Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan (1700 - 1781) Vaibhavam - Part II

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(contd from Part I posting on Oct 13, 2002)

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Sri:

 

[image]

 

 

 

Srimath

Thirukkudanthai

Desikan Sri Gopalarya

Maha Desikan (1700 -

1781)

 

Thirunakshatram:

Purattasi Pooradam

 

 

Thanian

Sri Krishna Desika

Padaambuja Brunga

raajam

Vedaantha lakshmana

munindra kripatha

bodham

Thraiantha desika

yatheendra satari

moorthim

Gopala desika

sikamanim Aasrayamaha

 

Meaning of Thanian: Like a bee, which goes after the lotus for nectar,

He went after the feet of Sri Krishna Desikan (who was his Father) and

had his Pancha Samskaram and Veda Adyanam under him. He absorbed

Vedantha gnanam from Vedantha Lakshmana Muni (Sakshath Swami). He is an

embodiment of three great acharyas Swami Desikan, Sri Ramanuja and Swami

Nammazhwar. We seek refuge and prostrate such a great acharya Srimath

Gopalarya Maha Desikan.

 

The three Yatheeswaras:

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:

 

1. Sri Srinivasa Maha Desikan of Cheyyanam on the banks of

Tamirabarani river

2. Sri Ranganatha Maha Desikan of Vathiraairuppu, Thirumaliruncholai

near Madurai

3. Sri Vedantha Ramanuja Maha Desikan of Vazhuthur, a small village

near Thirukkudanthai

 

The three Yatheeswaras who had taken up Thureeyasramam seperately

followed the command of the Lord and proceeded to Thirukkudanthai. They

met each other at Lord Aravamudhan sannidhi (like the first three alwars

Poigai azhwar, Peyazhwar and Boodhathazhwar meeting at Thirukovilur) and

exchanged their bhagavadh anubhavam in their dreams and the bhagavadh

Aagnya for which, they had come to Thirukkudanthai. After performing

mangalasaasanam to Lord Amudhan, they reached Thirukkudanthai Desikan's

Ashramam. At that time, Sri Thirukkudanthai Desikan was performimg

sidhantha pravachanam on "Srutha Prakasika". The three yatheeswaras

performed saashtanga pranams at the holy feet of swami and requested him

to accept them as his sishyas and teach them sampradhaya granthas by

upadesa anushtanam.

 

Swami felt extremely glad at their presence and blessed them with his

acharya kataaksham. He told them that he is already aware of the purpose

of their visit and the bhagavadh niyamanam is for him to accept them as

his sishyas. Swami told them that they must do gurukula vaasam for

atleast six months as per saastras, before doing sidhaantha pravachanam.

They replied "anugraha daasa" and stayed with Thirukkudanthai swami.

They were performing all the kainkaryams at his hermitage with

reverence. It was a very rare and unusual phenomenon that the three

sanyasis were performing kainkaryams to a Gruhastha. After six months of

gurukula vaasam they prayed the Acharya with the sloka from Gita

(Chapter II - 7)

 

kaarpanya dOshOpahatha svabhAvaha

pruchchAmi tvAm Dharma sammoodachEthAha

yathchrEya: syAth nischitham broohi thanmE

sishyasthEham shAdhi mAm tvam prapannam"

 

Meaning: My true nature has been corrupted by my weaknesses. I am asking

you to tell me what is best for me. Now I am your disciple, and a soul

surrendered unto you. You know what is good for me. Please instruct me !

(Arjuna's plea to Lord Krishna).

 

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,

 

1. Srinivasa Maha Desikan who was an amsam of Nathamuni, was dedicating

his upasana on meditation. He also gave bhagavath vishaya kalakshebam to

a very few sishyas.

 

2. Sri Ranganatha Maha Desikan: an amsaboodhar of Yamuna muni was doing

sampradhaya pravachanam to a few sishyas on Sri Bhashya vishesha artha

anusanthanam.

 

3. Sri Vedantha Ramanuja Maha Desikan (Srimath Vazhuthur Andavan) who

was an amsam of Sri Bhashyakkarar, was doing ubhaya vedantha pravachanam

to a lot of sishyas. Through this swami, munithraya sampradhyam grew

like a big banyan tree with many branches, the prominent among them are

Srimath Srirangam Aandavan Periasramam and Srimad Srirangam

Poundarikapuram Aandavan Aasraman, Navalpakkam Acharya parampara,

Aandikadu, Kedandippatti, Thenkanikkottai, and many swayamacharya

purushas.

 

Kara-sparsa Kainkaryam

During the time of renovation and samprokshanam of Sri Aparyabdhamrithan

temple, among the various scholars of all the three sidhanthas present,

Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan was given the bhagavdh niyamanam to do

Karasparsa Kainkaryam (sanctification of the divya mangala vigraha of

the Lord by touching by ones hands and embrasing the vigraha). He

accepted the Niyamanam of Lord Amudhan and prostrated the divya

dhampathis for their Kripaadhisayam and performed kara sparsa kainkaryam

for divya mangala vigraha moorthy of Aravamudha Perumal and Komalavalli

Thaayar.

 

Mangalasaasanam of Divya Desams

Thirukkudanthai Desikan had a desire to do mangalasaasanam of

divyadesams at north. Along with the three yatheeswaras and other

gruhastasrama sishyas, he visited Veeranarayanapuram, Srimushnam,

Thirukoilur, Kanchi and Thiruvengadam. From the hills of Thiruvengadam,

he prostrated towards the northern direction for the divyadesams at

Mathura, Ayodhya, Dwaraka, Badrikasram, Sri Koorma Mangalagiri and

Simmachalam. He then visited Thiruvellur, Thiruneermalai,

Thiruvahindapram and all other divya desams from Thiruchithrakoodam to

Therazhundoor and finally came back to Thirukudanthai and offered

prayers at Aravamudhan sannidhi. Sri Thirukkudanthai Desikan swami

performed many kainkaryams at the Aravamudhan sannidhi. He offered many

divyabharanam (jewels) to the Lord. Also he erected a temple and tower

for Swami Vedantha Desikan within the Aravamudhan temple premises.

 

Thureeyasramam

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 1783 Karthigai month- Krishna sashti

(1781 Nov/Dec) Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan breathed his last at

Thirukkudanthai and reached Thirunaadu.

 

(To be concluded with a Part III with a comparison of the Life of Swami

Desikan and Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan)

 

Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi,

Shyamsundar Sreenivasan