Maadhva Philosophical Literature
Maadhva Philosophical Literature
( in this section we are going to give a brief introduction of various works of Maadhva literature over a period of time.
To start with we are introducing Sri Madhva’s works.)
I ) Works of Sri Madhvacharya
( 1 ) Gita Bhashya and Gita Tatparya
Sri Madhvacharya ( 1238 – 1317 AD ) is one of the greatest thinkers of Indian Vedantic Tradition. He was credited with the authorship of 37 works called ” Sarva Moola ”. According to Maadhva Tradition his firstphilosophical literary work is Gita Bhashya , A commentary on Srimad Bhagavadgita , one of the three Vedantic works of Hindu Tradition called ”Prashtaanatrayi”
He starts the work with a mangalacharana as follows
देवं नारायणं नत्वा सर्व दोष विवर्जितम् ।
devaM nArAyaNaM natvA sarva doSa vivarjitam |
परिपूर्ण गुरूंश्चान् गीतार्थं वक्ष्यामि लेशतः (शक्तितः) ॥
paripUrNa gurUMzcAn gItArthaM vakSyAmi lezataH (zaktitaH) ||
An interesting anecdote is told in Sumadhva Vijaya – a biography on Sri Madhva in the chapter sixth , from the verses 37 to 42.
Sri Madhva reached Badri during his tour and dedicated his first work ” Bhagavadgita Bhashya” as a sort of presentation to Lord Badrinarayana. He recited his work before Lord and and ended the reading of Mangala Sloka as Gitartham vakshyami saktitah. i.e, I will tell Gita’s meaning to the to the best of my capacity). Immediately after hearing this the Lord residing in the idol of Badri Narayana asked him to make an amendment in the words by replacing the word ” saktitah’ with ‘lesatah”, because he has not told to his full capacity .Because nobody can absorb all his ideas in their little brains and he has told only a small portion of what he knew. Accordingly the word ‘Saktitah” has been substituted with the word ‘lesatah’ . This shows the greatest intellectual capacity of Madhva and inability of others in grasping all aspects of Madhva’s thoughts. Afterwards Madhva’s disciples and Madhva went into sleep. But during sleep they heard the thumping sound made on the grounds by the Lord Narayana and asking Madhva to recite the Bhashya again, becuse it was so good.Sri Madhva woke up and recited it again and the Lord was pleased. This episode shows the greatness of Madhva’s very first work and how that work’s correctness had been approved by Lord Himself. .
In Madhva Vijaya, in 15th chapter, sloka No. 75. this work has been praised as follows.
गीतातात्पर्य भाष्याभ्यामाभ्यां विश्वं प्रकाश्यते ।
gItAtAtparya bhASyAmAbhyAM vizvam prakAzyate |
. गोगणैरप्रतीकारैरर्केन्दुभ्यामिवाधिकम् ॥
gogaNaiva pratIkArairkendubhyAmivAdhikam ||
The author compares Gitabhashya to Chandrodaya ( moon rise ). and another work Gita Tatparya to Suryodaya ( sun rise ).As universe is illuminated with the lustres of moon and sun , the literary world is illuminated with the uncriticisable words of Bhashya and Tatparya. This is a great tribute indeed !
The Bhashya is the first and foremost work of Sri Madhva. the commentary is brief and direct, commenting on 385 verses out of 701 verses.He passes over the rest.
The work begins from the eleventh verse of the second chapter. It is very terse and almost aphoristic in style. Madhva focuses our attention on important issues avoiding repetition and needless digression supporting at each stage of his interpretation with authentic evidence from Vyasa and Vedic literature only.
The Gita Tatparya is a companion volume to the Bhashya.The work explains the general sense of Gita verses strengthening with fresh arguments, the stance Madhva adopts.He furnishes new and alternative meaning of many verses.He explains ‘VISESHA” and “BHEDA” concepts. There is criticism of the rival schools and their interpretations.He quotes profusely from ” Brahma Tarka” which is not quoted in Bhashya. Authentic citations are aplenty.
Karma yoga is explained in a vigorous way. There is no freedom from activity.There is only freedom in activity. The basic rules of Karmayoga are:
(i) Exclusive obligation to act
(II) The absolute forbidding of selfish desires and the fruits of the act.
(III) Surrendering all acts to God and
(IV) Not to be intimidated to inaction.
Gnana, Karma and Bhakthi are not exclusive to one another. All of them go together.Gita teaches us only the Samucchaya of gnana karma and Bhakthi. Social service is to be deemed as service to God, Madhva says so in Gita Tatparya.On the whole Gita is a guide to a robust human life and Bhashya and Tatparya strengthens it with nourishment
The Gita teaching is a synthesis of the teachings of Upanishads and Pancharathra. Bhagavata Sutra tradition and has to be understood in this light. In essence, it teaches monotheism, realism of karmasiddhanta..
Sri Madhva compares Gita as honey (Madhu) in the parijata tree of Maha Bharata.(भारत पारिजात मधुभूतां ). Sri Madhva’s Bhashya is a full exposition of Gita thought rather than mere interpretation of text.
Sri Madhva says clearly that destroying evil men is the foremost duty of kings and doing ones duty without attachment is the greatest service to Lord Narayana.( नारायण द्विट् तदनुबन्दि निग्रहम् बन्धुस्नेहादधर्मत्वेनआशङ्क् ततो निवृत्तप्रायं स्वविहित वृत्त्या भक्त्या भगवदाराधनमेव परमो धर्मः ।). Emotions have to be controlled while discharging ones moral duty The essentials of Gita Bhashya and Gita Tatparya cannot be exhausted in this introductory article. One has to read them under the guidance of a proper Guru supplemented with reading of support books both in original and translations.
Sri Madhva completes the Bhashya with this verse.
पूर्णा दोष महाविष्णोः गीतमाश्रित्य लेशतः ।
pUrNA doSa mahAviSNoH gItamAzritya lezataH |
निरूपणां कृतं तेन प्रियतां मे सदा विभुः ॥
nirupaNaM krutam tena priyataM me sadA vibhuH ||
N.B: in continuation, Sutra literature will be discussed next.
Sri Krishnarpanamastu