Madhava is one of the most important names of Bhagavan Vishnu. It is one among the 12 important names of Bhagavan and is found in the Vishnu Sahasranama. The greatness of Madhava name stems from the fact that it is one among the 14 names of Vishnu Bhagavan which are scripturally most sanctified and which are very often used for the most fundamental of all rituals and pujas, namely the Achamanam.
The name Madhava occurs three times in the Vishnu Sahasranama.
‘Ma’ in Madhava refers to Goddess Lakshmi. Her beloved is
Madhava. Chandogya Upanishad mentions about the Madhu Vidhya. In this form of
worship, Surya Bhagavan is equated with honey tasted by Gods. Through the
worship of Surya in this form one attains the knowledge of Brahman. One who is
thus realized by Madhu Vidya is Madhava.
Ma also means the continuous flow of thoughts in mind. The sense
organs push the mind into unwanted territories and these distractions push a
person away from the spiritual path. The mind is controlled through yoga,
silence and meditation. The one who takes the mind away from the sense objects
is Madhava.
Ma also means learning and the Bhagavan of learning is
Madhava.