Vidyaranya Swami & Philosophy
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| SRI VIDYARANYA SWAMI |
Biography of Sri Vidyaranya
Vidyaranya Swami also known as Madhavacharya, Vidyaranya was born Pampaksetra (modern day Hampi) in 1268 CE, his father Mayanacarya and mother Srimati. According to another belief, It is said that he was born in Ekasila nagaram (present-day Warangal), Andhrapradesh.
The Sage Vidyaranya was a kingmaker and priest to Harihara Raya I and Bukkai Raya I, the founders of the Vijayanagar Empire. He was the mentor and guide to three generations of kings who ruled over the Vijayanagara (Hampi) Empire. Vidyaranya has authored Sarvadarsana sangraha, which is regarded as an important text in the Advaita Vedanta.
Vidyaranya swami was the 12th Jagadguru of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham from 1380 to 1386 A.D
At Hampi Sri Vidyaranya had built a Mutt behind the Sri Virupaksha temple for the spread of Sanatana Dharma. Vidyaranya swami was rightly regarded as a great thinker in the post - Sri Shankara period. Vidyaranya swamiwrote around 1800 books out of which only 100 plus books are available today.
Works of Sri Vidyaranya
Sri Vidyaranya swami literary contributions comprise works on Smriti, Purana, Advaita Vedanta, Vyakarana, Mimamsa, Astronomy / astrology, Mantra Sastra, Darsana and music. The more important of them are Jaiminiya Nyayamala, Shankara vijayam, Parasara-smriti vyakhyana, Smriti Sangraha, Vyavahara-Madhava, Sri Vidyatirtha-Dipika, Vivaranaprameya Sangraha, Panchadasi, Jivanmukti Viveka, Drig Drisya Viveka, Aparokshanubhuti-Tika etc...
Vidyaranya’s popular works on Vedanta Panchadasi and Jivanmukti Viveka. As invaluable treatises to the
sadhaka (spiritual aspirant), they are famous for their clarity of thought and abundance of quotations from well-known texts.
The Vedanta Panchadasi
Vidyaranya's Vedanta Pancadasi is a standard text on the philosophy of the Advaita Vedanta tradition,
It consists of fifteen chapters which are divided into three sections of five chapters each.
VIVEKA PANCHAKAM (Discrimination)
Tattvaviveka - The discriminative knowledge of the ultimate Reality.
Mahabhutaviveka - The discriminative knowledge of the five elements.
Panchakosaviveka - The discrimination of the five sheaths.
Dvaitaviveka - Discrimination of Duality.
Mahavakyaviveka - Understanding the import of the ‘Mahavakyas’.
DEEPA PANCHAKAM (Illumination)
Chitradeepa - The Picture on Pure Consciousness.
Triptidipa - Fulfillment on Realization of Pure Consciousness.
Kutasthadipa - The Immutable Consciousness.
Dhyanadeepa -Meditation on pure Consciousness.
Natakadipa - The lamp of the theatre.
ANANDA PANCHAKAM (Bliss)
Yogananda - The Bliss Of Yoga.
Atmananda - The Bliss of the Self.
Advaitananda - The Bliss of Non-Duality.
Vidyananda - The Bliss of Knowledge.
Vishayananda - The happiness from external objects.