Srila Madhvacarya

Srila Madhvacarya wrote many books, and especially important are his three commentaries on Brahma-sutra – Brhad-bhasya and two Anubhasyas. In the Brhad-bhasya, he gave evidences for the presentation of his suddha-dvaita-vada philosophy. This philosophy states: Lord Sri Krsna, God, is the supreme eternal, the supreme living entity, the Supreme Self. The purpose of the entire yoga system is to concentrate the mind on this Supreme Self. We are not the Supreme Self. That should be understood. The Supreme Self is God. This is suddha-dvaita-vada – pure dualism. God is different from me. He is supreme and I am subordinate. He is great, and I am small. He is infinite and I am infinitesimal.

In his commentary, Srila Madhvacarya wrote his own composition in the form of Sanskrit verses, defeating the impersonal conception of Sri Sankaracarya.

All the Vaisnava sampradaya-acaryas, like Sri Ramanujacarya, Visnusvami and Nimbaditya, have contributed to defeating the theories of Sri Sankaracarya, and Srila Madhvacarya did this especially with his philosophy of suddha-dvaita-vada or bheda-vada (pure dualism).

The Srutis (Vedic scriptures) have described both principles: that the individual soul is the same as God and also that the soul is different from Him. In most cases, however, prominence has been given to the aspect of difference. In his writings, Srila Madhvacarya has described five differences: There is an eternal difference between God and the jiva (the infinitesimal living entity), God and maya (the Lords deluding, material potency), maya and the jiva, one jiva and another jiva, and one feature of maya and another feature of maya.

All the four bona fide sampradayas are Vaisnava-sampradayas. This means there is similarity in their goal and object of worship. They all worship Visnu-tattva (The Supreme Lord in His plenary manifestation). The followers of Sri Ramanujacarya-sampradaya worship Sri Laksmi-Narayana, and in the sampradaya of Srila Madhvacarya there is worship of Bala-gopala Krsna.

Srila Madhvacarya established four main Mathas (temples). In each of these Mathas there were two sannyasis, so in total there were eight sannyasis. These eight sannyasi acaryas practiced worshiping Lord Krsna in the mood of the gopis, but this worship was not given to the general population.

Sriman Mahaprabhu saw some lacking in the conception of Srila Madhvacarya, and He adjusted that. Sri Kavi Karnapura and Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana have both declared that our Sampradaya-acarya is Srila Madhvacarya. In our disciplic succession we see that Srila Madhavendra Puri took initiation from Srila Laksmipati Tirtha in the Madhva-sampradaya. Therefore we have a connection with Sri Madhvacarya, although we are especially related with Srila Madhavendra Puri. Sri Advaita Acarya and Sri Nityananda Prabhu are related with Srila Madhavendra Puri, and Madhavendra Puri is related with Sri Madhvacarya.

October 13, 2005 in Mathura

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