Madhwa Navami is a highly
important event for all Madhwas and it was held a few days ago. All mathas in Bangalore
It was on this day that
Madhwacharya, the Viashnava saint philosopher of the 12th century, disappeared
amid a shower of flowers from the Anantheshwara
Temple
A master commentator,
philosopher and writer, Madhwacharya is ranked among the trinity of
saint-philosophers of India
Shankara or Adi Shankara
(788-820) wrote several works in Sanskrit and established the four Shankara
Peethas across India
He preached the unity of
the atma and and nirguna Brahman (one which has no attributes) and
extensively based this concept on the Upanishads, Brahma Sutras and, of course,
the Bhagawath Geetha. He took on the Mimamsa school of thought and pioneered
what later came to be known as Shanmata tradition of worship.
His philosophy can be summarised
in his own words as,
“ Brahma satyam jagat mithya, jivo
brahmaiva naparah,”
meaning that Brahma
(paramathma) is the only truth and that the world is an illusion and that finally there is no difference
between Brahma and Atma (individual
self).
After Shankara came
Ramanujacharya (1017-1137) with his concept of
Vishistadwaitha. This concept stresses that Brahma is ultimate and that
it has several attributes. Ramanuja says that Brahma or truth (paramathma) is
different from the individual.
He further says that all
jeevatmas will join Paramathma.
He set out five basic steps
of his philosophy of Vedanta. They are
Taapa or the branding of the
symbols of conch and discuss on the shoulders of a person. These two symbols
will help eliminate past sins and also serve as a reminder to the person that
he is a servant of Narayana.
The second is Pundra or the
application of sacred marks on twelve places on the human body. This,
Ramanujacharya, said is protection against temptation and also a reminder that the
body is a temple.
The third step is Dasya Nama or
securing a name that constantly reminds one that the person is a servant of god.
The fourth is Mantra Upadesha
or instruction of the three sacred mantras and their meaning. Ramanajucharya
was certain that recitation of these mantras will redeem one from the cycle of
birth and death (Karma and rebirth).
The fifth and last step was Yaga or
complete surrender to Narayana.
The third of the trinity was
Madhwacharya (1199-1287). It was Madhwacharya who for the first time opposed
the concept of Shankara and his monoism.
Madhwa said the world is not
an illusion as set out by Shankara. He said the world is not maya and that it
is as real as a human being. The pain, suffering and desires of man were also
as real as other human attributes.
Madhwacharya preached what is
known as Dwaitha or Bhedavada. This is also known as Tatwavada and Bimba-pratibimba-vada.
He has a huge volume of works which are collectively known as Sarvamoola
Grantha. He based his philosophy on the Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharatha
and Pancharatra Agamas
Madhwacharya distinguishes
between Atma or bodily soul and Paramathma, the supreme being and this is the essence
of his philosophy.
For Madhwacharya, the supreme
being was none other than Narayana or Vishnu. For him, the soul of an
individual was not created by God but nonetheless they depended on God for
their existence or survival.
For the acharya, the supreme
being is personal and one who has several attributes. This supreme being is
none other than “brahmashabdashcha vishnaveva” or Vishnu.
Vishnu thus takes on the role
of a guardian of the Universe and all others Gods are subordinate to him. It is
in his “Vishnu tatwavinirnaya” that he establishes the supremacy of Vishnu.
Interestingly, Madhwacharya’s
principle of Dwaitha is not similar to the concept of Western dualism. For
Madhwacharya, the jeevatama or individual Jeeva or prana are dependent on
Paramathma. Thus, he says there are two worlds and one is dependent on the
other.
Madhwacharya enunciated five
main differences and they are the differences:
Between the individual soul (jeevatma)
and God (Brahmatma or Vishnu).
Between matter (inanimate-jata)
and God.
Among individual souls (jeeva)
Between matter (jata) and jeeva.
Among various types of matter
(jata-jata).
All these five differences go
on to make up the universe which Madhwacharya calls prapancha.
However, the Jeeva or atma
for Madhwacharya is not one. He not only attributes characters to them but also
distinguishes them into three categories.
The souls are classified as
Mukti (which can get liberated), nitya which means rebirth and andhatmas which
are condemned to hell. This is the first time that an Indian philosopher makes
such a distinction. No other Indian philosopher or theologician or even school
of thought has held such thoughts or propagated them.
It was Jayatheertha or Teekacharya
who interpreted the works of Madhwacharya so that even a common man could
understand them. This was further simplified by Vyasa Raja (1447-1539).
Today, we have a huge volume
of works on Dwaitha philosophy. The essence of this philosophy is Taratamya and
the five-fold differences which is commonly called Pancha Beda.
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