Madhva Sampradaya designates the living religious and philosophical stream that flows from Madhvacharya, the founder of Dvaita Vedanta. At its heart stands a rigorous affirmation of duality: the eternal distinction between Vishnu as the supreme, independent reality, and the dependent realities of individual souls and matter. This tradition rests on the authority of the Veda and the Brahma Sutras as interpreted through Madhvacharya’s works, and it places loving devotion (bhakti) to Vishnu at the center of spiritual practice and liberation. Over time, this current of thought and worship has been preserved, clarified, and transmitted through organized monastic institutions that embody the guru–disciple succession.

The most visible and historically central structure of this sampradaya is the network of eight Udupi monasteries, known as the Ashta Mathas. These eight—Palimaru, Adamaru, Krishnapura, Puttige, Shirur, Sodhe, Kaniyooru, and Pejavara—form the primary lineages of the tradition, each maintaining its own unbroken parampara from Madhvacharya. They are entrusted collectively with the worship of Krishna at Udupi, taking turns in a rotational system by which each matha assumes responsibility for the temple’s central worship for a fixed period. In this way, the philosophical heritage of Dvaita and the daily liturgical life around Krishna’s image remain inseparably intertwined.

Alongside the Ashta Mathas, the tradition also recognizes other significant lineages that stand within the same doctrinal stream, even if they are not counted among the eight Udupi institutions. Among these are the Uttaradi Matha, the Vyasaraja Matha, and the Raghavendra Matha, each tracing its authority through distinguished teachers who upheld and elaborated Madhvacharya’s vision. These are often regarded as chief pontifical lines outside the circle of the Ashta Mathas and have played a vital role in teaching, commentary, and devotional movements associated with Dvaita Vedanta. Together with smaller related branches, they extend the reach of the Madhva Sampradaya beyond Udupi, while remaining firmly rooted in the same dualistic theology and devotion to Vishnu.

Thus, the Madhva Sampradaya may be seen as a tapestry woven from these major lineages: the eight Udupi mathas at its core, and the principal non-Ashta Matha institutions that carry the same flame of teaching and worship. Through these interconnected streams, the dualist insight into the eternal difference between God, souls, and matter is not merely preserved as doctrine, but embodied in living communities of learning, ritual, and devotion.