Sumatindra Tirtha | |
|---|---|
 The tomb orBrindavana of Sumatindra Tirtha inSrirangam | |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Order | Vedanta |
| Philosophy | Dvaita |
| Religious career | |
| Guru | Venkatanarayana, Surindra Tirtha |
Disciples
| |
| Part ofa series on |
| Dvaita |
|---|
|
| Hinduism portal |
Sumatindra Tirtha (c. 1692 – c. 1725) was aDvaita scholar and the 20th pontiff of the Madhva matha atKumbakonam (also known asRaghavendra Matha). Succeeding Surindra Tirtha in 1692, Sumatindra extended the reach of the matha from Kumbakonam toThanjavur,Madurai andSrirangam. Through his travels and a close association with the royalty, Sumatindra was able to proliferate the principles of Dvaita in the Tamil region.[1] An accomplished scholar and poet, he has authored numerous works on poetics, drama and music as well as commentaries onVedanta.
Born as Muddu Krishnacharya, he seems to have studiedtarka (Logic),vyakarana (grammar) andmimamsa (scriptural injunctions) under the guidance ofRaghavendra[2] though he considers his father, Venkatanarayana, as his teacher.[3] His two brothers Yogindra and Surindra served as pontiffs of thematha before him. He took on the name of Sumatindra after his initiation intosannyasa. Through his travels in the present day Karnataka andTelangana, he engaged in debates and discussions withAdvaita andDvaita scholars alike.[2] He maintained cordial relationship with theMadurai Nayaks and theThanjavur Marathas as evidenced by grants made in his name. Queen Mangamma of Madurai granted him the hamlet of Ayirdharma and lands in the town of Srirangam where he built his matha.[4] Under his aegis, the matha also received a part of the tithes from Payaranipalyam and other neighboring villages.[4] His panegyric on theThanjavur ruler Sahaji I indicates familiarity with the ruler.[3] Succeeded by Upendra Tirtha, he is entombed in Srirangam.
Sumatindra's works span a wide range of subjects, fromalankara (poetics) tovedanta. He has authored commentaries on theworks of Jayatirtha andVyasatirtha, while quoting from a variety of sources includingPuranas and obscure works from pontiffs of the yore,Padmanabha andNarahari. In the realm of poetics, he has authored a commentary on the works ofSudhindra Tirtha and Trivikrama Pandita, an early disciple ofMadhva. HisShahavilasa is a treatise on music while hisAbhinavakadambari is a poetic work.[5]
| Name | Description | References |
|---|---|---|
| Bhavaratnakosha | Commentary on Gita Bhashya Prameyadipika of Jayatirtha | [6] |
| Rg Bhashya | A non-extant commentary on Rg Bhashya of Jayatirtha | [7] |
| Vakyarathnakosha | Commentary on Nyaya Sudha of Jayatirtha | [7] |
| Adhikaranaratnamala | Summary of theBrahma Sutra | [7] |
| Tantrasara Bhashya | Commentary on Tantrasara of Madhva | [7] |
| Tattvaprakashika Bhashya | Commentary on Tattvaprakashika of Jayatirtha | [7] |
| Name | Description | References |
|---|---|---|
| Madhudhara | Commentary on Alamkara Manjari of Sudhindra Tirtha | [8] |
| Rasikaranjini | Commentary on Ushaharana of Trivikrama Pandita | [9] |
| Vyasaraja Vijaya Bhashya | Commentary on Vyasaraja Vijaya ofVijayindra | [10] |
| Subhadra Parinaya Bhashya | Annotations on the drama Subhadra Parinaya by Vijayindra | [10] |
| Yogindra Vijaya | Panegyric on his predecessor, Yogindra Tirtha | [10] |
| Shahavilasa | Treatise on music | [5] |
| Abhinavakadambari | A poetic work | [5] |
| Jayaghoshana | Panegyric on Sahaji I | [3] |
| Name | Description | References |
|---|---|---|
| Yogindra Taravali | A metrical work recounting the deeds of Yogindra Tirtha | [7] |
| Rama Taravali | A metrical work praising the life and deeds of Rama | [7] |
| Ramadandaka | Verse in praise of the tutelary deity of theKumbakonam matha | [7] |
| Narasimha Stuti | Verse in praise ofNarasimha | [7] |
Madhva religious figures | ||
|---|---|---|
|  | |