Madhva's birth and upbringing

Our knowledge of Sri Madhvacharya's life (1238-1317) is based on Madhvavijaya, a work in Sanskrit by Narayana Pandita, which is held in great esteem both as a historical text and a sacred poetical work by the followers of this noted Acharya.

Sri Madhva - known also by three other names, Vasudeva, Purnaprajna and Anandatirtha - is definitely known to have lived from 1238 to 1317 to the ripe old age of seventy nine. He was born in a Tulu Brahmana family inhabiting the village of Pajaka (or Pajakaksetra), eight miles southeast of the town of Udupi in South Kanara district of Karnataka. His father Madhyageha Bhatta (otherwise known as Naddantillaya) was a Pandit specially learned in Itihasas and Puranas.

He, as also Acyutapreksha the Guru of Madhvacharya, were all probably Ekanta - Vaishnavas, devoted to Vishnu and to the Pancharatra texts.

Madhyageha Bhatta was childless, as his two sons passed away early in life. So with a view to have a son, he practised austerities and prayers at the temple of Anantesvara for long, and by the Lord's grace he got a son, who became the great Acharya. It was Mukhyaprana who entered into the body of Madhyageha's wife and was delivered as a beautiful infant with large eyes and a moon-like face. The father named him Vasudeva to indicate that he was born to give knowledge to the world and that he would ever be devoted to Lord Narayana.

After a few years, Vasudeva, while yet a small boy, disappeared from the house. He went into a neighbouring forest. Though warned by travellers on the way about the dangers there, he proceeded and performed worship to Lord Narayana in a temple in the forest of Kaduvoor and stayed at another temple of Siva at Bannange.

From there he went to Udupi and worshipped at the shrine of Anantesvara. The distressed parents of the missing child found him out after much search and took him home. When questioned as to who protected him in all these dangerous regions, his reply was that it was Narayana.

A little later, Madhyageha Bhatta initiated his son in the study of the alphabets. There was no need to teach him. The ocean of intelligence that he was, he knew the alphabets already.

Going to the village of Neyampalli with his mother, Vasudeva came across a Brahmana named Siva narrating a Pauranika episode in a wrong way to a large audience. The boy corrected him, and gained the applause of the audience.

At the age of eight he was invested with the sacred thread by his father with the commandment: 'Living a virtuous life, serve the Fire and the preceptor. Observing the vow of celibacy, study the Vedas well.' Put under the care of a preceptor, it was found that Vasudeva mastered everything in no time. Study was like play to him. All Vedic learning showed itself in him like 'a ball in hand'.

At the close of study-hours Vasudeva always engaged himself in sports with his companions. He excelled all his companions in running, jumping, wrestling, water-sports etc. He was spending so much of his time in these manly physical exercises that the teacher got disgusted with him.

He chided him one day and asked him why he was coming to the Gurukula at all, if his intention was to spend his time in play. Vasudeva then replied that the Vedic chant that was practised there was not to his liking, and when asked to chant in his own way, he did accordingly.

His pronunciation and Vedic intonation roused the admiration of the teacher as well as of all the learned men there. After a time he gave the usual Dakshina (parting-gift) to the preceptor and departed for his residence.

Madhva's Sannyasa

At about the age of sixteen Vasudeva, decided to enter the Order of Sannyasins, as he felt that this was the best means to fulfil, his life's mission, Near the modem town of Udupi, in the village of Karey, there was a monastery of which Acyutapreksha was the head.

One day Lord Anantesvara revealed to him through an oracle that in future a great disciple would join him. Thus was Vasudeva's arrival announced to Acyutapreksha. The parents of Vasudeva, especially his mother, could not at first reconcile themselves to the idea of losing their only surviving son to asceticism. But they yielded after some time when another boy was born to them, and when Vasudeva threatened that, if even after that, they stood in his way of becoming a Sannyasin, he would leave his native land and be lost in the wide world for ever.

Afterwards he was initiated into Sannyasa by Acyutapreksha under the name, Purnaprajna. Soon after, Purnaprajna expressed a desire to go to the Ganga for a holy bath.

In response to the earnest prayers of Acyutapreksha to Lord Anantesvara, Mother Ganga came gurgling up in their Math's pond for all to bathe in her holy waters. This helped to retain Purnaprajna at the Math itself for the time being.

First South Indian Pilgrimage

Recognition in the neighbourhoods of Udupi encouraged him to emerge into the wider world. He first undertook a tour up to Kanyakumari, accompanied by Acyutapreksha. At the first place of halt, Vishnumangala, he was put to test by Brahmanas of rival schools. They gave him heaps of banana fruits as Bhiksha. Without any difficulty he consumed an inconceivable number of them, causing astonishment to all by that miraculous act.

Crossing many streams and passing through several countries, he reached the banks of Payasvini and from there Anantapuram further south. He bathed at Kanyakumari, stayed at Ramesvaram for four months, and visited Srirangam and many temples in Tamil country. Wherever he went large crowds of ordinary men were attracted to him by his prepossessing appearance and scholars by his vast learning.

Pilgrimage to Badari

After a short stay at Udupi, he started with the permission of his teacher Acyutapreksha on his first pilgrimage to North India, accompanied by a few disciples. He passed through many holy spots and sacred streams until he reached Badarikasrama sacred to Lord Narayana. There he dedicated a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita to the Lord and began expounding it to groups of devotees. Taking the vow of practising austerities there, he spent days bathing in ice-cold water, fasting and meditating. He had now a call from the Lord to visit upper Badari, and to that inaccessible place he proceeded alone. There he had actual communion with Vedavyasa who lived there with his disciples, invisible to ordinary humanity.

On his return to Udupi, Madhva interpreted his new commentary on Brahma Sutra to all, including his Guru Acyutapreksha. Owing to the latter's strong Advaitic predilection, it was a hard task for Madhva to convince him of his new interpretation. But by the power of scholarship and of his personality, he succeeded in converting him, and then the Guru became the disciple of that illustrious disciple. Acyutapreksha made him the head of the Math now or, according to some, even before his North India pilgrimage.

Founding Krsna temple at Udupi & After

The most outstanding event of Madhva's life during this period of stay at Udupi was the founding of the Sri Krshna temple. It is said that he got a big ball of Gopicandana (a paste with a kind of earth) inside which the stone image was embedded. The Acharya had it washed in a nearby lake. Even thirty persons could not carry it to the Math, as the presence of Sri Krshna was infused into it by the sacred touch of the Acharya. But Madhva, could carry it easily. While proceeding to the Math he composed the Dvadasa-stotra.

Second pilgrimage to Badari

He next went on another pilgrimage or missionary tour to North India upto Badarikasrama, crossing mountains and rivers on the way. He was passing through a country ruled by a king named Isvara Deva who was in the habit of forcing wayfarers to dig the earth for him. On the Acharya being asked to do this work, he requested the king to show how the work was to be done. When the king demonstrated it, he found he could not stop, but had to continue to work on helplessly because of the Acharya's power. On the way he demonstrated many times his physical courage and psychic power in overcoming bands of thieves who came to attack his party.

His most remarkable feat was his confrontation with a Turkish (Muslim) chieftain while crossing the Ganges. Owing to a state of war, all boat traffic had stopped and the Turkish king's guards stood there watching for spies crossing the river by stealth. Madhvacharya managed to cross the river even without a boat. The guards of the king, charmed by him, were made inactive.

Crossing the river with the party, the Acharya stood before the king and talked with him in the Turkish language, which he was not known to be acquainted with. The king was so mightily pleased with the manly demeanour, presence of mind and charm of the Acharya's personality that he even offered a part of his kingdom if he would stay there.

Stay at Udupi and gathering of disciples

Returning to Udupi, he does not seem to have undertaken any other missionary tour to distant parts of India. But he was very active at Udupi producing many of his works and entering into disputation with hostile thinkers of the neighbourhood.

By this time Madhva had become famous in those regions and many disciples, lay and monastic, joined his sect. Among them one noteworthy person was Madhva's own younger brother, who wanted to take to a Sannyasin's life after his parents had died. He became a Sannyasin under the name of Vishnutirtha and is considered the foremost of Madhva's disciples. He performed very severe austerities, after which he engaged himself in very active missionary work and won many converts to the new doctrine. There were also many lay disciples like Trivikramacharya and quite a large number of others who, though not scholars, were ardent devotees of Vishnu and of the Dvaita doctrine.

Madhva's exit

There is an important item in the tradition of the Madhva school about the establishment of eight Maths of Madhva Sannyasins at Udupi for the service at Sri Krshna temple established by the Acharya. No clear mention of this is made in the Madhvavijaya text. It is natural that, when he established the Krshna temple, he should have made some arrangement for the worship. Some commentaries assert that the names of the eight Sannyasins with whom this tradition of eight Maths started are stated in the text. These Maths still function effectively and have made Udupi the Headquarters of the sect.

We also do not find anything clear about the final exit of Sri Madhva from this world. It is, however, stated that when Madhva had completed his mission of establishing the new devotional philosophy and religion, Gandharvas and Devas gathered in the region above and showered heavenly flowers over the Acharya. It is said that under the cover of the heap of flowers that accumulated over him, he disappeared from the world of men.