ABSTRACT
Madhvåcårya was familiar with the literature of the schools of Vedånta, proven by the 292 texts he mentioned by name in his works.17 According to the Madhvavijaya, Madhvåcårya studied the Vedas and other relevant root texts of the Advaita School of Vedånta with a teacher who was of the P¨gavana family.18 An inquisitive student, Madhvåcårya was still not satisfied with what he had learned, so he next sought a new teacher in order to be granted ascetic (saµnyåsa) status. Madhvåcårya met AcyutaprekΩa, an ascetic who was also dissatisfied with the tenets of Advaita Vedånta, and underwent the prescribed rites to become a renunciant (saµnyåsin).19 AcyutaprekΩa then changed Madhvåcårya’s name to P¨rˆaprajña, “The One Whose Knowledge is Complete.” Unfortunately, Madhvåcårya did not have much luck with his new teacher due to their vehement disagreements. Even the name given to Madhvåcårya did not last, as Madhvåcårya began referring to himself as ÅAnandat•rtha, “The Teacher of Bliss,” in colophons. Although Madhvåcårya has several names, including P¨rˆaprajña and P¨rˆabodha, “The One Whose Realization is Complete,” among others, I hereafter refer to him only as Madhvåcårya. The word “Madhvåcårya” is actually comprised of “Madhva,” and “åcårya.” The suffix “åcårya” means “teacher” and is used both descriptively and as an honorific among the scholastic traditions of Hinduism illustrating the magnitude of pedagogy for these traditions.20
