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Sri Madhwa’s Commentary on Brahma Sutra
Sri Madhwacharya personally met the author of the Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita, Sri Veda Vyasa Bhagawan. The meeting took place at Sri Badri Dhama.
Shortly after he returned from Badri Dhama he began the highly challenging task of writing a detailed commentary on the Brahma-Sutra. (The Brahma Sutra was originally written by Sri Madhwacharya’s Guru, Sri Vyasa Deva)
So, he dictated the great work wherein the scribe of the worthy document Satya-Tirtha, became heavily influenced by Madhwa. After this incident, Satya-Tirtha became one of the cherished disciples of Sri Madhwa.
The name of the Scribe was Satya-Tirtha who wrote the Commentary work on palm leaves. Madhwacharya’s area of influence stretched far and wide. The sheer genius of Acharya stunned the general population.
Tattvavadi Movement Spreads
Sri Madhwa had a modern outlook and simultaneously riveted in approach to the exquisite teachings contained in the Vedas. His disciple circle was expanding quite rapidly.
Some of the popular Tattva-Vadi scholars graduated to the sanyasa platform.
Initiated into the renounced order of life (Sanyasa) by Sri Madhwacharya, these Sanyasis started preaching The Teachings of Madhvacharya. They preached the Tatvavada Philosophy. Acharya visited Badri Dhama a couple of times during his lifetime.
His guru, Srila Vyasadeva stayed in his subtle form in Badri Dhama. Yet, he was totally accessible to the great Acharya. Once while returning from Badri Dhama, the Acharya halted at the banks of the Godavari.
There, Acharya confronted a certain scholar, named Sobhana Pandita, The confrontation changed the entire life of this scholar. Seeing the extraordinary personality of Sri Madhwa and after listening to his wonderful discourses, Sobhana Pandita became his ardent disciple.
He joined the rest of his god-brothers. In the beginning, the new Pandita disciple was skeptical about the Tatvavada philosophy of Madhwa. Though he had doubts regarding the philosophy, he had no doubts about the divinity and capability of the Acharya.
Sailing through his faith, he soon developed immaculate faith in Madwa’s philosophy of Tattva-vada.
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Commentaries on the Upanishads and More…
Sri Madhwacharya spent most of his time, interpreting and writing commentaries on the Upanishads. He wrote commentaries on the ten primary Upanishads which were of great relevance for Kaliyuga. He wrote the translations and detailed explanations on forty hymns of the RigVeda.
The spiritual Significance of the Rig Veda gained prominence following these eye-opening commentaries by the World Teacher. He also wrote a treatise called the Bhagavata-Tatparya. This treatise highlights the essential teachings of the Puranas.
Madhvacharya composed great songs set to music that triggered Bhakti even in the hearts of stone-hearted beings. Music also became a way of spiritual communion, at the Acharya’s Ashrama. He resorted to the technicalities of classical music and blended spirituality with music.
Hence, along with spiriutality almost all of his disciples underwent classical music training. They moved along with the Acharya during times of excursions. It was during this time that Acharya found an exquisite idol of Sri Krishna at the western sea-shore near his Ashram, near Udupi.
He installed the idol after consecration, at the current day, famous Udupi Krishna Temple. Around that time, he planned another visit to the North, to visit Badri Dhama.
The Mughal King confronts Madhvacharya
Once, Sri Madhwa crossed the river Ganga. The other side of the bank was under Muslim rule.
So, the muslim soldiers stopped him on his journey. But, unafraid of warnings from the Mughal soldiers, he crossed the river and made his way to the other bank. He was held temporarily captive and produced before the local Mughal King.
Amazed, as the king witnessed exceptional qualities of boldness, dynamism, courage and personality in a renunciate. But, little did he realize that he was confronting Sri Madhwa.
The King asked Sri Madhwa, “ Are you not afraid of me and my army?”.
Sri Madhwa jeeringly laughed at such a funny question posed by the ignorant king. Yet, maintaining his poise Sri Madhwa replied, “ I am the direct son of the Universal father who created this Universe. Why then should I be afraid of other creatures?”
The Mughal king received the jolt of his life. It was as if he was punched by a bagful of heavy sand. He had never seen such a fearless Hindu sage, unarmed and so prompt in his reply.
This distinctive personality caught the king’s attention and he suddenly developed a liking for Sri Madhwa. He begged the Acharya to remain permanently in his kingdom and promised to handover a lot of property or jagir to the ascetic.
But, Sri Madhwa was a free man and remained so.
He rejected all offers from the Mughal and walked to Badri with a sage’s staff in his hand.
Madhva attacked by Dacoits
Once, some of Madhva’s disciples accompanied him on a walk to Badri.
But, on their journey the ascetic party was suddenly attacked by a band of dacoits, on the hilly terrains of Himalayas. Upendra-Tirtha, a disicple of Acharya followed along. Upendra was a good sportsman and a wrestler.
It did not take much for Upendra-Tirtha to silence the dacoits. He did that in good time. Sri Madhwa, now had a new teaching for his set of followers.
He said, “ Having a strong, pure mind is a must in spirituality. However having a strong body along with a great mind is indispensable. Remember that a weak body cannot house a strong mind.”
Shortly after, at the Ashram, he made it compulsory for all the inmates of the Ashram, to make sports and nurturing the body a compulsory routine. Thus, most of his disciples became owners of good bodies as well as immaculate in their knowledge of Vedanta.
Even today, Sri Madhwa is known as a strong, healthy and powerful Vedantist who also possessed a powerful torso. His body was adamant like steel. Even to this day, the huge rock- boulder lifted up and placed in the river Bhadra by the Acharya, near Kalasa bears witness to his Herculean strength.
This incident is confined by the sentence inscribed on that stone.
When the Acharya reached Badri Dhama this time, he had a Darshan ( spiritual vision) of both Sri Veda Vyasa Bhagawan and Sriman Narayana. On his return home this time, he wrote the commentary on the Mahabharata known as the Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya.
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