Context:

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi recently paid his obeisances to Sri Madhvacharya on the occasion of Madhva Navami.

About Sri Madhvacharya:

Shri Madhvacharya was born near Udupi. He was born in 1238, on the auspicious day of Vijayadashami, and he was named Vasudeva.

=> He was the third of the trinity of philosophers who influenced Indian thoughts after the ages of the Vedas and Puranas (the other two being Shankaracharya and Ramanujacharya).

=> He propounded the philosophy of Dwaita or Dualism.

=> It was Achyutapreksha who gave him the title ‘Madhva’ by which he was more famously known.

=> Literary works: He wrote various texts that detailed his philosophy which he called Tattvavada, or as it is more popularly known, Dvaita.

=> Some of his works were the Gita Bhashya, Brahma Sutra Bhashya, Anu Bhashya, Karma Nirnaya, and Vishnu Tattva Nirnaya.

About Dvaita philosophy:

• The basic tenet of Dvaita philosophy is the refutation of the Mayavada of Sri Shankara. Dvaitha emphasizes that the world is real and not just an illusion.
• The soul is bound to this world through ignorance.
• The way for the soul to release itself from this bondage is to seek the grace of Sri Hari.
• To reach Sri Hari, one has to practice Bhakthi, there is no other way.
• To practice Bhakthi, one needs to meditate.
• To meditate, one needs to clear the mind and attain detachment by studying the sacred texts.