Andavan Ashramam Acharya Guru Parampara - 4

[Guest guest]

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)