprayoga and he is very matter of fact in all his arguments.




The Brahmasutra Bhshya of the Acharya possesses in full measure the characteristics a Bhashya should possess. (A words in which the meaning of the sutras is explained by words similar to those in the sutras and in which the author explains his own words is called a Bhashya.) Accordingly the Brahmasutra Bhashya of the Acharya of Sri Madhvacharya is a very brief and precise composition in contrast with the Bhashyas of the Acharyas of the other systems. Sri Madhvacharya however reserves polemical treatment of the Brahmasutras to be effective in Anuvyakhyana. The commentaries on the Upanishads are peculiar and philosophical hosts in themselves. Sri Madhvacharya invariably quotes appropriate puranic and Vedic literature and samhitas with purport to to explain the Upanishadic passages.




The direct disciples of Sri Madhvacharya, viz. Padmanabha Tirtha, Narahari Tirtha, Trivikramapanditacharya and others have written commentaries on his works. These are called Prachina tikas. They were followed by the brilliant commentaries of Jayatirtha who is famous as Tikacharya. Jayathirtha has written commentaries on almost all the works of Sri Madhvacharya. In particular the commentary on Anuvyakhyana called “Nyayasudha” is famous as a commentary of the highest merit. The works of Jayathirtha have been commented upon by many later scholars of whom Vyasarja and Raghavendra Tirtha are well known.

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