Madhvacharya was born into a Brahmana family in the coastal town of Udupi, South India. His early life was marked by extraordinary events and displays of divine power, such as turning tamarind seeds into coins and defeating a snake demon with a touch of his toe.
His exceptional intellect and insatiable thirst for knowledge led him to embark on a spiritual journey at the age of twelve when he accepted sannyasa, a renounced way of life. Madhvacharya traveled extensively across India, seeking wisdom and mastering various fields of knowledge.
One of the significant milestones in Madhvacharya’s life was his meeting with the great sage Srila Vyasadeva at Badarikashrama, a sacred place of pilgrimage in the Himalayas. Under Srila Vyasadeva’s guidance, Madhvacharya’s scholarship and spiritual understanding reached new heights.
After his extensive travels and learning, Madhvacharya returned to Udupi, where he continued to display his divine qualities. In Udupi, an incident involving a merchant ship carrying a special cargo of gopi-candana (clay from Krishna’s Vrindavana) took place. This event revealed a Deity of Lord Krishna concealed within the clay, complete with a stick and a lump of food. Madhvacharya composed a heartfelt prayer of gratitude and established the worship of this Deity, a practice that continues to this day.
Madhvacharya’s profound intellect and devotion to Lord Krishna made him a staunch defender of the philosophy of dualism (Dvaita). He passionately argued against the impersonalistic views of the Mayavadis, who considered God’s form as an illusion. Madhvacharya’s philosophy of shuddha-dvaita, or pure dualism, logically established that God is eternally a person and is forever distinct from His creation.
By Dandavats Staff Writer
By Vijaya Dasa
