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Brahma Sampradaya is one of the 4 major sects of Vaishnavism. The sect is said to have been taught Vishnu worship by Lord Brahma himself and hence the sampradaya named after him. The Brahma Sampradaya has two major divisions:-
1.The Madhva sect started by Madhvacharya and
2.The Gaudiya Vaishnava sect started by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Now what was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's opinion on Madhvacharya? Is there any verse in the Chaitanya Charitamrita which talks about the Madhvacharya?
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu belonged to the disciplic succession from Madhvacharya. The followers of the Chaitanya Mahaprabhu formed a separate sect called Gaudiya Vaaishnavas. As you have said in the question, the Brahma sampradaya of Vaishnavism has two major divisions.
Srila Prabhupada in his purport to Chaitanya Charitamrita to Ādi-līlā 1.19 says:
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the chain of disciplic succession from Madhva Ācārya, but the Vaiṣṇavas in His line do not accept the Tattva-vādīs, who also claim to belong to the Madhva-sampradāya. To distinguish themselves clearly from the Tattva-vādī branch of Madhva’s descendants, the Vaiṣṇavas of Bengal prefer to call themselves Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. Śrī Madhva Ācārya is also known as Śrī Gauḍa-pūrṇānanda, and therefore the name Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya is quite suitable for the disciplic succession of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. Our spiritual master, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, accepted initiation in the Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya.
Hence it is known that the followers of Chaitanya revere Madhvacharya. Most of the principles of Gaudiya Vaishnavism written by Rupa Goswami and Jiva Goswami were derived from the works of Madhvacharya only. But do not agree with some of the principles in it. It is not their free will. They derived it from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu itself. Here is the relevant incident from his life.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has toured throughout the country and visited many holy places. During those visits, he also visited Udupi, the place of Madhvācārya. He saw the deity of Krishna there and danced in ecstasy. He met the residents of that place who were the Madhvācārya(Madhva sect also known as Tattvavādīs).
An argument took place between between Chaitanya and the head of the Tattvavādīs. It is described from Madhya līlā 9.253.
Tattvavādī: The Tattvavādī ācārya replied, “What You have said is certainly factual. It is the conclusion of all the revealed scriptures of the Vaiṣṇavas. “Still, whatever Madhvācārya has established as the formula for our party we practice as a party policy.”
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Both the fruitive worker and the speculative philosopher are considered nondevotees. We see both elements present in your sampradāya. The only qualification that I see in your sampradāya is that you accept the form of the Lord as truth.(Madhya 9.276-277)
From the above statement it is clear that Chaitanya accepts only some of the principles of the Madhvācārya. He rejected the Varnashrama principles which were said by scriptures and also which Madhvācārya supported in his works.
In the purport to the above verse Srila Prabhupada says:
Caitanya Mahāprabhu was pleased that the Madhvācārya-sampradāya, or the Tattvavāda sampradāya, accepted the transcendental form of the Lord. This is the great qualification of the Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu revered Madhvācārya sampradāya and accepted it because it accepted the transcendental form of the Lord, accepts world as real and he supported that Krishna/Vishnu is the supreme Lord. But he didn't agree with strict rules like Varnashrama dharma etc.
From many sources we come to know that Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya is like a branch of Madhva siddhanta. Hence it is natural that he had high regards for Sri Madhvacharya. Even Prabhupada has glofified Sri Madhwa in many places. In Chaitanya Charitamrita also there are various mentions of Sri Madhva:
In Udupi, Madhvacharya installed a beautiful Deity of Gopala standing alone holding a cowherding stick. This Deity manifested from within a chunk of gopi-candana (sacred clay). He established eight mathas (Temples) to lovingly serve "Udupi Krishna." The sannyasi leaders of each matha worship the Krishna Deity with a rigorous regimen of ceremonial ritual, punctuality, and impec-cable personal conduct. Every Ekadashi they observe nirjala (total fast all food and water).
The Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya originates with the Madhvas. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers thoroughly studied Madhva's works before compiling their philosophy. For the Sat Sandarbhas Shri Jiva Goswami drew heavily from Madhva's writings. Jiva Goswami found 'the Gaudiya philosophy of acintya-bheda-abheda tattva in Madhva's Bhagavat-parya. Shri Chaitanya Himself visited Udupi, the seat of Madhva's sect. The Lord introduced Hari Nama sankirtana into their sect.
The Madhvas and Gaudiyas share many of the same philosophical points. Both consider it necessary to surrender to the lotus feet of the guru (gurupadashraya). In Sutra Bhasya, Madhvacharya cites the Brihat Tantra and Mahasamhita to show that a disciple may reject a "bogus guru" who proves to be useless. He may then accept another qualified self-realized person as his guru.
In Prameya-ratnavalli, Shri Baladeva Vidyabhushana summarized the nine principles common to both Shri Chaitanya's and Madhva's teachings. In Vaishnava Siddhanta Mala, Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ordered all Gaudiya Vaishnavas to carefully observe the nine instructions of truth given by Shri Madhavacharya through our guru parampara.
Sri Madhavendra Puri is one of the acharyas in the disciplic succession from Madhvacharya. Madhavendra Puri had two principal disciples, Ishvara Puri and Sri Advaita Prabhu. Therefore the Gaudiya Vaishnava-sampradaya is a disciplic succession from Madhvacharya.
This fact has been accepted in the authorized books known as Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika and Prameya-ratnavali, as well as by Gopal Guru Goswami. The Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika clearly states the disciplic succession of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas as follows:
"Lord Brahma is the direct disciple of Vishnu, the Lord of the spiritual sky. His disciple is Narada, Narada's disciple is Vyasa, and Vyasa's disciples are Sukadev Goswami and Madhvacharya. Padmanabha Acharya is the disciple of Madhvacharya, and Narahari is the disciple of Padmanabha Acharya. Madhava is the disciple of Narahari, Akshobhya is the direct disciple of Madhava, and Jayatirtha is the disciple of Akshobhya.
"Jayatirtha's disciple is Jnanasindhu, and his disciple is Mahanidhi. Vidyanidhi is the disciple of Mahanidhi, and Rajendra is the disciple of Vidyanidhi. Jayadharma is the disciple of Rajendra. Purushottama is the disciple of Jayadharma. Sriman Lakshmipati is the disciple of Vyasatirtha, who is the disciple of Purushottama. And Madhavendra Puri is the disciple of Lakshmipati."
Shri Madhvacharya's Nine Teachings
(1) Bhagavan Shri Krishna alone is the Supreme Absolute Truth, one without a second.
(2) He is the object of knowledge in all the Vedas.
(3) The universe is real, satya.
(4) The differences between Ishvara (God), Jiva (soul) and Matter are real.
(5) Jiva souls are by nature the servants of the Supreme Lord Hari.
(6) There are two categories of jivas; liberated and illusioned.
(7) Liberation (moksha) means attainmg the lotus feet of Bhagavan Krishna, in other words, entering an eternal relationship of service to the Supreme Lord.
(8) Pure devotional service to Krishna is the only way to attain his liberation.
(9) The truth may be known by pratyaksha (direct perception), anuman (inference or logic), sabda (spiritual sound or Vedic authority.
Shri Madhvacharya serves as Madhavi-gopi in Radha-Govinda's eternal Vrindavana pleasure pastimes.
