Madhavacharya was born around 760 years ago, in Pajaka, near Udipi (Karnataka) in the year 1238. Vedavati (mother) and Naddantillaya (father) are his parents. He is also known as Ananda Tirtha, Purna Prajna and Madhva Acharya. Right from early childhood, Madhava was extremely religious. A saint from Udipi initiated him into Sanayasa when he turned 11 years of age. He travelled from one place to another in difficult and risky circumstances while propagating Dwaita philosophy all through his life.
Madhavacharya is the main Propagator of Tattvavada the Dwait philosophy and also a Hindu philosopher. He is the founder of Udupi Sri Krishna Matha as well. Tatvavada is the term he used for his philosophy which means ‘arguments from a realist point of view’.
Out of the many disciples Madhavacharya had, eight of them became Acharyas of the 8 Matths of Udipi. Madhavacharya was the one to install Lord Krishna’s idol at the popular Udipi temple. Legends state that one he had a dream, after which he got some fishermen to take the idol out of the sea and set it up at the temple.
Sarvamula Granthas is one of his important literary works. Sadachara Smruti, Anu Vyakhyana and Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya are the well known books he wrote. Madhavacharya wrote a number of commentaries and books during his lifetime. The ten Upanishads and the Brahmasutras including commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita are especially popular. Madhavacharya attained a distinguished place for himself in India’s religious history, with his deeply religious nature, strong mind and able athletic body, spiritual excellence and rare leadership qualities. Madhavacharya died in Udipi in the year 1317.
