He was the founder of the Tattvavada School which was later made popular by the efforts of such eminent men as Swami Jayathirtha . He is considered by many as an incarnation of Sri Madhavacharya himself, the founder of the Dwaita School. Known as Vasudeva in his childhood, and born near Udipi in Karnataka, he was said to be a gifted child and surprised many with his with miraculous powers, vast scholarly knowledge and debating skills at quite an early age. At the age of eight he came into contact with his Guru Achyutapreksha Tîrtha, who initiated him into a life of renunciation and gave him the name of Ananda Thirtha. Durijng his life the Swami undertook many noble activities. The present day famous Krishna temple at Udipi was founded by him. He composed many important works on the Tattvavada and provided inspiration to many followers. After a very eventful life, he passed away in the early 14th century.