Vidyaranya

Sri Vidyaranya Mahaswamiji
Personal
Nationality	Vijayanagara empire
Senior posting
Title	Jagadguru of Sringeri Sharada Peetham
Period in office	1380–1386
Predecessor	Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha
Successor	Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati I

Vidyāraṇya, (Kannada: ವಿದ್ಯಾರಣ್ಯ) also known as Madhavacharya or Mādhava Vidyāranya, is variously known as a kingmaker, patron saint and high priest to Harihara I (ಹಕ್ಕ ರಾಯ I) and Bukka Raya I,((Kannada: ಬುಕ್ಕರಾಯ). ) the founders of the Vijayanagara Empire. He was the 12th Jagadguru of the Śringeri Śarada Pītham from 1380-6. He was born to Māyaṇācārya and Śrīmatīdevī in Pampakṣetra (modern-day Hampi) in 1268 CE. Another account has it that he was born in Ekasila Nagari (modern Warangal).

Vidyāraṇya helped the brothers establish the empire sometime in 1336. He later served as a mentor and guide to three generations of kings who ruled over the Vijayanagara Empire. Vijayanagara (Hampi), the capital of the empire, had a temple dedicated to Mādhavācārya.

Vidyāraṇya is the author of the Sarvadarśanasaṅgraha, a compendium of different philosophical schools of Hindu philosophy and Pañcadaśī, an important text for Advaita Vedanta.

Vidyaranya was born around 1300 A.D. in Shalivahan(ಶಾಲಿವಾಹನ) (शालिवाहन) South India. Madhava Madhavacharya, Madhavamantri, Madhavamataya were the names which Vidyaranya was known before his turning into recluse.

His father was Mayanna (ಮಾಯಣ್ಣ) (मायण) and Mother Srimati (ಶ್ರೀಮತಿ) (श्रीमती), two brothers Sayana (ಸಾಯನ)(सायण), and Bhoganatha (ಭೋಗನಂಥ) (भोगनाथ). He had two Gurus Sarvagnyavishnu (सर्वज्ञविष्णु) and Bharatiteerth (भारतीतीर्थ). He established Vijayanagar Empire in 1335 AD with the help of Hakkaraya and Bukkaraya. He was also Prime Minister of the Vijayanagara empire. Vidyaranya, was also the spiritual head of Sringeri Math in 1377 A.D to 1386 A.D. He died in 1391 AD.

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