Digvijaya (conquest)

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Digvijaya, (

ancient India was originally a Sanskrit term that meant conquest of the "four quarters", in a military or a moral context. In medieval times, it came to refer to the religious conquest by reputed founders of the major Hindu renunciate traditions, namely Madhva, Sankara, Chaitanya, and Vallabha.[1]

Military and moral conquest

Digvijaya as a military conquest is often mentioned in Indian history and mythology, for example, the digvijaya of

Digha Nikaya (Chapter 26.6-7), also talks about a wheel-turning monarch (Cakravartin), who propagates Dharma
in the four corners under his rulership.

Religious conquest

According to Sax, the religious connotation to the term digvijaya may have emerged as a response to the decline of the imperial digvijaya, consequent to the Muslim conquest of most of India.[4]

Madhva Digvijayam

Madhva tradition
.

Sumadhva Vijaya is a Mahakavya, ('great poem'), a specific Sanskrit literary genre, containing sixteen "sargas" or cantos. It starts with a description of the first two avatars of Vayu, namely Hanuman and Bhima. It then proceeds to describe the life of Madhva, who is considered the third avatar, giving detailed descriptions of various incidents of Madhva's life.[5]

Several commentaries have been written on it, including one written by Narayana Panditacharya, called Bhava Prakashika[citation needed]. The next oldest commentary[citation needed] on Sumadhva Vijaya is by Vedanga Tirtha, called Padartha Dipika. Another relevant commentary[citation needed] is the Padartha Dipikodbodhika by Vishwapati Tirtha of Pejawara Matha. "Mandopakarini" of Chalari Sheshacharya is also quite popular[citation needed]

Shankara Vijayams

Madhva, since the oldest Shankara-hagiography post-dates Madhva (1238-1317).[4] The Shankara-digvijayams mimick the royal digvijayams, as his 'conquest of the four quarters' and the establishment of his kingdom is followed by his coronation with this ascent of the Throne of Omniscience (sarvajña-pīṭha), akin to the rajasuya rites.[8][9]

The main Shankaravijayams are:

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Isayeva refers to W.R. Antarkar (1972), Sanksepa Sankara Jaya of Madhavacarya or Sankara Digvijaya of Sri Vidyaranyamuni. Goodding refers to Jonathan Bader (2000), Conquest of the four quarters : traditional accounts of the life of Śaṅkara, p.55-56, n.75

References

  1. ^ Raveh 2016.
  2. ^ Simmons 2019, p. 229.
  3. ^ John E. Cort, Open Boundaries: Jain Communities and Cultures in Indian History, p.98
  4. ^ a b Clark 2006, p. 157.
  5. ^ "Dvaadasha Stotra". Archived from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  6. ^ Nowicka 2016, p. 147.
  7. ^ Bader 2001, p. vii.
  8. ^ Nowicka 2016, p. 148.
  9. ^ Clark 2006, p. 158.
  10. ^ Isayeva1993, p. 70-71.
  11. ^ Goodding 2013, p. 90.

Sources

External links

Madhva
Shankara