Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c6.s6.t2.1

c6.s6.t2.1

Vādirāja was born in the village of Huvunakere, near Kumbhāsi in the Kundūpur Taluka of the present South Kanara district of Karnataka. He was son of Rāmācārya and Gaurī. Madhvācārya established eight *maṭhas* in Udupi, the pontiffs of these *maṭhas* were ordained by rotation. Amongst these, the Kumbhāsi Maṭha was headed by Viṣṇutīrtha, Madhva’s younger brother. Vādirāja became the twentieth pontiff of this *maṭha*, and it later was named after him as Śrīvādirāja Maṭha. Vādirāja is said to have lived till the age of 120 years and then he entered the Vṛndāvana a sacred tomb, which he had got constructed through his royal disciple and disappeared. In consideration to his debating skills and soundness of arguments, he was honoured with the title of *Prāsaṅgikābharaṇa* (Ornament of Polemics) in the court of the King Veṅkaṭadevarāya of Vijayanagara. It is believed that he helped the kings of Vijayanagara Kṛṣṇadevarāya (ce 1509-29) and Acyutadevarāya (ce 1529-42) in their dire circumstances by the way of taking them to the cave of Vālin and discovering the hidden treasure there for them.¹⁸²