Madhavendra Puri (' in IAST) (c. 1420âÂÂ1490) was a 15th-century Vaishnava ascetic who was an early figure in the rediscovery of Braj.
According to both Gauá¸Âëya (Kavikará¹Âapura's Gauragaá¹Âoddeà ÂadëpikÃÂ) and Puá¹£á¹ÂimÃÂrga (Vallabhadigvijaya) accounts, MÃÂdhavendra Purë (called MÃÂdhavendra Yati in the Vallabhadigvijaya) was a follower of Madhva's Dvaita school. However, according to modern scholars he was likely a follower of the Shringeri Math of the Daà ÂanÃÂmë SampradÃÂya, who followed monistic Vedanta. The followers of the Madhva school themselves never mention MÃÂdhavendra or his disciples.
According to Gauá¸Âëya tradition, MÃÂdhavendra Purë was the disciple of Laká¹£mëpati Tërtha. His main disciple is stated to be êà Âvara Purë, and is also stated to have taught Advaita ÃÂcÃÂrya and Viá¹£á¹Âu Purë, and to a lesser extent Keà Âava BhÃÂratë and RÃÂghavendra Purë.
According to Ká¹Âá¹£á¹ÂadÃÂsa KavirÃÂja's Caitanya CaritÃÂmrÃÂ¥ta, MÃÂdhavendra Purë once circumambulated Govardhana Hill and bathed in Govinda Kuá¹Âá¸Âa. There he was approached by a cowherd boy who offered him milk, and later that night the boy appeared to MÃÂdhavendra Purë in a dream, where he revealed himself as GopÃÂla. GopÃÂla revealed to MÃÂdhavendra that he was hidden in a thicket from Muslim attacks, and that he was suffering due to being exposed to the elements. The next morning, MÃÂdhavendra had the image of GopÃÂla removed from the thicket and installed in a temple on top of Govardhana Hill. MÃÂdhavendra began the institutional worship of GopÃÂla by appointing Bengali Brahmins to the image's service. After two years, he had a dream where he was ordered to go to South India to get sandalwood, from which he never returned.
According to a HarirÃÂya's Do Sau BÃÂvan Vaiá¹£á¹Âavan kë VÃÂrtÃÂ, MÃÂdhavendra Purë met Vallabha's son, Viá¹Âá¹ÂhalanÃÂtha, which Entwistle states is a "distorted account".
According to the CaurÃÂsë Baiá¹Âhakana ke Caritra (19th century), there is mention of a MÃÂdhavÃÂnanda BrahmacÃÂrë who teaches Laká¹£maá¹Âa Bhaá¹Âá¹Âa (Vallabha's father) astrology. According to à ÂÃÂstrë, MÃÂdhavÃÂnanda was a student of MÃÂdhavendra Yati who is confused for his teacher in this text.
According to the à Ârë GovardhananÃÂthajë ke PrÃÂkaá¹Âya kë VÃÂrtà(19th century), MÃÂdhavendra Purë taught Vallabha in Varanasi, however this is considered "highly improbable" by Entwistle due to the dates of Vallabha's birth and MÃÂdhavendra's death. When asked what he would like as a fee for teaching Vallabha, MÃÂdhavendra asked to serve à Ârë NÃÂthajë, as he had a premonition that Vallabha would establish the formal worship of the deity. When MÃÂdhavendra Purë arrived at Govardhan Hill, the image was being already being worshipped as a snake deity by the local villagers, and as Kråṣá¹Âa by Saddu PÃÂá¹Âá¸Âe. MÃÂdhavendra Purë adorned à Ârë NÃÂthajë with a garland and turban decoration, and offered him milk (he was told by à Ârë NÃÂthajë that he would only accept solid food when Vallabha arrived). The text also claims that MÃÂdhavendra was appointed mukhiyàof the Bengali priests, which is also considered unlikely by Entwistle since the à Ârë NÃÂthajë temple was built after his lifetime. MÃÂdhavendra Purë later went to South India to get sandalwood, from which he never returned.
Madhavendra Puri is often accepted as initial inspiration or initiator of the movement of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who accepted Madhavendra's intimate disciple, Isvara Puri as his diksa guru. He is believed to have been preaching the principles of Gaudiya Vaishnavism prior to Chaitanya.
Madhavendra Puri died in Remuna. His memorial SamÃÂdhi and sandals are still worshiped there. It is a place of pilgrimage for many Vaishnava groups.