AAPPAYYA DIKSHITAR

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Sri Swami Sivananda

Introduction

Marriage

The Soma Yajna sacrifice

Thathacharya's evil deeds

Pilgrimage

Miracles

Appayya's contemporaries

Last days

His life and works

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Introduction

There had ris'n the Moghul Empire

>From the glowing ashes and fire

Of the Battle of Panipat,

When in a southern Brahmin's hut

 

Was born a lad that blew again

The Vedantic bugle amain,

And stirred from slumber and from sloth

With the urge of righteous wrath

 

The guardians of the Vedas,

Heirs of the Upanishads,

And made them stand alert intent

To hear the tune of sad lament

 

Break forth from India's anguished soul.

No longer may they sprawl and loll

On downy beds of idleness,

Complacent with their past greatness

 

When loud the manly bugle blared,

And the need for action declared.

The great Appayya Dikshitar

Was a saint, a sage and scholar.

 

He it was the clarion sounded,

Our hearts then with éclat bounded;

He it was that called in that age

To us to guard our heritage.

 

Versed was he in philosophy,

And e'er did he win the trophy

In duels and combats of learning,

Leaving, savants with shame burning.

 

In rhetoric peerless was he,

And his fame Pundits did envy

And on him much mud they slung;

The aspirants to him they clung.

 

Sweet in praise, of Siva he sang

Hymns that with rich melody rang,

And devotees still love to sing

Hymns by him, among poets a king.

 

For aspirants and learned men,

With learned skill and acumen,

The four schools of thought he surveyed,

And their tenets to all conveyed

 

In learned treatises and books,

Unblemished by jaundiced looks,

And in commentaries bejewelled,

With Vedic wisdom unexcelled.

 

Like a golden ring on the spire

Of the Vedantic shell of fire,

Appayya Dikshitar did glisten

Among the wheel of lesser men.

 

Once to Tirupathi the sage

Went on a lonely pilgrimage,

And there the Mahant to him told:

"Enter not the fane; it can't hold

 

Within its precinct a Saivite;

To enter here you have no right."

Wrath was the saint and quietly he

By occult power did o'ernight change

 

The fane's image of Lord Vishnu

To Siva. The Mahant turned blue

When in the morn he, aghast, saw

Vishnu's image changed to Siva.

 

To the great sage he now did run

And of him humbly beg pardon,

And asked the image be restored

To the shape he loved and adored.

 

Such was the great saint Appayya,

An incarnation of Siva,

Whom men still love and have reverence

For his wisdom and intelligence.

 

Appayya Dikshitar was born in Adayapalam, near Ami in the North Arcot

district, in 1554 A.D., in the Krishna Paksha of the Kanya month of

Pramateecha Varsha under the Uttara Proushthapada constellation. His

father's name was Rangarajudhwari. Appaya had the name Vinayaka

Subramanya when Namakarana ceremony or christening took place.

Acharya Dikshitar or Acchan Dikshitar was the younger brother of

Appayya. Appayya studied the holy scriptures under Guru Rama Kavi. He

completed the fourteen Vidyas while he was quite young. What a great

marvel!

 

Chinnabomma, Raja of Vellore, invited Appayya and Acchan Dikshitar to

his capital after the death of Rangaraja, who was the Chief Pundit of

the State. Srinivasa Thathachari, the Dewan, had great dislike for

the worshippers of Lord Siva. He censured the devotees of Lord Siva.

Appayya praised the Siva Lilas and the glory of Lord Siva.

 

Appayya was very intelligent. He was a master logician. He was well-

versed in grammar, metaphysics and other sciences. He was a master in

all branches of learning. His exposition of Vedanta was unique. He

cleared the doubts of all. His name and fame spread far and wide. The

Rajas of Thanjavur, Kalahasti and Tirupathi invited him.

 

Marriage

Ratna Kheta Srinivasa Dikshitar, an erudite scholar in Sanskrit, a

devotee of Kamakshi Devi, Kancheepuram, was the Chief Pundit of the

Court in the Chola kingdom. The Chola king asked the Pundit, "O

Pundit, what is the day today?" The Pundit replied, "Today is Full

Moon day". But, really, it was New Moon day. Everybody laughed.

Srinivasa Dikshitar felt greatly mortified. He was a true devotee of

Kamakshi Devi. Her grace was fully upon him. Srinivasa prayed to Her.

The Devi appeared before Srinivasa, gave him one of Her earrings and

asked him to throw it in the sky. Srinivasa acted accordingly. The

earring attained the form of a full moon and shone brilliantly. The

king, the ministers and other people witnessed this marvellous scene

and were struck with amazement. The king made Srinivasa sit on the

golden throne, adorned him with jewels and honoured him highly.

 

Srinivasa came to know that Appayya was a great scholar. He wanted to

defeat him. He proceeded to Kancheepuram to propitiate Kamakshi Devi

in order to get Her blessings. He did severe Tapas. The Devi appeared

before him and said, "O Bhakta, choose your boons from Me". Thereupon

Srinivasa said, "Let all the Kalas be seated on my tongue. I have to

conquer Appayya, who is a great scholar and orator, through Thy grace

and help only. The whole world knows my name and fame. Please help me

to keep up the same".

 

The Devi replied, "O Bhakta, Appayya is not an ordinary human being.

He is verily the incarnation of Lord Siva. I am verily your form. Do

not enter into a controversy with him. Give your daughter

Mangalambika in marriage to Appayya and become the revered father-in-

law to him. Then only your desire will be fulfilled".

 

At the same time, Lord Siva appeared in Appayya's dream and said, "O

child, go to Kancheepuram. Srinivasa will give his daughter in

marriage to you".

 

Appayya went to Kancheepuram immediately and lived there. Srinivasa

took his daughter and reached Appayya's residence. Appayya honoured

Srinivasa duly with Arghya (offering of special hospitality by way of

respectful libations and glorification), Padya (washing of the feet),

Asana (offering of an elevated seat), etc. Srinivasa said, "The Devi

has ordered me to give my daughter in marriage to you. O Appayya,

please marry her and attain fame, prosperity and tranquillity".

 

Appayya married Mangalambika. He led the life of a householder. He

gave education to all the students who came to him from different

parts of the land. He disseminated Siva Bhakti and sang the praise of

Lord Siva. The king learnt Dharma from Appayya. Appayya spread

Sanskrit learning far and wide.

 

Appayya had two daughters. Mangalamba, the younger daughter, was a

great devotee of Lord Siva. Neelakanta was Appayya's grandson.

 

The Soma Yajna sacrifice

Appayya, known also as Dikshitendra, performed Soma Yajna to

propitiate Chandramauleswara. He performed the Vajapeya sacrifice in

Kancheepuram. Seventeen horses were sacrificed. Some scholars alleged

that the sacrifice was an act of violence. But Appayya showed to the

audience that the chanting of Vedic hymns and Mantras purified

everything and gave salvation to the horses. The spectators saw the

horses leaving the gross bodies and ascending to heaven amidst

praises by Siddhas, Charanas and Gandharvas. From the sky they

praised Appayya and said, "On account of thy grace, we have been

fortunate to enter heaven". The doubts of the scholars were removed

now.

 

Several kings came to pay homage to Appayya and to receive his

blessings, but Chinnabomma, Raja of Vellore, who was deluded by the

evil counsel of his minister Thathacharya, did not come. He later on

repented very much for not attending the grand Vajapeya Yajna.

Chinnabomma came to know of the extraordinary merits and remarkable

spiritual glory of Appayya. He wanted to bring Appayya to his State.

He sent several scholars to invite Appayya. Appayya accepted the

invitation and went to Vellore. Chinnabomma honoured Appayya. He

constructed a hermitage called "Sarvato Bhadram" for Appayya. Appayya

became the Premier. Thathacharya became very, very jealous of Appayya.

 

Thathacharya's evil deeds

The Ranis fell ill on account of witchcraft done by some persons

through the instigation of Thathacharya. Appayya cured them.

Thathacharya troubled Appayya in various ways. He bribed the priest

of the Vishnu temple to poison Appayya. The priest mixed the poison

in the Charanamrit and gave it to Appayya. Appayya prayed to Lord

Hari. The poison was converted into nectar.

 

Thathacharya planned to kill Appayya. He wrote a letter to Appayya

and forged the signature of Chinnabomma. In that letter Chinnabomma

requested Appayya to see him at dead of night. Thathacharya ordered

the commander to send the soldiers with swords in their hands to kill

Appayya. Appayya proceeded to meet the Raja. The soldiers were ready

to kill Appayya. As soon as they saw Appayya, they stood rooted to

the spot unable to move. They became like pillars, with swords in

their hands.

 

Once Appayya was proceeding to Virinchipuram with his disciples to

attend the Margasahaya festival. On the way he was encircled by

dacoits set up by Thathacharya. Thathacharya also was in the company

of the dacoits. Appayya wanted to teach them a lesson. Sparks of fire

came from his eyes and burnt them up. All were reduced to ashes. Then

the compassionate Appayya touched the ashes with his hands. All were

brought back to life. Thathacharya addressed Appayya thus: "O Lord! I

am a great sinner. I have done you great harm. I prostrate at your

holy feet. You are my sole refuge. Pardon me and protect me". As

Thathacharya surrendered himself at the feet of Appayya, all his sins

were wiped away. He became a great friend of Appayya. All his

inimical thoughts vanished. Appayya asked Thathacharya to go to

Pakshi Tirtha and worship the God there for forty-eight days.

Thathacharya acted accordingly. He reconstructed the temple also.

 

Pilgrimage

Appayya constructed a temple in Adayapalam and installed

Kalakanteswara for his daily worship. He went on a pilgrimage and

visited Nandi Hills, Madhyarjuna, Panchanadam (Thiruvaiyaru),

Madurai, Rameswaram, Sivagangai, Jambukeswaram, Srirangam,

Swetharanyam, Kancheepuram, Kashi, Vedaranyam, Mathrubhuteswaram,

Chidambaram, Viruddhachalam, Tiruvannamalai, Virinchipuram and other

places.

 

Once Appayya's wife, admirers and pupils requested him to show his

real Svarupa. Appayya agreed. He sat on Siddhasana and entered into

Samadhi suddenly. A lustrous Purusha, Lord Siva Himself, rose from

the body of Appayya. He was adorned with Rudraksha and Vibhuti and

bore various divine weapons.

 

Miracles

Once Appayya was suffering from high fever. The king Chinnabomma came

to see Appayya. Appayya transferred his disease to a deer-skin. The

deer-skin commenced to shiver with fever. The Raja was struck with

intense amazement.

 

A miracle happened in Kancheepuram. Appayya performed the Pasubandha

sacrifice in Kancheepuram. All the Pitambaras (yellow garments) and

other ornaments which were sacrificed in the sacred fire were seen on

the Murti of Varadaraja. The fire in the sacrificial Kund rose up in

the sky and proclaimed the glory of Appayya. It presented to Appayya

all the Pitambaras which had been sacrificed by him. Narasimha, the

King of Thanjavur, and several others witnessed this scene.

 

Appayya's contemporaries

Sri Ratnaketa Dikshitar, Sarva Bhauma Kavi, Thathacharya,

Samarapungava Dikshitar, Narasimhaswami, Doddayacharya, Vijayeendra,

Vyasa Bhatta, Parasara Bhatta, Varanandi, Bhattoji, Nilakanta

Dikshitar (grandson of Appayya's brother), Guru Rama Kavi, Govinda

Dikshitar, Narayana Adhwari, Rajachudamani Dikshitar, Atiratra Yajva,

Veeraraghava or Balakavi, Girvana Yogindra (Mantra Guru of Nilakanta

Dikshitar), Venkateswara Makhi, etc., were all contemporaries of

Appayya.

 

Last days

Appayya went to Chidambaram and stayed there for some~ time. He said

that his grandson Nilakanta would become minister to the Pandyan king

at Madurai and establish Sivadvaita.

 

On the Chaitra Purnima day of the Margasirsha month, in his seventy-

second year, Appayya attained oneness with Nataraja of Chidambaram.

 

His life and works

Sri Sankaracharya, himself an incarnation of Lord Siva, entered the

fourth order of life, viz., Sannyasa, in his early years and taught

the people the glory and importance of that order. So also, Srimad

Appayya Dikshitar, an Amsavatara of Lord Siva, entered the second

order, viz., Grihasthashrama, and taught the people of the world the

method of salvation in and through that Grihasthashrama. Sri

Sankaracharya, though he followed the Nivritti Marga, did not ignore

the Pravritti Marga (the path of action). He says in his Sadhana

Panchaka: "Vedo Nityamadheeyataam Taduditam Karma Swanushteeyataam.

Learn and teach the Vedas and perform Karma in accordance with their

injunctions". Even so, Srimad Appayya also did not ignore Nivritti or

Sannyasa. He is the famous author of many Vedantic texts which

contain the essence of all the Upanishads. He also initiated a number

of deserving people in the path of Nivritti, though by example and

precept, he favoured more the progressive method of entering the

fourth order of life after passing through the second and the third

orders.

 

We find the following quotation in Sivarahasya in support of the

statement that Sri Sankaracharya was an incarnation of Lord

Siva: "Chaturbhi Saha Sishyaisthu Sankarovatarishyati. With four

disciples Sri Sankara will incarnate". Even so, in the case of

Dikshitar also, we find in the same scriptural text: "Dikshitopi

Bhavet Kashchitch Chaivaschandogyavamsaja".

 

Various were the reasons and purposes for which Appayya incarnated.

The first was the establishment of the Sanatana Dharma as proclaimed

in the scriptures through an active following of the four orders

beginning with Brahmacharya and through making others follow this

righteous course. Spreading the knowledge of Advaita Vedanta was the

second. Re-establishment of the supremacy of Advaita philosophy as

propounded by Sri Sankara in his Bhashya on the Brahma Sutras of

Vyasa, through a critical examination of the Dvaita and the

Visishtadvaita schools, was another. Appayya Dikshitar gave a new

life and orientation to Saivism in South India. He made people tread

the path of devotion. By his own exemplary life he converted

atheists, created a strong faith in them in the Vedic injunctions and

in devotion to Lord Siva. He did not stop there. He went a step

further and proclaimed in his work Sivarkamani Dipika that through

the grace of the personal God alone could men get a taste for the

study of the Vedanta philosophy.

 

No one has expounded Sri Sankara's philosophy so correctly and with

the same force and emphasis as Sri Appayya has done. Sri Appayya has

fully conveyed to the readers the thoughts of Sri Sankara in his

inexhaustible commentaries on the Brahma Sutras and other Advaitic

texts. Those who study Appayya Dikshitar's works in their original

Sanskrit version will agree with this statement.

 

Appayya Dikshitar held an impartial view on other religions and

philosophies. A study of his book Chaturmata Sara Samgraha shows

clearly that he was free from all prejudice towards the other schools

of thought, viz., the Dvaita, the Visishtadvaita and the Suddha

Advaita schools. Appayya Dikshitar had no prejudice against any

Devata either.

 

The honorific term Dikshitendra, without any adjective, connoted Sri

Appayya Dikshitar only and none else.

 

Appayya Dikshitar is the reputed author of more than a hundred and

four works, representative of all branches of knowledge in the

Sanskrit language and literature. He attained his great fame mainly

by his works on Vedanta. All the schools of Vedanta have drawn unique

and unrivalled authority and support from his pen. Of his Vedanta

works, the Chaturmata Sara Samgraha is justly famous for the even-

handed justice with which it has expounded the tenets of the four

great schools—Dvaita, Visishtadvaita, Sivadvaita and Advaita. In

almost all branches of Sanskrit learning and literature—poetry,

rhetoric, philosophy, etc.,—Appayya Dikshitar's name was peerless

among his contemporaries. For that matter, it was so for decades

after him and it is so even today. Kuvalayananda of Appayya Dikshitar

is generally the first work of rhetoric that is put in the hands of

students, although Pundit Jagannatha, his contemporary and rival,

levelled some shafts on it in his Rasagangadhara. Appayya Dikshitar's

poems in praise of Siva are great favourites among the worshippers of

Siva. Dikshitar has also written a learned commentary entitled

Parimala on Vedanta; it is a standing monument of his philosophic

erudition.

 

Appayya Dikshitar was well known as a great controversialist in all

domains of knowledge. The distinguishing mark of his greatness was

his supreme and unassailable presentation of his opponent's view in

the clearest manner possible. And this was achieved in a pre-

eminently high degree in Chaturmata Sara Samgraha. It contains, in

epitome, in four sections, the four schools of Vedanta—the Dvaita,

the Visishtadvaita, the Sivadvaita and Advaita. The work is in the

form of a running commentary, in prose and in verse, on the Brahma

Sutras of Badarayana, treated topically under the several

Adhikaranas. In this work, Appayya Dikshitar interprets each school

of Vedanta according to the most ardent expounder of that school

without in the least disclosing his own personal inclination.

 

Appayya Dikshitar composed this famous work when he was the court

poet of King Chinnabomma.

 

Each section of the Chaturmata Sara is known by an individualistic

name also. The section on Dvaita is termed Nayamuktavali. The second

section on Ramanuja's Visishtadvaita is called Nayamayukhamalika. The

third section is on Srikanta's system and is called Nayamanimala. The

fourth section is an exposition of Sri Sankara's Advaita system and

is called Nayamanjari.

 

Appayya Dikshitar's masterly works, Sivarkamani Dipika and Parimala,

dealing with Sivadvaita and Advaita, speak of Appayya's distinguished

ability in expounding both the philosophies. Here he opposes strongly

both the Dvaita and the Visishtadvaita schools in unmistakable terms.

His Madhavatantramukha Mardana is a highly provocative work

criticising the tenets of the Dvaita schools; and in his

Ramanujasringabhanga, he controverts the doctrines of Ramanuja with a

masterly thoroughness which is all his own. At the same time, Appayya

has written works like Nayamuktavali and Nayamayukhamalika which

portray the respective systems even better than their own adherents

have ever done. This is sufficient proof of Sri Appayya's genius.

Appayya could hold his own, and at the same time, expound his

opponent's point of view in the most unprejudiced and authoritative

manner.

 

The Nayamanjari is fully composed in verse, each Adhikarana of the

Brahma Sutras being represented by at least two Slokas, one putting

forth the Purva Paksha and the other the Siddhanta. Appayya Dikshitar

has followed Sri Sankara closely in his commentary. The

distinguishing feature and merit of the Nayamanjari lies in the 386

stanzas of the work being composed in more than 182 different metres,

many of which are rare and not easily met with in standard works.

 

Appayya Dikshitar was a mighty intellect. Great is the reverence paid

to him even now. In his own time he was equally revered. Once he went

to the village which was the birthplace of his wife. A grand

reception was accorded to him by the villagers who were proud of

calling him as one of themselves. There was great excitement. "The

great Dikshitar is coming amongst us." There was no other talk among

the villagers for many days before Dikshitar's expected arrival. At

last the great day came and the distinguished guest—Dikshitar—was

greeted by crowds of people who flocked to have a sight of the grand

lion. An old dame, curious to a degree, came out staff in hand, to

see the phenomenon; with the freedom that is conceded to one of her

age, she made her way easily through the crowd and looked at him

steadily for some minutes. Dim recollections of a face floated in her

mind. Definitely recalling the face she said: "I have seen this face

somewhere. Wait. Oh yes, are you not the husband of Achha?" The great

scholar confirmed her surmise with a smile. The good old lady was

disappointed; with her face and spirits fallen, she retraced her

steps homeward remarking, "What ado to make! Just Achha's husband!"

Appayya summarised a world of wisdom when he perpetuated the incident

in a half-verse—"Asmin Grame Achha Prasiddha. In this village, the

name and precedence are Achha's".

 

Appayya Dikshitar is considered as an Avatar of Lord Siva. When he

went to the Tirupathi temple in South India, the Vaishnavas refused

him admission. The next morning they found the Vishnu Murti in the

temple changed into Siva Murti. The Mahant was much astonished and

startled, and he asked pardon of Appayya Dikshitar and prayed to him

to change the idol again into Vishnu Murti.

 

Dikshitar was a great rival of Panditaraja Jagannatha in the field of

poetry. Appayya had no independent views on the doctrinal side of

Sankara-Vedanta, but carried on fierce controversies with the

followers of Vallabha at Jaipur and other places. Siddhantalesha,

written by Appayya Dikshitar, is a most admirable digest of the

doctrinal differences among the followers of Sankara. No doubt,

Appayya Dikshitar is among the greatest spiritual luminaries India

has ever produced. Though a detailed account of his life history is

not available, his works are sufficient testimony to his greatness.

 

After Sri Sankara, the world has not seen a genius—a Yogi, Bhakta and

scholar—like Sri Appayya.

 

Glory to Appayya Dikshitar, the incarnation of Lord Siva! May His

blessings be upon you all!

[Guest guest]

I request members posting from other websites to

refer to Shri Ravi's post "ADMIN: Posting from other

websites". This article, for example, is posted

verbatim from Swami Shivananda's site

 

http://www.sivanandadlshq.org/saints/appayya.htm

 

On an unrelated note, there is a nice book on

Shri Appayya Dikshitar by Dr. N.Ramesan (the

book does in my opinion repeat portions from

itself though in different chapters). I know

you can buy it from Jayalakshmi Indological Book

House (?) near the Sanskrit College in Mylapore,

Chennai.

 

Regards,

Sridhar.

 

, "N.NAGARAJAN <omnagarajan>"

<omnagarajan> wrote:

> Sri Swami Sivananda

> Introduction