Illustrious guide of Dwaita philosophy

CHENNAI, JULY 18. Even a person gifted with extraordinary
intelligence is sure to require guidance to understand some of the
statements contained in the scriptures. He may come across portions
which may baffle him or appear as contradictory to one another. It is
to clear doubts that God has deputed outstanding spiritual leaders
equipped with the capacity to unfold the mysteries lying deep in the
sacred texts. Not only will they dispel the darkness in the minds of
people who aspire to gain knowledge about religious practices and
philosophy, they will also tender proper advice about personal
conduct.
One among such illustrious guides who had written commentaries for 18
out of 37 works of Sri Madhwacharya, has his name described as a
master in Sanskrit literature in a global reference book which covers
the history of mankind. He was Sri Jayatheertha (1345-1388). In a
previous birth, born as an animal (a bull), he used to carry the load
of books of Madhwacharya. Once when the saint's disciples asked him as
to whether he would write commentaries for his 37 texts, Sri Madhwa
pointed out to the ``bull''. Some jealous disciples poisoned it, but
it was resuscitated by the Acharya by reciting the ``Dwadasa Stotra''.
Later, born in a royal family as Dhondoo Rao, he was fond of horse
riding and as he stepped into a river to quench his thirst, he drank
water directly (from the river) thereby reminding one of his previous
births. Meanwhile, Akshobhya Theertha, a direct disciple of
Madhwacharya, who had a dream, was told of the prince's previous birth
when as a bull he served Sri Madhwa. Dhondoo Rao, enlightened about
his past and about the life's mission, studied under Akshobhya
Theertha, took to monastic order and became one of the torchbearers of
the Dwaita philosophy, said Sri R. Sridharachar in a lecture on
Jayatheertha's Aradhana last week. Because of his expertise in
commenting (Teeka) upon scriptural texts, he was popularly known as
Teekacharya. In one of his works, in the invocatory verse itself, he
had presented a summary of dualism.
Sri Jayatheertha argues that more than God's forms, His glorious
qualities like mercy are to be meditated upon, since He is the
personification of all the best traits, the most admirable among them
being His ``independence''. The Acharya points out that this
``independence'' is a ``compartment'' of which God is the sole
occupant, meaning thereby that all of us are absolutely dependent on
Him. His ``Nyaya Sudha'' is considered as a masterpiece on grammar

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