Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
Maharaja
Srila Madhvacarya's Appearance Day
[This year, 2007, October 21st is the disappearance day of Sri Madhvacarya, our
sampradaya-acarya. Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja gave a lecture on his
appearance on October 13, 2005 in Mathura, and we are sending that lecture now,
in honor of this auspicious day:]
Today is the appearance day of Sri Madhvacarya, who is the sampradaya-acarya of
our Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya.*[See Endnote 1] He appeared in a
place called Pajaka-ksetra. His fathers name was Madhvagaya, his mothers name
was Vedavidya, and his childhood name was Vasudeva. He took sannyasa at a very
young age, and his sannyasa-name was Purna-prajna. His sannyasa-guru, who
followed the mayavada philosophy of impersonalism, was named Sri Acyuta-preksa.
Madhavacarya took birth in Udupi, and his life was quite astonishing. He was an
incarnation of Hanuman, Bhima, and Vayu so he was very strong.
There was once a businessman who was trading in gopi-candana (tilaka). His boat
became stuck in the mud and could not go forward. At that time Srila Madhvacarya
had been bathing in the ocean, and he saw the big ship full of large pieces of
gopi-candana there. He was approached by that businessman, and in order to
assist him, he pushed the boat by himself. He was so strong that the boat
started moving, and he was offered a very big piece of candana as a gift, in
appreciation.
In the meantime, while the boatmen were unloading the candana, that piece was
broken, and a very beautiful deity of Krsna manifested from inside. That Deitys
name was of Bala-gopala - Dadhi-manthana Gopala. This Gopala Deity carries
Mother Yasodas stick for churning yogurt.
He became very happy. Although the Deity was very heavy, he took the Deity on
his shoulder, and, carrying Him to Udupi, he sang a song to Him that came
spontaneously from his heart. In other words, as he walked the seven miles to
Udupi, he composed the song called Dvadasa-stotra (Twelve Prayers). He carried
the Deity there himself, composing many stavas and stutis (hymns and prayers) to
Gopala, and after reaching Udupi, he established Gopal there.
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.
Some people do not accept the position of Sri Madhvacarya that he is our
Sampradaya-acarya.*[See Endnote 2] Some sahajiyas and caste gosvamis cannot
reconcile this. They say that Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana was not in our
sampradaya, because he was in the Madhva-sampradaya.*[See Endnote 3] But
actually, our sampradaya is related to Srila Madhvacarya. Srila Bhaktivinoda
Thakura has therefore said very strongly that those who do not accept Srila
Baladeva Vidyabhusana or Srila Madhvacarya have no relation to pure bhakti. They
are kali-chela, disciples of the personality of Kali-yuga .
We must understand all these established philosophical truths. Then we can
understand who Srila Madhvacarya is, and what our relation with him is.
We are Vaisnava sannyasis. We have the sannyasa name Bhaktivedanta. I want
that especially those who are in the renounced order, sannyasis, should learn
and remember at least some of the sutras (aphorisms) of Vedanta. They should
remember at least twenty-five sutras, together with their meaning and
explanation. If you remember at least ten sutras of the Brahma-sutra, from the
first one up to the tenth, you will find all philosophy there. In the
Srimad-Bhagavatams four original verses, the entire Srimad-Bhagavatam is
present, and this is also the case with Brahma-sutra; all the sutras are
included in the first ten. You should surely remember them, otherwise you will
be defeated by mayavada philosophers.
Gaura-premanande hari hari bol!
*Endnote 1:
Caitanya Mahaprabhu next arrived at Udupi, the place of Madhvacarya, where the
philosophers known as Tattvavadis resided. There He saw the Deity of Lord Krsna
and became mad with ecstasy.
PURPORT
Sripada Madhvacarya took his birth at Udupi, which is situated in the South
Kanarada district of South India, just west of Sahyadri. This is the chief city
of the South Kanarada province and is near the city of Mangalore, which is
situated to the south of Udupi. In the city of Udupi is a place called
Pajaka-ksetra, where Madhvacarya took his birth in a Sivalli-brahmana dynasty as
the son of Madhyageha Bhatta, in the year 1040 Sakabda (A.D. 1119). According to
some, he was born in the year 1160 Sakabda (A.D. 1239).
In his childhood Madhvacarya was known as Vasudeva, and there are some wonderful
stories surrounding him. It is said that once when his father had piled up many
debts, Madhvacarya converted tamarind seeds into actual coins to pay them off.
When he was five years old, he was offered the sacred thread. A demon named
Maniman lived near his abode in the form of a snake, and at the age of five
Madhvacarya killed that snake with the toe of his left foot. When his mother was
very much disturbed, he would appear before her in one jump. He was a great
scholar even in childhood, and although his father did not agree, he accepted
sannyasa at the age of twelve. Upon receiving sannyasa from Acyuta Preksa, he
received the name Purnaprajna Tirtha. After traveling all over India, he finally
discussed scriptures with Vidyasankara, the exalted leader of Srngeri-matha.
Vidyasankara was actually diminished in the presence of Madhvacarya. Accompanied
by Satya Tirtha, Madhvacarya went to Badarikas rama. It was there that he met
Vyasadeva and explained his commentary on the Bhagavad-gita before him. Thus he
became a great scholar by studying before Vyasadeva.
By the time he came to the Ananda-matha from Badarikasrama, Madhvacarya had
finished his commentary on the Bhagavad-gita. His companion Satya Tirtha wrote
down the entire commentary. When Madhvacarya returned from Badarikasrama, he
went to Ganjama, which is on the bank of the river Godavari. There he met with
two learned scholars named Sobhana Bhatta and Svami Sastri. Later these scholars
became known in the disciplic succession of Madhvacarya as Padmanabha Tirtha and
Narahari Tirtha. When he returned to Udupi, he would sometimes bathe in the
ocean. On such an occasion he composed a prayer in five chapters. Once, while
sitting beside the sea engrossed in meditation upon Lord Sri Krsna, he saw that
a large boat containing goods for Dvaraka was in danger. He gave some signs by
which the boat could approach the shore, and it was saved. The owners of the
boat wanted to give him a present, and at the time Madhvacarya agreed to take
some gopi-candana. He received a big lump of gopi -candana, and as it was being
brought to him, it broke apart and revealed a large Deity of Lord Krsna. The
Deity had a stick in one hand and a lump of food in the other. As soon as
Madhvacarya received the Deity of Krsna in this way, he composed a prayer. The
Deity was so heavy that not even thirty people could lift it. Madhvacarya
personally brought this Deity to Udupi. Madhvacarya had eight disciples, all of
whom took sannyasa from him and became directors of his eight monasteries.
Worship of the Lord Krsna Deity is still going on at Udupi according to the
plans Madhvacarya established.
Madhvacarya then for the second time visited Badarikasrama. While he was passing
through Maharashtra, the local king was digging a big lake for the public
benefit. As Madhvacarya passed through that area with his disciples, he was also
obliged to help in the excavation. After some time, when Madhvacarya visited the
king, he engaged the king in that work and departed with his disciples.
Often in the province of Ganga-pradesa there were fights between Hindus and
Muslims. The Hindus were on one bank of the river, and the Muslims on the other.
Due to the community tension, no boat was available for crossing the river. The
Muslim soldiers were always stopping passengers on the other side, but
Madhvacarya did not care for these soldiers. He crossed the river anyway, and
when he met the soldiers on the other side, he was brought before the king. The
Muslim king was so pleased with him that he wanted to give him a kingdom and
some money, but Madhvacarya refused. While walking on the road, he was attacked
by some dacoits, but by his bodily strength he killed them all. When his
companion Satya Tirtha was attacked by a tiger, Madhvacarya separated them by
virtue of his great strength. When he met Vyasadeva, he received from him the
salagrama-sila known as Astamurti. After this, he summarized the Mahabharata.
Madhvacarya's devotion to the Lord and his erudite scholarship became known
throughout India. Consequently the owners of the Srngeri-matha, established by
Sankaracarya, became a little perturbed. At that time the followers of
Sankaracarya were afraid of Madhvacarya's rising power, and they began to tease
Madhvacarya's disciples in many ways. There was even an attempt to prove that
the disciplic succession of Madhvacarya was not in line with Vedic principles. A
person named Pundarika Puri, a follower of the Mayavada philosophy of
Sankaracarya, came before Madhvacarya to discuss the sastras. It is said that
all of Madhvacarya's books were taken away, but later they were found with the
help of King Jayasimha, ruler of Kumla. In discussion, Pundarika Puri was
defeated by Madhvacarya. A great personality named Trivikramacarya, who was a
resident of Visnumangala, became Madhvacarya's disciple, and his son later
became Narayanacarya, the composer of Sri Madhva-vijaya. After the deat h of
Trivikramacarya, the younger brother of Narayanacarya took sannyasa and later
became known as Visnu Tirtha.
It was reputed that there was no limit to the bodily strength of Purnaprajna,
Madhvacarya. There was a person named Kadanjari who was famed for possessing the
strength of thirty men. Madhvacarya placed the big toe of his foot upon the
ground and asked the man to separate it from the ground, but the great strong
man could not do so even after great effort. Srila Madhvacarya passed from this
material world at the age of eighty while writing a commentary on the Aitareya
Upanisad. For further information about Madhvacarya, one should read
Madhva-vijaya, by Narayanacarya.
The acaryas of the Madhva-sampradaya established Udupi as the chief center, and
the monastery there was known as Uttararadhi-matha. A list of the different
centers of the Madhvacarya-sampradaya can be found at Udupi, and their matha
commanders are (1) Visnu Tirtha (Soda-matha), (2) Janardana Tirtha (Krsnapura-matha),
(3) Vamana Tirtha (Kanura-matha), (4) Narasimha Tirtha (Adamara-matha), (5)
Upendra Tirtha (Puttugi-matha), (6) Rama Tirtha (Sirura-matha), (7) Hrsikesa
Tirtha (Palimara-matha), and (8) Aksobhya Tirtha (Pejavara-matha). (Caitanya-caritamrta,
Madhya-lila, 9.246 purport by Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja)]
[Endnote 2:
"Objection 4: While touring in South India, Sriman Mahaprabhu went to Udupi.
There he had a discussion with a tattva-vadi acarya, who was in Sri Madhva
Acarya's sampradaya. Mahaprabhu refuted the views of the tattva-vadis, so He can
never be included in that sampradaya.
"Refutation: Sriman Mahaprabhuji did not directly refute Madhva Acarya's ideas
about suddha-bhakti. Rather, He refuted the distorted opinions of the
tattva-vadis which had entered into the Madhva Sampradaya in the course of time.
Readers can understand this simply by looking in this section of Sri
Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 9. 276-277)
prabhu kahe,--karmi, jnani,--dui bhakti-hina
tomara sampradaye dekhi sei dui cihna
sabe, eka guna dekhi tomara sampradaya
satya-vigraha kari' isvare karaha niscaye
"Karmis and jnanis are devoid of devotion, and it is seen that both of these are
respected in your sampradaya. Still, in your sampradaya there is one very great
quality the form of Bhagavan or sri vigraha has been accepted. Not only this,
but sri vigraha has also been accepted as Vrajendra-nandana Sri Krsna Himself.
He is worshipped in your sampradaya in the form of Nrtya-Gopala."
"This proves that Sriman Mahaprabhu refuted distortions which later entered the
Madhva Sampradaya in the course of time. He did not refute Madhva Acarya's
opinions on suddha-bhakti or the fundamental conclusions that he expressed in
his commentaries. On the contrary, we have already shown that literatures such
as Tattva-sandarbha and Sarva-samvadini have been based on the conclusions of
Sri Madhva and his disciples and grand-disciples. In this connection we should
point out that a difference of sampradaya does not generally arise from some
minor difference of opinion. Rather, the difference between sampradaya comes
from the differences of theory about the principal object of worship." ((Bhakti
Prajnana Kesava Gosvami, His Life and Teachings, pages 423-424)
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the chain of disciplic succession from Madhva
Acarya, but the Vaisnavas in His line do not accept the tattva-vadis, who also
claim to belong to the Madhva-sampradaya. To distinguish themselves clearly from
the tattva-vadi branch of Madhva's descendants, the Vaisnavas of Bengal prefer
to call themselves Gaudiya Vaisnavas. Sri Madhva Acarya is also known as Sri
Gauda-purnananda, and therefore the name Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya is quite
suitable for the disciplic succession of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas. Our spiritual
master, Om Visnupada Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, accepted
initiation in the Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya. (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila
1.19, purport by Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja)]
[*Endnote 3:
"Of the four Vaisnava sampradaya-acaryas, only Madhva Acarya is celebrated by
the name of tattva-vadi. Since Sri Jiva Gosvami has personally established
tattva-vada, the Vaisnavas of the Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya are therefore
tattva-vadis. In the third sloka of the mangalacarana (auspicious invocation) of
Tattva-sandarbha, Sri Jiva Gosvami glorifies his guru Sri Rupa Gosvami and his
paramguru Sri Sanatana Gosvami as 'tattvajnapakau' (the acaryas who proclaim
tattva). Similarly, the crown of the dynasty of vaisnava acaryas, Sri Baladeva
Vidyabhusana Prabhu, has also designated Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana as 'tattvavid-uttamau'
(the highest of all knowers of tattva) in his commentary on this same sloka.|
"It is clear from this that Sri Jiva Gosvami has offered respect to Sri Madhva
Acarya, and that Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana has followed Jiva Gosvami in honoring
Madhva Acarya. Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu has not shown any prejudice towards
Madhva Acarya. On the contrary, if we compare Jiva Gosvami with Baladeva
Vidyabhusana, we find that Baladeva Vidyabhusana has glorified the two Gosvamis
Sri Rupa and Sanatana more than Jiva Gosvami has. There is no doubt whatsoever
that Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana is situated in the amnaya-dhara (the
transcendental current of conclusive evidence) or the parampara of Sri
Gaura-Nityananda Prabhus and of Srila Jiva Gosvamipada who immediately follows
them. Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana is in the ninth generation from Sri Nityananda
Prabhu according to bhagavat-parampara, and in the eighth generation according
to pancaratrika-parampara. Historians have accepted his pancaratrika-parampara
as follows; Sri Nityananda, Sri Gauridasa Pandita, Hrdaya Caitanya, Syamananda
Prabhu, Rasikananda Prabhu, Nayanananda Prabhu and Sri Radha-Damodara. Sri
Baladeva Prabhu is the initiated disciples of this Sri Radha-Damodara and is
also the most prominent siksa disciple of Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti.
"Historians have declared that in no branch of the Madhva guru-parampara were
there any brilliant scholars of such widespread fame as Baladeva. In fact, at
that time no one in any sampradaya anywhere in India could equal Sri Baladeva's
knowledge in logic, in Vedanta and in sastra such as the Puranas and itihasas.
It is true that he stayed for some days in the most prominent matha established
by Sri Madhva Acarya in Udupi, and that he studied the Sri Madhva commentary on
Vedanta; however, the Sri Gaudiya Sampradaya was more of an influence upon him
than was the Sri Madhva Sampradaya.
"It is natural for scholarly personalities, who are worshipable throughout the
worlds and who are the preceptors of great precepts, to follow in the lotus
footsteps of the Vaisnava acaryas of the very influential Madhva-Gaudiya
Sampradaya. Sri Baladeva thoroughly studied the commentary of Madhva, and also
made a meticulous study of the commentaries of Sankara, Ramanuja, Bhaskara
Acarya, Nimbarka, Vallabha and others. It is illogical to say that he is
included in each one of those sampradayas because he had studied those groups of
philosophers.
"Sri Baladeva Prabhu has described historical events and quoted the conclusions
of the previous Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas in many literatures, such as his
Govinda-bhasya, Siddhanta-ratnam, Prameya-ratnavali and his commentary on
Tattva-sandharba. He has enabled all the philosophers of the world to understand
that the Sri Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya is included within the Madhva
Sampradaya. In this regard all the scholars of the world, eastern and western,
ancient and modern, have bowed their heads in reverence, and have unanimously
accepted the siddhanta and opinions of Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu.
"Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana was sent by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti to protect the
honor of the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya in the Galata Gaddi in Jaipura. There
he defeated the objecting panditas of the Sri sampradaya in scriptural debate.
There are no second opinions about this. Does this not show that Sri Visvanatha
Cakravarti Thakura personally inspired his siksa disciple Baladeva Vidyabhusana
to prove that the Gaudiya Vaisnavas are in the line of Madhva Acarya? Srila
Cakravarti Thakura sent his diksa disciple Sri Krsnadeva Sarvabhauma with Sri
Baladeva to help him. If Sri Cakravarti Thakura had not been so aged and weak at
that time, he certainly would have gone to Jaipur in person to take part in this
debate about the sampradaya. He would also have established the very same
conclusion as Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana. There is no sound evidence to prove
that Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana was first an acarya or disciple in the Madhva
Sampradaya. There may be hearsay and imagin ative rumors, but no one has given
any substantial proof." (Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami, His Life and Teachings,
pages 416-419)]
[ERRATUM
Please excuse me. I want to clarify one of the paragraphs in the recent
lecture we sent out, in glorification of Prajujya-carana Sri Srimad Bhakti
Pramoda Puri Maharaja. What we have is not wrong, but it is not clear. I (Syamarani
dasi) have made the corrections in bold:
After the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada, Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvami
Maharaja would stay for a few months at a time with
various god-brothers, such as my beloved Gurupadapadma Sri Srila Bhakti
Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Gosvami Maharaja,
and Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Gosvami Maharaja. Several years later,
while Srila Puri Maharaja was staying with my Guru Maharaja, I had a
wonderful opportunity to serve him and hear his hari-katha during that period.]
Editorial Advisors: Sripad Madhava
Maharaja, Sripad Brajanatha dasa, Sri Prema-prayojana dasa
Translator: Sripad Damodara Maharaja
Editor: Syamarani dasi
Assistant editor: Hariballabha dasi
Transcriber: Krsna-vallabha dasi
Typist: Janaki dasi
Proofreader: Vasanti dasi
Teachers 
