https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=JayatirthaJayatirtha - Revision history2026-07-30T14:45:50ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Jayatirtha&diff=452203&oldid=prevNoraBillings at 19:22, 23 March 20262026-03-23T19:22:25Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|14th-century Hindu philosopher, dialectician, polemicist}}<br />
{{for|Hare Krishna religious figure|Jayatirtha Dasa}}<br />
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{{Infobox Hindu leader<br />
|honorific-prefix = Sri<br />
|image =<br />
| caption = <br />
| name = Jayatirtha<br />
| religion = [[Hinduism]]<br />
| birth_name = Dhondopant Raghunath Deshpande<ref>{{cite book|title=Sanskrit and Maharashtra: A Symposium|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jRjeIY5ntUoC|page=44|author=Ramchandra Narayan Dandekar|publisher=University of Poona|year=1972|quote=Among the authors who wrote on the other schools of Vedānta à mention must first of all be made of Jayatirtha (1365–1388 A. D.). His original name was Dhondo Raghunath Deshpande, and he belonged to Mangalwedha near Pandharpur.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The History and Culture of the Indian People: The struggle for empire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UQtuAAAAMAAJ|page=442|author=Ramesh Chandra Majumdar|publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan|year=1966|quote=Jayatirtha, whose original name was Dhondo Raghunātha, was a native of Mangalvedhā near Pandharpur.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Vijaynagar Visions: Religious Experience and Cultural Creativity in a South Indian Empire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BP5jAAAAMAAJ|author=William J. Jackson|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=26 July 2007|page=145|isbn = 978-0-19-568320-2|quote=Jaya Tirtha was first named 'Dhondo', and he was the son of Raghunatha, who was a survivor of Bukka's war with the Bahmani Sultanate. Tradition says Raghunatha was from Mangalavede village near Pandharpur. An ancestral house still exists there, and the Deshpandes of Mangalavede claim to be descendents of his family.}}</ref><br />
| birth_date = 1345 CE<br />
| birth_place = [[Mangalwedha]] near [[Pandarpur]] {{small|(present-day in [[Solapur district]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]])}}{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=246}}<br />
|father = Raghunath Pant Deshpande<br />
|mother = Sakubai<br />
| honors = Ṭīkācārya<br />
| order = [[Vedanta]]<br />
| guru = [[Akshobya Tirtha|Akshobhya Tirtha]]<br />
| successor = [[Vidyadhiraja Tirtha]]<br />
| disciples = [[Vidyadhiraja Tirtha]], Vyasatirtha<br />
| philosophy = [[Dvaita]],<br />[[Vaishnavism]]}}<br />
{{Vaishnavism}}<br />
{{DvaitaInfobox}}<br />
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'''Jayatirtha''' ({{IAST|Jaya-tīrtha}}), ''also known as'' '''Teekacharya''' ({{IAST|Ṭīkācārya}}) ({{circa}}1345 – {{circa}}1388{{Sfn|Chang|1991|p=xviii}}{{Sfn|Sharma|1986|p=xviii}}{{Sfn|Leaman|2006|p=177}}), was a [[Hindu]] philosopher, dialectician, polemicist and the sixth pontiff of [[Madhvacharya]] Peetha from (1365 – 1388). He is considered to be one of the important seers in the history of [[Dvaita]] school of thought on account of his sound elucidations of the works of [[Madhvacharya]]. He structured the philosophical aspects of [[Dvaita]] and through his polemical works, elevating it to an equal footing with the contemporary schools of thought.{{Sfn|Dasgupta|1991|p=viii}} Along with [[Madhva]] and [[Vyasatirtha]], he is venerated as one of the three great spiritual sages, or ''munitraya'' of [[Dvaita]]. Jayatirtha is considered an incarnation of [[Indra]] (lord of gods) with avesha of [[Adi Sesha]] in the Madhva ''Parampara''.{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=456}}{{Sfn|Dalmia|Stietencron|2009|p=165}}<br />
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Born into an aristocratic [[Deshastha Brahmin]] family,{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=247}} he later adopted the cause of [[Dvaita]] after an encounter with the Madhva saint, [[Akshobya Tirtha|Akshobhya Tirtha]] (d. 1365{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=208}}). He composed 21 works, consisting of commentaries on the works of [[Madhva]] and several independent treatises criticizing the tenets of contemporary schools, especially [[Advaita]], while simultaneously elaborating upon the Dvaita thought. His dialectical skill and logical acumen earned him the title of ''{{IAST|Ṭīkacārya}}'' or ''commentator par excellence''.{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=236}}<br />
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{{Hindu philosophy}}<br />
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==Biography==<br />
Historical sources on Jayatirtha's life are scant.{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=246}} Most of the information about his life is derived from two [[hagiographies]]: ''Aṇu Jayatīrtha Vijaya'' and ''Bṛhad Jayatīrtha Vijaya'' from his disciple, Vyāsatirtha (not to be confused with [[Vyasatirtha]]) and a compilation by Chalāri Saṁkarṣaṇacārya (c. 1700).{{Sfn|Dalal|2010|p=178}} According to legendary accounts and the hagiographies, Jayatirtha is an incarnation of [[Indra]], the lord of gods with avesha of [[Adi Sesha]] and have been miraculously favoured by the Goddess [[Durga]] ([[Mahalakshmi]]). In the previous birth, Indra incarnated as [[Arjuna]]. In his next life, he incarnated as a Bull. He carried the load of the library of [[Madhvacharya]] throughout the Madhva's wanderings between [[Udupi]] and [[Badrinath]].{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=456}}{{Sfn|Dalmia|Stietencron|2009|p=165}}<ref>{{cite book|title=Famous Indian Sages, Their Immortal Messages, Volume 1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dKnXAAAAMAAJ|page=349|author=Vivek Ranjan Bhattacharya|publisher=Sagar Publications|year=1982|quote=Jayatirtha is the incarnation of Indra as Arjuna. They cannot have given us anything except the correct interpretation of the Gita. Jayatirtha is a great interpreter and his exposition is unique, his style is profound.}}</ref><br />
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Jayatirtha was born Dhondopant (or Dhondorao) Raghunath into a [[Deshpande]] family of nobles belonging to [[Deshastha Brahmin]] community of [[Vishvamitra]] Gotra in [[Mangalwedha]] near [[Pandarpur]] present-day in [[Solapur district]], [[Maharashtra]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Vijaynagar Visions: Religious Experience and Cultural Creativity in a South Indian Empire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BP5jAAAAMAAJ|page=154|publisher=Oxford University University Press|author=Willian J. Jackson|date=26 July 2007|quote=Sripad Jaya Tirtha's previous name was Dhondopantraya Raghunatha (Raghunatha was his father's name) of Vishvamitra Gotra.|isbn=9780195683202}}</ref>{{Sfn|Dalal|2010|p=178}} His father's name is Raghunath Pant Deshpande and his mother's name is Sakubai. His father was a nobleman of military rank. Dhoṇḍo Pant grew up in affluence, with preference towards sports, particularly horse riding.{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=247}}At the age of twenty, after a chance encounter with the ascetic Akshobhya Tīrtha on the bank of [[Bhima River|river Bhima]], he underwent a transformation which led him to renounce his former life, but not without resistance from his family. After much deliberation, his family relented and he was subsequently initiated into the [[Dvaita]] fold by [[Akshobhya Tirtha]], who named him ''{{IAST|Jayatīrtha}}''.{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=248}} Jayatirtha succeeded Akshobhya as the pontiff in 1365. He composed several commentaries and treatises in the brief span of 23 years between his initiation and death in 1388.<br />
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==Works==<br />
{{Main|List of works by Jayatirtha}}<br />
There have been 21 works accredited to Jayatirtha, 18 of which are commentaries on the works of Madhvacharya.{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=249}} ''Nyaya Sudha'', which is a commentary on [[Madhva|Madhva's]] ''Anu Vyakhyana'', is considered to be his magnum opus. Running up to 24,000 verses, it discusses and critiques a variety of philosophers and their philosophies, ranging from the orthodox schools of Hinduism like [[Mimamsa]] and [[Nyaya]] to heterodox schools like [[Buddhism]] and [[Jainism]], arguing in favour of Dvaita.{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=330}} Apart from his commentaries, he has authored 4 original treatises, of which ''Pramana Paddhati'' and ''Vadavali'' stand out. ''Pramana Paddhati'' is a short monograph on the epistemology of [[Dvaita]] dealing with the [[pramanas]] in question, the theory of truth and error and validity of knowledge, while ''Vadavali'' deals with the nature of reality and illusion.{{Sfn|Sharma|2000|p=337}}<br />
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==Legacy==<br />
Jayatirtha occupies a special place in the history of [[Dvaita Literature]]. The lucidity and measured style of his writing coupled with his keen dialectical ability has allowed his works to percolate through time, reinforced by the commentaries of later philosophers like [[Vyasatirtha]], [[Vijayindra Tirtha]], [[Raghuttama Tirtha]], [[Raghavendra Tirtha]], and [[Vadiraja Tirtha]].{{Sfn|Dasgupta|1991|p=64}} His masterpiece, ''Nyaya Sudha'' or ''Nectar of Logic'', deals with refuting an encyclopaedic range of philosophies that were in vogue at the time. [[Jose Pereira (scholar)|Pereira]] notes "His monumental ''Nectar of Logic'' is one of the pinnacles of Indic theological achievement".{{Sfn|Pereira|1976|p=123}} [[Surendranath Dasgupta|Dasgupta]] remarks "Jayatirtha and [[Vyasatirtha]] present the highest dialectical skill in Indian thought".{{Sfn|Dasgupta|1991|p=viii}}<br />
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==Brindavana==<br />
Shri Jayatirtha entered Brindavana alive in the 14th Century on the bank of the holy river [[Kagna River|Kagina]], a tributary of the Bhima River at [[Malkheda]], [[Kalaburagi district]].<ref>{{cite book|title=karnataka State Gazetteers, Volume 21|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h2lDAAAAYAAJ|page=871|publisher=Directorate of Government Print., Stationery and Publications, Maharashtra State|year=1960|quote=He took sanyas and came to be known as Jayatirtha. He wrote several commentaries on Madhvacharya and came to be known as Tikacharya. He took samadhi at Malakhed.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zrk0AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT597|author=Roshen Dalal|publisher=Penguin UK|date=18 April 2014|isbn= 9788184752779|quote=Jayatirtha is credited with twenty-one works, the most important being Nyaya-sudha, a commentary on Madhva's commentary on the Brahma Sutra, known as Anuvyakhyana. His samadhi is located at Malakhed.|page=597}}</ref> Shri Jayatirtha's Brindavana lies between the Brindavanas of [[Akshobhya Tirtha]], and [[Raghunatha Tirtha]]. Every year thousands of people attend the Aradhana festival from different states of [[India]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Special pujas mark Jayatirtha's Aradhana Mahotsava at Malakhed |work=The Hindu|date=25 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Jayatirtha's aradhana begins in Gulbarga district of Karnataka|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/jayatirthas-aaradhana-begins/article65650982.ece|work=The Hindu|date=17 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Madhva's Philosophy of the Viṣṇu Faith|page=40|author=Helmuth von Glasenapp|year=1992|quote=It is said that Jayatīrtha was the head of the Madhvas for 21 years; Shri Jayatheerta entered Vrindavana at the very young age at Malakhed; even today the pilgrims visit his Vrindavan.|publisher=Dvaita Vedanta Studies and Research Foundation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GITXAAAAMAAJ&q=Jayatirtha+Malkhed}}</ref><br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist|30em}}<br />
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==Bibliography==<br />
* {{cite book|title = A History of the Dvaita School of Vedānta and Its Literature, Vol 1. 3rd Edition|first = B. N. Krishnamurti| last = Sharma| publisher=Motilal Banarsidass (2008 Reprint) |isbn = 978-8120815759| year= 2000 }}<br />
* {{cite book|title = Great Thinkers of the Eastern World|first = Daniel P|last = Sheridan|publisher = Harper Collins|isbn = 978-0062700858|year = 1995|url-access = registration|url = https://archive.org/details/greatthinkersofe00mcgr}}<br />
* {{cite book|title = A History of Indian Philosophy, Vol 4 |first = Surendranath| last = Dasgupta| publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn = 978-8120804159 | year= 1991 }}<br />
* {{cite book|title = Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide |first = Roshen | last = Dalal| publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn = 978-0143414216 | year= 2010 }}<br />
* {{cite book|title = Nyayasudha of Sri Jayatirtha (3 vols) |first = B.N.K | last = Sharma| publisher=Vishwa Madhva Parishad|asin = B0010XJ8W2 | year= 2001 }}<br />
* {{cite book|title = Hindu theology: A reader |first = Jose | last = Pereira| publisher=Image Books|isbn = 978-0385095525 | year=1976 }}<br />
*{{cite book|title=A Treasury of Mahāyāna Sūtras: Selections from the Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aktdBheKI-IC|first=Chen-chi|last=Chang|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|year=1991|isbn=978-8120809369}}<br />
*{{cite book|title = Philosophy of Śrī Madhvācārya|first = B. N. Krishnamurti| last = Sharma| publisher=Motilal Banarsidass (2014 Reprint) |isbn = 978-8120800687| year=1986}}<br />
*{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qunYrHJTf9sC|first=Oliver|last=Leaman|publisher=Routledge|year=2006|isbn=978-1134691159}}<br />
*{{cite book|title=The Oxford India Hinduism Reader|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pQBPAQAAIAAJ|first1=Vasudha|last1=Dalmia|first2=Heinrich von|last2=Stietencron|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2009|isbn=9780198062462}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
*[http://www.dvaita.org/scholars/jayatirtha/ Jayatirtha on Dvaita.org] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200721035325/http://www.dvaita.org/scholars/jayatirtha/ |date=21 July 2020 }}<br />
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