Pranam Mantra:
Rama ramana padavja yugalasakta manasah।
Jayadhvaja munindrah asau Gururbhuyad abhishtadah ॥
Introduction:
Jayadharma Tirtha was a prominent acharya of the Brahma-Madhva Sampradaya from 1434 to 1448 AD. He belonged to the Rajendra Tirtha branch of the Madhva sect. He was also known as Jayadharma Muni, Jayadhwaja Tirtha, and Vijayadhwaja Tirtha. He took Sannyasa at a very young age somewhere in West Karnataka. The idol served by Bijayadhwaja’s worshipped deity was Sri Ramchandra. This deity is still served at Pejawara Matha.
Books written by Vijayadhwaja Tirtha:
Vijayadhwaja Tirtha wrote a commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam following Sridhara Swami. Its name was Bhakti Ratnavali which deeply influenced his disciple Vishnu Puri. This Bhakti Ratnavali commentary reveals that Sridhara Swami’s Bhavartha Dipika commentary explains the supreme truth as a personal being. This Bhakti Ratnavali text proves that Sridhara Swami was a Vaishnavacharya in reality.
The true identity of Sridhara Swami’s commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam:
At the time when Sridhara Swami wrote his commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam, the followers of Shankaracharya were the dominating philosophical school. Other philosophical preachers, especially the Vaishnava acharyas, were severely persecuted. For this reason, Sridhara Swami concealed the true meaning of shastra in his commentaries. Even today, many scholars consider Sridhara Swami to be an impersonalist. But this is not true. He had to keep the real significance of the Srimad Bhagavatam hidden because, at that time, there were many Mayavadis ready to destroy all the books that propagated the Supreme Truth as personal and attributed. Not only this, but many devotees had to endure physical beatings, torture, and even death while campaigning against Mayavadism.
Glimpses of some interesting events from the life of Vijayadhwaja Tirtha:
During the majority of his life, Vijayadhwaja Tirtha had to live by begging because he had to travel from place to place. Sometimes he had to starve. Once, while traveling, he became very hungry but he had nothing. Being stricken with hunger, he collected some wild leaves and vegetables for cooking with some stones and wood he found by the wayside. At that time, a senior monk saw Vijayadhwaja Tirtha individually preparing food items, offering them to Bhagavan, and consuming them publicly on the roadside. He told Vihayadhwaja that such an act was against asceticism because a monk’s duty is to depend only on God and if nothing is available, that too is God’s will.
Meeting with Rajendra Tirtha:
The senior sannyasi told him this unrighteous behavior commits sin. Now the only way to escape from sin is to give up one’s sinful body. Vihayadhwaja was a very humble and simple-hearted boy. He was getting ready to leave his body. At that time, another monk arrived. He was Acharya Rajendra Tirtha (who belonged to Madhva Sampradaya). He was observing the boy’s suicidal attempts from a distance. Then he came forward and asked the boy why he had taken such a decision. Hearing everything he said, “As a monk, one’s primary duty is to serve the Supreme Lord because he had devoted his body, mind, intelligence, and even himself to the service of the Lord. Therefore, his body is not his own property and it is more sinful to destroy the property of God through self-immolation. An ordinary monk who is not engaged in the service of the Lord can do that. But a Vaishnava, who is the servant of the Lord, can never do that. So you should serve the Lord with your body, mind, and speech. If you feel that you have committed an offense, it is best to expiate it through devotional service”. He then instructed the boy to compose a commentary on the Srimad Bhagavatam and assured him that everything would be resolved through this. Thus he accepted Vijayadhwaja Tirtha as his disciple.
Compilation of Padya Ratnavali commentary by Vijayadhwaja Tirtha:
After receiving the orders of his Gurudev, the boy started writing devotional literature i.e. commentaries on Srimad Bhagavatam. He named the book “Pada Ratnavali”. He expressed his saintly attitude in his works. Even today, the followers of Madhavacharya quote from this text. At the end of this commentary of Chamatka, Shri Vijayadhwaja Tirtha fervently prays to Krishna—
Vyakhyaya Bhagavatsya Krishna racita tat Priti kamatmana
Pritashcheta pradadasi tat pratinidhim tatpreeti varishye varana
Pranga niskincharatam tava patibharam padaravindatmana.
Sanshaktim Shukatirtha Shastra Bijarajarasya Paramatmaya ॥
Meaning: Beloved Krishna, I have composed this commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam out of love for You. My only desire is to please You. If this makes You pleased, then grant me three boons” –
- May I have a poor life in this birth and in all upcoming births?
- May I always get an opportunity to study Bhagavatapadacharya (Sukatirtha) Madhva’s devotional works on Krishna Bhakti.
- May I attain You completely and always be with You as a servant at Your feet.
The literary genius of Vijayadhwaja Tirtha, attaining the designation of Acharya and disappearance:
In many ways, Vijayadhwaja Tirtha has helped to shape the devotional and literary background of our sampradaya. Srila Jiva Goswami has paid homage to him in the Sat Sandarbha. According to tradition, Vijayadhwaja Tirtha was the sixth Acharya of the Pejawar Matha. He disappeared on the third day of Madhusudana month i.e. Akshay Tritiya Tithi. His Samadhi is located at Kalyana Tirtha.
