Shri Jaya Teertharu

Tenure : 1320 – 1342
Ārādhana : Āṣāḍa kṛṣṇa pañcamī

Charama Shloka :

चित्रैः पदैश्च गंभीरैर्वाक्यैर्मानैरखंडितैः |

 गुरुभावं व्यंजयंती भाति श्रीजयतीर्थवाक् ||

ಚಿತ್ರೈಃ ಪದೈಶ್ಚ ಗಂಭೀರೈರ್ವಾಕ್ಯೈರ್ಮಾನೈರಖಂಡಿತೈಃ | 

ಗುರುಭಾವಂ ವ್ಯಂಜಯಂತೀ ಭಾತಿ ಶ್ರೀಜಯತೀರ್ಥವಾಕ್ ||

citraiḥ padaiśca gambhīrairvākyairmānairakhaṇḍitaiḥ | 

gurubhāvaṃ vyañjayantī bhāti śrījayatīrthavāk ||

About Śrī Jaya Tīrtha

Śrī Jayatīrtha was ordained the 6th Pīṭhadhipati by Śrī Akṣŏbhya Tīrtha. He hailed from the Deśpāṇḍe family of the Śāṣṭika Vaṁśa.

Once Ācārya Madhvaru observes Cāturmāsya in a village called Aravattŏkkulu in Kŏḍagu district. At that time the great families of the village pray to Ācārya to be accepted as his disciples and be given Vaiṣṇava Dīkśa. Ācārya Madhva tells them that Vaiṣṇava Dīkśa can be granted only to those that believe in Vaiṣṇava Dharma and be devoted to it. He asks them to perform Seva. During the entire Cāturmāsya the members of the families perform Seva. Ācārya Madhvaru having observed their Viṣṇu Bhakti and sincere Seva grants the Śāṣṭika Vamśa members Vaiṣṇava Dīkṣa and also the Tapta Mudrās. The members of this family were ministers and Senādhipatis in many kingdoms in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, even till recent times (before independence.)

History has shown that members of the Śāṣṭika Vamśa have been devout Madhva Siddhānta followers. The luminaries of this lineage are Śrī Jayatītharu, Śrī Rājĕndra Tīrtharu, Śrī Jayadhvaja Tīrtharu, Śrī Brhahmaṇya Tīrtharu, Śrī Vyāsarājaru, Śrī Vijayīndra Tīrtharu among others. The specialty of this family is that they were well-versed in both Śāstra Vidyā and Śastra Vidyā. Śrī Vyāsrajaru has written a special Mangal̤āṣṭaka for Śāṣṭika Vamśa.

The Pūrvāśrama Nāma of Śrī Jayatīrtharu is Śrī Raghunātha Dhoṇḍupant. Śrī Akṣŏbhya Tīrtharu ordained Śri Raghunātha to Sanyāśarama as Śrī Jayatīrtha. Śrī Jayatīrtharu completes his entire Adhyātmic studies directly under Śrī Akṣobhya Tīrtharu. It is believed he was an Avatāra of Devendra. It is also believed that the main purpose of the Avatāra was to write commentaries on the works of Ācārya Madhva. Prior to Śrī Jayatīrtharu, the Prācīna Ṭikākāraru including Śrī Padmanābha Tīrtharu, Śri Narhari Tīrtharu, Trivikrama Panḍitaru, and others wrote Vyākhyānās to counter the objections from other Siddhāntas and to express in detail the essence of Madhva Siddhānta. However, after the times of Prācīna Tīkākāraru there were new objections that followers of other Siddhāntas had raised. Śrī Jayatīrtharu took upon himself the responsibility not only to clearly counter all such objections, but also to provide utmost clarity to Madhva Siddhānta philosophy. He wrote Vyākhyāna (commentaries) on eighteen Granthās of Śrimadārcāryaru. This is an extraordinary and unmatched feat. For most, it is impossible to read all of them and understand, but Śrī Jayatīrtharu wrote detailed commentaries, which has enabled all future generations to understand the Tatvavāda better. It is possible only because of Śrī Jayatīrtha’s great blessings to all of us through these commentaries. All of his works are written in a manner such that any one who studies them will neither have any doubts or objections on Śrīmadārcārya’s Siddhānta. It is incredible that since the last eight centuries, not even the smallest of objections either in grammar, language syntax or philosophical substance has been found either by followers or opposers of Madhva Siddhānta. Such is the greatness of Śrī Jayatīrtha’s works. Through his commentaries, Sarva Mūla Granthā’s have become more accessible. The depth of philosophical teachings by Śrimadācāryaru in Sarva Mūla Granthā would have been impossible to gauge and understand for many without this great Kāruṇya and Anugraha of Śrī Jayatīrtharu

Among Śrī Jayatīrtha’s works, the Grantha at the pinnacle is Śrīmannyāya Sudhā. It is a commentary on Śrīmadācārya’s Anuvyākhyāna, which is a detailed exposition on Brahma Sūtra. This is considered to be the encyclopedia of Madhva Siddhānta. Though popularly known as Śrīmannyāya Sudha, the actual name of the Grantha is
Viṣamapada Vākyārtha Vivṛti. Nyāya Sudhā, the nectar of Madhva Siddhānta, is highly respected among all scholars of Indian philosophy and commentators on Indian philosophy. The importance of Nyāya Sudhā can be understood by another Vākya, “Sudhāva Paṭhanīya Vasudhāva Pālanīya. Studying Nyāya Sudhā is like ruling the earth (being a king). Besides this exemplary and great work that provides crystal-clear clarity of Madhva Siddhānta, Śrī Jayatīrtharu has written commentaries on Sarva Mūla Granthās of Ārcārya Madhvaru. Commentaries on Ṛg Bhāśya, Daśa Prakarṇa, Tatvasaṅkyā, Viṣṇutatvnirṇaya, etc. totalling to eighteen commentaries. For the remaining Sarva Mūla Granthās, Śṟī Jayatīrtharu has given guidelines and instructions for understanding the real essence of Madhva Siddhānta. For having written extensive commentaries, Ṭīkās, he is also known with reverence as Śrī Ṭīkārāyaru or Śrī Ṭīkākṛtpādaru.

He has written three independent Granthās. Pramāṇa Paddhati, Vādaval̤i, and Padyamāla. Pramāṇa Paddhati is based on Pramāṇa Lakṣaṇa Grantha of Śrī Madhvacāryāru. Vādaval̤i, a collection of arguments made by Ācarya Madhva in support of Dvaita Siddhānta and misinterpretations of Vĕdānta by other schools of philosophy. Nayāmruta one of the Vyāsa Traya Granthas finds its basis in Vādaval̤i. In Tantrasāra Sangraha Grantha, which is part of Sarva Mūla Granthās, Ācārya Madhvaru has written briefly about Viṣṇu Pūja Paddhati and Krama. On the basis of that, Śrī Jayatīrtharu has written Padyamāla, which is the gold standard reference text for Pūja Paddhati today. Padyamāla is a detailed description of the puja complete with the Śoḍaśa Upacāra instructions for Tantrasāra Pūja Paddhati. He wrote all the twentyone works in Yĕragol̤a cave.

He also travelled extensively including Śrīraṅgam and Uḍupi. During his Sancāra he won many debates against followers of other Siddhānta.

His other great service to the Madhva community is Adhyāpana of Śāstras to Rājadeva Jayadeva who were his Pūrvāśrama nephews. Both of them adorned the Pīṭha of Śrīmaṭha, as Rājendra Tīrtha and Jayadhvaja Tīrtha respectively. Later Rājadeva and Jayadeva complete their further studies under Śrī Bhīmācārya who also adorned the Pīṭha as Śrī Vidyādhirāja Tīrtharu. Śrī Jayatīrtharu intiated Śrī Bhīmācārya into Sanyāsāśrama as Śrī Vidyādhiraja Tīrtharu. Śri Jayatīrtharu handed over to Śrī Vidyādhiraja Tīrtharu all the Saṁsthāna Pratimas including the Lakṣmī Sameta Mūla Gopālakṛṣṇa, Pattābhi Rāma, Vyāsa Muṣṭi, and Śrī Sītā Sameta Mūla Rāma Devaru. He also had made a Yoga Paṭṭika Lakṣmīnṛsiṁha Devaru, which also he handed over to Śrī Vidyādhiraja Tīrtha.

He then did Vṛndavana Praveṣa, witnessed by many scholars. Yenāsthāpica Madhva Śāstra Vijaya Sthambŏ Dharāmaṇḍale Sevĕtam Jayatīrtha Vīra Muniśam meaning the one by whom the Vijaya Sthamba or the victory flag of Madhva Śāstra has been eternally installed on this planet. There is no scholar who does not glorify Śrī Jayatīrtharu. Such is his greatness. To understand the impact of Śrī Jayatīrtha’s life on the Madhva Siddhānta it is illustrative to see how the great Śrī Vyāsarājaru glorifies him.

The Carama Śloka chanted every day in the Śrīmaṭha is from Nyāyāmṛta

Citraiḥ Padaiṣca Gambhīraiḥ Vākairmānairakhanḍitaiḥ |
Gurubhāvam vyAnjayantI bhAti shRI jayatIrthavAk ||

Another Śloka by Śrī Vyāsrājaru glorifying Śrī Jayatītharu is from Tātparya Candrika
Mithyā Siddhānta Durdvānt Vidvamsana Vicakṣaṇaḥ |
Jayatīthākhya Taraṇīḥ Bhasatām No Hṛdambare ||

Let the Sun-like Jayatīrtha enlighten our hearts by defeating the darkness of Mithya Siddhānta

The other Śloka by Śrī Vyāsarājaru that summarizes the greatness of Śrī Jayatīrtharu is
Ānandatīrthopadiṣto Nidhinārāyaṇāhvayaḥ |
Pradarśito Yena Samyak Jayatīrtham Tamāśrayeh ||

We seek refuge in Jayatīrtha to clearly see the the treasure of the knowledge
of Nārāyaṇa given to us by Ācārya Madhva.

Source - vyasarajamatha.org

Previous (Shri Akshobhya Teertharu)    |   Next (Shri Vidyadhiraj Teertharu)