Works of Madhvacharya
Encyclopedia
The extant works of the Dvaita
founder-philosopher, Sri Madhvacharya
, called the Sarvamūla Granthas, are many in number. The works span a wide spectrum of topics concerning Dvaita philosophy in specific and Vedic thought in general. They comprise of commentaries on the Vedas
, Upanishads, Bhagavadgita, Brahma Sutras and other works. The list of works are enumerated below.
This work focusses on explaining the meaning of Gita. This is said to be the first work of Sri Madhvacharya
, and at a very young age. Like all his other works, there is extremely brevity of expression, profusion of quotations from other authoritative sources (the exception being Brahmatarka, which is quoted in most other works), and is very definitive.
This work compliments the Bhashya in two ways - it gives some alternate meanings to Gita (perhaps an indication to the truth in the quotation given in the Bhashya that Gita has at least 10 meanings) and reviews and criticizes some other commentaries on Gita, notably the advaita commentary on Gita.
This is a commentary on the Brahmasutras and covering every suutra. According to the Dvaita
sampradaya, there are 564 sutras. More details can be seen from .
This has multiple commentaries, including some of the earliest disciples of Sri Madhvacharya --
Sri Madhvacharya
's treatment of Brahmasutras has many unique points:
Brahmasutras are considered decisive [निर्णायक] of purport of the entire scriptures. This is unlike other traditions which consider the suutras as just an aid or a part of the process to arrive at the purport. And for this reason, Brahmasutras are part of paravidyA in dvaita, while it is not in other sampradAyAs.
Brahmasuutras are recited with an 'OM' at the beginning and the end.
Brahmasuutras' range of coverage is the entire shabdashAstra, not just that Upanishads.
According to Advaita, one of the prerequisites to studying Brahmasutras or doing brahmajijnAsa (i.e. an enquiry into nature of Brahman) requires a thorough understanding of the karmamiimaasma. According to Vishishtaadvaita, Brahmasutras comprise one unit of shaastra, along with karmamiimaamsa and daivii miimaamsaa. According to Dvaita, Brahmasuutras are a unit in themselves, and having devotion to Vishnu and detachment in regular materialism etc., form the minimum prerequisite. There is no stress on understanding of karmakANDa.
Dvaita
Dvaita is a school of Vedanta founded by Shri Madhvacharya....
founder-philosopher, Sri Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya
Madhvācārya was the chief proponent of Tattvavāda "Philosophy of Reality", popularly known as the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy. It is one of the three most influential Vedānta philosophies. Madhvācārya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in...
, called the Sarvamūla Granthas, are many in number. The works span a wide spectrum of topics concerning Dvaita philosophy in specific and Vedic thought in general. They comprise of commentaries on the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
, Upanishads, Bhagavadgita, Brahma Sutras and other works. The list of works are enumerated below.
Commentaries on the Bhagavadgita
- भगवद्गीताभाष्यम् (Bhagavadgītābhashyam)
This work focusses on explaining the meaning of Gita. This is said to be the first work of Sri Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya
Madhvācārya was the chief proponent of Tattvavāda "Philosophy of Reality", popularly known as the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy. It is one of the three most influential Vedānta philosophies. Madhvācārya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in...
, and at a very young age. Like all his other works, there is extremely brevity of expression, profusion of quotations from other authoritative sources (the exception being Brahmatarka, which is quoted in most other works), and is very definitive.
- भगवद्गीतातात्पर्यनिर्णयः (Bhagavadgitatatparyanirnaya)
This work compliments the Bhashya in two ways - it gives some alternate meanings to Gita (perhaps an indication to the truth in the quotation given in the Bhashya that Gita has at least 10 meanings) and reviews and criticizes some other commentaries on Gita, notably the advaita commentary on Gita.
Commentaries on the Brahmasutras
- ब्रह्मसूत्रभाष्यम् (Brahmasutra Bhashya)
This is a commentary on the Brahmasutras and covering every suutra. According to the Dvaita
Dvaita
Dvaita is a school of Vedanta founded by Shri Madhvacharya....
sampradaya, there are 564 sutras. More details can be seen from .
This has multiple commentaries, including some of the earliest disciples of Sri Madhvacharya --
- Sattarkadipavali of Sri Padmanabha TirthaPadmanabha TirthaSri Padmanabha Theertha was one of the prominent disciples of Sri Madhvacharya, the founder of the Dvaita school of philosophy.Sri Padmanabha Tirtha was initially a follower of the Advaita school of philosophy and his earlier name was Shobhana Bhatta. He was one of the most well known scholars of...
- Tattvapradipa of Sri Trivikrima Panditacharya
- Tattvaprakashika of Sri Jayatirtha
Sri Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya
Madhvācārya was the chief proponent of Tattvavāda "Philosophy of Reality", popularly known as the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy. It is one of the three most influential Vedānta philosophies. Madhvācārya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in...
's treatment of Brahmasutras has many unique points:
Brahmasutras are considered decisive [निर्णायक] of purport of the entire scriptures. This is unlike other traditions which consider the suutras as just an aid or a part of the process to arrive at the purport. And for this reason, Brahmasutras are part of paravidyA in dvaita, while it is not in other sampradAyAs.
Brahmasuutras are recited with an 'OM' at the beginning and the end.
Brahmasuutras' range of coverage is the entire shabdashAstra, not just that Upanishads.
According to Advaita, one of the prerequisites to studying Brahmasutras or doing brahmajijnAsa (i.e. an enquiry into nature of Brahman) requires a thorough understanding of the karmamiimaasma. According to Vishishtaadvaita, Brahmasutras comprise one unit of shaastra, along with karmamiimaamsa and daivii miimaamsaa. According to Dvaita, Brahmasuutras are a unit in themselves, and having devotion to Vishnu and detachment in regular materialism etc., form the minimum prerequisite. There is no stress on understanding of karmakANDa.
- अनुव्याख्यानम् (Anu Vyakhyana)
- न्यायविवरणम् (Nyaya Vivarana)
- अणुभाष्यम् (Anu Bhashya)
Commentaries on the Upanishads
- ईशावास्योपनिषद्भाष्यम् (Ishavasya Upanishad Bhashya)
- केनोपनिषद्भाष्यम् (Kena Upanishad Bhashya)
- कठोपनिषद्भाष्यम् (Katha Upanishad Bhashya)
- मुण्डकोपनिषद्भाष्यम् (Mundaka Upanishad Bhashya)
- षट्प्रश्नोपनिषद्भाष्यम् (Satprashna Upanishad Bhashya)
- माण्डूक्योपनिषद्भाष्यम् (Mandukya Upanishad Bhashya)
- ऐतरेयोपनिषद्भाष्यम् (Aitareya Upanishad Bhashya)
- तैत्तिरीयोपनिषद्भाष्यम् (Taittireeya Upanishad Bhashya)
- बृहदारण्यकोपनिषद्भाष्यम् (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Bhashya)
- छान्दोग्योपनिषद्भाष्यम् (Chandogya Upanishad Bhashya)
Prakarana
These are short works, each of which has a very specific focus.- प्रमाणलक्षणम् (Pramānalaksanam)
- कथालक्षणम् (Katha Lakshana)
- उपाधिखण्डनम् (Upadhi Khandana)
- प्रपञ्चमिथ्यात्वानुमानखण्डनम् (Prapancha Mithyatva-anumana Khandana)
- मायावादखण्डनम् (Mayavada Khandana)
- तत्त्वसङ्ख्यानम् (Tattva Samkhyana)
- तत्त्वविवेकः (Tattva Viveka)
- तत्त्वोद्योतः (Tattvoddyota)
- विष्णुतत्त्वविनिर्णयः (Vishnu Tattva Vinirnaya)
- कर्मनिर्णयः (Karma Nirnaya)
Works on Mahabharata
- महाभारततात्पर्यनिर्णयःMahabharata Tatparya NirnayaMahabharata Tatparya NirnayaMahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya is a commentary on the Hindu epic Ramayana, Birth of VedaVyasa and Mahabharata by Sri Madhvacharya, the founder of the Dvaita school of philosophy. Instead of viewing Mahabharata as a story work, Madhvacharya clearly gives it the status of Nirnayaka grantha...
- भारतनिर्णयः or यमकभारतम् (Yamaka Bharata)
Works on Achara
- कृष्णामृतमहार्णवः (Krishnamruta Maharnava)
- सदाचारस्मृतिः (Sadachara SmrutiSadachara SmrutiSadachara Smruti or Hymns of Pious Living is a short work by Sri Madhvacharya, the founder of the Dvaita school of philosophy. The work contains about 35 shlokas...
) - तन्त्रसारसङ्ग्रहः (Tantra Sara Sangraha)
- यतिप्रणवकल्पः (Yati Pranava Kalpa)
- जयन्तीनिर्णयः (Jayanti Nirnaya)
Other works
- कन्दुकस्तुतिः (Kanduka Stuti)
- न्यासपद्धतिः (Nyasapaddhati)
- तिथिनिर्णयः (Tithinirnaya)