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Madhava

(from madhu“sweet”) Epithet of the
god Krishna, signifying the sweetness
that he brings to the lives of his devotees
(bhakta). See Krishna.

Madhava

(2) (14th c.) Author of the Sarvadar-
shanasangraha, a philosophical encyclo-
pedia composed in the late fourteenth
century. In this text, Madhava com-
piles the views of all existing philo-
sophical schools, placing them in
hierarchical order, based on his judg-
ment of their value. According to the
text, the materialistschool is ranked
the lowest and least reliable, since its
proponents completely deny the
virtue of any religious life. The Advaita
Vedanta school, Madhava’s own, is
judged as the highestand most perfect
expression of the truth. Although the
Sarvadarshanasangrahais biased, it is
one of the few extant sources which
considers the perspectives of all the
existing schools.

Madhima

(“greatness”) One of the eight superhu-
man powers (siddhi) traditionally
believed to be conferred by high spiritu-
al attainment. This particular power
gives one the ability to become as large
as one desires.

Madhu

In Hindu mythology, one of the two
demons who attempt to kill the god
Brahma; the other demon is Kaitabha.
The story is recounted in several mythic
sources with some marked differences

between stories. All versions agree that

Madhu and Kaitabha are born from the

god Vishnu’sear wax during the period

of cosmic dissolution (pralaya). As the

creation of the world begins anew, a

lotus sprouts from Vishnu’s navel. It

opens to reveal the creator-god Brahma,

who is immediately menaced by Madhu

and Kaitabha. In all versions of the

myth, Brahma appeals for help, and

Vishnu tricks the demons and slays

them. The difference in the stories

pertains to the deityto whom Brahma

appeals for help. The story first

appears in the mythology of Vishnu;

here Brahma invokes Vishnu. Yet this

same story also appears in the

Devimahatmya, the earliest source in

which the Mother Goddessappears as

the supreme divine power. In this ver-

sion, Brahma’s hymn of praise is to the

Goddess, who in her form as Yoganidra

(“sleep of yoga”) has lulled Vishnu into a

cosmic stupor, rendering him unable to

come to Brahma’s aid. Pleased by

Brahma’s praise, the Goddess withdraws

her influence over Vishnu; he awakens,

and slays the demons.

Madhurya (“Honeyed”) Bhava

The second of the five modes of devo-

tion to God that were articulated by

Rupa Goswami, a devotee (bhakta) of

the god Krishnaand a follower of the

Bengali saint Chaitanya. Rupa used

human relationships to describe the

connection between devotee and deity.

The five modes showed growing emo-

tional intensity, from the peaceful

(shanta) sense that comes from realiz-

ing one’s complete identity with

Brahmanor Ultimate Reality, to con-

ceiving of God as one’s master, friend,

child, or lover. The Madhurya Bhava is

the last and most intense of the five

modes of devotion. In this mode, devo-

tees consider the relationship between

themselves and the deity as that of lover

and beloved. This mode appeared most

prominently with regard to the god

Krishna (in which the model devotees

were the cowherd women of Braj), and

Madhurya (“Honeyed”) Bhava