It is said that till the composition of Sumadhwavijaya, there was no attempt or concern for recording the anecdotes of a peerless luminary like Sri Madhwacharya. According to a great scholar, what makes Sumadhwavijaya an outstanding composition is the fact that no such work was ever attempted by anybody for either Sri Adi Shankaracharya or Sri Ramanujacharya till Sumadhwavijaya was composed and published. What happens in such an event is that the authenticity takes a backseat. There will be nobody to claim to have seen any deeds, acts, mysterious events that have purportedly believed to have been related to Sri Shankara or Sri Ramanuja. This is perhaps the major reason for which there are different stories about these two saint-philosophers.
Another noteworthy feature of Sumadhwavijaya is that the composer, Sri Narayana Panditacharya, has admitted quite openly that he had thoroughly checked and got himself convinced about the events he has cited in his work and has wantonly avoided narration of any such events that he could not get convinced about. The commitment to truth, dedication to empirical value and devotion to Lord Vayu are therefore beyond description, as far as Sumadhwavijaya is concerned.
Sumadhwavijaya cannot be considered as a biography alone. It has that divine power and value that make it equal to hymns composed by great Rishis and Munis of yore.
His own justification of authenticity will be explained in the next issue.
Na Madhava samO dEvaha na cha Madhwa samO Guruhu||
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