Madhva (1238–1317), Indian philosopher who founded Dvaita Vedanta. His major works are the Brahma-Sutra-Bhafya (his commentary, competitive with Shankara’s and Ramanuja’s, on the Brahma-Sutras of Badarayana); the Gita-Bhafya and Gitatatparya (commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita); the Anu-Vyakhyana (an extension of the Brahma-Sutra-Bhafya including a general critique of Advaita Vedanta); the Pramapa Laksana, an account of his epistemology; and the Tattva- Sajkhyana, a presentation of his ontology. He distinguishes between an independent Brahman and a dependent world of persons and bodies and holds that each person has a distinct individual essence. See also ADVAITA, VEDANTA. K.E.Y.