Narayanacharya

Narayanacharya (IAST:Nārāyaṇācārya; c. 1600 – c. 1660), was an Indian scholar and philosopher of Dvaita Vedānta tradition. He was the disciple of Vedavyasa Tirtha of Uttaradi Math and is the most celebrated name in the annals of the great dvaita-advaita debate. Narayanacharya is notable for his work Advaita Kalanala, which is a refutation work to Madhvamatamukhamardana of Appayya Dikshita. Indologist B. N. K. Sharma writes, "The Advaita Kalanala is a scathing criticism of the Madhvamatamukhamardana of Appayya. The carping criticisms and bitter personal attacks of the Dikshita are vigorously returned by Narayana. He loses no opportunity to pay the critic in his coin and with compound interest. The tone of the work is thus retaliatory and bitingly sarcastic". Sharma also writes, "Narayanacharya was one of the fiery champions of the Dvaita school, that rose to defend it against the slashing attacks of Appayya Dikshita and others". American historian Anthony Grafton and classicist Glenn W. Most considered the work Advaita Kalanala along with the Abhinava-Gada of Satyanatha Tirtha as a new mace which broke the heads of non-dualists like Appayya Dikshita.