About

Our working philosophy and acknowledgements

MadhvaVidyā is an initiative driven by the principle of ṛṣi-ṛṇa — a profound sense of indebtedness to the seers and sages of India.

We owe a great debt to the Bhāratīya-ṛṣi-paramparā, particularly to Śrī Madhvācārya, who revived ancient traditions and texts, adhering to the teachings of Śrī Vedavyāsa – the Supreme Guru of this paramparā. Through Śrī Madhvācārya’s works, these traditions were transmitted to future generations.

We acknowledge the the invaluable contribution of the Śrī Madhvācārya’s lineage – practitioners, authors and scribes – who diligently safeguarded these texts, composed commentaries, and enriched the corpus with contemporary critiques and explanations. These works were shaped by the changing contexts of their time, adapting to different languages and intellectual approaches.

At MadhvaVidyā, we see it as our paramount responsibility to continue this tradition.

In keeping with the traditional practice of ācāryas, we make no claims to copyrights. Authors of the past composed texts with a sense of compassion towards students, a sense of duty towards society, and a sense of devotion to the Lord. They didn’t do these with a sense protectionism. Instead, they desired their works to be studied, copied when agreed upon, or critiqued when necessary. Most of us are not even authors in the true sense, but merely scribes preserving the tradition.

Ownership and rights belong solely to the Supreme Being:
“tasyaikasya mamatvaṃ hi sa caikaḥ puruṣo virāṭ” [- “He alone has true ownership; He alone is the Supreme Being.”]

Therefore, all our resources and activities are open to 🔓access, 🛠️collaboration, and ♻️sharing, in the spirit of Creative Commons.

We seek only the blessings of tradition:
“śrīman-madhva-mahācārya-pada-padmaika-sadmanām । aṇūnāṃ mahatāṃ cāpi bhavatāt karuṇā mayi॥” [- “May the blessings be upon me, of those, whether small or great, but who regard the lotus feet of revered Madhvācārya as their sole refuge.”]

Our Structure

MadhvaVidyā is a set of people and pursuits. People and their pursuits cannot be encapsulated within the logic of formal organisations.

Formal structure is a modern artefact corresponding to a contemporary social consensus for legal and financial purposes. In that sense, MadhvaVidyā, is a unit of TIRTHA-Shodhi, an non-governmental organisation. TIRTHA-Shodhi is dedicated to creating institutional platforms that make authentic Indic traditions accessible to all sincere seekers. Though operating formally, both TIRTHA-Shodhi and MadhvaVidyā transcend organizational frameworks, welcoming those who share the vision of preserving Indic traditions, particularly the Tattvavāda tradition.