Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan Vaibhavam - Part III

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Sri:

 

[image][image]

 

 

 

Srimath

Thirukkudanthai

Desikan Sri Gopalarya

Maha Desikan (1700 -

1781)

 

Thirunakshatram:

Purattasi Pooradam

 

 

Thanian

Sri Krishna Desika

Padambuja Brunga rajam

 

Vedantha 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 Vedhantha

gnanam from Vedhantha Lakshmana Muni (Sakshath Swamy). 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.

 

In this concluding posting on Sri Gopalarya Mahadesikan's vaibhavam,

adiyen has attempted to reproduce an excellent comparison of life of two

great Acharyas in our sampradayam, Swami Nigamantha Desikan and Srimath

Thirukkudanthai Desikan also considered as Swami Desikan's avathaaram.

This was written by Sri U.Ve. Navalpakkam Vasudevachariar in an article

titled "Thoopul Vallalum Kudanthai Vallalum" and was published in March

2001 issue of Sri Ranganatha Paduka. Any mistakes in this writeup is

solely adiyen's and adiyen seeks your pardon before hand.

 

Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan is considered an aparaavatharam of Swami

Nigamantha Desikan. This can be realized by seeing the similarities

between these two great Acharya Maha purushas.

 

1. Sri Thoopul Desikan is Thiruvengadamudayan's Gantaavathaaram whereas

Sri Thirukkudanthai Desikan is Thiruvinnagarappan's Gantaavathaaram.

Lords of Thiruvinnagarappan and Thiruvengadamudayan are also specially

related since Thiruvinnagarappan is considered as the aparaavathaaram of

Thiruvengadamudaiyan. Similarly the Gantavatharam of Thiruvinnagarappan

(Thirukkudanthai Desikan) is an aparaavathaaram of the Gantaavathaarm of

Thiruvengadamudayan (Swami Desikan).

 

2. Thiruvengadamudayan's Thirumani Azhwar had garba vaasam for 12 years

and then had an avatharam as Swami Desikan whereas Thiruvinnagarappan's

Thirumani Azhwar had garba vaasam for 12 months and then had an

avatharam as Thirukkudanthai Desikan.

 

3. Swami Desikan's avathaaram was in the month of Purattasi (Thiruvonam)

and avathara samaapanam was in the month of Kaarthigai (Pournami

thithi). Thirukkudanthai Desikan 's avatharam was also in the same month

of Purattasi (Pooradam) and samaapanam also in the same month Karthigai

(Krishna Sashti thithi) as Swami Desikan.

 

4. Swami Desikan's maathru gothram (mother's side) is Athreya gothram

whereas Sri Thirukkudanthai Desikan's gothram is Athreya gothram. Also

Sri Thirukkudanthai Desikan is a direct and 15th descendant of Appullar

who was Swami Desikan's uncle and also His acharya.

 

5. The avathaaram of Swami Desikan, who was immersed in Kaliyan's

(Thirumangai Azhwar) works ("Kaliyan urai kudi konda karuthudaiyon

vazhiye!" ) was foretold by Kaliyan himself in a prabhandham, Similarly

the avathaaram of Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan, who was immersed in

Swami Desikan's works, was foretold by Swami Desikan Himself as

reincarnation in Rahasyatraya Saaram as

 

Bhavati Daivaat Kaschit Kaschid Vivasritaamaha |

Sad Vartaneem Anuvidaasyati Saaswatham Naha ||

 

6. Lord Hayagreeva graced both the Acharyaas and blessed them to perform

kainkaryam to our sampradayam with their works and pravachanam. Both the

acharyaas had Lord Hayagreevan as their Aradhana moorthy.

 

7. Swami Desikan composed Sri Bhagavath Dhyana Sopanam on Lord

Ranganatha and enjoyed singing Lord's beauty from His feet to the crown

on Lord's head. Sri Thirukkudanthai Desikan composed Sri

Aparyaabhdaamrutha Sopanam on Lord Aravamudhan of Thirukkudanthai and

enjoyed singing His beauty similarly from Lord's feet to head.

 

8. The title of "Vedantaachaariar" was given by Lord Ranganathan to

Swami Desikan. Swami Desikan's works like Adhikarana Saraavali and other

granthams proved that he befits this title conferred on him. Similarly

the title of "Thirukkudanthai Desikan" was given to Gopalarya

Mahadesikan by Lord Aravamudhan of Thirukkudanthai. Sri Thirukkudanthai

Desikan's sampradaya works like Ahnikam, Nikshepa Chintamani, Uthara

Saaraaswadini proved that he befits this title.

 

9. Swami Desikan who was in gruhastaashramam had three yathivaras as his

main sishyas namely Brahmatantra Svathanthra Jeeyar, Prabhaakara Jeeyar

and Vennai Kootha Jeeyar. Similarly while Thirukkudanthai Desikan was a

gruhasta, three yathivaras namely Vazhuthoor Andavan Sri Vedantha

Ramanuja Mahadesikan, Sri Ranganatha Mahadesikan and Sri Srinivasa

Mahadesikan became his sishyas.

 

10. Both were great acharyas in spreading our sath sampradayam. When

differences in interpretation of Sri Bhasyakarar's teachings cropped up,

Swami Desikan straigtened it and removed the mis-interpretations through

his many works and established Sri Visishtaadvaidham as taught by Sri

Bhasyakarar on firm grounds. Similarly when interpretational differences

cropped up even within Desika Sampradyam, Sri Thirukkudanthai Desikan

established it on firm grounds through his various works and established

matams and appointed his sishyas as acharyaas to propagate the Srimath

Naathamuni, Srimath Yaamuna Muni, Srimath Ramanuja muniroopa Munithraya

sath sampradayam.

 

 

Other highlights on Swami Desikan's avathaaram as Srimath

Thirukkudanthai Desikan

 

1. Swami Desikan was born more than 100 years after Sri Ramanuja's

period. Nevertheless Swami Desikan expressed his longing to be direct

disciple of Sri Ramanuja in his works like Sankalpa Sooryodayam. To have

his wish fulfilled, Swami Desikan had avatharam as Thirukkudanthai

Desikan and became a sishya of Sri Ramanuja's avatharam Sri Saakshaath

Swami. He was called Saakshaath swami as his sishyas used to wonder if

he was Saakshaath Ramanuja himself and was also born on the same day as

Sri Ramanuja (Chithirai Thiruvadirai). Could there be any doubt that Sri

Ramanuja was naturally very pleased to have Swami Desikan as his direct

disciple in their punar-avatharams as Saakshaath Swami and

Thirukkudanthai Desikan and together both the great Acharyas spread our

sampradauam.

 

2. Swami Desikan composed many sthothras on Lords of many divya desams.

But he did not compose any sthothram on Lord Aravamudhan who gave us

back the 4000 Divyaprabhandham. To have this wish fullfilled, he had an

avatharam again as Thirukkudanthai Desikan and composed

Aparayabdhaamrutha Sopanam.

 

3. Emperuman Sri Ramanuja wrote short compositions like the Gadya Trayam

to describe the Saranagathi principles. Swami Desikan expounded on all

of Sri Ramanuja's works and composed detailed works like Sacharithra

Raksha granthas. Similarly Sri Ramanuja's avathaaram Sri Saakshaath

swami wrote short compositions like Nyaya Vidya Darpanam. Later, Swami

Desikan's avathaaram Sri Thirukkudanthai Desikan, expounded on it and

composed more detailed works like Nikshepa Rakshai and Ahnika grantha.

 

Srimathe Ranga Ramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha:

Srimathe Gopalarya Mahadesikaya Namaha:

Srimathe Nigamantha Mahadesikaya Namaha:

 

dasan,

Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi,

Shyamsundar Sreenivasan