worksofMadhvacharya-Bannur
Works of Sri Madhvacharya
by Bannur. R on Dvaita List
Sri gurubhyo nama:h.I have found that in any group of Vaishnavas,
we have some people who are learned, some having basic knowledge of shastras, and some having very little knowledge ,but have devotion and interest to know. in fact , I have found that there will be a set of people who do not know even the names of Srimadacharya's works and many others who have no knowledge about what each work contains. With a view to give some knowledge to this set of people about his works, I intend to give here some idea of Srimadacharya's works.
Sri Madhvacharya is the third avatara of Vayu,the first being Hanuman and the second Bhima. Vayu took this third avatar at the behest of the Lord,Sri Hari, when the Devatas approached Him saying that real knowlegde regarding the Lord is getting lost on this earth due to erroneous philososophical
thought having been propagated and even good people getting misled. Vayu took this avatar as Vasudeva,son of Madhyagehabhatta,took sanyas at an young age ,and was called Anandatirtha. He is called as Madhva in the Vedas , the two names being synonymous. Srimadanandathirtha has written thirtyseven works for the benefit of humanity,especially sattvic souls devoted to the Lord, Narayana. To understand his works,one must have devotion to him as their guru and learn them as for as possible under a knowledgeable guru in the traditional way.Since this is difficult in these days, we should try to know about the Lord, our guru ,and about his works through whatever source we are able to find for the same, and follow the teachings of Srimadacharya.
To start with ,here is a list of his works:
1. BhagavadgitA bhAshya.
2.BhagavadgitA tAtparya nirnaya.
These two works are together known as 'GitA prasthAna'.
3.Brahmasutra bhAshya.
4.AnuvyAkhyAna.
5.AnUbhAshya.
6.NyAyavivarana.
The four works are together known as 'sutra prasthAna'.
7. to 16. Bhashyas on ten Upanishads known collectively as 'upanishad prasthAna'
The upanishads are:
IsAvAsya,kEna (or talavakara), kAThaka, mAndukya, atharvana, shatprshna, taittarIya,aitarEya,brihadAr anyaka, and chAndOgya..
17.tattvasankhyAna.
18.tattvavivEka.
19.tattvOdyOta.
20.vishnutattva(vi)nirnaya.
These four are collectively called 'tattva granthAs'.
21.mayAvada khandana.
22.upAdhi khandana.
23.mithyAtvAnumAnakhandana.
The above three are called ' khandana traya'.
24.pramAnalakshna.
25.kathAlakshana.
These two are called 'lakshna granthAs'.
26.karmanirnaya.
The works from 17 to 26 are collectively known as 'dasaprakaranAs'.
27.srimadbhAgavata tAtparya nirnaya.
28.sriman mahAbhArata tAtparya nirnaya.
29..Rig bhashya.
30. dwadasa stotra.
31.nakhastuti.
32.sadAchArasmriti.
33.jayanti nirnaya.
34.krishnAmritamahArnava.
35.tantrasArasangraha.
36.yamakabhArata.
37.yatipranavakalpa.
Sri vyasaraja swamigalu has provided us with a stotra giving the names of these 37 works. I am not having it with me now. If anybody has it,they may give mail it for the benifit of the members. It is said that reciting this stotra gives one great spiritual benifit.
I shall next give a short gist of some of the works. With prayers at the feet of Srimadanandatirthabhagavatpadacharya.
Bannur.R
It is called "GranthamAlikA stotraM".
krishhNaM vidyApatiM natvA pUrNabodhArya sadgurUn.h |
jayatIrthamunIn.h natvA vaxye.ahaM granthamalikAm.h ||
nArAyaNena vyAsena preritastattvasamvide |
granthAn.h madhvashchakArAsau saptatrimshadamandadhIH ||
gItAbhAsyaM chakArAsau prathamaM tushhTidaM hareH |
bhAsyANubhAsye chakre.atha hyanuvyAkhyAnamuttamam.h ||
pramANalaxaNaM nAma kathAlaxaNasan.j~nitam.h |
upAdhikhaNDanaM chakre mAyAvAdasya khaNDanam.h ||
chakre prapaJNchamithytvamAnakhaNDanameva cha |
chakAra tattvasaN^khyAnam sAdhanaM vishhNudarshanaM ||
granthaM tattvavivekakhyaM tattvodyotaM hareH priyam.h |
karmanirnayanAmAnaM granthaM nyAyArthabR^in.hitam.h ||
sukhatIrthayatischakre vishhNutattvavinirnayaM |
R^igbhAsyaM cha chakArAsau sarvavedArthanirNayam.h ||
aitareyaM taittirIyaM bR^ihadAranyameva cha |
IshAvAsyaM kAThakaM cha chAndogyAtharvaNe tatha ||
mANDUkyaM nAma shhatprashnaM tathA talavakArakaM |
chakre bhAsyANi divyAni dashopanishadaM guruH ||
nirnayaM sarvashAstrANAM gItAtAtparyanirNayaM |
san.nyAyavivR^itiM nAma nyAyashAstranikR^intanaM ||
narasimhanakhastotraM chakre yamakabhArataM |
dvAdashastotramakarot.h kR^ishhNamR^ita mahArNavaM ||
tan.trasAraM chakArAsau sadAchArasmR^itim sudhIH |
shrimadbhAgavatasyA.api tAtparyaM j~nAnasAdhanaM ||
mahAbhAratatAtparyanirNayaM samshayachchhidaM |
yatipraNavakalpaM cha praNavArthaprakAshakaM ||
jayantInirNayaM chakre devakIgarbhajanmanaH |
kR^ishhNasya kR^ishNabhakto.ayaM dvaipAyanakarAbjabhUH ||
eteshhAM pATha matreNa madhveshaH prIyate sadA |
iti shrIvyAsarAjakR^ita granthamAlikAstotram.h ||
Before starting writing about GitaBhashya, I would like to say that the
37 works together are called 'sarvamoola granthas'.
Gita Prasthana.
--------------------
1.Bhagavadgita Bhashya .
It is said that the first work of Srimadacharya is Bhagavadgita Bhashya, a commentary on the Gita. He wrote this work and took it to Badari and recited before the Lord. The benedictory verse 'devam NArAyAnam natvA ....' ended with the word ' shakitah' ,meaning that he has written the 'bhashya' according to his ability . But,he and his sishyas who had accompanied him heard a voice from the Lord's vigraha that he should change the word 'saktitah' to 'lesatah' indicating that he had the ability to give more interpretation of the 'Gita' than what he had written . By this the Lord gave his approval of the Acharya's commentary. In this Bhashya Srimadacharya has not commented on each sloka of the Gita, but has given explanation to about 250 to 300 stanzas, starting with the 11th sloka of ch.2 'ashOchyAnavashOchastvam'.. Brevity is an extrardinary
quality of his bhashya as in the case of all his works. His sentences are impregnant with meanings which only masters like
Jayatirtha,Vyasaraja,Raghavendraswamy, Srinivasatirtha could explain to
ordinary sadhakas. Another greatness of Srimadacharya's commentaries is that he hardly makes a statement which he does not support with quotations. Regarding Srimadacharya's presentation NArAyanapandithAchArya says in Sumadhvavijaya :' bAlasanghamapi bOdhayadbrisham durnirUpampicha panditai:h' meaning that his works can be understood easily(to some extant) by even boys(beginners) and is hard to follow (fully) even by 'pandits'. This applies to all his works,especially to the Gita Bhashya. If we study it repeatedly we
find that we had lost some meaning in the previous reading. To conclude I shall give his interpretation of only one sloka, Gita ch 2,sloka 41:
'vyavasayatmikabuddhihi EkEhakurunandana bahushAkhAhyananthAscha
buddhayO(a)vyavasAyinAm.' Srimadacharya's interpretation to this verse 'yOgE imAm buddhim srunU ....' states that the right knowledge ,that is the correct interpretation by right thinking persons, is only one,and that is whatI(Krishna) have given here;.there are many interpretations given by persons who do not have the right thinking or knowledge.
We must, therefore, stick to the right interpretation of Shastras by
Srimadacharya ,who is also known as Sarvajnacharya,whom Sri Guru Raghavendra has called as 'asmadAdiguru' in Pratah sankalpa gadya,and gain the true knowledge.
Gita Tatparya.
-----------------
Srimadacharya has given another work on the Gita ,which may be said to
be supplementary to the Bhashya. In fact, this work standing alone can give us the true import of the Gita. The benedictory verse
'samastagunasampUrnam sarvadOsavivarjitam, NArAyanam namaskritya gItA
tAtparyamuchyatE' itself contains the main import of the gita that Narayana whose greatness is intended to be extolled in this work is full of auspicious qualities and has no iota of flaw . All other principles stated herein are subservient to this knowledge of the supreme Lord.
In this work Srimadacharya gives us the angle of view from which one has to study the Bhagavadgita in the following words:'tatra sAxat IndrAvatAram uttamAdhikarinam Atmanah priyatamam Arjunam....... .....bhagavadadhInatvat sarvasya'. This means that the Lord tells Arjuna,who is a Jnani being the avatara of Indra,but whose knowledge is temporarily blurred ,by his attachment to his relatives,that his dharma as a xatriya is to fight against all those opposed to the Lord and those supporting them ,as everything on this universe is under His control.The Gitatatparya gives additional explanations to the points already given in the Bhashya and also gives some new explanations.
Sutra prasthana (works on Brahma sutras.)
Before we know about the four works of Srimadacharya on Brahmasutras, it is desirable to have some knowledge as to what they are.
The Brahmasutras were composed by Sri Vedavyasa,an avatar of the
Lord,Narayana. They are short sentences or phrases which convey a specific meaning in terms of philosophical thought. It is said that these sutras form the basis for interpreting the Vedas. It is considered that a person who independently gives the interpretation of these sutras,the Bhagavadgita and upanishads has established his own school of philosophical thought .
The sutras are 564 in number. They are classified into four
chapters(adhyayas) and each chapter has four sections (padas). The four
chapters are named as :Samanvaya adhyaya,avirodha adhyaya,sadhana adhyaya, and phala adhyaya.
Brahmasutra Bhashya.
This work of Srimadacharya gives detailed interpretation of each 'sutra' and establishes the main tenets of his philosophy. These are:
1. Sriman Narayana is the Lord of the universe, and the creation,
destruction, sustainanance ,control etc. are according to his wish. He is the one called Brahma in the vedas and HE is full of knowledge,bliss, and power(strength).
2.All living beings are different from Him and from each other and are subordinate to Him,all their actions are controlled by Him.
3.All inanimate objects are different from Him and from each other and from all living objects.
4. The final emancipation called mokhsha for the beings who are bound to the problems of 'samsara' can be attained by intense devotion to the Lord with the true knowledge of HIM.
Srimadacharya has established these and other principles related to the same with reference to the sutras.
According to the bhashya of Srimadacharya,the summary of each of the
chapters of the Brahma sutras is as follows:
Samanvaya adhyaya-- This chapter explains that Sri Narayana is
ParaBrahma,and all names(names of the devatas etc.), all words,and even all sounds are primarily qualifying the Lord and so apply to Him and only secondarily to the persons or objects they indicate.HE is the controller of all functions in the universe as stated in 1 above.
Avirodha adhyaya- In this chapter Srimadacharya has shown that according to the Sutras there is no statement which contradicts the supremacy and the qualities of the Lord defined in the first chapter; and wherever any statement appears to contradict the same,it should be reconciled with this main principle by considering the statements prior to it and those following it (these are in philosophic parlance called upakrama and upasamhara). This chapter also deals with the errors in the interpretations given by others to the Brahmasutras.
Sadhana adhyaya-- The third chapter deals with the fact that the Lord will be pleased with us only by devotion to Him with the knowledge about Him as given in 1 above. Srimadacharya has defined 'bhakti' as devotion with right knowledge,and complete attachment to Him.
Phala Adhyaya-- This chapter gives the result of such 'sadhana', namely freedom from the bondage of this world where we face a lot of misery and attainment of 'moksha' where there is always happiness. The gradation of souls,commonly known as 'taratamya',is also dealt with here.
What is given here is a very short note on the Brahmasutra Bhashya, on which an enormous volume of philosophic literature has been produced by stalvarts starting from Sri Padmanabha tirtha, Jayatirtha, Vyasaraja, Raghavendra tirtha and many others.
With prostrations at the feet of BharatiramanaMukhyapranantargata Lakshmi Narayana.
anuvyAkhAna
THe 'anuvyAkhAna' is a work written by Srimadacharya,in response to the request by his beloved sishya,Trivikramapanditacharya. It is said that the Acharya dictated the four chapters of this work simultaneously to four of his sishyas.This work contains further explanation of the Bhashya for many 'sutras'. The implied meanings of several sutras would have been not clear or obscure, but for this work.While the language of the Bhashya is terse, this work is in simple style. In spite of it, it is necessary to study this work with its well-known commentary by Jayatirtha, 'SrimanNyayasudha' to understand it .
ch.1: samanvayadhyaya- The discussion of the first sutra 'aum athato brahma jignasa aum' - the question why ,when and wherefore the study regarding 'brahma' should be undertaken itself has been dealt with in detail and the fallacy in the approach to the subject by other thinkers earlier to him has been brought out. Then,the fact that Narayana alone is referred to by the term 'brahma' and that He is represented by the letter 'aum'(having in it eight syllables) ,denoting the 'gunaparipurnhen thatva', 'nirdoshatva' and other qualities of 'brahman' has been established. The Acharya hasexlpained further that 'Narayana' can be understood by 'Agamas' alone and not by any logic. However,the statements of the Rishis and others like Dhruva,supports
the Greatness of the Lord.
Ch2: avirodha adhyaya- It is in this chapter, that Srimadacharya has dealt with in detail all the systems of philosophy that had been in vouge at that time and showed that each of them were inconsistant with what is stated in the Vedas, brahmasutras,Bhagavadgita, and all authoritative shastraic works like the Bhagavatha.. He has also concluded in this chapter that there is hardly any difference between the Bouddha shastra and the Advaita except in the use of terms.
Ch3: sadhana adhyaya- It is in this chapter Srimadacharya has stressed that bhakti combined with jnana and vairagya is the only path for attainment of Moksha. In fact Srimadacharya has said that one should first practice 'Vairagya' which leads to 'bhakti' which in turn leads to the desire for 'jnana'; once the path is laid the two,,jnana and bhakti go hand-in-hand to lead us in the path of attaining His grace, which alone can grant us the ultimate goal of reaching His abode.
Ch4: phala adhyaya- In this chapter the concept of Moksha as in other
systems like Jaina,Bouddha etc. is discussed and the futility of their
concept of Moksha or liberation is established. The incongruency of the
concept of moksha in the Ramanuja system is also established. Finally the concept of Moksha as the one giving the Jiva ( a sattvic jiva) his intrinsic 'ananda' has been detailed,at the same time giving in detail the 'taratamya' amongst the gods in Moksha ,and as a corrollary the 'taratamya' among all jivas is established.
A word regarding the famous commentary of Sri Jayatirtha, known as 'Sriman Nyayasudha' is a must in this context. But for this commentary, many details implied in the 'anuvyAkhyAna' would have been lost. The well known work Parimala' by Raghavendra is his notes on this work. In this work Sri Gururaja says that he is able to read many many meanings into the 'nyAyasudha' but he has not given them all for fear of making the work very large. If this is the greatness of the commentary, the greatness of the original is anybody's guess.
anUbhAshya
The name of this work itself indicates that it is a summary of the
Bhashya. It is said that the ashramaguru of Srimadacharya,Sri Achyutapreksha ,was recitng the Bhramasutrabhashya daily before taking food. When Sri Madhvacharya found that it was difficult for his guru to do so on Dvadasi days,he composed this work called anUbhAshya to fecilitate him. This work is in simple style and in only about 35 stanzas,the AchArya has provided the gist of the Bhashya. There is a saying 'sankshEpa vistarAbhyAm pravadanti manIshina:h'- great people say things 'in short' or 'in detail' as needed. Sri Raghavendra swamigalu has shown in his detailed commentary on this work that the Bhashya on all the 564 sutras has been covered in this work.
Reciting this work daily gives one the same spiritual results as reciting the Brhamasutra Bhashya.
nyAyavivarana
This work also gives a summary of the Brahmasutra Bhashya ,also
incorporating the points made out in anUvyakhyana. It highlights many of the arguments used in the Bhahsya . To understand this work we have to take recourse to the vyakhyana by Sri Jayatirthamuni.
With this we have covered the 'sUtra prasthAna'.
DasaprakaranAs
As the name indicates we have ten works in this group. Of these four are taken as a sub-group titled 'TattvagranthAs'. We will now have a glimpse of them.
TattvasankhyAna
The word 'Tattva' is defined by Sri Jayatirtha as 'Tattvam anaropitam'-
Facts that are uncontaminated are 'Tattva'; In other words it is truth based on facts supported by 'Pramanas'. We shall know about 'Pramanas' In 'Pramana Lakshana'.. For the present we can say it means 'authenticated facts' ,which is called as 'yatArthajnAna'. IN this short work ,Srimadacharya has given a complete knowledge about the
whole universe. It classifies the universe as two entities,the
independent,that is the Lord Himself and the dependent being all other
entities;this is further classified into Laxmi,who is 'Nityamukta' oralways in Mukti,and others. This is further divided as Jiva 'and' jada'etc.The eternity of 'akasha','Kala'(time and space) are also discussed.It is a fascinating break up of the whole creation laid bare before us by a masterly hand.
From this classification can be derived the main principles of
philosophy,namely:
God is the supreme being controlling all the entities(animate and
inanimate); there is the five fold difference among these entities.The living beings are having the three qualities ,sattva,rajas and tamas etc.There is an interesting point stated by Sri Jayatirtha in his commentary on this work. This work does not have an invocatory verse( mangalacharane) and an objection is made by some regarding it. Sri Jayatirtha gives two explanations; 1.The first word swatantra in the first sloka denotes Vishnu,who is the only one who is Swatantra all others beings being paratantra and so a separate mangala sloka is not required. Our Guru, Srimadacharya is always doing Harismarana
and so He may not write a mangalasloka to his work.
There is a very fine translation with explanations of this work in kannada by Sri Sri Vidyamanya tirtharu (swamiji of Phalimaru mutt).
Tattaviveka
This work deals with the same subject as 'Tattvasankhyana', but is based on a work by the same name(Tattvaviveka) by Sri Vedavyasa(the Lord himself). There are some small differences between these two works. Sri Jayatirtha has shown in his commentary how these apparent differences are to be reconciled,and do not affect the substance of the work.
Tattvodyota
This one of the major works of Srimadacharya, both in volume and content.. The circumstances of the writing of this work is like this. After listening to the Brahmasutra Bhashya , many good thinking persons became his shishyas and his popularity rose tremendously which could not be tolerated by others,particularly by some advaitic scholars of the day. So,one of their leaders challenged the Acharya for a debate. When the debate was arranged this scholar could not start his arguments(poorvapaksha) at all. He sat in the 'sabha' spell bound and mute. Then, Srimadacharya,started the debate providing both the opening arguments(poorvapaksha) and the replies(siddhanta) and before the debate was complete this way, the scholar and his group ran away from the scene.
This work strikes at the root of all the philosophic thought in
'advaita'. The logic based on 'appearacnce of silver in the shell' is
discussed threadbare and it is proved that this anology cannot substantiate that the world is 'unreal'. The concept of an 'akhanda brahma' and his manifestation as this world due to 'avidya' is also falsified. The 'siddhanta' according to the 'Tattvavada' of Sri Madhvacharya is placed on a sound footing with "paramata khandana' and 'svamata sthapana' in this work.The logical arguments in this work are highly sophisticated and without the teaching from a proper guru,with the commentary of Sri Jayatirtha and the notes of Sri Gururaja(Raghavendraru) and others , it is difficult to follow
it.
Na Madhava samO devoO na cha Madhva samO guru:h na tad vAkyasama,
shAstram na cha tasyasamah pumAn.
Sri Madhvesharpanamastu.
Vishnutattva nirnaya
The 'visnutattva Nirnaya', as it's name indicates is in independent work of Srimadachrya toestablish the principle of the supemacy pf the Lord with reference to scriptures.
In this work Srimadacharya condemns the Charvaka ststem of athiesm and
establishes that a theistic philosophy based on sound principles as stated in the vedas is absolutely necessary for the good of the world as an ateistic thinking can lead too chaos. Further He proves the 'apourusheyatva'( that they are not authoured by any human being ) of the Vedas. Further the work deals with the Vedic statements like 'Tattvamasi' 'sarvam khavidam brahma' on which the advaitic thought is based showing that they are also supporting the dualistic philosophy and are not contradictory to statements like 'dvasuparnA ...'. The concept of 'Ekajivavada' and other modified systems of advaita are also shown to be not acceptable. Srimadachraya,in the second part of this work establishes with suitable quotations that Vishnu alone is
represented by the term Brahma, and is the sole controller of all functions on this world.
Sri Sri Visvesha tirthasripadangalavaru has written a simple kannada
translation of this work. He has given as an introduction to the same a
detailed study of this work in his inimicable style.
I have a few words to add here. Athiesm is refuted by Sri Madhva, primarily for not being a 'theory'. Earlier I had thought that he is refuting athiesm for cause of voilence in the world. But after reading the commentary (posted on the dvaita-list), I understood the correct meaning. Argument that athiesm causes voilence in the world, is to refute Charvaka's own claim that his position does have characteristics required for being a theory, i.e., it has a 'benefit to the world' (lokopakaara). Please look into the archives for details.
In my opinion this is an excellent and *only possible* refutation of atheist,and a *must read* for any seriously interested person. I would like to know if members of the list know of any other Hindu Acharya (before or after Sri Madhva) also refutes athiesm in this way.
KHANDANATRAYA
We shall now take up the three works known as 'khandanatraya'. These works are intended to show that the philosophy of Shankaracharya's advaita - that Brahma is the only 'true' entity and the whole world is a falsified manifestation of Him due to' ignorance ' is not tenable .
(a) Mayavada Khandana.
The benedictory verse of this "khandana'' - NarasimhO(a)khilAjnAnamata
dhvAnta divAkara:h Jayatyamita sajjnAna sukha sakti payOnidhi:h' conveys the summary of the three 'khandanAs'. The verse means that Narasimha,the Lord, is like the rising sun destroying the darkness caused by all theories based on ignorance; he shall be praised, who is like a ocean in His 'sajjAna ' (perfect knowledge) sukha'(ananda),sakti(power of control).(Sri Jayatirtha,in his commentary says that the comparison of the Lord's abilities to a ocean is only to say that it is extraordinarily high but His capacities
and ananda are infinite-poorna).
In this work two points are discussed . One is that the Brahman,who Is not having any qualities and is the only 'truth', is affected by a 'thing' called 'avidya' and appears as the world that we see, which is but a fantasy. This gives rise to the question whether the Brahman as a whole or partially affected by avidya, and in either case it is shown that the concept of a Brahman, who alone is the truth, is defeated. Other ideas like the world being neither'sat' nor 'asat'(real or non-existant) are proved to be a misnomer. Having defeated the advaitic concepts , Srimadacharya has done 'svamata sthapana'(establishing the philosophy as stated by him) by quoting the last five verses of ch 15 of the Bhagavadgit statrting with' dvAvimau purushau lOkE' which state the' supremacy of the Lord',and the principle of 'bheda'.
UPADHIKHANDANA
In this work also the effect of "ajnana' on 'Brahman" according to Advaita is dealt with.Advaita states that the 'ajnana' acts as a medium or say a catalyst which when it acts upon 'Brahman' makes 'it' transform into the universe. Srimadacharya refutes this theory with his straight arguments.
MYTHYATVANUMANAKHANDANA
As the name indicates this work deals with the Advaitin's theory of
'Jagan mythyatva'(or the world being unreal)'. The argument based on the proposition that 'anything that is seen is unreal'(vishvam mythya
drishyatvat) and so the world is unreal,which looks absurd on the face of it, but which the advaitins try to substantiate with the example of 'a shell appearing like silver when light falls on it' ,is shown to be only on a slippery ground.
To conclude this notes on the three khandanas, we may say that the
three together make the Advaitic philosophy collapse like a pack of cards.
All the works are very short. They look like the three feet of Vamana
covering the three worlds under them and putting down Bali.
'VAmana VAmana BhAmana VandE sAmana seemana shAmana sAnO'-
(dvadashastotra).
LAKSHNA GRANTHAS
There are two works called Lakshana granthas- Pramana Lakshana and Katha lakshana. The term 'lakshana' has the meaning conveyed by "type' or 'nature of' and does not mean quality or characteristics.
PramAna lakshana
‘Pramana' in the shastraic parlance indicates a statement which supports or proves a theory proposed to be established (the 'jiva paramatma bheda' for example. One philosophic thinker put the number of 'pramanas' as five ,while another put it as seven or so. Srimadacharya ,in his above mentioned work has stated that the main 'pramanas' are three ' PRATYAKSHA,ANUMANA and AGAMA" and all other types of pramanas stated by others merge within these. 'pratyaksha' is whatever knowledge we gain with our senses(when they are free from any defects);'anumAna' is a logical statement made in support of the theory ; and Agama' is a scriptural work accepted as 'pramana' or authoritative. Sri Madhvacharya has explained the nature of the first two and has stated that 'anumana' not supported by either 'pratyaksha' or 'Agama' may not hold good and can be misleading. He has also defined the texts which are to be treated as 'Agamas'.
Kathalakshna
"katha" ,in this context, means a philosophical debate. Sri Madhvacharya has defined 'katha' as of three types. they are called 'vada', 'jalpa' and 'vittanda'.
Vadakatha: It is a discussion between a 'guru' and a 'sishya' on any
philosophical topic during or after a lesson. It is a healthy discussion intended for the benifit of the student. A student is free to discuss with the 'guru' and even argue if he differs from him , but has to accept the decision given by the ' guru', politeness and respect for the teacher being observed strictly.
jalpakatha: this is a discussion of a topic of philosopy between two
scholars of different schools of thought, or betweeen any two persons who have divergent views. The discussion is held with a third party as the judge on a public platform. Srimadacharya has dealt with in detail the nature of such discussion, selection of judges etc.
vittanda: This is a discussion more like 'jalpa'. But when one of the
parties is losing, if he resorts to talking without 'pramanas' or making personal comments other party and may make comments in a rough language the debate is called 'vittanda'.
These two works of Srimadacharya are unique in the field of shastraic
thought.
' yO vipralambha viparItamatiprabhutAn vadAnnirasya nikhilAn bhuvi tattvavadam sarveshvarO Haririti pratipAdayantam Anandateertha munivaryamaham namAmi'
KARMANIRNAYA
This work is said to have been composed by Srimadacharya in reply to the remark by some people that he is only propagating 'Tattvajnana' but is not versed in 'karmakanda' of Vedas. Being Sarvajnacharya, he had stated in his discourses that all vedic words have three meanings,the primary meaning being the praise of the Lord. Srimadacharya has illustrated this in this work. He has chosen a mantra in a 'chandas'(metre) called 'Mahanamni' which apparently praises Indra and explained its significance with reference to Vishnu.. This work illustrates the profoundity of his knowledge in Vedas. In fact ,while Shankaracharya has stated that only a few vedic statements are to be taken as stating real philosophy and the others are 'a-tattvavedaka' (not having any philosophic import), Sri Madhvacharya has upheld that all vedic statements are basically stating the philosophic truth of the supremacy of Vishnu. At the end of the work, Srimadacharya has quoted his favourite stanzas from ch 15 of the Gita starting with 'dvavimau purushauloke' to show that the ultimate truth is the supemacy of the Lord and the principle of 'bheda'.
With this we have concluded the ten works called 'DasaprakaranAs' by the grace of 'dasapramati' that is rimadanandatirthabhagavatpadacharya.
'asEshadOhadurAya gunapoornAyaVishnavE nama:h sriprAnanAthAya bhaktAbheeshtapradAdAyinE'
Note: From the archives,I have found that a fairly detailed , and clear notes on 'dasaprakaranas' are given by Sri GV Bindumadhavan which is worth studying..
SRIMADBHAGAVATA TATPARYA NIRNAYA
Srimadacharya, in "vishnu Tattvanirnaya', has defined the works that
are to be treated as 'Shastras' (Agamas) as the four Vedas, Mularamayana, Mahabharata, Pacharatra ; Puranas and other works where the statements do not contradict these are also to be taken as 'pramana'. Of the 'puranas', Bhagavata is considered to be fully authoritative.Srimadacharya has written a commentary on Bhagavata called 'Bhagavata tatparya nirnaya'. In this work Srimadacharya has explained the meaning of several passages and the implications of several annecdotes. He has not commented on all the verses , and has given explanation of certain slokas in each chapter where there is
partcularly some philosophical import , profusely substantiating them with quotations.For example, the Uddhava gita in the 11th canto,which is somewhat parallel to the Bhagavadgita is expalined in detail. To put it in short,Srimadacharya has shown that the BhagavataPurana substantiates that Sriman Narayana is the supreme deity and all 'devatas' are subordinate to Him and devoted to Him and preach to others that devotion to Him is the means for salvation from the bondage of 'samsara'. (an example of this is the Rudragita taught to the Prachetatas by Shankara). The Bhagavata Tatparyanirnaya gives us the right approach with which we should study any 'purana' or other works,
and that is we should look in any work for 'Vishnusarvottamatva' and treat anything opposed to it as false knowledge.
'Vasudevasutam devam Kamsa Chanura mardanam
Devakiparamanandam Krishnam vande jagadgurum'
SRIMAN MAHABHARATA TATPARYA NIRNAYA
Among the works of Srimadacharya, The Mahabharatatatparya nirnaya is
biggest in volume,comprising of 32 chapters in about 5200 slokas. It
encompasses the two Itihasas Ramayana and Mahabharata ,the latter
incorporating parallelly the , story of Sri Krishna as in the Bhagavata. It is not just a narration of the stories but gives explanation for the actions of the Lord in both the avataras(Rama and Krishna) in cases like 'Vali vadha', 'sudra tapasvi samhara', 'putana vadha' etc. In the first chapter of this work called 'sarvashatrarthanirnaya',, Srimadacharya has ,with quotations from several works,established that Narayana is the supreme Lord of this world, that He is full of auspicious qualities and without any blemish (gunaparipurna and nirdosa); he has also stated the three avataras
of Vayu quoting the Balitha sukta, and given the gradation among other
'devatas' and almost all tenets of the shastras as established by him. The work is so large that it is not possible to give even a very small fraction of the knowledge it encompasses in a small endeavour like this. And so, it is best to conclude this quoting from the same: 'nirnaya;h sarvashastrAnAm sadrishtantO hi BhAratE' -- In Bharata the import of all the shastras is decisively stated with suitable examples (annecdotes). This statement applies equally to this work of Srimadacharya, the 'Mahabharata tatparya nirnaya'.
Sri Madhvacharya visited Sri Vedavyasa in upper Badari twice. When he met him a second time ,he was instructed by SriVedavyasa that he should write a 'nirnaya' on the 'Mahabharata' . On retuning from there, Srimadacharya composed this work ,which has no parallel in the history of scriptural works.
Sri Raghavendraswamigalu has composed a summary of the thirtytwo chapters of this work in thirtytwo slokas called 'Mahabharata tatparyanirnaya Bhavasangraha'.
Sri Raghavendra gurvantargata Bharatiramana Mukhyapranantargata Sri
Hari:h priyatam.
Rig Bhashshya
As stated in an earlier posting Srimadacharya has stated that the Vedas
have three meanings. He has illustrated this by writing a commentary on about forty hymns or 'suktas' from the Rig veda , starting with 'AgnimeelE purOhitam... ', expaining how this Sukta is primarily a prayer to Lord Vishnu. As in the case of all his works, he has,in this commentary also ,shown that the Vedas uphold the supremacy of Lord Vishnu, and the dependence of all the gods (devatas) on Him. Srimadacharya has explained the importance of 'Rishi, Devata and Chandas" in reciting Vedas. This work should be treated as the guiding principle for interpreting Vedic hymns.
Nrisimha Nakhastuti
This stotra , in two stanzas, was composed by Sri Madhvacharya with
instructions that it should be recited before and at the close of reciting "Hari Vayu stuti' of Sri Trivikrama panditacharya,composed by him when he had the darshan of the three avatars of Vayu worshipping the Lord as Rama,Krishna and Vedavyasa at the sametime is well known to all Madhvas. The stotra is in praise of the 'finger nails' of Lord Nrisimha killing Hiranyakasipu and protecting the Devatas (and Prahlada). In the second stanza Srimadacharya ,by starting with the word 'Laxmikantha' and ending with 'Bhasita Brahmesha shakrotkarah' has stated that Narasimha is superior to all the devatas including Laxmi and He can destroy the world at His will.I have not given the sloka or its meaning as it is already given by Sri Srisha Rao (lis08 in the postings). Sri (late) P. Vishnutirtha, a well known pandit, has written the meaning of this stotra in detail,and the book runs
into a few hundred pages(kannada).
DVADASA STOTRA
There is hardly any Madhva who does not know 'Dvadasastotra'. It was
composed by Srimadacharya when he brought the "krishna vigraha' which he got from some boat which he saved from drowning by hismiraculous powers. These metrical stotras are a feast to the ears and mind when sung with devotion. The stotras are mainly in praise of the Lord Sri Krishna ,and His manifestations as the ten avatars. Apart from it the stotras incorporate several points of philosophic import such as the Lord's powers of creation, and sustanance of the world. The import of the Bhagavadgita ,doing one's duty as service to God without any desire for fruit is stated in the song 'kurubhuxva cha karma nijam iyatam'.The last song with the lines 'Ananda Tirtha parananda varada' indicates the intense devotion of Srimadananda tirthabhagavatpadacharya for his beloved Lord who is 'Anandamaya' "
"PreenayamO VAsudEvam devatAkhanada mandanam
PreenayamOVasudEvam'.
SADACHARASMRUTI
As the name indicates it is Srimadacharya's injunctions for the right
procedures to followed in a day from morning to night by a Vaishnava. A Vaishnava should, as soon as he wakes up pray to Lord Vishnu, and at the close of the day, before retiring to bed, should pray to the Lord. In between ,he should observe austere practices. The procedure for washing the teeth, taking bath (preferably in a river or natural source of water) by reciting 'purusha sukta','Aghamarshana sukta' etc. have been clearly stated in this work. Then follows 'sandhyavandana', 'pooja' , taking food,study,teaching,rest,evening pooja etc. which have all been clearly stated for the guidance of his followers by Srimadacharya in simple language in about forty slokas.If anyone is fortunate to be able follow the procedures and ausreities stated in this work, he shall be following Srimadachaya's exhortation in the 'dvadasastotra'- SANTATAM CHINTAYET ANANTAM ANTAKALE VISHESHATAH, and that is the duty of a true Vaishnava.
' Prithvee manadalamadhyastA:h PoornabodhamatAnuga:h
VaishnavA:h VishnuhridayA:h tAnnamasyE gurUn mama'
KRISHNAMRITAMAHARNAVA
The ocean of the nector called SriKrishna, that is what this work is about. Srimadacharaya,wrote this work by selecting verses from various authoritative works(Mahabharata,puranas etc.), as a kindly blessing to a devotee who aksed him for 'upadesa'. There are about 240 slokas in it. The importance of devotion to the Lord is stressed by quoting verses like
"srirAmarAmarAmEti manOrAmEmanOrAmE
sahasranAmatattulyamRAmanAmavarAranE"
which was preached to Parvati by Shiva. The superiority of Sri Narayana over other gods is also thus established. One important part of this work is the stress on Ekadasi Vrata dealt with here in about 70 slokas. Following it is the efficacy of 'saligramatirtha', which ,the Acharya states, is more gratifying than taking bath in all the sacred rivers. Thus the work is devoted to extolling the greatness of the Lord whose incarnation as Krishna and his praise is in every breath of our Acharya and who leads us to take atleast a drop in the ocean of "krishnamrita' if we follow the path he has shown us.
'kallu sakkare kollirO neevellaru kallusakkare kollirO
Khulla lOchana Sri KrishnananAmavemba Kallu sakkare kollirO'
JAYANTI NIRNAYA
This small work by Srimadacharya gives the procedure to be followed on Krishna jayanti((Krishnashtami) ,the rituals to be followed that day starting from taking bath repeating the mantra given here and the method of 'puja' to be done and other details such as 'tarpana' . Following these instructions with fasting on that day is a must for all Vaishnavas.
'KrishnAya VAsudEvAya dEvAya paramAtmane
Pranatah klesha nashAya GovindAya namO nama:h'
TANTRASARASANGRAHA
This work contains information regarding some technically important
procedures in yhe worship of the Lord. This work contains extracts from a larger work existing on the topics dealt with herein.
The important things dealt with in this work include:
1. The procedure for the 'upadesa' and practice of important 'mantras' like 'Narayana Ashtakshara mantra, Krishna shadakshara mantra,Vasudeva
dvdashakshara mantra, Shiva shadkshra mantra ' etc.(about 70 mantras are included).
2.procedure for construction of Temples, sizes of idols of dieties,
charecteristics of temple architecture,size of the 'garbha griha'etc.
3.Procedure for construction of 'yagna kundas' etc. for purpose of
conducting 'yagnas' .While it is a practice to include practice of sorcery etc. in tantra' 'granthas by other writers , Srimadacharya has exclude them from his work , and laid stress only on the aspects which please the Lord.
YAMAKABHARATA
This work is an exclusive piece of fine poetry. In a small work of only 75 to 80 slokas ,Srimadacharya has pleased 'Sattvikas' interested in good poetry full of 'alankaras',at the same time telling the story of Sri Krishna, as in the Bhagavata and his kindness towards the Pandavas(who represent all sattvic souls).. It is like a condensed version of the tenth canto of the Bhagavata. One should read through it to enjoy its sweetness.
YATIPRANAVAKALPA
The procedure for a person to take 'Sanyasa' is detailed in this work of about 30 slokas. The 'karmas' to be performed prior to taking 'sanyasa', the 'upadesa' to be given by a senior pontiff , the oath to be taken for protection of 'vaishnava dharma' are clearly explained by Srimadacharya in this work for the guidance of those who shall be placed as the protectors of the 'Vedic dharma'.
MADHVESHA KRISHNARPANAMASTU
With this I have completed writing short notes on twentyseven of the
thirtyseven works of Sri Madhvacharya. The remaining ten are commentaries on ten upanishads which are given in my submission ''Sri Madhvacharya's Works- 1'' as 'upanishadprasthana'. I do not intend writing about them as it is not possible to write on any upanishad in a few lines. Also, I find that this work has already been done earlier under the title 'Essentials of Upanishads' and can be studied.
Other works
One stotra in praise of Sri Krishna called 'Kanduka stuti' in two stanzas is stated to have been written by Sri Madhvacharya as an young boy before taking 'sanyasa'. It is in a metre reciting which is adjusted to the beat of a ball played continuously on a floor( 'puta' in kannada). Apart from the thirty seven works given in the 'granthamalika stotra' of Sri Vyasaraja, two works have been mentioned in the introduction to Sri Sumadhvavijaya, translated by Sri V. Prabhanjanacharya.
To conclude this submission,I am happy that this little endeavour has got completed without any detriment. The works of Srimadacharya are stated , in Sumadhva Vijaya,to be the embodiment of the Acharya himself- 'RUPAMANYADIVA DHANYAMATMANA:H". Even the names of his works would perhaps be taken so. And coming from Srimadanda tirtha, they are tirthas = shatras which give 'Ananda' ,that is which lead us to Moksha.
In our daily 'Puja" we say 'samasta karma prerakaya Sri Vayuve nana:H' which means that all our actions are directed by 'Sri Vayudeva' and to him I bow. I ,therefore, consider that this small work of mine has been completd as per his ordain, which is HIS ordain.(Hanumana matavE Hariya Mata Hariya matavE Hanumana mata). Let me end this with Srimadacharya's own words:
'Yasya trEEnyuditAni VEdavacanE rupAni divyAnyalam
Bat taddasrshanamitthamEva Nihitam dEvasya bhargOmaht
VayO RAmavacOnayam prathamakam pruxOdviteeyam vapu:H
MadhvO yattu triteeyametadamunA grantha:h krutah KESHAVE'
Bannur.R
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