Andavan Ashramam Acharya Guru Parampara - 4

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Sri:

Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha:

 

Acharya parampara (rahasya parampara) of Srimath Andavan periAshramam

continues in this posting starting with GOpAlArya mahA dEsikan.

29. GOPALARYA MAHA DESIKAN—MUNITHRAYA SAMPRADHAYA PRAVARTHAKAR

Purattasi-Pooradam is the thirunakshatram of Srimath Thirukkudanthai

Desikan (1700 - 1781) also known as GopAlArya MahAdEsikan. He is an

important Acharya in the Munithraya sampradayam. His thanian reads as

 

Sri Krishna dEsika PadAmbuja Brunga rAjam VEdAntha lakshmana

muneeindra kripatha bOtham Thraiantha dEesika yatheendra satAri

moorthim Gopala dEsika sikAmanim Aasrayamaha

Srimathe Gopalarya Mahadesikaya Namaha

Sri Gopala Desikan was born in Aathreya gothram in Sri Appullar's

Vamsam (Swami Desikan's maternal uncle). The kootasthar of this

Vamsam Sri Kidambi Aachaan (also known as madaippalli Aachaan) was

doing the Madaippalli kainkaryam to Sri Ramanuja. Thirukkudanthai

Gopala Desikan was the direct and fifteenth descendant of Appullar.

Swami's Avatharam took place in Vikrama Varusham (1700) purattasi

madham, pooradam star, sukla paksham, navami thithi in dhanur lagnam.

Swami received his pancha samaskaram and veda adhyanam from his father

Sri Krishna Suri. From his father, he also learnt tharkam, vyakaranam,

meemamsam, Divya Prabhandham, Desika Prabhandham & Sthothra paatams of

Sri NigamAntha MahA dEsikan and became an erudite scholar.

Sri Gopala Desikan requested Saakshaath swami to bless him and take

him as a sishya. Saakshath swami, after testing his gnanam,

anushtanam and bhakthi was immensely pleased and blessed him and

accepted him as his sishya. Sri Gopala Desikan studied Srimath

Rahasyathraya Saaram, Sri Bhaashyam, Geethaa Bhaashyam, Sri

Paancharaathra Prabruthi, Anushtaana Granthas, Sruthaprakaasikaa,

Thaathparya Chandrikaa, Sathadooshani, Thathva mukthaa kalaabaa,

Nyasavidyaa Darpana and Sri Thathva Sidhanjanam under the holy feet

of Saakshaath swami. Saakshath swami instructed Sri Gopala Desikan to

learn Bhagavath Vishayam from his Satheerthar and disciple Sri Paduka

Sevaka Ramanuja muni, who had learnt 24 Ayirappadi earlier from Sri

Saakshath swami. As instructed, Sri Gopala dEsikan studied Bhagavath

Vishayam from Padhuka Sevaka Ramanuja muni and became a scholar in

that too, and requested Sri Saakshaath swami for Bharasamarpanam.

Saakshaath swami was very much

pleased at his request and perfromed Prapatti for Sri Gopala Desikan

at the sacred feet of Lord Sri Ranganatha through Acharya nishtai.

When he offered prayers with AparyabdhAmritha Dhyana slokam to Lord at

Thirukkudanthai. Lord Aravamudhan appeared through archakar and

granted the name Thirukkudanthai Desikan

Other works of swami are Ahniga Grantham, Sri Desika sahasranamam,

Nikshepa Chinthamani also known as Saranaagathi Saasthra Vivaranam,

Sangraha Vyaakyaanams for Kanninun Siruththambu, Thiruppallandu, Sri

Jayanthi Nirnayam, Aparyabdhamritha Dhyana sopanam on Araavamudhan

(similar to Bhagavath Dhyana sopanam of Swami Desikan on Lord

Ranganatha) One day Lord Aparyabdhamudhan appeared in the dream of

Thirukudanthai Desikan and told him that three yatheeswas, the Amsa

avatharams of Sri Nathamuni, Sri Alavanthar, and Sri Bashyakarar will

come and request him to take them as his sishyas and instructed him to

accept them as his sishyas and teach them the Munithraya

sath-sampradayam, the sampradayam passed down by three munis namely

Nathamuni, Yamunamuni and Ramanuja Muni. Similarly Lord appeared in

the dream of the three swamis also, and told them to take up

Thureeyasramam and become sishyas of Thirukkudanthai Desikan swami.

The three swamis were:

Sri Srinivasa Maha Desikan of Cheyyanam on the banks of Tamirabarani

river Sri Ranganatha Maha Desikan of Vathiraairuppu,

Thirumaliruncholai near Madurai Sri Vedantha Ramanuja Maha Desikan of

Vazhuthur, a small village near Thirukkudanthai. Thirukkudanthai

Desikan swami took all three of them as his sishyas and taught them

all the granthas through upadesams and kalakshebams. One day during

Adhyayanothsavam Sarrumurai time when swami, along with the three

sishyas did mangalasaasanam at Amudhan sannidhi, Lord Amudhan through

Archamukam, awarded the thirunamam "MUNITHRAYA SAMPRADHAYA

PRAVARTHAKAR" to Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan. Swami accepted it

with humility saying, "Naayindhen, DhanyOsmi". Swami instructed the

yatheeswaras to do sampradhaya pravachanam from their respective

places. The yatheeswaras returned back to their villages. Of these

yatheeswaras,

Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan led a life of Acharya in

gruhasthashrama for almost all of his life like Swami Desikan. He

took up sanyasam at the age of 81 years (In Plava year 1781,

Karthigai month on Pushya star-Krishna panchami) with the name

Aparyabdhaamridha Maha Desikan. The very next day, in Plava varusham

Karthigai month- Krishna sashti (1781 Nov/Dec) Srimath

Thirukkudanthai Desikan breathed his last at Thirukkudanthai and

adorned Thirunadu

30. Vazhuthur Andavan-VEdhantha Ramanuja Maha Desikan

Thirunakshatram: Aavani PoorattAdhi

Thanian: GOpaala dEsika pathaabhja madhuvrathasya Pragnyaa

virakhthi karuNaa muKHa sath guNaabhDHe: VEdaantha lakshmana munE

sritha BHaagha DHEyam Paadhaara vindha yugaLam sharanam prapadhyE

Vazhuthur Andavan - was born in the month of Avani with Pooratadhi as

his nakshathram in the tamil year Rudrothkari ( 1744-1745 AD) to

Srinivasachar in Vazhuthur.

He took sanyAsam from the then Paduka Sevaka Ramanuja Maha Desikan,

and became a fitting successor to Sri Thirukkudanthai Desikan with

the name Srimad VEdhantha Ramanuja Maha Desikan also called as

Vazhuthur Andavan and lived in a small hut on the southern bank of

coleroon doing sidhantha pravachanam at srirangam.

Many bhagavathas became sishyas of Srimath Vazhuthur Vedhantha

Ramanuja Maha Desikan during these pravachanams. It is told that Sri

Gopalarya Maha Desikan blessed Vazhuthur swamy that "Neeray num

sampradhaayathai Aala vandha Andavan" meaning you alone are going to

guard, rule and spread our sampradhaayam". From that day he was known

to be called as Vazhuthur Andavan and sampradhaayam was called as

Srimath Aandavan Asramam Sampradhaayam. From Him, sampradhaayam

spreaded through his disciples to many branches. Prominent among them

are as follows:

Srinivasa Ramanuja Maha Desikan - Thiruthuraipoondi Andavan also known

as Vilakkudi andavan (Andavan asramam)

Annarya Maha Desikan - also known as Navalpakkam Swamy who was in

gruhasthasramam spreading sampradhayam at Thirukkudanthai,

Thiruvaheendapuram and Navalpakkam.

Vangipuram Vedhantha Ramanuja Maha desikan (Aandikadu Swamy in Srirangam)

Through these 3 acharyas who were sishyas of Srimath Vazhuthur

Andavan, the sampradhaayam has spread to a very great extent like a

big banyan tree.

In the next posting, adiyEn will continue with the history of achAryAs

starting with Srimath Thirutthuraippoondi Andavan.

Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi

Perungadambanur Parthasarathy Sreenivasan

(of Besant Nagar)

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