The Dueling Sacred Biographies of Madhva and Śaṅkara

Abstract

The article "The Dueling Sacred Biographies of Madhva and Śaṅkara" by Daniel P. Sheridan explores how the rival Vedāntic traditions of Dvaita and Advaita constructed hagiographies of their founding philosophers—Madhvācārya and Ādi Śaṅkara—not merely as historical figures but as avatars of divine will. Sheridan compares how these biographies operate as theological propaganda, each sanctifying its subject while subtly delegitimizing the other. Drawing on texts such as the Madhva Vijaya and the Śaṅkara Digvijaya, the article illustrates how narrative elements—such as miraculous births, scholastic victories, and divine endorsements—serve sectarian aims by promoting doctrinal supremacy. Sheridan also examines how these biographies cultivate distinctive religious identities and perpetuate debates between dualism and non-dualism. Ultimately, the study reveals how sacred biography becomes a strategic genre in the contest for intellectual and spiritual authority in the Vedāntic landscape.