Vidyaranya
Also called: Madhava Vidyaranya · Topic: Vijayanagara and the Deccan · NCERT: Class 8, Ch 2 "Reshaping India's Political Map"
Meaning
Vidyaranya was a 14th-century scholar and sage, later linked with the Sringeri matha (a Hindu monastery in Karnataka). In tradition he is the guru (spiritual teacher) of Harihara and Bukka, the brothers who founded Vijayanagara in 1336. His story connects the founding of the empire with religious blessing.
Example
According to popular folklore, the brothers saw a hare chasing hounds near Hampi. Vidyaranya took this strange sight as a sign that the land gave courage, and he told them to build their capital there. This is a legend, not proven history.
Don't confuse with
- Virupaksha: he is the guardian god of the Vijayanagara kingdom, a form of Shiva, and royal orders were signed "Shri Virupaksha". Vidyaranya was a human guru, not a god.
Related concepts
- Vijayanagara Empire
- Harihara and Bukka
- Bahmani Sultanate
- Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah
- Afaqis and Dakhnis
- Mahmud Gawan
- Bahmani madrasa, Bidar
- Deccan sultanates
- Adil Shahi dynasty
- Ibrahim Adil Shah II