Vyasatīrtha, also known as Vyasaraja or Chandrikacharya, was a prominent Hindu philosopher, scholar, poet, commentator, and polemicist who belonged to the Dvaita order of Vedanta founded by Madhwacharya. During his time as the patron saint of the Vijayanagara Empire, Vyāsatīrtha played a crucial role in the development of Dvaita thought, which led to a golden age of new developments in dialectical thought. This era also saw the growth of Haridasa literature, with influential bards such as Purandara Dasa and Kanaka Dasa, and an increased spread of Dvaita philosophy throughout the subcontinent.
Vyāsatīrtha, originally named Yatiraja, was born into a Brahmin family. His education was overseen by Bramhanya Tirtha, the pontiff of the matha at Abbur. He studied the six orthodox schools of Hinduism at Kanchi and then proceeded to learn the philosophy of Dvaita under Sripadaraja at Mulbagal. After Sripadaraja, he succeeded him as the pontiff.
During his lifetime, he served as a spiritual adviser to Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya at Chandragiri. However, his most notable association was with the Tuluva king Krishna Deva Raya. With the support of the king, Vyasatirtha extensively propagated Dvaita philosophy in scholarly circles through his polemical tracts. He also popularized it among the common people through his devotional songs and poems. This patronage led to a significant expansion of Dvaita philosophy, making it more accessible and widely understood.
Vyasatirtha's life and work are primarily known through two sources: his biography by the poet Somanatha Kavi, titled Vyasayogicharita, and inscriptional evidence. Additionally, the songs of Purandara Dasa and traditional stories offer valuable insights into his legacy and impact. These sources collectively provide a comprehensive understanding of Vyasatirtha's contributions to the development and spread of Dvaita philosophy.
Vyasayogicharita, Vyasatirtha's biography by the poet Somanatha Kavi, is a hagiography. However, unlike other works in this genre, it refrains from embellishments such as the performance of miracles. Some of the claims made in the text can also be supported by inscriptional evidence.
Somanatha Kavi indicates at the end of the biography that Vyasatirtha himself approved of it. This suggests that the work was composed during Vyasatirtha's lifetime, making it a contemporary source. While some scholars argue that the text's authenticity can be attributed to the fact that Somanatha was a Smartha, and therefore unbiased towards a particular sect, others dispute this claim due to a lack of supporting evidence.
Dvaita, or Tattvavada, was a relatively unknown Vedantic movement in medieval India. Its philosophy stood in direct opposition to the prevailing Advaita sub-sect, with its founder Madhva asserting that the self (Atman) and god (Brahman) are distinct and that the world is real.
Madhva's works and those of his followers faced significant opposition and ridicule, given the dominance of Advaita at the time. To promote Dvaita, Madhva sent his disciples across the country to establish mathas, or centres of worship, which helped spread the philosophy.
Initially, the focus of Dvaita was on spreading its basic tenets and engaging in debates with Advaita scholars. However, with the efforts of Padmanabha Tirtha and Jayatirtha, Dvaita's philosophical sophistication improved significantly. According to Dasgupta, Jayatirtha's contributions brought Dvaita on par with the intellectual standards set by Advaita and Visistadvaita.
Jayatirtha's seminal work, Nyaya Sudha ('Nectar of Logic'), provided structure to Dvaita and expanded upon Madhva's brief texts, reinforcing his intellectual position and setting a standard for Dvaita literature.
Although Dvaita continued to grow intellectually through the efforts of scholars like Vishnudasacharya, its cultural impact was limited due to the turbulent political atmosphere of medieval India. The prevailing Advaita and Visistadvaita schools held sway over the Shiva and Vishnu temples, respectively, which curbed Dvaita's influence.
It wasn't until Sripadaraja, the pontiff of the matha at Abbur, aligned himself with the Vijayanagara king Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya that Dvaita began to receive royal patronage and support. However, this support was not enough to fully establish Dvaita's position in Indian society, and it remained a relatively obscure movement until the patronage of Krishna Deva Raya and the efforts of scholars like Vyasatirtha helped to spread its influence.
Early life:
Vyasatirtha was born as Yatiraja to Ballanna and Akkamma, a childless Deshastha Madhva Brahmin couple in Bannur. Saint Bramhanya Tirtha granted them a boon of three children, with the condition that the second child, Yatiraja, be handed over to him. After Yatiraja's upanayana, Bramhanya Tirtha assumed guardianship over him and ordained him as a monk, impressed by his precocious intellect. However, Yatiraja initially ran away but had a vision of Vishnu, which convinced him to return and receive ordination as Vyasatirtha. According to Indologist B.N.K Sharma, Vyasatirtha was likely 16 years old at the time.
After Bramhanya Tirtha's death during the famine of 1475-76, Vyasatirtha became the pontiff of the matha at Abbur in 1478. He then went to Kanchi, a centre for Sastric learning in South India, to study the six orthodox schools of thought, including Vedanta, Samkhya, Nyaya, Mimamsa, Vaisheshika, and Yoga. Sharma believes that Vyasatirtha's education in Kanchi made him proficient in Advaita, Visistadvaita, Navya Nyaya, and other schools of thought.
Vyasatirtha then went to Mulbagal to study Dvaita philosophy under Sripadaraja, whom he considered his guru, for around five to six years. He later went to the Vijayanagara court of Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya, at the suggestion of Sripadaraja.
Vyasatirtha was a prominent figure in the history of Vijayanagara Empire. He served as the head priest at the Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala and had a cordial relationship with the royalty, especially Krishnadevaraya, who considered him as his guru.
After the death of Saluva Narasimha, Vyasatirtha remained at Chandragiri in the court of Narasimha Raya II until Tuluva Narasa Nayaka declared himself as the de facto ruler of Vijayanagara. At the behest of Narasa, Vyasatirtha moved to Hampi and was appointed as the "Guardian Saint of the State".
During his association with the royalty, Vyasatirtha engaged in prolonged disputations and debates with scholars and was also sent on diplomatic missions to neighbouring kingdoms. He accepted grants of villages in newly conquered territories for the establishment of Mathas, which led to political stability and furthered the reach of Dvaita.
Vyasatirtha's close relationship with Krishnadevaraya is corroborated by inscriptions on the Vitthala Temple at Hampi and accounts by the Portuguese traveler Domingo Paes. He also played a pivotal role in establishing Dasakuta, a forum where people gathered and sung hymns and devotional songs.
One of the noteworthy incidents involving Vyasatirtha was his advice to Krishnadevaraya during the Kuhu yoga parihara, a period of trouble for the kingdom. Vyasatirtha suggested that the king donate to him, who had ruled the state before the Kuhu yoga period, and when the Kuhu yoga came in the form of Krishna sarpa, he kept his kaavi on the simhasana which was burnt into ashes.
After the Kuhu yoga period was over, Vyasatirtha asked the king to take back his kingdom. Although Krishnadevaraya was reluctant to do so as he had donated the kingdom to Vyasatirtha, he eventually took it back under the sage's insistence
Vyasatirtha's involvement with the Vittala Temple continued even in his later years, as evidenced by his donation of a Narasimha idol. However, there was a period of political friction that led to a temporary estrangement from the royalty, causing him to retreat to Bettakonda.
Despite this temporary setback, Vyasatirtha continued to be a trusted advisor, even after the death of Krishnadeva Raya, as he offered guidance to Achyuta Deva Raya. Following his death in 1539, his disciples Vijayendra Tirtha and Vadiraja Tirtha carried on his legacy by composing polemical works and spreading the philosophy of Dvaita into the Chola and Malnad regions. They eventually became pontiffs at Kumbakonam and Sodhe, respectively.
Today, Vyasatirtha's mortal remains are enshrined in Nava Brindavana, located near Hampi. Every year, his remembrance day (Aradhana) is celebrated in the month of Phalguna. Srinivasa Tirtha succeeded him as his disciple.
Vyasatirtha tomb
Legacy:
Vyasatirtha's legacy is that of a philosopher and dialectician of great stature, whose contributions to the Dvaita school of thought are highly regarded. He is often mentioned in the same breath as Madhva and Jayatirtha, as the three great saints of Dvaita.
Vyasatirtha's profound knowledge of ancient and contemporary systems of thought, coupled with his exceptional intellect and clarity of expression, is evident in his works. His writings reveal his deep understanding of a range of philosophical traditions, and his ability to engage with them in a critical and incisive manner.
Apart from his contributions to philosophy, Vyasatirtha also played a significant role as an advisor and guide to the Vijayanagara emperors, particularly Krishna Devaraya. His influence on the political and cultural landscape of the region was considerable, and he is remembered as a key figure in the development of the Haridasa movement.
Vyasatirtha, a prominent philosopher and theologian, played a pivotal role in the development and spread of the Dvaita school of thought. His efforts were instrumental in establishing Dvaita as a fully realized school of philosophical and dialectical merit.
He disseminated the precepts of Dvaita across the sub-continent through his involvement in various diplomatic missions and pilgrimages across South India. He gave patronage to the wandering bards or Haridasas, overseeing the percolation of the philosophy into the vernacular and the lives of the lay people. He also established 732 Vayu idols across Karnataka, contributing to the spread of Dvaita.
Vyasatirtha's polemics against rival schools of thought also helped secure royal patronage towards Dvaita. He was significantly influenced by his predecessors and exerted considerable influence on his successors.
He incorporated elements from diverse schools such as Purva Mimamsa, Vyakarana, and Navya Nyaya in his dialectics. His criticism of Advaita and Nyaya led to a severe scholarly controversy, generating a series of exchanges between these schools of thought, and led to reformulations of the philosophical definitions of the respective schools.
Vyasatirtha contributed to the Haridasa cult by establishing a forum of interactions for these bards called Dasakuta and penning several hymns in the vernacular language, most notably the classical Carnatic song Krishna Ni Begane Baaro.
He was also the initiator of social change within the Dvaita order by inducting wandering bards into the mainstream Dvaita movement regardless of caste or creed. He maintained a cordial relationship towards the Sri Vaishnavites, often donating land and money to their temples, despite targeting them through his polemical works.
As a diplomat, he interacted with a variety of people, including tribal leaders, foreign dignitaries, and emissaries from North India. By establishing mathas and shrines across the subcontinent, patronizing large-scale irrigation projects at strategic locations, and forging productive relationships across various social groups, he not only furthered the reach of Vaishnavism but also smoothed the integration of newly conquered or rebellious territories into the empire. In doing so, he exported the Madhva iconography, doctrines, and rituals into the Telugu and Tamil speaking regions of the empire.
The establishment of Madhva Mathas served as places of worship, community, and centers of trade and redistribution of wealth. According to legend, he is considered to have taken over the throne of Vijayanagara for two years on behalf of the king.