Is this true??

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

Sri VEdAntAchAryar is one of the most beloved achAryAs for both Ramanuja

Sampradaya, as well as dEsika sampradaya followers. For me personally, he is

one of the greatest geniuses ever to have set foot on this planet. He is the

avAtAram of the gaNTA (bell) of Lord Srinivasa Himself, he tolled the bell of

Knowledge, Bhakthi, Humility, and many more qualities and the strong sound of

that bell is still ringing in our glorious sampradAyA!! His satha dhUshani tore

the concept of advaithA apart - akin to what periyAzhwAr said ("pEsuvAn pugil

nambara manrE"), endless would be the duration if one starts talking about the

glories of Swami VedAntAchAryar.

 

Having said that, it pains me when one starts to trivialize Swami

vEdAntAchaAryar with incorrect information and childish stories. I eagerly read

the biography of Swami vEdAntAchaAryar by Sri Anbil Ramaswamy in the following

website:

 

http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/mirrors/swamydesika.tripod.com/life.html

 

*digression*: With all due respects, the title "U Ve" is attributed to a person,

only after he undergoes rigorous training on VedAntAs and Bhagawad Vishayam

under an AchaArya in the KAlakshebam style - for example, he should be an

expert in the Nivya Prabandham with along with having an indepth knowledge of

poorvAchAryAs' works". Let us please not trivialize this hard-to-earn title.

*end digression*

 

The facts I had studied and heard from acharyas have been modified and changed.

The experience was quite unusual, as i got the feeling that Sri Anbil Swamin

wanted to take away=>due credits attributed to Thirumangai Azhvar for starting

the Adyayana Utsavam,=>due credits attributed to Swami RamAnujar for he revived

and put the sampradaya on a firm footing and=>any glories attributed to the

other great acharyas in the same lineage.

 

I was shocked to look at the contents of the website. Instead of glorifying

Swami VEdAntAchAryar, Sri Anbil Swamin has let the AchAryA down as a childish

poet hankering for fame, worse, they have also shown MahA vidwAns and AchAryAs

in very poor light. Let me quote a few and pose my queries subsequently:

 

Quote >> 16) Once a band of Maayaa Vaadhis landed in Srirangam for a debate

condemning Ramanuja Darsanam. Periya Vaachaan Pillai, Pillai Lokaachaarya and

others resorted to the Grand old Master Sudarsana Bhattar for advice. Sudarsana

Bhattar said that it was only Swami Desika who could save the situation and

caused a letter to be sent to Kanchi inviting Thooppul Pillai to face the

opponents. Swami immediately set forth to Srirangam but on the way he halted at

Sriprumpudur and prayed to Yathirajar and composed the famous Yathiraja

Saptadhi.

 

(15) Periya Vaachaan Pillai requested Swami to compose a shorter version

explaining the essence of Prapatti Saastras. Accordingly, Swami composed Nyaasa

Vimsati, Nyaasa Tilakam and Nyaasa Dasakam.

 

>> End quote

There are no limits to the glory and depth of Knowledge of Swami Periya AchAn

Pillai (PVP). His guru, the great Nampillai received knowledge from the

greatest Advaitin-turned Sri VaishnavA, Nanjeeyar. And what can I say about

Swami Pillai LOkAchAryar,the greatest genius ever!! His genius - like the

American slang goes, "taking it to the streets", next to RAmAnujA, he was the

achAryA who broke the shambles of limiting Knowledge only to the Brahamanas and

elevating everybody to the status of VaishavAs. Swami VilAnchOlai PiLLai was an

ezhavA by birth, and his interactions with Swami PL would bring tears to one's

eyes. Better, Swami PL did all these in accordance to the sAstrAs - such was

his depth of understanding.

 

Let us even disregard the paragraph above and talk common sense. There is UTTER

ANACHRONISM in the article above. The greatest VyAkyAna Chakravarthi Swami PVP

was born in the year 1167 AD and lived for 95 years, and Swami VEdAntAchAryar

was born in the year 1268 AD. Swami PVP was a contemporary of Swami Vadakku

Thiruveedhippillai, who was the father of Swami PL. Now, UNLESS THE CONCEPT OF

TIME TRAVEL BEING USED, WOULD THE ABOVE MENTIONED EVEN BE POSSIBLE??? I would

like to know the source of this piece of information.

 

Next,

Quote: >> Azhagiya Manavaala Naayanaar, brother of Pillai Lokachaarya and our

Swami went to worship Lord Ranganatha. The Naayanaar was captivated by the feet

of the Lord and wanted to compose a Stotra praising the same. Our Swami felt

that the Divya Mani Paadukaas of the Lord were equally captivating and offered

to compose a Stotram on the Sandals of the Lord. before daybreak the next day.

But, he had slept almost till the small hours of the morning of the appointed

day. When there was hardly a couple of hours to go before sunrise, the agitated

disciples woke him up to remind him of his promise. Instantly, he commenced

pouring out with bewildering rapidity an epic 'Paaduka Sahasram' and completed

it well before daybreak. The 1,000 verses of this epic is an example of

literary excellence and lofty thoughts- a wonderful masterpiece of how a single

subject like the sandals could be expressed in so many different ways and yet

hold up the imagination and interest of

the audience! >> End quote

 

What??????

 

Swami Azhagiya ManavALa nAyanAr (AMN) was the AchAryA who has given one of the

best commentaries of ThiruvAimozhi called AchAryA Hrdayam. I don't have to

mention about the depth of knowledge of this great AchArya. Having written the

great commentary on TiruvAimozhi, he sure would not have missed the pasurams

"neduMArku adimai seivEn pOl..", which talk solely about the importance of

bhAgavathAs. Could Swami AMN even resort to these kinds of immature

challenges!! Or even if he did, would Desikar, who also gave the excellent

Sanskrit commentary on the same TiruvAimozhi even accept a childish challenge

from another BhagavAthA?? The above mentioned incident totally denigrates both

the AchAryAs!!!! Oh my God!!!

 

Kindly wake up and smell the coffee, or maybe, wake up and smell the sathumadhu, Anbil Swamin!!!

 

Quote >> Similarly, a poet by name Dindima (14c AD) - a junior contemporary of

Swami challenged him to write an epic poem to match his work entitled " Rama

abhyudhayam". He wrote 'Yadhava abhyudhayam'- a poem of exquisite beauty which

was praised by one and all and especially Appayya Dikshitar of Advaitha

darsanam & yet an ardent admirer of Swami Desikan >> End quote

How can he portray Swami VedAntAchAryar as a silly kavi who would get into these

kinds of mundane poetical challenges?? A rationalist could ask - "How could an

AchAryA who talks about Prapatti get into these kinds of mundane duels??" How

can anybody even insult our great AchAryAr (Simma Guru), who wrote the great

Satha Dushani that tore the mindset of the advaitins?? Who wrote the great DayA

Satakam which squeezes bhakti into even the layman's heart?? How can anybody

even think that such an AchAryA would even get into these kinds of poetical

challenges?? Beats me!!!

Quote>> Returning to Kanchipuram, he performed the Atma Raksha Bhara Samarpanam

and composed Nyasa Dasakam, Varadaraja Panchasath etc. in Sanskrit and

Adaikkalap Pathu, Artha Panchakam etc., in Tamil. >> End quoteWhom all did he

perform BharanyAsam to?? Are there any pramanas/evidences of the same, I would

like to know.

Quote>> (3) Pillai Lokaachaarya, the doyen of Tenkalai Sampradaayam lavished a

praise on Swami Desika that " For a person who desires to ascend up to the

Heavens, even a single statement of the great Acharya , Tooppul

Tiuvenkadamudaiyan ( Vedanta Desika ) uttered by him for the benefit of

humanity would be sufficient to lift him up to his desired goal "Seeronru

Tooppul Tiruvenkata mudaiyan Par onra chonna pazhamozhiyul | OronRu thane

Amaiyado Dharaniyil Vazhvorkku Vanerap Pomalavum Vazhvu ||"

It is really intriguing to find that when all these leaders of the stature of

Brahma Tantra Swatantrar and Pillai Lokaachaarya, have been honest in their

approbation and lavish in their praise of this towering personality, some

people try to totally black out any reference to Swami Vedanta Desika (while

dwelling on Guru Parampara) as if he never existed or if he did, he was a

persona- non- grata.

>> End Quote

There are clear historical evidences that split VedAntAchAryA's life to two -

before meeting Swami PL and after meeting Swami PL, for example writing the

"Muni Vaahana Bhogam" - relating to the change of his heart. One can observe

the differences in the philosophy presented in the AchAryA's writings. Infact,

Desikar wrote the "LOkAchArya Panchasat" in praise of Swami PL, which is being

recited at Melkote even today, It is indeed sad they distort history in order

to glorify our beloved Swami VedAntAchAryar, who is also our AchAryan in the

Ramanuja sampradayam. We honor Swami VedAntAchAryar no less, one can see Swami

Desikar blessing us in Thirvellikeni, supposedly a "Thenkalai" hotspot. Let me

not talk about the case of Desikar in Sri Rangam, it is a sad sad situation

that the true Desikan vigraha is hiding somewhere. What is more important?

Swami VEdAntAchAryar?? or his ThirumaN???

 

Infact, the article was referred to be my Desika SampradayA friend, and we both

had a hearty laugh at this, before I decided that I should atleast let my

fellow Sri Vaishnava friends about what is being done by these kinds of so

called "U Ve"s who, sitting in the US and writing factually incorrect messages

in the name of AchArya abhimAnam. Forget Nirgetuka/Sahetuka, or even

Advaita/Vishistadwaita. Any cognizant man even with a modicum of common sense

would ridicule the article written above.

 

What next, the British invaded India and Swami Desikan won the Indian

independence??? , or Swami Desikan discovered the uncertainty principle before

Heisenberg plagiarised the same??

I am sorry, I have the atmost reverence for my friends from the Desika

SampradayA, but they should not encourage their "U Ve"s get on to the edges of

fanaticism and write factually incorrect articles. I am not stating this as a

"Thenkalai Iyengar". Swami VedAntAchAryar and his works are universal

properties, let us not reduce him down to a "only forVadakalai" AchAryan.

AchArya abhimAnam shouldn't become gross exaggeration. Even though I know the

greatness of Desikar has no limits, the common, cognizant man would question

his greatness for people cook up stories to glorify the greatness of Swami

Desikan.

 

Perhaps Anbil Swamin could learn from eminent Sri Vaishnavas like Sri V.

Sadagopan or Sri Sadagopan Iyengar or Mani Varadarjan about how best to express

AchArya abhimAnA without disrespecting other AchAryAs. The greatness of any

AchArya is not inversely proportional to the greatness of others. For example,

this is what Sri Mani wrote about Swami VEdAntAchAryar a few years ago:

 

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/sep99/0114.html

 

Whatever.

 

Adiyen Dasan.

Kidambi Soundararajan.