Sri Vidyaranya
Vidyaranya is variously known as a
kingmaker, patron saint and high priest to Harihara I and Bukka Raya I, the
founders of the Vijayanagara Empire. He was the 12th Jagadguru of the Sringeri
Sarada Pitham from 1380-1386.
Vidyaranya helped the brothers to
establish the empire sometime in 1336. He later served as a mentor and guide to
three generations of kings who ruled over the Vijayanagara Empire. Vijayanagara
(Hampi), the capital of the empire, had a temple dedicated to Madhavacharya.
He was also a reputed
Sanskrit-language author. Some people identifies him as Madhavacharya, the
author of the Sarvadarshanasangraha,
a compendium of different philosophical schools of Hindu philosophy and Panchadashi, an important text for
Advaita Vedanta.
Early life
According to the records of the
Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Vidyaranya was a different person, and Sayana and
Madhava were actually his disciples. According to this account, Vidyaranya was
born in c. 1296 CE in Ekasila Nagara
(present-day Warangal). He was the elder brother of Bharati Tirtha, who
preceded him as the acharya of Sringeri. This account also claims that
Vidyaranya wrote some Veda bhashyas, and his disciples Sayana and Madhava
completed these works.
Career
Vidyaranya was the spiritual head
of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham during 1377-1386 CE.
Vidyaranya served as a prime
minister in the Vijayanagara Empire and played an important role in the
establishment of the empire. According to one narrative, the empire's founders
Harihara Raya I and Bukka Raya I were two brothers in the service of the
Kampili chief. Kampili fell to the Muslim invasion. After gaining power in the region, they
approached Vidyaranya.
A local legend goes like this:
Once, during a hunt, Harihara saw a big rabbit and sent his hunting dog after
it. However, the rabbit bit the dog and escaped. While returning from the hunt,
Harihara saw a holy man, and narrated the strange incident to him. The holy man
was Vidyaranya. The two men went to the place where the rabbit had escaped.
Vidyaranya told him that the place was sacred, and advised him to establish the
capital of his new kingdom there.
Literary Works
Vidyaranya's most famous works are
Parasara-Madhaviya and the Sarvadarshanasangraha. Vidyaranya tries
to refute, chapter by chapter, the other systems of thought prominent in his
day. With remarkable mental detachment, he places himself in the position of an
adherent of sixteen distinct philosophical systems. His another work is Panchadashi is a standard text on the philosophy. Vidyaranya wrote Madhavia Shankara Vijaya. This book is
about the life and achievements of Adi Shankara.
Vidyaranya also wrote a commentary on the Mimamsa Sutras. He attained Siddhi after a six-year stint as an acharya of the monastery of Sringeri.