Upto Madhwacharya

The Brahma Madhwa Guru Parampara.

1. HAMSA  ---- NARAYANA ( PARAMATMA )
2. CATURMUKHA BRAHMA
3. FOUR KUMARAS (SANAKADI )
4. DURVASAS (Durvasa Muni the expansion of Lord Siva)
5. JNANANIDHI TIRTHA
6. GARUDAVAHANA
7. KAIVALYA TIRTHA
8. JNANISA TIRTHA
9. PARA TIRTHA
10. SATYA PRAJNA TIRTHA
11. PRAJNA  TIRTHA ( then a gap of four hundred years )
12. ACYUTAPRAJNA TIRTHA  (Purusottam Tirtha)
13 &14.  ANANDA TIRTHA (SRIPAD MADHWACARYA) and SRILA VYASADEVA


                                              SRILA VYAASADEVA
                                                         I

                    I-------------------------------------------------------I
                    I                                                                             I
        Sripad Madhwacarya                                                     Sukadev Goswami
                                                                                         
(chaitanya movement)

After Madhwa

The Madhwa line consider Lord Narayana as the Supreme and The Chaitanya line consider Lord Krsna as the Supreme.

The dvaita school led by Madhwa says that God, Soul and Universe are three mutually and fundamentally different categories, each having a separate reality, though the latter two are dependent on the former. However, God controls them. God's Grace is necessary for the liberation of the Soul. God is only the Agent. He causes the universe to be born and controls it. But He is not its material cause. Five differences called Pancha Bheda are absolute: God and Soul; Soul and Soul; God and Matter; Soul and Matter; Matter and Matter. Each Soul is essentially different and belongs to different grace, even in its enjoyment of bliss after moksha. Vyasaraja, one of the giants of this school -- the other two being Madhwa and Jayatirtha - summarises the entire philosophy in a set of nine points:

  • Lord Narayana is possessed of countless qualities, is devoid of all blemish and is an independent Reality.
  • He creates and sustains the world.
  • He is the One who grants moksha to pious souls;
  • The universe is real.
  • There is a five-fold difference.
  • Souls are dependent on God.
  • All souls are not alike.
  • Moksha is a state of existence when the soul enjoys eternal bliss; the only way to reach that state is Devotion.
  • The Lord can be only known through Scriptures.

Madhwa literally had hundreds of disciples, yet towards the end of his life he selected a small number of the most dedicated around him. These are the original 'Acaryas' of the eight mutts found even today in Udupi, South Kanada district of Karnataka.  In the original or direct lines coming down from Madhwa there are eight disciples who were established as the heads of the newly formed 'mutts'. Creating the 'mutts' Madhwa paired the disciples off as follows whilst as Kanya Tirtha during the 'Caturmasya' period. He had them all eight seated around a 'pipal tree' when he arranged the pairing system. He called them two at a time and gave them separately different 'mantras', rituals and 'pujas'. Making each of the disciples responsible to preserve and develop his mission from then on. The pairs and their 'Mutts' were:

The Ashtha-Mutts created by Madhwacharya
First Pair
1.  Hrsikesa Tirtha - Palimar Mutt
2.  Narasimha Tirtha - Admaru Mutt

Second Pair
3.  Janardana Tirtha - Krsnapur Mutt
4.  Upendra Tirtha - Puttinge (Puttige) Mutt

Third Pair
5.  Vaman Tirtha - Shiruru Mutt
6.  Visnu Tirtha (Madhwa's brother) - Sode Mutt

Fourth Pair
7.  Rama Tirtha - Kaniyuru Mutt
8.  Adhoksaja Tirtha - Pejawara Mutt

Originally Madhwa had them take care of the ritual, 'pujas' and administration on a two monthly rotation basis. This was a very practical way for him to set the pattern, and methodology for the change of office and on going activities. In this way he personally trained his disciples to carry the mission over the centuaries. However, over time it was proven that a longer period between offices could allow for the 'Paraya Mutt' to achieve more.

This is the order in which the 'Paraya' (change of office) takes place every two years, each cycle starting with Palimar Mutt and ending with Pejawara Mutt. There are eight other Mutts in the Karnataka region. They are:

9.    Uttaradi Mutt     
11.  Kundapura Srila Vyasaraya Mutt   
13.  Mulubagilu   Mutt
15.  Kudli   Mutt                                 
10.  Sosale-Srila Vyasaraya Mutt
12.  Raghavendra Swami Mutt
14.  Majjigehalli Mutt
16.  Balegaru (Banagara) Mutt

Numbers 9-12., were started by the disciples of Madhwa, respectively Padmanabha Tirtha, Narahari Tirtha, Madhava Tirtha, and Aksobhya Tirtha, a traditional branch of Srila Vyasaraya. Another branch came to be known as Mulubagilu. Madhava Tirtha established a Mutt at Majjigehalli and Aksobhya Tirtha established Kudli and Balegaru, which grew into independent Mutts.

Over the course of the entire span of time that the 'parampara' has existed there has been one main root of the tree, with many four main trunks, and then many branches, sub-branches, etc., coming from them. During the sojourn of that tree in spanning the yugas to reach where we are today in the Kali Yuga different devotees have branched out to further spread the 'parampara'.

The Pithadhipatya Brahma-Madhwa Guru Paramparam:
(who continued to be Pithadhipatis of Mashwa parampara)
  1. PADMANABHA TIRTHA
  2. NARAHARI TIRTHA
  3. MADHAVA TIRTHA
  4. AKSHOBHYA TIRTHA
  5. JAYA TIRTHA
  6. VIDYADHIRAJ TIRTHA ---------------------------------------------I
  7. KAVINDRA TIRTHA                                                         RAJENDRA TIRTHA
  8. VAGISA TIRTHA                                                            JAYADHWAJ TIRTHA
  9. RAMACHANDRA TIRTHA                                                   PURUSOTTAMA TIRTHA
                           I                                                           BRAHMANYA TIRTHA
                           I                                                           VYASA TIRTHA
  I-------------------------------------I                                        I
VIBUDHENDRA TIRTHA             VIDYANIDHI TIRTHA                     SRINIVAS TIRTHA
JITAMITRA TIRTHA                 RAGHUNATHA TIRTHA                   RAMA TIRTHA
RAGHUNANDANA T.                 RAGHUVARYA TIRTHA              LAXMIKANTHA TIRTHA
SURENDRA TIRTHA                 RAGHUTTAMA TIRTHA                  SRIPATI TIRTHA

       1539 AD                                    1596 AD                                1627 AD
           I                                               I                                          I
(RAGHAVENDRA SW. MUTT)         (UTTARADI MUTT)                (VYASARAJA MUTT)

 

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