Andavan Ashramam Acharya Guru Parampara - 2

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Sri:

Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha:

A correction in the previous posting kindly pointed out by one

bhAgavathA. In mentioning Sri Ramanuja’s works, adiyen had a typo in

mentioning VedArtha Sangraham. It was incorrectly typed as Vedanta

Sangraham. Please note the correction. It is VedArtha Sangraham.

The first part posted two days back adiyen covered the Acharya

Paramparai from our Prathama acharyan Sriman Narayanan till Sri

Ramanuja, our Darsana sthApakar. Second part of this series on

Rahasya Parampara continues in this posting starting from Sri

Ramanuja’s disciple PranathArthiharan till Swami Desikan.

10. Pranatharthiharan

Avathara Sthalam - Kanchipuram

Aatreya Gotra Sambhootham AasrayE sritha Vatsalam | Yateendram

AahAnAsikam PranathArthiharam Gurum ||

He is also known as KidAmbi AchAn. He was born in the month of

chithirai with Hastham as his birth star in AthrEya gothram at

Perumal koil. He was a very devout and close sishya at the holy feet

of Sri Ramanujar and earned the titles "VedAntha Udhayana Acharyar"

and "Madapalli AchAn".

The sincerity, perfect discipline, implicit obedience, ardent love and

respect that he had towards his Acharya earned him the opportunity of

offering Biksha and Madukaram to Sri Ramanuja, his master. Sri

Ramanuja blessed Kidambi AchAn with and all the rahasya meanings of

Vishistadvaida granthas and Hayagreeva upasanA. Kidambi AchAn

strictly adhering to Sri Hayagreeva Aradhana, became the rahasyArtha

Pravarthakar to his disciples.

11. AthrEya rAmAnujar

Aatreya Gotraambudhi Poorna Chandram

Aachaara YukthaAatma Gunopapannaam |

Nathaarthi Hridh Desika Ratna Soonum

Raamanujaarya Gurum Aasrayaamah ||

He was born to PranarthArthiharan in the month of chithirai with

Arudra as his birth star. He had studied sampradhaya granthas at the

holy feet of his father and imparted the sacred meanings to his son

AthrEya Rangaraja Pillan.

 

12. AthrEya Rangaraja Pillan

RAmAnujArya Thanayam ramaniya vEsham

Aatreyam Atma Guna Poornam anarga seelam |

Sri RangarAjamiva Tad DayayAvatheernam

Sri RangarAja Guru varyam Aham Prapadhye ||

 

He was born to AthrEya rAmAnujar in the month of Panguni with Rohini

as his birth star. He had his vidyAbyasam under the tutelage of his

illustrious father AthrEya rAmAnujar and imparted the religious

teachings to his son, AppuLLar who was also called vAdhi

hamsAmbhuvAhAchariAr.

 

13. Kidambi AppullAr (Kidambi Ramanujachar) (1221 to 1295 CE)

YasmAd asmAbhirEthadh yathipathi kathitha prAkthana prakri yOdyath

Karma brahmAvamarsa prabhava bahupalam sArthamagrAhi shAstram

Tham vishwakbhEda vidyA sthithipada vishaya sthEya bhootham

Prabhootham vandE Aathreya rAmAnuja gurumanagam vAdhi hamsAmbhuvAham

 

He was the prime disciple of NadAdur ammAl, and born in the year

vikrama , in the month of chithirai with arudhra as his birth star to

Rangaraja pillan in AthrEya gothram.

He studied Sri Bashyam, Geetha bashyam and Bhagavath vishyam from his

guru Nadadur Ammal. He studied Rahasya thraya saram from his father

Rangaraja Pillan. He was adorned with the title "VAdhi hamsambuvAhar"

meaning one who wins over his vadhis in establishing sampradhaya

siddhantham. He had a sister by name Thothathamba, who was later

married to Anatha suri (Swami Desikan’s father). He was the maternal

uncle and AchArya of our illustrious Swami Desikan.

 

14. Sri Vedantha Desikar (1268 to 1369 CE)

AvathAra sthalam: Thoopul, Kanchipuram

SrimAn vEnkata nAthAryaha kavitharkika kEsari |

VEdanthacharya varyOme sannidhaththAm sadA hrudhi ||

Swami Desikan was born in the month of Purattasi, in the vibhava year

according to Tamil Almanac in the nakshathra was Shravanam, the

sacred nakshatram of ThiruvenkatamudayAn. The infant was given the

name Venkatanathan by his parents, Anathasuri and Thotharamba.

Samskaras or ceremonies like Jatakarma, Namakarana, anna prAsana and

shauLa were all conducted to the boy, by their parents at appropriate

years. Venkatanatha grew up in the atmosphere of devotion to Bhagavan

and his bhakthas.

It was a memorable day in the life of Venkatanatha at the age of five.

His uncle Appullar took him to the temple of Varadaraja where his

Acharya Nadadur Ammal was expounding Sri Bhashya to his disciples.

The disciples, who were so much absorbed in the appearance of the

boy, forgot the trend of the lesson. When asked by NadAdur Ammal to

his disciples where he left the kAlakshebham, the young boy, with the

permission of the teacher Kidambi AppuLLAr lisped out the words to the

surprise of all. Nadadur Ammal was so much pleased by the boy’s

intelligence that he blessed him with long life, great knowledge, and

worldwide reputation.

At the age of 7, Upanayanam was conducted for venkatanathan. From that

time Appullar took charge of the education of the boy Venkatanathan.

Venkatanathan was initiated with Sri Vainateya manthra by his uncle,

who began teaching sasthras and the vedas. He also studied Tarka and

Mimamsa and acquired mastery over other systems of philosophies. Due

to the constant meditation on Lord Hayagreeva, Lord Hayagreeva was

pleased and bestowed Venkatanathan the great virtue of nectar of

knowledge..

When he was residing at Kanchi, His unique gifts of poetics and

dialectics earned him the name of Kavitharkika simham. His

sovereignty in the field Vedantha earned him the title of

Vedanthacharya. His sishyas called him Swami Desikan. He channeled

all his varied powers, to establish Sri Ramanujas systems on firm and

secure foundations, rendering it ever impregnable to adverse attacks.

Swamy Desikan has authored over a hundred works in number both

Sanskrit and Tamil. Sthothra granthas (28), Kavya granthas (4),

Natakam(1), Vedhantha Granthas (14), VyAkyA granthas (8), Anushtana

granthas (2), Rahasya Granthas(32) and Tamil Prabhandams (32). He

composed one work in PrAkrutham (Achuya Sayayam) on Lord Devanathan

of Tiruvaheendrapuram. His magnum opus in Manipravala is

RahasyathrayasAra. Brahmathanthra Swathanthrar and Kumara Varadharya

were prominent among his disciples.

In the next posting we wll continue from Sri Brahmathanthra Swathanthra Swami.

 

Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi

Perungadambanur Parthasarathy Sreenivasan (Besant Nagar)Dasan sreenivasan

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