Sri Vidyaranya ( 1302- 1387)

There appear several genuine historical problems to fix the date and life of Vidyaranya Swamy, though many stories are accepted by the scholarly circles in Advaita. 

Sri Vidyaranya  was Advaita pontiff, probably at Sringeri Pitha.  who mainly toured Karnataka. Many believe he is Madhavacharya in Purvashrama, who is a renowned author in Vedanta and Public affairs. He is known as brother of Sayanacharya, commentator on Vedas. He is included in Guru Parampara of Kudali- Sringeri Mathas. Works written by him such as Panchadashi, Jivanmukti Viveka are well known in Pundit circles. His notable commentary on Parashara Smriti goes by the name Parashara Madhaviyam. however, there only one inscription at Mulabagilu in the name of Kriyashakti Vidyaranya during the reign of Harihara and Bukkaraya, dated 1323. 

We have  distinct opinions on Vidyaranya: He is same as Kriyashakti, is just a Swami. he is same as Madhava, brother of Sayana, author of Veda Bhashya. 

Quite surprisingly except a couple of copper plates, no stone inscriptions are preserved in the name of Sri Vidyaranya. Few books about Vidyaranya in Kannada, Telugu and Hindi have more stories, historical details or inscriptional data absent or confusing !! 

However, there are a couple of stone inscriptions with the name Kriyashakti' attached to Vidyaranya. The name Vidyaranya appears strange since it is generally ' Tirtha/Bharati/Saraswati suffixed after Ashrama  Name in main stream Shankara Advaita Matha- Guru lineage tradition. 

A number of anecdotes connected to him are popular. Telugus claim his nativity to  ( Ekashila Nagari_ Warangal, and others to a place near Sringeri. Both Kudali and Sringeri Mathas claim him in their line of pontiffs. We can say since both Kudali and Sringeri were a single institution, often changing headquarters frequently, on the banks of Tunga and Tungabhadra rivers. There are at least two Vidyaranyas another going by the name ‘ Kriyashakti’, who belonged to Kalamukha group.    TN Mallappa, historian opines both Kriyashakti and Madhava Vidyaranya are identical ( Bangalore University, 1945, Kriyashakti Vidyaranya). Another Historian  Dr Srikanta Shastry says he is same as Madhava Mantri. says:   Paul Hacker another historian opines that Matha tradition started only after 1450 or so, Further research is needed in accordance with historical evidence, but the issue seems to be closed. 

Vidyaranya Swamy salutes in his treatises, Vidyatirtha, Bharati Tirtha and Shankarananda,  as his Gurus, Some say he was mainly instrumental to form Karnataka Rajya. There is a story that he showered gold on the State, praying goddess Bhuvaneshvari. All said and done, nothing is known historically about him. they say his  Samadhi is at Sringeri Vidyaranyapura and others say  also at Hampi, Pushpagiri Matha, behind Virupaksha temple, which is not very clear.  Surprisingly, a supposed great builder of Karnataka Empire has no grants/records of his time! 

Sringeri/ Kudali, Tunga - Shankaracharya

With due respects to Acharya Shankara,  I am curious to know the antiquity of Sringeri and Kudali on the banks of Tunga and Tungabhadra. Sringeri as i understand has  least or poetic connection with Rishya Shrinshiga. It is traditional belief that Adi Shankaracharya from Keralam wanted to settle down for some time on banks of Tunga/ Tungabhadra. Whether he set up any Ashrama/ Matha here has no historical links to know. 

Some say, the name Sringeri comes from one Sringara Bhatta, an accompaniment of Vidyaranya Swami, who is said to have removed his miserable Pretatva. Earlier to Vidyaranya, possibly Madhava Vidyaranya, who flourished in about 1450 CE, there was no established Shankara Pitha/ Matha, since it was presumably a Jain Center of learning. Earlier history of Advaita Matha here says, Swamis used to shift between Sringeri and Kudali. 

Some like P Hacker, even say, the Matha institution came only after 1450 in South India. There was a monument for Vidya Shankara Tirtha/Vidya Tirtha built on banks of Tunga by 1400. It has Samadhi of Vidyashankara  Swami, with several Jain and Vaishnava figurines and architecture of those times. Tradition says the Sharadamba shrine adjasent to this structure was built several times, first with a golden image of Sharadamba, later Sandalwood image and now  a bronze replica installed by around 1850.