Pratah SmaranIya

Sri VijayIndra tIrtha

(1514 – 1595)

bhaktAnAm mAnasAmbOjabhAnavE kAmadhEnavE |

namatAm kalpataravE jayEmdra guravE namah ||

-----------Srinivas Kotekal

In Madhva School of Vedanta, after Sri Vyasatirtha, the role of foremost defender of the Siddhanta was filled by Sri VijayIndra Tirtha . He was most active exponent of Madhva school of Vedanta in the South during the age of Nayaka rule in the Tamil Country, and who became most powerful champion against the combined onslaughts of powerful Advaitic, Visistadvaitic and Saiva schools. He was thus the Dualistic polymath of the 16^th Century, who played a decisive role in the cultural and religious history of Tamilnadu as the Guardian Saint of Vaishnavaism in general and of Madhva school in particular and as a redoubtable champion of philosophical Realism.

 When the interpretation of Sutra-Prasthana and the theological aspects of Madhva Siddhanta were receiving the attention of adverse critics from other schools, Sri VijayIndra’s main activities lay in ;

• Vindicating the prestige of the school against the reckless criticisms of Appayya Diksita and others of Sivadvaita school.

• In stemming the tide of Sivadvaita movement under the

• leadership of Appayya and Vira-Saiva leading Acharya Emme Basava.

• Upholding the Siddhanta against the attacks of Visistadvaitic critics.

Sri VijayIndra was the most prolific writer in our school and not so well-known to the followers of the faith as His Holiness deserves to be. He has a special position in the tradition as doughty champion of the reign of Realism in Indian philosophy, in the Post-VyasaTirtha period.

Sri VijayIndra was originally ordained a Monk by Sri VyasaTirtha under the name of “Sri Vishnu Tirtha”. Sri Surendra Tirtha, then pontiff of the Vibudhendra Mutt, requested Sri VyasaTirtha to give him a competent disciple to succeed him. The later is said to have gifted Sri Vishnu Tirtha to Sri Surendra and subsequently changed his name to Sri VijayIndraTirtha. Later he succeeded Sri SurendraTirtha in his mutt.

He is credited with 104 works in all, which include some interesting dramas and treaties explaining the principles of the Purva-Mimamsa Shastra. He was well-versed in several branches of learning such as Kavya, Nataka and Rhetorics and raised prestige of the Siddhanta by his vast literary works.

REFERENCE:History of the Dvaita School of Vedanta & Its Literature

For his life and works in Kannada:

http://www.tatvavada.org/kan/yathivareNyaru/vijayeendhra_T.shtml

Sri Vijayindra viracita PapavimOchana Stotram is available at 

http://www.tatvavada.org