Madhva 1199 – 1278
Madhva was an Indian theologian and the founder of Dvaita, or dualistic Vedanta. Against Adi Shankara's non-dualism and Ramanuja's qualified non-dualism, he taught that there is an absolute and irreducible distinction between Brahman, individual selves, and matter, and that liberation comes through devotion to Vishnu rather than through identification with him. He composed thirty-seven works, including commentaries on the Brahma Sutras, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita, and founded the Sri Krishna Matha at Udupi, still a major center of Vaishnava devotion.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Indian
- Era
- Medieval
- Movements
- Vedanta, Indian Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Madhva:
“Vishnu alone is the supreme reality, distinct from souls and matter.”
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Attributed to Madhva:
“The differences between God, soul, and matter are eternal and real.”
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Attributed to Madhva:
“Devotion is the means by which liberation is attained.”
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Attributed to Madhva:
“The soul is dependent on God in being and in action.”
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Attributed to Madhva:
“Right knowledge is the recognition of things as they really are.”