Jayatirtha

Jayatīrtha (ಜಯತೀರ್ಥ)
Religion	Hinduism
Order	Vedanta
Philosophy	Dvaita, Vaishnavism
Personal
Born	Dhondupant Raghunatha Mangalwedha, near Pandharpur, Maharashtra or Manyakheta,Karnataka
Guru	Akshobhya Tirtha
Honors	Ṭīkacārya

Sri Jayatirtha or Jayateertharu (also known as Teekācharya) (c. 1365 – c. 1388 ) was a Hindu philosopher, dialectician, polemicist and the sixth pontiff of Madhvacharya Peetha. He is considered to be one of the most important seers in the history of Dvaita school of thought on account of his sound elucidations of the works of Madhvacharya. He is credited with structuring the philosophical aspects of Dvaita and through his polemical works, elevating it to an equal footing with the contemporary schools of thought. Along with Madhva and Vyasatirtha, he is venerated as one of the three great spiritual sages, or munitraya of Dvaita.

Born into an aristocratic Brahmin family, he later adopted the cause of Dvaita after an encounter with the Madhva saint, Akshobhya Tirtha (d. 1365 ). He composed 22 works, consisting of commentaries on the works of Madhva and several independent treatises criticizing the tenets of contemporary schools, especially Advaita, while simultaneously elaborating upon the Dvaita thought. His dialectical skill and logical acumen earned him the distinction of Ṭīkacārya or commentator par excellence.

Historical sources on Jayatirtha's life is scant. Most of the information about his life is derived from two hagiographies: Aṇu Jayatīrtha Vijaya and Bṛhad Jayatīrtha Vijaya from his disciple, Vyāsatirtha (not to be confused with Vyasatirtha) and a compilation by Chalāri Saṁkarṣaṇacārya (c. 1700). He was born Dhoṇḍu (or Dhoṇḍo) Pant Raghunath to a Brahmin Deshpande family. The place of his birth is assigned to either Mangalwedha or Manyakheta. According to the hagiographies, his father was a nobleman of military rank and importance. Dhoṇḍo Pant grew up in affluence, with a certain predilection towards sports, especially horse riding. At the age of twenty, after a chance encounter with the ascetic Akshobhya Tīrtha on the banks of river Kagini, he underwent a transformation which led him to renounce his former life, but not without resistance from his family. After much deliberation, his family relented and he was subsequently initiated into the Dvaita fold by Akshobhya Tīrtha, who named him Jayatīrtha. Jayatirtha succeeded Akshobhya as the pontiff in 1365. He composed several commentaries and treatises in the brief span of 23 years between his initiation and death in 1388. The location of his tomb (Brindavana) is a matter of controversy.

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