Udupi is known for the Krishna Matha (Temple of Lord Krishna). The Krishna Mutt was founded by the Vaishnavite saint Shri Madhvacharya in the 13th century. According to history, there was a storm in the sea at Malpe. Shri Madhvacharya was on the shore at the time and saw a ship which was in trouble. He helped the ship reach the shore to safety. The sailors were very grateful to him and gave him deities of Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama. He did the pratishte (installation ceremony) of the deity of Lord Balarama near Malpe. This temple is known as Vadabhandeshwara. He brought the deity of Lord Krishna and did the pratishte at Udupi. This temple is known as Srikrishna Matha.
Shri Madhvacharya and his Vedantic Philosophy
Shri Madhvacharya took incarnation in a humble Brahmin family, well-versed in vedic scriptures. In his 16th year he received initiation as a sanyasin at Udupi from a monk called ACHYUTA PRAJNA, who came of the order of Ekanti-Vaishnavas of the Ekandandi order. POORNA PRAJNA and ANANDA THEERTHA were the titles bestowed on as an ascetic and pontiff of this order. The name, MADHVA, by which he is popularly known, was adopted by him for certain esoteric reasons. As an ascetic, he traversed the length and breadth of the country with his trusted disciples many times. Badrinath in the Himalayas was his favourite resort, where he is reported to have visited the hermitage of Badarayana Vyasa, the father of Vedanta, and received direct inspiration from his master of wisdom for expounding his philosophy.
Madhva wrote unique commentaries on selected hymns of Rig Veda, the major Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, the Mahabharatha and the Bhagavatha Purana. There are as many as 40 works of Madhva. They are known as ‘SARVA MOOLA GRANTHAS’. His greatest work is ANU VYAKHYANA, a critical exposition of the Vedantic philosophy of the Brahma Sutras of Badarayana. Madhva’s disciples and their successors have brought out elaborate commentaries, glosses and independent works pertaining to the original works of Madhva. Among them the works of TRIVIKRAMA PANDITHACHARYA, NARAYANA PANDITHACHARYA, SHRI JAYA THEERTHA, SHRI VYASA THEERTHA, SRI VADIRAJA SWAMI, SRI VIJAYENDRA THEERTHA and SHRI RAGHAVENDRA SWAMI are indispensable for a comprehensive study of Madhva’s Vedanta. This system of Vendantha is particularly known as TATVA VADA or DVAITA VEDANTA.
