OF THE HINDUS. 101 



Bhatta, who was born in the Sakayear 1121 (a.d. 1199,) in Tuluva : according 

 to the legendary belief of his followers, he was an incarnation of Vdyu^ or 

 the god of air, who took upon him the human form, by desire of NarayanAj 

 and who had been previously incarnate as Hanumdn and Bkma, in preceding 

 ages. He was educated in the convent established at Aiianteswar, and, in his 

 ninth year, was initiated into the order of AnchoretSj by Achyuta Pracha, a 

 descendant of Sanaka, son of Brahma. At that early age also he composed 

 his Bhashya^ or commentary on the Gitdt which he carried to Badarikdsramat 

 in the Himalaya, to present to Vedavyasa, by whom he vv'as received with 

 great respect, and presented with three Sdlagrdms, which he brought back 

 ^nd established as objects of worship, in the Maths of Udipi, Madhyatala, 

 and Subrahmanya — he also erected and consecrated at Udipi, the image of 

 Krishna, that was originally made by Arjuna, of which he became miracu- 

 lously possessed. 



A vessel from DwdraM, trading along the Malabar coast, had taken on 

 board, either accidentally or as ballast, a quantity of GopicJiandana, or the 

 sacred clay, from that city, in which the image was immersed : the vessel was 

 wrecked oif the Coast of Tuluva, but Madhwa receiving divine intimation; 

 of the existence of the image, had it sought for, and recovered from the place 

 where it had sunk,* and established it as the principal object of his devotion 

 at Udipif which has since continued to be the head quarters of the sect. 

 He resided here for some time himself, and composed, it is said, thirty-seven 

 works.t After some time, he went upon a controversial tour, in which he 



* This story is rather differently told by the late Colonel Mackenzie in his account of the 

 Marda Gooroos, published in the Asiatic Annual Register, for 1804. 



f The principal of these are — the Gita Bhsahya, Sutra Bhsahya, Rlg-bhashya, Desopanishadh 

 Bh^shya — Anuvakanunaya Viverna, Anuvedanta Rasa Prakarana, Bhai'ata Tatparya NJrnaya, 

 Bh^gavat-tatparya, Gitatatparya — Krishnamrita Maharnava, Tantra Sara. 



Bb 



