[Advaita-l] Some information relating to Sri Madhvacharya and Dharmasthala temple in Karnataka

[RAMESH RAMANAN]

Dearall, Pranams, Ido not want to rake up old issues. But I would like to share some information.Some time ago, on our Advaita Vedanta board, one Sri Srivathsa Rao had raised adoubt about Sri Madhvacharya calling Sri Shankara as the devil, Manimantha. Isaw a Quiz Programme on Sri Shankara TV Channel, in which a question related tothe Dharmasthala Templein Karnataka. The Founder of the Temple was none other than Sri Madhvacharya himselfaccording to the quiz master and the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. If Madhvacharya is the founder of a Shiva Temple, why and how could he havecalled Sri Shankara, the greatest  worshipper of Lord Shiva, I(even if oneis not willing to consider him as the incarnation of Lord Shiva Himself) as thedevil Manimantha? I have checked Dharmasthala on google and found that thetemple is being managed to this day by Madhva followers. Therefore, I thinklater day malicious people, with vested interests to decry and condemn SriShankara, must have interpolated statements to the effect that Madhvacharyacalled Sri Shankara as the devil Manimantha (so that they could get somepolitical mileage and show off some authority, though it is blatantly fake) ,as during his time, there was no computer or internet or even printedbooks.   Ithink we need to check facts and figures and we should not be carried aboutstatements attributed to one sect or another. I hope we can be more careful inchecking the veracity of statements attributed to religious leaders, especiallywhen it is defamatory of others.  Pranamsonce again, Ramesh Ramanan.