Vadiraja Tirtha

Śrī
Vadiraja Tirtha
Śrī Vadiraja Tirtha
Personal
Born	Bhuvaraha; 1480; Huvinakere in present day Dvaita
Religious career
Guru	Vagisha Tirtha
Literary works	Yuktimallika,Rukminisha Vijaya

Sri Vadiraja Tirtha (c.1480 – c.1600

Madhvacharya's works to Kannada,^[3] giving impetus and contributing to the Haridasa movement. He has influenced both Carnatic and Hindustani music through his compositions. His compositions are mainly in Kannada and Sanskrit. His mudra is 'Hayavadana'. His works are characterised by their poetic flourishes, wit and humour.^[4] ^{[note 1]}

Life

Vadirajaru was born as Bhuvaraha in Huvinakere, a village in the

Jain scholars at Moodabidri and Karkala and converted a sect of goldsmith community to the Dvaita fold.They are identified as Daivajnyas.^[8] It was around the same time that he restructured the organisation of the temple at Udupi, established the Ashta Mathas around the temple and renovated the temple itself. The religious reforms initiated by him survive to this day. A life of 120 years is ascribed to him.^[3] Though the veracity of this claim may be questioned, Sharma notes "there is no doubt he (Vadiraja) enjoyed a long life presiding over the mutt at Sodhe, established by him, for a number of years".^[4]

His mortal remains (Brindavana) are enshrined at Sodhe.

Legacy

Vadiraja contributed to

Dasa Sahitya, writing several poems under the ankita naama Hayavadana. Yuktimalika is considered to be his work of importance. Sharma notes "The work is brimming with freshness and originality of approach and ideas". ^[9] He also composed several poems, notable of which is an epic poem of 19 cantos titled Rukminisha Vijaya

.

Notable works

Vadiraja is credited with more than sixty works.

Advaita but heterodox schools like Buddhism and especially Jainism which flourished in the South Canara region in the 16th century. ^[11]

List of scholarly works

Name	Description	References
Upanyasaratnamala	Collective title given to the commentary on the trilogy of refutations by Madhva (Upadhi Khandana,Mayavada Khandana,Mithyatva Anumana Khandana)	^[10]
Tattva Prakasika Guruvartha Dipika	Commentary on the Tattva Prakasika of Jayatirtha	^[12]
Nyaya Sudha Guruvartha Dipika	Commentary on the Nyaya Sudha of Jayatirtha	^[12]
Ekona-Panchapadika	A non-extant polemical treatise criticising the Panchapadika of Padmapadacharya	^[13]
Vivaranavranam	A polemical treatise criticising the Vivarana by Prakashatman of the Advaita	^[13]
Pasandakhandanam	A polemical treatise directed against the tenets of Buddhism and Jainism	^[14]
Yuktimalika	An independent treatise arguing for the logical supremacy of Dvaita over other schools of thought	^[15]
Nyayaratnavali	An epigrammatical critique of the Advaita doctrines	^[16]
Madhvavagvajravali	A non-extant work possibly containing arguments against Advaita	^[17]
Kalpalata	A work dealing with the epistemology of Dvaita	^[18]
Lakshalankara	Commentary on the Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya of Madhva	^[19]

List of literary works

Name	Description	References
Rukminisha Vijaya	A poetic rendition of the Rukmini Haran Leela of Rukmini and Krishna	^[19]
Tirtha Prabanda	A travelogue detailing the pilgrimages undertaken by Vadiraja	^[20]
Bhugola Varnanam	An interpretation of Hindu cosmology according to Dvaita	^[21]
Lakshmi Shobhana	A poem about the marriage of Lakshmi and Narayana