Sri Parakala Matham Vaibhavam - VI

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Sri:

Sri Laxmi Hayavadana Parabrahmane Nama:

Sri Vakula Bhushana Maha Desikaya Nama:

Srimate Ramanujaya Nama:

Srimate Nigamantha Maha Desikaya Nama:

Srimate Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Maha Desikaya Nama:

Srimate Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Guru Paramparaayai Nama:

 

Dear Bhaktas

 

In the last posting, we were reading about Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeer,

his ascent to the acharya peetham of Sri Parakala Matham and Srikaryam at

Sri Varadarajaswamy koil at Kanchipuram. We also read about how Swamy

Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeer was able to win over debates on Vedant and

recieve the title "Brahmatantra Swatantra" from Swamy Desikan.

 

Continuing on our road of Sri Parakala Matha vaibhava anubhavam, we are

treated

with yet another example of Swamy Brahmatantra Swatatra Jeer's devotion

towards his acharya, Swamy Desikan. He composed a tamil paasuram in praise

of Swamy Desikan, when the aadaikaai sambhavanai was offered to him and to

all the Azhwars as per the ordainment of Bhashyakarar:

 

"naaNilamuntaan vaazha naanmaRRaigaL taam vaazha

maanagarin maaRRanmaRRai vaazha - jn~yaaniyargaL

senniyaNisEr tUppul vEdaanta dEsikanE !

innumoru nURRaaNDirum"

 

Having studied entirely at the feet of Swamy Desikan, Sri Brahmatantra

Swatantrar

was now a great genius. Swamy Desikan appointed Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar

along with Swamy's son Sri Kumara Varadacharya as his successors and

ordained

them with the duties of propagating Sri Ramanuja sampradayam.

 

His polemic style was so wonderful that Swamy Desikan gave him the title

"Parakala"-

-Destroyer of all other faiths and philosophies, when he won over advaitins

at a nearby

agraharam in Melkote in the year 1338, in a powerful debate lasting many

days.

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar would never speak a word unless and until his

acharyas

Swamy Desikan and Kumara Varadacharya had finished. But on that day he had

to

take the initiative as both of his achaaryas were unable to be present. He

recalls this title

in his work on Swamy Desikan titled "Acharyaavataaraghattarthah" wherein the

first

shlokam runs as follows:

 

"brahmatantra swatantrENa parakaala yatiindunaa |

aaryaavataara ghaTTartha: sangrahENa prakaashyatE ||"

 

Swamy Desikan also gifted the vigraham of Sri Lakshimi Hayagrivar that he

was

worshipping to Sri Brahmatantra Swamy who made it the presiding deity of the

Sri Matham. Swamy Desikan also gave Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar a pair of

Shankham and Chakram used during Chakrankanam. Swamy Deshikan gave all

instructions regarding the establishment and administration of this

aasthaanam till

1369. Swamy Desikan in the year 1369, while placing his feet on Sri

Brahmatantra

Swatantrar and his head on Nayanacharya's lap, attained his acharya's

thiruvadi.

 

LIFE AFTER SWAMY DESIKAN

----

 

After Swamy Desikan attained paramapadam, the head quarters of the Matham

remained at Kanchipuram for some time. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeer took

over the entire administration of the Sri Matham at Kanchipuram.

 

Sri Kumara Varadanatha Nayanacharya, the distinguished son of Swamy Desikan

provided a great deal of support to Brahmatantra Swatantrar in administering

the

day to day activities of the matham.

 

Sri Brahmatanra Swatantra Swamy along with Nayanaacharya completely

catalogued

all works of Swamy Desikan, produced many copies of the same and safeguarded

them with great care. At Vennaatrankarai they arranged for the recitation of

taniyans of

Naalaayira (4000) Divya Prabandhams, Desikan taniyan and Desika prabandham

during times of anadhyayanam. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar Jeer also arranged

for

Nayanaachaarya's Pillai Anthaadi and Vaazhi Thirunaamam to be recited along

with

these. These can be seen followed till to this day. If not for their efforts

Swamy

Desikan's works would have come to us this day.

 

He later took to a pilgrimage of holy shrines and reached Tirupati. During

this period the

Jeer at Tirupati attained paramapadam. By divine ordainment Sri Brahmatantra

Swatantrar

was handed the responsibilities of the entire temple administration. Sri

Brahmatantra

Swatantrar then built a new building for the Sri Matham at Tirupati and

shifted the Matham

headquarters to Tirupati in 1379. Sri Lakshmi Hayagrivan presented by Swamy

Desikan was

then installed at the Sri Matham.

 

It soon became a chief propagating center of Ramanuja Sampradayam. Shrines

to Swamy

Desikan was also built at Govindaraja pattanam and at Thirumalai, and Sri

Brahmanatantra

Swatantrar took over the overall temple administration efficiently and was

appointed as the

Srikaryam of Tirupati shrine in succession to Tirumalai Srinivasacharya

Swamy.

 

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar fulfilled the wishes of his master Swamy Desikan

very well.

He conducted Vedantic discourses, debates on philosophical issues,

prabandham

recitations and many more and in the process, attracted numerous disciples.

 

(contd...)

 

Sri Laxmi Hayagriva Parabrahmane Nama:

 

-rajeev karamchedu

 

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Saranagathi

ooooO Ooooo

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