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times he retreats into a defensive position. All on a sudden he steps into the arena with a new offensive. He has complete command and mastery of all the weapons for a philosophical disputation. He makes a free use of the vita~zdti type of argument, and he has for it the sanction of Madhva. He has, to his cu~iit, two independent works Pranui~za Paddhati and V adcivalf. The first is the epistemological manual of Dvaita Vedanta. In it he examines the problems of theory of knowledge. The Vtidavati is a polemical tract that criticises the Advaitin's doctrine of Maya. It is in about seven hundred grant has. It is also called V adamiilti. The arguments of this book summarise the four Prakararyas of S'ri Madhva, namely Upadhikha~ujana, Miiytiviidakha~ujana, Prapmicamithyatviinumtinaklta~ujana and Tattvodyota 1• This is the earliest polemical tract of the post-Madhva period and it is the mula for the famous Nyiiyiimrta of Vyasaraya. The Central theme of V adavali is the refutation of the illusory nature of the universe maintained by the Advaitin. This is essential to the establishment of Dvaita Vedanta. The ultimate reality of the universe is a fundamental and necessary tenet in the establishment of the supermacy of Lord Vi!?QU, the abode of infinite auspicious attributes. He is referred to in the Vedanta Srttra (Chap. I, Pada 1, Sutra 2) as the creator, sustainer, etc. of this universe. And if this universe, His creation, turns out to be an illuso'ry one, it militates against His omnipotence. If the universe is illusory its creator turns out to be no better than a juggler in rags who goes out giving performances in jllagic to eke out his liveliho~d. Such a Lord cannot he the giver of mok~a, nor c'an he be an object of meditation. Hadhva is keen on establishing the reality of the 1 Dr. R. Nagaraja Sarma's Reign of Realism gives a running exposition of the ten<prakarar;ms of Madhva in Engll;h
