Sudhindra Tirtha | |
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Personal | |
Religion | Hinduism |
Order | Vedanta |
Philosophy | Dvaita |
Religious career | |
Guru | Vijayendra Tirtha |
Successor | Raghavendra Tirtha |
Literary works | Alamkara Manjari, Madhudhara, Subhadra Dhananjaya |
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Sudhindra Tirtha (c.1596 - c.1623) was a Dvaita philosopher of aesthetics, dramatist and the pontiff of the matha at Kumbakonam. Unlike his predecessors who mainly dealt with polemics and theology, most of his written works deal with Kavya (poetry), Alankara (figure of speech) and Nataka (drama), which is considered unique in history of Dvaita literature. He is also notable as a disciple of Vijayendra Tirtha, engaging in scholarly debates across the subcontinent [1] and for mentoring Raghavendra Tirtha who succeeded him as the pontiff of the matha at Kumbakonam. Regarding his oeuvre in the context of Dvaita literature, Sharma notes "he was left us works of real merit, which stand out like oases in the dreary desert of theological writings". [2] His works are characterised by alliterations, elegance and simplicity.
Information about his life mainly comes from Raghavendra Vijaya by Narayanacharya. Nothing is known about his early life. He served as a disciple of Vijayendra Tirtha whom he later succeeded as the pontiff of the matha at Kumbakonam in 1596. The text speaks of Sudhindra receiving patronage by the rulers Venkatapati Raya of Vijayanagara [note 1] and Raghunatha Nayaka of Tanjavur [note 2] indicating his influence and respectability as a holy man. [3] There are records of him inducting Goud Saraswat Brahmin families of Cochin to the precepts of Dvaita and installing an idol of Venkateswara for their utility, implying his popularity among the people of that particular sect. [4] Raghavendra Vijaya speaks of Sudhindra mentoring and grooming the young Venkatanatha (known later as Raghavendra Tirtha) to take up the mantle of sannyasa and succeed him as the pontiff. [5] Sudhindra died in 1623 and his mortal remains are enshrined in Navabrindavana in Hampi.
Among his non-extant works is a commentary on Vyasatirtha's Tarkatandava called Sadyuktiratnakara, a commentary on Bhagavata Purana and a work on aesthetics entitled Madhudhara. [6] Alamkara Manjari is a manual of figures of speech and metaphors. In the context of Indian poetics, alamkara can be translated to "literary ornamentation". Sudhindra demonstrates the aspects of alamkara by making his guru, Vijayendra, the subject of ornamentation and praise. His Alamkara Nikasa is a work of similar nature of enumerating and expanding upon different alamkaras. [7] Views of different philosophers on the elements of Indian aesthetics such as rasa and kavya are consolidated and expanded upon. Sahitya Samrajya is a commentary on the original by Krsna Yajvan, who was a philosopher of poetics in the Tanjore court. The work is unique in the history of Dvaita literature in that, Sharma notes, "a Madhva ascetic and pontiff of Sudhindra's standing, should have come forward to comment on the work of a layman and a Smartha, laying aside all considerations of pontifical prestige and religious difference". [8] Damaged fragments of a drama entitled Subhadra Dhananjya has been ascribed to him. [9]
Sri Raghavendra Tirtha was a Hindu scholar, theologian and saint. He was also known as Sudha Parimalacharya. His diverse oeuvre include commentaries on the works of Madhva, Jayatirtha and Vyasatirtha, interpretation of the Principal Upanishads from the standpoint of Dvaita and a treatise on Purva Mimamsa. He served as the pontiff of matha at Kumbakonam from 1624 to 1671. Sri Raghavendra swamy was also an accomplished player of the Veena and he composed several songs under the name of Venu Gopala. His shrine at Mantralayam attracts thousands of visitors every year.
Vyāsatīrtha, also called Vyasaraja or Chandrikacharya, was a Hindu philosopher, scholar and poet belonging to the Dvaita order of Vedanta. As the patron saint of the Vijayanagara Empire, Vyasatirtha was at the forefront of a golden age in Dvaita which saw new developments in dialectical thought, growth of the Haridasa literature under bards like Purandara Dasa and Kanaka Dasa and an amplified spread of Dvaita across the subcontinent. Three of his polemically themed doxographical works Nyayamruta, Tatparya Chandrika and Tarka Tandava documented and critiqued an encyclopaedic range of sub-philosophies in Advaita, Visistadvaita, Mahayana Buddhism, Mimamsa and Nyaya, revealing internal contradictions and fallacies. His Nyayamruta caused a significant stir in the Advaita community across the country requiring a rebuttal by Madhusudhana Saraswati through his text, Advaitasiddhi.
Sri Jayatirtha or Jayateertharu, also known asTeekacharya, was a Hindu philosopher, dialectician, polemicist and the sixth pontiff of Madhvacharya Peetha from. He is considered to be one of the most important seers in the history of Dvaita school of thought on account of his sound elucidations of the works of Madhvacharya. He is credited with structuring the philosophical aspects of Dvaita and through his polemical works, elevating it to an equal footing with the contemporary schools of thought. Along with Madhva and Vyasatirtha, he is venerated as one of the three great spiritual sages, or munitraya of Dvaita.
Sripadaraya or Lakshminarayana Tirtha was a Dvaita philosopher, scholar, composer and the pontiff of the Madhvacharya mutt at Mulbagal. He is widely considered as the founder of Haridasa movement along with Narahari Tirtha. His songs and hymns, written under the nom-de-plume of Ranga Vitthala, contain the distillation of Dvaita principles infused with mysticism and humanism. He is also credited with the invention of the suladi musical structure and composed 133 of them along with several kirtanas. He was the advisor of Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya and mentored the young Vyasatirtha. He has also authored a commentary on Jayatirtha's Nyaya Sudha called Nyayasudhopanyasa-Vagvajra.
Sri Vadiraja Tirtharu was a Dvaita philosopher, poet and mystic. A polymath of his time, he authored many works, often polemical, on Madhva theology and metaphysics. Additionally, he composed numerous poems and as the pontiff of Sodhe Mutt, renovated the temple complex at Udupi and established the Paryaya system of worship. He is also credited with enriching the Kannada literature of the time by translating Madhva's works to Kannada, giving impetus and contributing to the Haridasa movement. His works are characterised by their poetic flourishes, incisive wit and humour.
Sadh Vaishnava Sampradaya or Sadh Vaishnavism, , also known as Bhagavata Sampradaya, Madhva Vaishnavism, is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism, founded by the thirteenth century philosopher Madhvacharya. It is a movement in Hinduism that developed during its classical period around the beginning of the Common Era. Philosophically, Madhva tradition is aligned with Dvaita Vedanta, and regards Madhvacharya as its founder or reformer.
Puthige Matha or Puttige Mutt in some records and literature is a Madhwa Vaishnava monastery. It is one of the Ashta Mathas of Udupi founded by Dvaita philosopher Madhvacharya of Udupi. The first pontiff of Puttige matha was Sri Upendra Tirtha, who was a direct disciple of Sri Madhvacharya, the founder of the Dvaita school of philosophy. The main idols worshipped in the Puttige matha are that of Panduranga (Vittala), which was given to Sri Upendra Tirtha by Sri Madhvacharya. Till date, there have been 29 pontiffs who have headed the matha.
Shri Uttaradi Math, is one of the premier Dvaita Vedanta monasteries (matha) descended from Madhvacharya through Padmanabha Tirtha, Jayatirtha and their disciples. The Uttarādi Math is an important institution among the Mādhvas and also deeply respected among the Vaishnavas. The Uttarādi Math is one of the major Hindu monastic institutions that has historically coordinated Madhva tradition and monastic activities through satellite institutions in South India, preserved Sanskrit literature and pursued Dvaita studies. The Uttarādi Math has been a library and a source of historic Sanskrit manuscripts. Along with other Hindu monasteries Sri matha has been active in preserving the Vedas, sponsoring students and recitals, Sanskrit scholarship, and celebrating annual Madhva Jayanthi. The current pīṭādhipati or the acharya holding the pontifical seat is Satyatma Tirtha Śrīpād. The Uttaradi Math has huge following in South India compared to other Madhva mathas. Most of Deshastha Madhvas of Maharashtra and the whole community of Gayawal Pandas in Bihar are followers of this matha.
Shri Raghavendra Math, better known as Rayara Math is one of the three premier Dvaita Vedanta monasteries (matha) descended through Vibudhendra Tirtha and their disciples based in Mantralayam. Raghavendra Matha is located on the bank of Tungabhadra River in Mantralayam in Adoni taluk of Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Vijayīndra Tīrtha(also known as Vijayendra Tīrtha) was a Dvaita philosopher and dialectician. A prolific writer and an unrelenting polemicist, he is said to have authored 104 treatises expounding the principles of Dvaita and defending it against attacks from the contemporary orthodox schools of Vedanta and the heterodox Veerashaiva movement. He held the pontifical seat at Kumbakonam under the rule of Thanjavur Nayaks where he participated in polemical discussions with the Advaita philosopher Appayya Dikshita and the Veerashaiva Emme Basava. Inscriptions from that era record grants of villages received by Vijayindra for his triumph over theological debates. Legend ascribes to him mastery over 64 arts and his erudition, writes Sharma, "is evident from a few of his works bearing on Purva Mimamsa, Nyaya and Kavya literature".
Sumatindra Tirtha was a Dvaita scholar and the 20th pontiff of the Madhva matha at Kumbakonam. Succeeding Surindra Tirtha in 1692, Sumatindra extended the reach of the matha from Kumbakonam to Thanjavur, Madurai and Srirangam. Through his travels and a close association with the royalty, Sumatindra was able to proliferate the principles of Dvaita in the Tamil region. An accomplished scholar and poet, he has authored numerous works on poetics, drama and music as well as commentaries on Vedanta.
Satyapramoda Tirtha was an Indian Hindu philosopher, spiritual leader, guru,, saint and the pontiff of Uttaradi Math, a math (mutt) dedicated to Dvaita philosophy, which has a large following in southern India. He served as the 41st pontiff of Madhvacharya Peetha - Uttaradi Math from 2 February 1948 – 3 November 1997. He had established Jayateertha Vidyapeetha in Bangalore, which has completed over 32 years.
Raghuttama Tirtha was an Indian philosopher, scholar, theologian and saint. He was also known as Bhavabodhacharya. His diverse oeuvre include commentaries on the works of Madhva and Jayatirtha. He served as the fourteenth pontiff of Madhvacharya Peetha - Uttaradi Math from 1557-1595, which he occupied, with remarkable distinction for thirty-nine years. He is considered to be one of the most important seers in the history of Dvaita school of thought. His shrine at Tirukoilur attracts thousands of visitors every year.
Vidyadhiraja Tirtha was a Hindu philosopher, dialectician and the seventh pontiff of Madhvacharya Peetha and served as peetadhipathi of Uttaradi Math from.
Satyapriya Tirtha was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru, scholar, yogi, mystic and the pontiff of Uttaradi Math, a math dedicated to Dvaita philosophy. He was the successor of Satyavijaya Tirtha and the 24th pontiff of Uttaradi Math from 1737—1744.
Shri Satyanatha Tirtha ; IAST:Śrī Satyanātha Tīrtha), also called Abhinava Vyasaraja, was a Hindu philosopher, scholar, theologian, logician and dialectician belonging to the Dvaita order of Vedanta. He served as the twentieth pontiff of Uttaradi Math from 1660 to 1673. He was a fiery and prolific writer and very ambitious of the glory of Dvaita Vedanta. He is considered to be one of the stalwarts in the history of the Dvaita school of thought, on account of his sound elucidations of the works of Madhvacharya, Jayatirtha and Vyasatirtha. Three of his polemically themed doxographical works are reminiscent of "Vyasatraya". His refutation work Abhinava Gada is a devastating criticism of Appayya's Madhvamathamukhamardhana. His independent treatise Abhinava Chandrika is considered a brilliant work relating to the Brahma Sūtras, being a commentary on Jayatirtha's Tattvaprakashika. His work Abhinava Tarka Tandava refuted the works of rival systems, especially those of Prabhākara of Mimamsa, Ramanuja's Visistadvaita, and Gangesha Upadhyaya, Raghunatha Siromani of the Nyaya school, on the same lines as Vyasatirtha's Tarka Tandava. Indologist B.N.K.Sharma wrote, "His energy and determination to crush out the rivalry of Monism is reflected even in the choice of the titles of some of his works, four of which go by the name "Paraśus" ".
Madhava Tirtha was a Hindu philosopher, scholar and the 3rd pontiff of Madhvacharya peetha. He succeeded Narahari Tirtha as the pontiff of the Madhvacharya peetha from 1333 - 1350.
Shri Raghunatha Tirtha, was a Hindu philosopher, scholar and saint. He served as the pontiff of Uttaradi Math from 1442–1502. He was the 19th in succession from Madhvacharya.
Sudhindra Tirtha can refer to: