Dvaita Vedanta Madhva’s Vaisnava Theism K R Paramahamsa Table of Contents Dvaita System Of Vedanta ................................................ 1 Cognition ............................................................................ 5 Introduction..................................................................... 5 Pratyaksa, Sense Perception .......................................... 6 Anumana, Inference ....................................................... 9 Sabda, Word Testimony ............................................... 10 Metaphysical Categories ................................................ 13 General ........................................................................ 13 Nature .......................................................................... 14 Individual Soul (Jiva) ..................................................... 17 God .............................................................................. 21 Purusartha, Human Goal ................................................ 30 Purusartha .................................................................... 30 Sadhana, Means of Attainment ..................................... 32 Evolution of Dvaita Thought .......................................... 37 Madhva Hagiology .......................................................... 42 Works of Madhva-Sarvamula ......................................... 44 An Outline .................................................................... 44 Gitabhashya ................................................................. 49 Gitatatparya .................................................................. 52 Sutraprasthana ............................................................. 55 General ............................................................... 55 Brahma Sutra Bhashya ....................................... 57 Anuvyakhyana .................................................... 63 Nyaya Vivarana ................................................... 67 Anubhashya ........................................................ 68 Bhagavata Tatparya ..................................................... 69 Mahabharata Tatparyanirnaya ...................................... 71 Dasaprakaranas ........................................................... 76 Pramanalaksana ................................................. 76 Kathalaksana ...................................................... 78 Upadhi Khandana ............................................... 79 Prapanca-Mithyatvanumana Khandana ............... 80 Mayavada Khandana .......................................... 81 Tattvasamkhyanam ............................................. 82 Tattva Viveka ...................................................... 83 Tattvoddyota ....................................................... 84 Visnu Tattva Nirnaya ........................................... 86 Karma Nirnaya .................................................... 92 Upanisad Bhashyas ...................................................... 93 General ............................................................... 93 Isavasya Upanisad Bhashya ............................... 94 Kena or Talavakara Upanisad Bhashya ............... 95 Katha Upanisad Bhashya .................................... 96 Mundaka Upanisad Bhashya ............................... 97 Prasna Upanisad Bhashya .................................. 98 Mandukya Upanisad Bhashya ............................. 99 Aitareya Upanisad Bhashya .............................. 102 Taittiriya Upanisad Bhashya .............................. 104 Brhadaranyaka Upanisad Bhashya .................... 105 Chandogya Upanisad Bhashya ......................... 106 Rigveda Bhashya ....................................................... 109 Stotras and Miscellaneous Works ............................... 114 Works on Worship ...................................................... 116 Jayatirtha ...................................................................... 119 General ...................................................................... 119 Works of Jayatirtha ..................................................... 121 Visnudasa ..................................................................... 127 Vyasatirtha .................................................................... 132 General ...................................................................... 132 Works of Vyasatirtha ................................................... 134 Other Madhva Pontiffs .................................................. 141 Vijayendratirtha ........................................................... 141 Vadirajatirtha .............................................................. 142 Narayanacarya ........................................................... 145 Vidyadhirajatirtha ........................................................ 146 Vyasatirtha (1370-1400) ............................................. 147 Vijayadhvajatirtha ....................................................... 148 Brahmanyatirtha ......................................................... 149 Sudhindratirtha ........................................................... 150 Vidyadhisatirtha .......................................................... 151 Visvesvaratirtha .......................................................... 152 Raghavendratirtha ...................................................... 153 Haridasakuta ................................................................. 156 Preface Dualism, as understood in western philosophy, is a ‘theory which admits two independent and mutually irreducible substances’. Samkhya Dualism answers to this definition. But Madhva’s Dvaita , Dualism admits two mutually irreducible principles as constituting Reality as a whole, but regards only one of them, God as independent, svatantra and the other as dependent, paratantra . God, the Supreme Being is the One and Only Independent Principle, and all finite reality comprising the Prakrti , Purusas , Kala, Karma, Svabhava, etc is dependent, paratantra . This concept of two orders of reality, tattvas , that is, svatantra and paratantra is the keynote of the philosophy of Madhva. This is the highest metaphysical and ontological classification in Madhva’s Dvaita Vedanta. Madhva insists on a difference in status between the two principles, and makes one of them finite, paratantra dependent completely on the other, Svatantra for its being and becoming. In Indian thought, Dvaita signifies a system of philosophy which posits more than one fundamental metaphysical principle or category to explain the cosmos, or a fundamental distinction between the human souls and the Supreme Being, for all time. Dvaita recognizes the states of bondage and release as real states or experiences pertaining to the atman . Madhva is categorical that our finite experiences of embodied existence and our efforts to achieve freedom from bondage have both a real value and validity of their own, and are not mere bubbles of avidya . God, the Supreme Being is the Svantantra , the One and Only Independent Substance and all else is dependent, paratantra . This dependence is metaphysical and fundamental to the very being and becoming of the finite which can never outgrow it. The dependent reals exist from eternity, but they do so, not in their own right, but on sufferance of the Supreme. They are not despite of the Lord, but because of Him. They owe their very existence, knowledge, activity, etc to Him. The Only Independent Real exists in Its own right and in the highest sense of the term. The Supreme may well be and is, at times, referred to in the scriptures as the One without a second, without any prejudice to the reality and subordinate existence of the finite selves such as Prakrti . The finite selves are ‘ naught as it were ’. Jayatirtha states that ‘scriptures depict the Brahman in diverse ways and from different standpoints, all converging towards the one purpose, mahatatparya of expounding the transcendent and immanent majesty of God Himself in the atman and in the world’. The unity, sovereignty and independence of God are consistent with the claims of reason and demands of metaphysics. The English term ‘Dualism’ does not adequately express the full content and depth of meaning that Madhva has put into that term ‘ Dvaita ’. Even the Sanskrit term ‘ Dvaita ’ does not literally express more than the number of fundamental principles accepted. B.N.K.Sharma suggests ‘Svatantra-advitiya-Brahmavada ’ may be an appropriate designation for Madhva’s system to convey directly the highest reach of its thought and its metaphysical ideology. The only internal distinctions that are logically conceivable in the Brahman are those of attributes. The adjunct ‘ Svantantra ’ serves to emphasize the transcendence of the Supreme over the other reals, and Its immanence in them. It also lays emphasis on the primacy of the Supreme as the ‘ Para- Siddhanta ’ of Madhva’s thought, and the teachings about the finite as constituting the ‘ Apara-Siddhanta ’, subsidiary truths. This distinguishes from the Nirvisesadvaita of Samkara and the Visistadvaita of Ramanuja. According to Madhva, God is the creator, preserver, etc of the entire world of matter and souls. World-experience is real. Souls are many and are dependent forever on the Supreme. They are delivered from bondage by His grace. Salvation is a state of active enjoyment of supreme felicity. Madhva quotes extensively the related Vedic hymns that support these points of view.