Vijayindra Tirtha

2021-06-22T06:41:20Z

2409:4060:2005:D40E:0:0:343:40AD:

{{Infobox Hindu leader
| image =
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
| birth_name = Vitthalachārya (ವಿಠ್ಠಲಾಚಾರ್ಯ)
| birth_place =
| birth_date = 1514
| founder =
| order = [[Vedanta]]
| guru = Surendra Tirtha, Vyasatirtha {{Sfn|Sarma|1937|p=551}}
| successor = [[Sudhindra Tirtha]]
| philosophy = [[Dvaita]]
| literary_works = ''Laghu Amoda'', ''Upasamhara Vijaya'', ''Chakra Mimamsa''
| honors = Sarvatantrasvatantra {{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=172}}
| disciples =
}}
{{Hindu philosophy |expanded=acharyas}}
{{DvaitaInfobox}}

'''Vijayīndra Tīrtha''' ''(also known as Vijayendra Tīrtha)'' ({{circa}}1514 - {{circa}}1595) was a [[Dvaita]] philosopher and dialectician. A prolific writer and an unrelenting polemicist, he is said to have authored 104 treatises expounding the principles of [[Dvaita]] and defending it against attacks from the contemporary orthodox schools of [[Vedanta]]. He held the pontifical seat at [[Kumbakonam]] under the rule of [[Thanjavur Nayaks]] where he participated in polemical discussions with the [[Advaita]] philosopher [[Appayya Dikshita]] {{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=165}} Inscriptions from that era record grants of villages received by Vijayindra for his triumph over theological debates .{{Sfn| Vriddhagirisan|1995|p=56}} Legend ascribes to him mastery over 64 arts and his erudition, writes Sharma, "is evident from a few of his works bearing on [[Purva Mimamsa]], [[Nyaya]] and [[Kavya]] literature".{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=172}}

==Life==
Almost nothing is known about his early life and family. Most of the information on Vijayindra is derived from a few inscriptions and two hagiographies: ''Rāghavendra Vijaya'' and ''Guruguṇastavana''. Born as Vitthalācharya in a [[Kannada language|Kannada]]-speaking [[Deshastha Brahmin|Deshastha Madhva Brahmin]] family,{{Sfn|Hebbar|2005|p=306}} he studied [[Vedanta]], [[Mimamsa]] and [[Nyaya]] under the philosopher [[Vyasatirtha]]. {{sfn|Sharma|2000|p=171}} He also received training in [[Kavya]] (poetics), [[Natya]] (drama) and [[Rhetoric|Alankara]] (rhetoric). Aged 25, he moved to Kumbakonam at the behest of Surendra Tirtha, the erstwhile [[pontiff]] of the Vibhudendra mutt. {{Refn|group=note|According to the songs of [[Purandara Dasa|Purandara]], Surendra, impressed by the brilliance of the young Vitthala, asked Vyasatirtha to gift him Vitthala}} Vitthala eventually succeeded Surendra as the pontiff with the title '''Vijayīndra Tīrtha'''.{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=168}}
Inscriptional evidence and traditional accounts note that Vijayindra received patronage from [[Aliya Rama Raya]] and grants from [[Sevappa Nayak]] of [[Tanjore]]. {{sfn|Sharma|2000|p=171}} {{sfn|Sharma|2000|p=172}} He was involved in severe polemical discussions with his rival and friend [[Appayya Dikshita]], with several of his works dedicated to refuting the claims of Appayya. {{sfn|Heras|1927|p=553}} After his death in 1595, his mortal remains were enshrined in the mutt at Kumbakonam. He was succeeded by [[Sudhindra Tirtha]].

==Works==
Vijayindra tirtha is credited with as many as 104 literary works of which many are non-extant. A few that remain mainly consist of commentaries on the works of [[Vyasatirtha]] (''Laghu Amoda'') and [[Madhva]] (''Tattvaprakasika Tippani''), polemical works refuting the works of [[Appayya Dikshita]] and several treatises dealing with the issue of compatibility of [[Dvaita]] with [[Mimamsa]] (''Chakra Mimamsa''). A few poems and three dramatical works have been attributed to him as well.{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=173-189}}

==List of Notable Works==
104 works are attributed to Vijayindra of which only sixty are extant. Except for a few notable works, many remain unprinted. The manuscripts are preserved in ''mutts'' at [[Nanjangud]], [[Mantralayam]] and [[Kumbakonam]].
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Description
! References
|-

| Tattvamanimanekyapetika
| Commentary on ''Brahma Sutra Bhashya'' of [[Madhva]]
| {{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=173}}
|-
| Gudabhavaprakasika
| Commentary on ''Tattvodyota'' of [[Madhva]]
| {{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=173}}
|-
| Tattvaprakasika Tippani
| Summary of ''Tattva Prakasika'' of [[Madhva]]
| {{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=173}}
|-
| Laghu Amoda
| Commentary on ''Nyayamruta'' of [[Vyasatirtha]]
| {{Sfn|Sarma|1937|p=551}}
|-
| Nyayamauktikamala
| Commentary on ''Tatparya Chandrika'' of [[Vyasatirtha]]
| {{Sfn|Sarma|1937|p=552}}
|-
| Yuktiratnakara
| Commentary on ''Tarka Tandava'' of [[Vyasatirtha]]
| {{Sfn|Sarma|1937|p=552}}
|-
| Pramana Paddhati Vyakhyana
| Gloss on ''Pramana Paddhati'' of [[Jayatirtha]]
| {{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=176}}
|-
| Adhikaranamala
| Treatise on the [[Mimamsa]] elements in ''Nyayamruta''
| {{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=176}}
|-
| Chandrikodahrta Nyaya Vivaranam
| Treatise on the [[Mimamsa]] elements in ''Tatparya Chandrika''
| {{sfn|Heras|1927|p=522}}
|-
| Appayya Kapola Chapetika
| Refutation of the works of [[Appayya Dikshita]]
| {{sfn|Heras|1927|p=522}}
|-
| Madhva Kantako Dhara
| Rebuttal to ''Madhvatantramukhabhanga'' of [[Appayya Dikshita]]
| {{sfn|Sarma|1937|p=554}}
|-
| Chakra Mimamsa
| Defence of ''mudradharana'' from the viewpoint of [[Mimamsa]] {{refn|group=note|''Mudradharana'' is the Vaishnavite practice of branding the symbols of Vishnu on the body}}
| {{sfn|Heras|1927|p=522}}
|-
| Bhedavidyavilasa
| Polemical treatise emphasising the doctrine of five-fold difference
| {{Sfn|Sarma|1937|p=557}}
|-
| Paratattva Prakasika
| Criticism of Appayya Dikshita's ''Sivatattvaviveka''
| {{Sfn|Sarma|1937|p=554}}
|-
| Brahmasutra Nyayasangraha
| Gist of Brahma Sutra distilling elements from ''Anu Vyakhyana'' of Madhva
| {{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=179}}
|-
| Siddhanta Sarasara Viveka
| Polemical tract against the tenets of [[Visistadvaita]] and [[Shiva Advaita]]
| {{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=180}}
|-
| Ananda Taratamya Vadartha
| Polemical tract against the tenets of [[Visistadvaita]]
| {{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=180}}
|-
| Nyayadhvadipika
| Manual on the [[Mimamsa]] elements in [[Dvaita]]
| {{sfn|Pandurangi|2004}}
|-
| Upasamhara Vijaya
| Rejoinder to ''Upakrama Parakrama'' of Appayya Dikshita
| {{sfn|Pandurangi|2004}}
|-
| Pistapashu Mimamsa
| Treatise arguing for the usage of flour-made animals for rituals
| {{sfn|Sarma|1937|p=556}}
|-
| Mimamsa Naya Kaumudi
| The compatibility between the works of Madhva and [[Mimamsa]] is explored
| {{sfn|Sarma|1937|p=556}}
|-
| Advaita Siksha
| Polemical rebuttal to ''Advaitadipika'' of Narasimhasrama
| {{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=188}}
|-
| Shaiva Sarvasva Khandanam
| Treatise arguing for the supremacy of [[Vishnu]]
| {{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=188}}
|-
| Subhadra Dhananjaya
| Drama on the marriage of [[Arjuna]] and [[Subhadra]]
| {{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=189}}
|-
| Narayana Sabdartha Nirvachana
| Monograph on the etymology of the word [[Narayana]]
| {{Sfn|Fischer|2017|p=121}}
|-
| Turiyasiva Khandana
| Polemical tract arguing against the [[Turiya#Advaita Vedanta|fourth stage of consciousness]] of Advaita
| {{Sfn|Fischer|2017|p=130}}
|-
|Tatparya Chandrika Kuchodya Kuthara
|Refutation in favour of Tatparya Chandrika by Vyasatirtha
|{{Citation needed|date=February 2018}}
|-
|}

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|title = A History of the Dvaita School of Vedānta and Its Literature, Vol. 2, 3rd Edition|first = B. N. Krishnamurti| last = Sharma| publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn = 978-8120815759| year= 2000 }}
*{{cite book|title= The Sri-Krsna Temple at Udupi: The History and Spiritual Center of the Madhvite Sect of Hinduism|url=https://archive.org/details/SriKrsnaTempleAtUdupi|first=B.N|last=Hebbar|publisher=Bharatiya Granth Nikethan|year=2005|isbn=81-89211-04-8}}
* {{cite book|title = Nayaks of Tanjore|url = https://archive.org/details/nayaksoftanjore0000vrid|first = V| last = Vriddhagirisan| publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn = 978-8120609969 | year= 1995 }}
* {{cite book|title = Reign of realism in Indian philosophy|first = R. Nagaraja| last = Sarma| publisher=National Press | year= 1937 |url=https://archive.org/details/reignofrealismin032789mbp}}
* {{cite book|title =Nyayadhvadipika|first = K.T| last = Pandurangi| publisher=Dvaita Vedanta Studies and Research Foundation | year= 2004 | url=https://archive.org/details/NyayadhvadipikaEngPartOnly?q=vijayindra+tirtha}}
* {{cite book|title = The Sri Krsna Temple at Udupi|first = B.N| last = Hebbar| publisher=Nataraj Books |isbn = 978-1881338505 | year=2004 | url=https://archive.org/details/SriKrsnaTempleAtUdupi?q=vijayindra+tirtha}}
* {{cite book|title = Hindu Pluralism: Religion and the Public Sphere in Early Modern South India|first = Elaine| last = Fischer| publisher=University of California Press |isbn = 9780520293014 | year=2017 }}
* {{cite book|title = South India Under the Vijayanagara Empire: The Aravidu Dynasty, Volume 2|first = Henry| last = Heras| publisher=Cosmo | year= 1927 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.189283}}
* {{cite book|title = Administration and Social Life Under Vijayanagar: Administration|first = T.V | last = Mahalingam| publisher=University of Madras | year= 1937 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.499556?q=vijayindra+tirtha}}

==External links==
*[http://kashimath.org/origin/ Vijayindra Tirtha and the origin of Kashi Math]
*[http://www.gururaghavendra1.org/~srsmutt/param/vijayeendra.htm Biographical Sketch on Vijayindra Tirtha]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tirtha, Vijayindra}}
[[Category:Vaishnavite religious leaders]]
[[Category:Dvaita Vedanta]]
[[Category:Dvaitin philosophers]]

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Vijayindra Tirtha