Vedanta Sub-School
द्वैत वेदान्त
Dvaita Vedanta
Founder
Sri Madhvacharya (Ananda Tirtha)
Era
13th century CE
Category
Vedanta Sub-School
Central thesis
Reality consists of five eternal, irreducible differences (pancha-bheda): between God and souls, God and matter, soul and soul, soul and matter, and matter and matter. Vishnu (Narayana) is the supreme independent reality (svatantra); all souls and matter are real but dependent (paratantra). Liberation comes through unwavering bhakti to Vishnu, conferred by his grace, and culminates in eternal blissful service in which each liberated soul enjoys a graded share of bliss according to its intrinsic nature (svarupa).
Key texts
- Brahma Sutra Bhashya of Madhva
- Anuvyakhyana
- Gita Bhashya and Gita Tatparya of Madhva
- Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya
- Sarvamula Granthas (collected works)
- Nyaya-sudha of Jayatirtha
Pramana (accepted means of valid knowledge)
- Pratyaksha (perception)
- Anumana (inference)
- Shabda (scriptural testimony)
View of liberation (moksha)
Moksha is the soul’s eternal enjoyment of bliss in Vaikuntha as a distinct servant of Vishnu, with the degree of bliss determined by the soul’s intrinsic svarupa; liberation is granted by the grace of the Lord in response to bhakti and right knowledge.
Modern exponents
- B. N. K. Sharma
- Deepak Sarma
- Bannanje Govindacharya
- Vishvesha Tirtha Swami
Key concepts
- Pancha-bheda (five eternal differences)
- Svatantra (independent reality — God) vs paratantra (dependent reality — souls and matter)
- Taratamya (gradation of souls)
- Bhakti rooted in knowledge of God’s majesty
- Aparoksha-jnana (direct apprehension) as proximate cause of moksha
- Eternal bondage of certain souls (a distinctive Dvaita position)