Bhagavad Gīta Bhāshya and Tātparya
Preface
Srimad Ānandathērtha was a 12th-century saint and philosopher who re-established the Vēdānta doctrine of tatvavāda, the doctrine relating to the fundamental principles of reality. His doctrine is based on realism and theism. His tatvavāda philosophy is mostly famous as Dvaita, the Dualistic Vēdānta. People usually refer to him as Madhvāchārya. However, his signature in many of his writings refers to him as Srimad Ānandathērtha Bhagavad Pādāchārya as well.
It is customary in Indian tradition to write commentary on Prasthana-triya, three foundational texts of Vedānta, i.e. Bhagavad-Gita, Upanishads, and the Brahma Sutra, in order to establish a new doctrine claiming authenticity from a Vedic perspective. Gīta-Bhāshya, a commentary on Bhagavad-Gīta, is his first work, composed in his teens. The focus of Gīta-Bhāshya is to understand the Bhagavad-Gīta in its true essence, all the while re-discovering the doctrine of tatvavāda. To do so, it not only becomes necessary to explain the meaning of some of the Vedic terms, but also to refute the commentaries written by earlier commentators, such as Sri Sankara and Sri Ramanuja. Thus, at times, it becomes necessary for the reader to have knowledge of these earlier commentaries to understand the context.
For those who are interested in understanding Bhagavad-Gita and not concerned about refuting other doctrines, he composed Gīta-Tātparya, a purport of Bhagavad-Gita. It does not require the prior knowledge of Sri Sankara or Sri Ramanuja commentaries.
Madhvāchārya is always cognizant of the hermeneutic horizon of these ancient texts, which are possibly over 3000 years old, and the bias the person may bring to the act of interpretation based on their own beliefs, cultural context, and historical situated-ness. Hence, he quotes extensively from the traditional texts that are near to the original text's hermeneutic horizon to establish his point of view. Such texts include the Vedas, Pancharatra-agamas, and Puranas. He gives more importance to the unbroken knowledge lineage than to interpreting the words in isolation, with possible distorted later context.
It is always a pleasure to listen to Madhvāchārya. His superior rational intellect, crisp to the point comments, his vast encyclopaedic breadth on Vēdic texts, and his unwavering devotion to Sage Vyāsa have always fascinated me. I hope you will enjoy studying this rendering of his work as much as I enjoyed compiling it.
- Madhukrishna Sudhindra
M.A. (Philosophy), B.E. (Computer Science)
4th Feb, 2026

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बहुचित्रजगद्बहुधाकरणात् परशक्तिरनन्तगुणः परमः ।
सुखरूपममुष्य पदं परमं स्मरतस्तु भविष्यति तत्सततम् ॥
"The one who has created this variegated vast universe with varied forms has infinite power and is of infinite auspicious qualities. He certainly bestows the highest state of bliss to those who meditate on his ever happy essence." -Dwādasha stōtra 4.3

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