Quick Read: Udupi is the punya tirtha near where Shri Madhvacharya was born.

Shri Madhvacharya was born in Pajaka, near Udupi, in coastal Karnataka, in thirteenth century AD. He was born at a time when the philosophies of Shankaracharya and Ramanujacharya had been well established.

He received his education and initiation as a Sanyasin in Karnataka. He travelled widely around India propagating his philosophy. He established the Udupi Sri Krishna temple and the eight maths which even today administer the temple by rotation.

Source: Philosophy of Sri Madhvacharya, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Picture Credit: Udupi Sri Krishna temple, S. R Ramanujam

Quick read: Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated near the birth place of Shri Ramanujacharya

Shri Ramanujacharya was born in Sri Perumbudur near Chennai. He received his education in nearby Kancheepuram, a centre of learning for multiple religions and philosophies.

Sri Perumbudur is the location of assassination of Rajiv Gandhi by Sri Lankan terrorists. A memorial has been constructed for him there. Today, Sri Perumbudur is a bustling manufacturing centre for automobiles and mobile phones.

Source: Philosophy of Ramanuja, Krishna Datta Bharadwaj

Picture Credit: Himalayan Academy

Quick Read: Advaita is translated (inadequately) as “Non Dualism.”

Advaita proposes that Brahman, the Absolute, alone is real. This world is unreal (a maayaa); and the jiva or the individual soul is not different from Brahman.

Brahman is without attributes, formless, without any special characteristics, immutable, eternal and a non-agent. The only way of realizing Brahman is through jnana. It is the Maaya (the illusionary force) that keeps the Jiva stuck in the body. When it fully realizes it is Brahman it attains liberation.

Source: Sankara, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust

Picture Credit: Shri Shankaracharya moorthy at Kedarnath, Ramanujam S.R

Quick Read: Shankaracharya was reminded of the oneness of all beings by a Candala in Kashi.

When Shankaracharya was returning from the Ganga ghats, a candala appeared before him with four dogs blocking Shankaracharya’s way. Shankaracharya’s disciples asked the Candala to move away. The Candala, recognizing that Shankaracharya is responsible for his disciple’s actions too, posed a question. He asked, “are you addressing me the matter, which is the same as the matter in you, or are you addressing my soul, which is the same soul as yours?”

On hearing this profound question, Shankaracharya immediately recognized his folly. He bowed to the Candala and said that he who exhibited such equanimity is indeed his Guru.

He composed five verses called Manisa Pancakam. These verses reiterate that in the state of pure bliss, there is no distinction between beings and Paramatma is present in everyone. Manisa means conviction and pancakam means five.

Source: Sankara, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust

Picture Credit: Unknown

Quick Read: Dwarka was ordained to further research the Mahavakya. Puri, Joshimath and Sringeri are the other three maths.

Shankaracharya established four maths approximately representing the geographical boundaries of India (Dwarka, Puri, Joshimath near Badrinath and Sringeri in Karnataka). He appointed one of his four key disciples to head each Math. He also made each Math responsible for further researching the Mahavakyas of Upanishads. Each of the Mahavakyas are considered as succinct principles of Upanishads. This illustrates the deep quest for learning that was embedded in Hindu religious centres.

Tat Tvam Asi appears in Chandogya Upanishad as a dialogue between the sage Uddalaka and his son Svetaketu. It is translated as “that you are” or “that is how you are.”

Source: Adi Shankaracharya, Pavan Varma

Picture Credit: Sabarimala temple with the Mahavakya, Wikimedia Commons

Quick Read: Vishishtadvaita proposed that Jivas exist distinctly but can attain the state of Brahman through Bhakti.

Unlike Advaita, Ramanujacharya proposed that the both Brahman and Jivas exist as distinct identities, but the Jiva has all the essential elements of Brahman, which is the supreme independent identity. With Bhakti, each Jiva can attain the state of Brahman and Brahman is no different from Bhagavan Vishnu.

Ramanujacharya reconciled the apparently emotionless view of considering daily experience as Maya with the intense emotions that every soul experiences in daily life.

Source: Life of Sri Ramanuja, Rama Krishna Math

Picture Credit: Shri Ramanujacharya moorthy at Badrinath, Ramanujam. S. R

Quick Read: Srirangam is the largest living Hindu temple in the world and is the seat of Shri Ramanujacharya

Yamunacharya was born in Vaishnavite tradition. He won a kingdom from Pandyas through a debate and then renounced his kingdom to surrender to Ranganatha at Srirangam. Yamunacharya observed Shri Ramanujacharya in his childhood and desired to appoint him as his successor in Srirangam. Before Ramanujacharya could reach Srirangam, Yamunacharya had passed away.

Ramanujacharya took three vows before the body of Yamunacharya to a) elucidate Vedanta Sutras, Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita, b) popularize Divya Prabhandhams and c) train a worthy group of disciples.

Srirangam became the headquarters for his work. He set about reforming the practice of worship at Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple which continues even today. He lived in Srirangam for nearly fifty years. Within the Srirangam temple complex, there is a temple for Shri Ramanujacharya and devotees believe that his mortal body has been preserved for worship.

Source: Saints of India, RamaKrishna Math

Picture Credit: Srirangam Temple Gopurams, Ramanujam S. R

Quick Read: Shankaracharya hill marks the location in Srinagar where he stayed and meditated.

Shankaracharya Hill is in Srinagar, Kashmir. During the course of his Digvijaya, Shankaracharya had visited Sharada Pith in Kashmir, where he won over several schools of philosophy and pandits. As a result, he is believed to have ascended the Sarvajna Pitha or the “throne of knowledge.”

The King of Kashmir invited Shankaracharya to Srinagar. While in Srinagar, Shankaracharya choose to stay at the ancient Shiva temple on a hill top. Later on this hill came to be known as Shankaracharya Hill.

Shankaracharya also stayed at the nearby Kshira Bhavani temple and composed the iconic Saundarya Lahiri, hymns on Tripura Sundari. Kashmir, in Shankaracharya’s times was a giant spiritual centre.

Source: Sankara, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust

Picture Credit: Anurag Kumar, Wikimedia Commons

Quick Read: Mahishmati is the location of the debate and the setting of the film Baahubali.

Mahishmati is along the river Narmada near modern day Maheshwar. This is the setting of the iconic film Baahubali. It is also the location where Shankaracharya debated Mandana Mishra and won him over, thus establishing the supremacy of Advaita philosophy. There is a competing claim for this place from Mayusi in Bihar too.

During the time of Shankara, the Purva Mimamsa school of thought was popular. It advocated ritualistic practices and taught that the chief aim of life was Karma. Shankaracharya disagreed with this school. He wished to debate with Kumarila Bhatta who was one of the greatest exponents of this school. However, Kumarila was on his deathbed when Shankaracharya met him and he asked Shankaracharya to debate with his disciple Mandana Mishra.

Shankaracharya debated with Mandana Mishra over several days and won him over. Mandana Mishra accepted the Advaita principle of Shankaracharya and became his disciple. Interestingly, Ubhaya Bharati, the learned wife of Mandana Mishra was the arbiter for the debate. Ubhaya Bharati then insisted that Shankaracharya debate her too and even this debate was won by Shankaracharya. Both Mandana Mishra and Ubhaya Bharati became the disciples of Shankaracharya after that.

Source: Sankara, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust

Picture Credit: @mimansaka, Twitter

Quick Read: Dvaita, meaning Dualism, is what most of us follow intuitively.

Madhvacharya proposed “Dvaita” philosophy, commonly, but inadequately translated as “Dualism.” Originally Dvaita was called “Tattvavaada,” meaning arguments from a realistic viewpoint.

Madhvacharya proposed that Vishnu is Brahman, the supreme reality and exists independently. He also proposed that Jivas (animate) and Jada (inanimate matter) are a reality, but they are fully dependent on Vishnu. Realising this dependence is Moksha for the Jivas. Moksha is attained through Bhakti.

This differed from the then prevalent vedantic philosophy of Shankaracharya (advaita) or Shri Ramanujacharya (vishistadvaita). It recognized that worldly experiences are real and diverse. It advocated Bhakti to attain Moksha. These principles were easier for people to grasp and thus Madhvacharya is credited with the propagation of Bhakti movement.

Source: Philosophy of Sri Madhvacharya, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Picture Credit: Vishnudut1926, Teletype

Quick Read: Chinna Jeeyar Trust established the Statue of Equality campus near Hyderabad

The campus of Statue of Equality is set in 45 acres of land at Muchintal near the Hyderabad International Airport. It was inaugurated in the year 2022.

The moorthy of Ramanujacharya is 216 feet tall and is installed on a pedestal 54 feet in height. The Statue of Equality is a tribute to Shri Ramanuja’s efforts to bring equality across social status, caste and gender.

A smaller golden moorthy of Shri Ramanuja is also consecrated in the campus. Around the Statue of Equality, replicas of 108 Divya Desams (temples of Vishnu) have been created. The entire initiative is that of the Chinna Jeeyar Trust.

Source: StatueofEquality.org

Picture Credit: Ramanujam S. R

Quick Read: Badrinath even today has priests from Kerala.

Shankaracharya recovered the deity of Narayana from the Alaknanda river and installed it in the Badrinath temple. He also established the custom of the official priest of Badrinath being the Namboodiris of Kerala. The temple continues with the practice even today.

Shankaracharya stayed for several years in Badrinath where he composed most of his works. The major commentaries that Shankaracharya wrote are believed to be composed in Badrinath.

Source: Sankara, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust

Picture Credit: Ramanujam S. R