Sripad Vijayadhvaj Tirtha (Jayadharma Tirtha).
Between Sripad Rajendra Tirtha and Sripad Vyasa Tirtha we have Sripad Vijayadhvaja Tirtha, alias Jayadhvaja Tirtha, alias Jayadharma Tirtha. He is listed in the Mutt genealogical tables as being a member of the Pejawara Mutt coming from Sripad Aksobhya Tirtha. He became the seventh heir to the pontificial seat, 'Pitha Adipatya' (1434-48.).
 The has been some confusion in thinking that he was the disciple of Jaya Tirtha, Vijaya Tirtha, but in actuality he is the realm of grand-disciples of Jaya Tirtha so it is not possible.
 The Deity of Sri Rama that was worshipped by Sripad Vijayadhvaja Tirtha is still in the Pejawara Mutt. Some say that Vijayadhvaja Tirtha was ostracised by Raghunatha Tirtha of Uttaradi Mutt for the sin of crossing the ocean to visit Dwarka, and thus as a penance to atone for this he was commissioned to write a commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam, which he wrote under a pipal tree at Krsna Mutt, and which he eventually became famous for. However many devotees, including B.N.K. Sharma,(History of the Dvaita School of Vedanta. page 457.), the Madhwa scholar disagrees, in fact he says "that this story is bogus and malicious", as it is well known that Vijayadhvaja's commentary on the Srimad Bhagavatam was purely out of love and spontaneous devotion. His commentary of Srimad Bhagavatam went under the title "Bhakti-ratnavali" and is said to have greatly influenced his disciple, Visnu Puri. In this commentary there are many references to the original compiler, the great Sridhar Swami of the Bhagavat School. Sridhar Swami lived in a very dangerous time to be a Vaisnava, and so kept his meanings covered, or hidden in codes. Many, even to this day as we mentioned earlier, say that Srila Sridhar Swami was an impersonalist(B.N.K. Sharma. Histroy of the Dvaita School of Vedanta. page 459.), but actually this is not so. As we have stated, he had to keep the real and personalistic understandings of the Bhagavatam covered for there were many devious 'mayavadis' ready to corrupt anything that glorified Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not only that but many devotees found themselves physically beaten, tortured, and even killed due to their preaching against the 'mayavadis'. (Obviously not all one!!!)
 Sripad Vijayadhvaja, Jayadharma Muni as he is also known, clarified the meanings of Sridhar Swami, bringing out the dualist's point of view from the seemingly hidden meanings of Sripada Sridhar Swamin.

Looking at the many and wonderful ways the devotees have struggled, sacrificing their own reputations, even well being, to somehow or other ensure that these priceless gems of pure personalism could find their way down through the ages into our unworthy laps and beyond, is nothing less than amazing. Truly we should be grateful to all of these great and devoted personalities.

Sripad Vijayadwaja Tirtha and some details concerning the controversy regarding his complete and devotional commentary on the Srimad Bhagavatam.
 Practically speaking, there are not very many details that we could dig up from authentic sources. However the following is probably the only details of Srila Vijayadvaja's early days, it has a similar mood to the previous incident, but unlike the other it is an interesting description that brings out his conviction as a pure surrendered, unmotivated 'Vaisnava sannyasi'.

As with many 'sannyasis' of the line, particularly on this west coast of Karnataka, Sripad Vijayadwaja Tirtha took 'sannyasa' as a very small boy. Constantly travelling, and preaching, he would have to maintain by collecting alms ('bhiksa'), but alas, sometimes he would have to go without food for three or five days. Out of dire need and hunger, the young 'sannyasin', skinny and weak due to hunger, on one occasion, began to make some arrangements to cook very simply, using some simple wild forest spinach (like dandelion, sheeps sorrel, puha etc.), a few rocks and dry twigs that he had found, and gathered from by the side of the road. One much older and senior 'sannyasi' who some say was Raghunatha Tirtha of Uttaradhi mutt, came by and was horrified seeing the young 'yati' - 'mendicant' Vijayadwaja Tirtha, a 'sannyasi', cooking, ".....showing signs of independance, by making foodstuffs to offer and then in the name of God enjoy them, and in public, by the side of the road too!" He severely chastised the boy saying that this kind of action was against 'sannyasa dharma' (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad. Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-lila 15:193. Purport.) and character. A 'sannyasi' should only rely on the Lord and if nothing comes his way then that is the Lords' arrangement also. He then informed the boy that the only way to counter this kind of 'adharmic' activity was to give up such a sinful body by suicide, then and only then would he be free from any reaction. So the humble and pure hearted young Vijayadwaja Tirtha Swami prepared to give up the world. At this time another 'sannyasi' happened to come by, and upon seeing what he recognise to be the preparations for death, could understand what was on Vijayadwaja's mind. This second 'sannyasi' then enquired from the boy why he had taken to this decision. Hearing the story, the second 'sannyasi', who some say was the great Sripad Rajendra Tirtha, told him that as a 'sannyasi' who has dedicated his mind, body, intelligence and very self, to the service of the Lord, that from this time on that has been give to us to use, these bodies are not our property, and so, to do this deed of suicide, misusing anothers property, the Lord's property, was actually more sinful. This might be alright for some ordinary 'sannyasi' not engaged in the Lord's service, but for you, a Vaisnava devotee it is not proper. Actually this body is the property, and temple of God and not your's or mine to terminate at will. If you feel you have done some wrong better to purify it by performance of loving devotional service. He then instructed the boy to compile the afore said commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam and asured him that by this everything would be resolved. So doing, this highly devotional piece of literature was entitled "Pada-Ratnavali".
 Disclosing his nature as an offenseless, and surrendered pure devotee of the he revealed his intent in his writings. To this day followers of Madhwa hold this devotional work as a standard text for reference.
 At the end of his wonderful commentary, Vijayadwaja Tirtha prayed earnestly to Lord Sri Krsna;

                         vyakhya bhagavtasya krsna racita
                           twat preeti kamatmana
                         pretaschet pradadasi tat pratinidhim
                           tat treen varisye varan

                      prang niskincanatam tava pratibhavam padaravindatmana
                           samsaktim sukhatirtha sastra vijarajarasya param taya

"Dear Lord Sri Krsna, I have written this commentary of Srimad Bhagavatam out of love just to please You. If You are pleased, as an acknowledgement of the same, please grant me three boons - that I should always remain a poor man in this and any future lives, that I may always have the opportunity to study Bhagavatpadacarya Madhwa's (Sukatirtha's) devotional works on Krsna consciousness, and lastly by doing so, I may always rest in You and that I may attain You and always remain with You as Your foot servant."
 It is humbly suggested that the 'Sukatirtha' reffered to in this verse is not an actual separate devotee, but rather the reference is to Madhwa, whose imence library, was the catylist for many sweet commentaries, in the same way as a suka (parot) by touch of its beak it makes fruit taste sweeter. Other than this there is no reference to a Suka Tirtha in any Mutt records or related books in either the Madhwa line(B.N.K. Sharma. History of the Dvaita School of Vedanta. page 458-460) or Gaudiya line.

For many "Vijayadhvaja Tirtha of the Madhva school the great commentator on the Bhagavatam", assisted in many ways to build the infrastructure of the devotional as well as literary side of our 'sampradaya', with many insights being given to that end; i.e., in regard to the Gayatri phrases 'tatsavitur...devasya' ('of the divine Savitr') and 'dhiyo yo nah pracodayate' ('may He inspire our purified intellects').
 The great Gaudiyacarya Srila Jiva Goswami proffesses great respect for Vijayadhwaja Tirtha in his Satsandarbhas.

Sripad Vijayadhvaja Tirtha was the sixth in the lineage of the Pejwara Mutt, and he passed away on the Aksaya Tritya day, which falls on the third day of the light fortnight in the month of Madhusudana (Vaisakha - April/May). His 'samadhi' (Vrndavana) is at Kanya Tirtha.

As we will read a little later, the influence of this edition of the Bhagavatam, carrying the 'hidden uncoded' words of Sridhar Swami and the subsequent commentary by Visnu Puri, the celebrated compiler of Bhakti Ratnavali and a disciple of Sripad Vijayadwaja Tirtha, assisted a great change to take place - not so much a change, but enhanced a natural loving progressive development toward the Lord.
 This will be dealt with in connection with the next few 'acaryas' who came. Everything was going on still, but as previously there had been some dissatisfaction with the struggle against the 'mayavadis', now there had become struggles of another nature, that of position. Some were neglecting the pure teachings of Vaisnavism, and were starting to get a little caught up in other circles, that 'I am a brahmana so I can know God. You are a shudra, therefore you cannot.' Certain sways started to take place, and angles that had not been propounded externally were now to be taught. There were some very wonderful and radical devotees around who were out to make a wonderful thrust to ensue.
 This devotee who we have just mentioned, Visnu Puri, is believed to have influenced many prominent personalities, amongst whom are Laxmipati Tirtha and Madhavendra Puri Goswami. This will be brought up again where the reasons for Madhavendra Puri Goswami accepting the title "Puri" instead of the traditional "Tirtha" are discussed in a short while.

Dr. B.N.K Sharma also mentions (History of Dvaita School of Vedanta, page 540.), that there is a tradition which supports all these stories, and gives some detail to that point, saying that in the 15th century Rajendra Tirtha carried the message of Madhwa to the far north and also into Bihar and Bengal where many of these great devotees were waiting to take up their particular missions. At this time amazing things were going on, much of which was unseen to the general populous. Various intimate associates of the Lord were taking their births in the families of the Vaisnavas for the purpose of setting back the flow of the 'Kali yuga', and smashing the illusory philosophies of the impersonalists.

Sriman Sambidananda dasa brahmacari, the disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, has written in his book relating to medieval Vaisnava schools, that even the meeting of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the Tattvavadi head of the time, Raghuvarya Tirtha, which came a little later, was not an ordinary thing. There he makes a statement very boldly saying that the reason for the difference of opinion over 'sadhya', spontaneous service - the 'raga marg' performed on the liberated devotional platform, and 'vaidhi bhakti', devotional service in practice where full love of Godhead is not fully manifest, was due to the fact that at that time those particular Tattvavadis had deviated somewhat from the pure teachings presented by Madhwa.
 However, we see that after the visit of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Krsna Mutt, the purity was again sought out. Primarily this was done by Vadiraja Tirtha who again re-established many of Madhwa's principals. It was Vadiraja who re-established 'kirtana', the chanting of the Holy Names, "the great yajna", 'Hara Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare', back into the Mutt. His 'guru, Sripad Vyasa Tirtha, who was practically a contemporary, did many great works also to re-establish the proper standards that were free from 'karma', 'jnan' or any material bodily conceptions of life also. There are some interesting incidents recorded which we will mention in conection with Sripad Vyasa Tirtha in his section and also at the back of this book in conection with later day followers of Sripad Madhwacarya.

In "History of the Mutts" booklet it is mentioned that due to some problems around the time of Vagisa Tirtha the pure line was nearly lost, but due to the preaching and management of Sripad Vyasa Tirtha and especially Sripad Vadiraja Tirtha the desire of Sripad Madhwacarya was again instilled.