Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Jeeyar - A tribute

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Swamy Deshikan Thiruvadigale Sharanam !!!

 

Purattasi thiruvonam, that marks the thirunakshatram of Swamy Deshikan, is

also the thirunakshatram of one of his foremost disciples, Perarulalaiyya

Jeeyar also known as Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Jeeyar, who headed

as the first jeeyar of Parakala Matham. Following is a tribute to this

acharya sarvabhouma who is glorified as the thiruvadi of Swamy Deshika

similar to Swamy Nayanaracharya.

 

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Jeeyar - A Tribute

 

Vedanta Deshika, the very incarnation of Thiruvenkatamudaiyaan, is

celebrated as the third kootasthar of parama vaidika SriVaishnavaSri

sampradaayam and is also regarded as the greatest acharya of Ramanuja

Sampradaayam. He is regarded as a divinely commissioned personality not only

by his senior and junior contemporaries, but also by all the successive

generations belonging to SriVaishnavaSri sampradaayam till today. With his

vast scholarship and extraordinary intellect He has contributed a great deal

for the promotion and propagation of Sri Ramanuja sampradaayam. He was a

great poet and philosopher and became a great institution in his lifetime

and also founded a religious institution in 1360 ACE with its headquarters

at Kanchipuram and Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar his foremost disciple as its

head and as a yatishvarar of this mutt.

 

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra jeer in his poorvashramam was known as Veeravalli

Perarulalaiyyan or Hasteeshar. He was born in 1286 ACE and hailed from

Kaundinya gothram. He was born in the month of Purattasi and Shravana

nakshatram just like Swamy Deshikan. He undertook tutelage at the feet of

the greatest acharya of those times - Sriman Nigamantha Maha Deshikan.

Initially, he studied all shastras including Vedanta at the feet of his

acharya Sri Vedanta Deshika and took to the holy ascetic order with the

title, Perarulaala jeer at a very early age. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar was

blessed to have Swamy Deshikan as his Samashrayana, kaalakshepa and sanyasa

sveekara acharya and shone similar to Swamy Deshikan as an acharya of all

three paramparais. It is said that when one has to take to the ascetic

order, he has to get initiated into that order by another sanyaasin, or get

initiated from perumal directly or get initiated at the brindavanam of an

acharya who also should be an ascetic. But this initiation has many parts to

it and initiation into certain portions of it could be obtained from a

grihasta also, while the rest of it should be obtained from a sanyasi only.

It is this way that Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar obtained initiation into

some portions of the mantras from Swamy Deshikan. He later moved with his

acharya Deshikan wherever he went.

 

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar along with Nayanaacharya studied Vedanta along

with their esoterics at the feet of Swamy Deshikan. During the muslim

devastation at Srirangam in 1327 ACE, Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar moved to

Satyagalam along with Swamy Deshikan. After many years of study at

Satyakalam, Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar along with Swamy Deshikan moved to

Thirunarayanapuram. Even here Swamy Deshikan conducted Vedanta kalakshepam

to many of his disciples including Nayanacharya and Sri Brahmatantra

Swatantrar. He taught his students Araayirappadi (6000) along with his

commentary to it titled Nigama Parimalam. It was during this time that Sri

Brahmatantra Swatantrar composed the psalm - "rAmAnuja dayApAtram ... " and

submitted it to Swamy Deshikan. Swamy Deshikan then accepted that this

taniyan be sung at the start of Divyaprabandhams and other Srisooktis in

Tamil.

 

Sri Brahmatantrar had great respect for Swamy's son Sri Kumara Varadacharya

and out of his own accord chose to study Sri Bhagavadvishayam only, under

Sri Kumara Varadacharya, just to get his thiruvadi sambandham, though Sri

Kumara Varadacharya was much junior to him. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar

composed the famous taniyan on Kumara Varadacharya that runs as -

"shrImallakshmana ... ". This was in the year 1338 ACE, Kali 4440 Bahudaanya

samvatsara avani shuddha dvitiya that corresponds to August 18th.

Swamy Deshikan also appointed Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar as the Srikaryam

of Sri Varadarajaswamy koil at Kanchipuram.

 

The stone inscriptions on the walls of the second prakaaram at Sri

Varadaraja perumal koil, in the holy divya desham of Kanchipuram are very

important. These inscriptions delineated in traditional Tamil script mixed

with Sanskrit are very important in the history of Srivaishnavism, as it

stands a witness to the Sri Vaishnava history of those days. The inscription

says that a Sri Matham was established at Kanchipuram and as per the

ordainment of the Lord of Hastigiri, Sri Varadaraja perumal, a Sri Vaishnava

dasar by name Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar who was Sri Vedanta Deshika's

foremost shishyar, was established as the first yatishvara acharya of this

matham with the authority of the Sri Matham established at Kanchipuram being

handed over to him.

The time of these inscriptions date to shaka 1282 vikaari samvatsaram, mesha

maasam shuddha prathama tithi Friday in the constellation of ashvati, which

would be 1359 ACE March 29th.

 

The inscriptions do not refer itself to the reign of any king, but refers

being worded directly by the Lord of Hastigiri. This inscription also

confirms that one Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar, who used to recite the

Thiruvaimozhi of Nammazhwar in front of Veeravallaazhan throne on which

presided Lord Varadaraja's utsava murthy, was given the administration of

the Sri Matham at Kanchipuram along with the rights to use the huge reserve

of books at the temple in order to propagate Sri Ramanuja Sampradayam

further.

 

The inscription concludes saying that these writings are a direct order from

Lord Varadaraja Perumal of Hastigiri Himself and that the temple accountant

has engraved His thirumugam here on the stone walls.

"hastIsham lokavikhyAtam kaundinya viduShAM varam | rAmAnujAryasiddhAnta

sthApanAchAryamAshraye"

 

Other inscriptions that support these and provide further information can be

found in the temples of Southern Arcot, Thirunelveli district during the

14th and 15th centuries. During his times at Kanchipuram, there was a

scholar who had come from Kashmir invited Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar for a

debate on Vedanta. The debate started with Sri Thirumalai Srinivasacharya as

the judge. After many days of debate, Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar finally

won. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra had such profuse knowledge in Sri Bhasyham,

that Swamy Deshikan hailed him as "Paryaaya Bhashyakaara" (Bhashyakaara

reincarnated again).

 

After 1360, when the muslim invaders were driven away, Swamy Deshikan

returned to Srirangam along with his disciples. Once some scholars had come

from Kashi to Srirangam to have disputation debates on Vedanta. Sri

Brahmatantra Swatantra upon the direction of Swamy Deshikan, participated in

the debate and overthrew all his opponents' arguments into thin air with his

powerful intellect and divine anugraham of Swamy Deshikan. Swamy Deshikan

greeted his pet disciple who returned victorious after many days of debate.

He then conferred on him the title "Brahmatantra Swatantra" (one whose is a

master or an authority on Vedanta) and also hailed him as "Brahmatantra

Adhyaapaka". Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeeyar was also the scribe for Swamy

Deshikan's Shatadushani.

 

At Srirangam, there was a new problem after the maha samprokshanam. Many

people belonging to other philosophies protested against the conduction of

Thiruadhyayanotsavam during Maargazhi and demanded that the divinity of

Azhwars be established before doing so. Swamy Deshikan successfully

established the divinity of Azhwars and made arrangements for the

re-establishment of Azhwars inside Periya koil and also conducted the

Thiruadhyayanotsavam in great grandeur. It was during this time that Sri

Brahmatantra Swatantrar proclaimed the following -

 

pUrvam tatparakAlanAthayatirADAchAryasiddhAntitam

shrIraN^gedhyayanotsavaM pratihataM bhUyaH pratiShThApayan .

vedAntadvaya bhAShyamapyakaluShaM bhaktAryasiddhigrahAM -

shchAkalpaM nigamAntadeshikamaNirjIyyAdajayyAtmadhIH ..

 

"Victory to the great Nigamanta Deshika who successfully re-established the

adhyayanotsavam of Sriranganatha, which was established by Parakala guru

(Thirumangai Azhwar), and renewed by Yatiraja, and which had stopped in

between. Victory to Vedanta Deshika who, successfully re-established the

authority and authenticity of ubhaya vedantam and the great Azhwars, with

his unmatched intellect."

 

Swamy Deshikan then composed his magnum opus Srimad Rahasyatrayasaram, and

taught the same to his disciples with Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar being in

the forefront. After having studied this great work at the feet of Deshikan,

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar was fully equipped to lead as a paramacharya of

Ramanuja Sampradayam. It was Sri Ranganatha's divine proclamation then that

Swamy's taniyan "ramanujadayapatram ... ... vedantadeshikam " which shows

his greatness should be sung at temples, homes and at the beginning of

prabandha goshti. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra swamy composed a psalm on his

paramaachaarya Swamy Deshikan that runs as -

 

namaH padamidaM bhUyAttasmai veN^kaTasUraye .

yadvAgamR^itasekena saMjIvitamidaM jagat ..

bhagavantamivAnantakalyANaguNasAgaram .

vedAntadeshikaM naumi veN^kaTeshagurUttamam ..

 

"I bow to the divine feet of that Vedanta Deshika by whose divine words of

wisdom, this dead world came back to life. I bow to the great Vedanta

Deshika who is rich with all auspicious divine attributes like Paramatma

Sriman Narayana."

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Swamy has also sung another psalm in praise of

Swamy Deshikan, when the aadaikaai sambhavanai was offered to him and to all

the Azhwars as per the ordainment of Bhashyakarar, which runs as -

 

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

Swatantrar beamed as a great genius. Swamy Deshikan 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 Deshikan gave him

the title "Parakala" -Destroyer of all other adverse 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

Deshikan 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 Deshikan titled

"Acharyaavataaraghattarthah" wherein the first shlokam runs as -

brahmataMtrasvataMtreNa parakAlayatIndunA .

AryAvatAraghaTTArthaH saMgraheNa prakAshyate ..1..

 

Swamy Deshikan 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 Deshikan 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 Deshikan in the year

1369, while placing his placed his feet on Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar and

his head on Nayanacharya's lap and attained his acharya's thiruvadi. After

Swamy Deshikan attained paramapadam, the head quarters of the mutt remained

at Kanchipuram for some time. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar took over the

entire administration of the Sri Matham at Kanchipuram.

Sri Kumara Varadanatha Nayanacharya, the distinguished son of Swamy Deshikan

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 Deshikan, 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, Deshikan

taniyan and Deshika prabandham during times of anadhyayanam. Sri

Brahmatantra Swatantrar 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 Deshikan'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 given charge of the entire temple

administration. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar then built a new building for

the Sri Matham at Tirupati and shifted the math headquarters to Tirupati in

1379. Sri Lakshmi Hayagrivan presented by Swamy Deshikan was then installed

at the Sri Matham. It soon became a chief propagating center of Ramanuja

Sampradayam. A temple to Swamy Deshikan 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

Deshikan very well. He conducted Vedantic discourses, debates on

philosophical issues, prabandham recitations and many more. He had many

disciples the important ones being - Kidaambi Nayanaar, Ghatikaashatam

Ammal, Komandur Achchaan, Pillai Appai, Perarulaalayyar Appai, Kandhaadai

Andaan, Veeravalli Pillai.

 

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar is present in all the acharya paramparais or

spiritual hierarchies as one of the acharyas.

 

Mantrartha paramparai

Bhagavan Ramanuja, Kidambi Achchaan, Kidambi Ramanujapillan, Kidambi

Rangarajar, Kidambi Appullar, Swamy Deshikan, Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar.

 

Sribhashya paramparai

Bhagavan Ramanuja, Thirukkurugaippiraan Pillan, Engalaazhwan, Nadadoor

Ammal, Kidambi Appullar, Swamy Deshikan, Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar.

 

Bhagavad Vishaya Paramparai

Bhagavan Ramanja, Thirukkurukaippiraan Pillan, Engalaazhwan, Nadadoor Ammal,

Kidambi Appullar, Swamy Deshikan, Kumara Varadacharya, Sri Brahmatantra

Swatantrar.

 

Ghatikaashatam Ammal, grandson of Sri Nadadur Ammal, studied Vedanta at the

feet of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar and composed his taniyan starting with

the same words "Paryaaya Bhashyakaara", used by Sri Swamy Deshikan to praise

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar. It runs as -

"paryAya bhAshyakArAya praNatArtim vidhUnvate | brahmatantraswatantrAya

dvitIya brahmaNE nama: ||"

 

Here at Thirupati, he made the mutt a rallying center of all classes of

people eager to adopt the means of prapatti. The Sri Matham remained here

for a long time. Sri Yaduraaya, who was appointed the dandanayaka, on his

way back to Mysore went to Tirupati on a pilgrimage and acquired the

blessings of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar. He performed samaashrayanam and

prapatti at his feet and requested his acharya to be their Rajaguru. After

seeing the king's dedication to Sri Sampradayam, Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar

accepted his request.

 

Perarulaalayyar Appai was a great scholar in Advaita. He had many shishyas

and once came with them to Kanchipuram for a Vedantic debate with Sri

Brahmatantra Swatantrar. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar won over his opponent

and converted him to a Srivaishnava and made him follow Sri Vishishtadvatha

siddhaanta. He in the course of time made him his successor and crowned him

as Sri Dvitiya Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Maha Deshikan.

 

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar wrote several works, which include

Acharyaavataaraghattarthah, Acharya Mangalam, Vijayendra Parajaya and

Divyasuristuti.

As per the inscriptions at Kanchipuram, Sarvajna Singappa Bhupala was an

Andhra king who ruled over Rajamundhry, honored Kumara Varadacharya and Sri

Brahmatantra Swatantrar and sponsored many of their works and provided them

all the support they needed. At the invitation of Kumara kampanna, Sri

Brahmatantra Swatantrar even toured Karnataka desham and propagated Ramanuja

sampradaayam. At Thirunarayanapuram, which was now a great center of

SriVaishnavam faith on par with Arangam and Kanchipuram, he built a huge

gateway or Rajagopuram (unfinished) The religious line of Vedanta Deshikan

has continued uninterruptedly in this Matham.

 

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Maha Deshikan attained the thiruvadi of his

acharya, Swamy Deshikan in the year 1386, at the age of 100.

 

Yaduraya, after coming back to Mysore, subsequently became the ruler of

Mysore in 1399 ACE and dedicated himself to the task of furthering the

practice of Sri Vaishnavism, as he had already become one of the disciples

of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Swamy.

This connection established between Yaduraaya and Sri Brahmatantra

Swatantrar as the head of the Tirupati shrine is still perpetuated

eternally. The great lamp adorned by the rulers of Mysore, is kept burning

inside the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine at Thirumalai all through these

centuries.

 

shrImat shrI Vedanta deshika samyami sArvabhouma paripUrNA krupA katAksha

labdha sArvajna

shrImat shrI kavikathaka kantheerava charaNa naLina yugaLa vinyasta

samastAtmabhara

shrImat shrI Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Yatindra Maha Deshikaya Namah

 

mangaLam deshikendrAya mahanIya guNAya cha

Chakravarthi tanUjAya sArvabhoumAya mangaLam ||

vAzhi vyAkhyAmuddirak kai !!!

vEdAntasUri charaNau sharaNam prapadye !!!