Sri Ramanuja Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Swamy

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Sri:

 

Namaskaram to all the Bhaktas:

 

On this day of Vaishakha/Vaikasi Maasam, Rohini Nakshatram,

the thirunakshatram day of the 25th Jeer of Sri Parakala Matham,

Sri Ramanuja Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Maha Desikan,

I would like to post this small article on the Jeer, extracted from

" Sri Parakala Matha Vaibhavam " .

 

This article (and the grantham) is orginally in Kannada. Sri

Ranganath Samudrala has taken up the very important kaimkaryam of

translating this article into English. My sincere thanks to him. The

following article is a result of his translations and my minor reformattings

and rephrasings.

 

SRI RAMANUJA BRAHMATANTRA SWATANTRA PARAKALA MAHA DESIKAN

-------------------------

 

Sri Ramanuja Brahmatantra Parakala Maha Desikan was known as

Sri Ramanuja Chary in his purvaashramam. Sri Ramanuja Chary was

was born to Sri Tirumalacharya of Bagepalli in the year 1709,

(Virodha Samavatsara, Vaishaaka Chandramaana Maasam (Souramaanam

is Mesham), rohini nakshatra, koundiya gotram)

 

Sri Ramanujachary left Bagepalli to arrive at Kumbhakonam. He

obtained mantropadesham at the lotus feet of 21st HH of the Parakala Matham,

HH Periya Parkala Swamy (known as Tirumalai Krishnammacharya

in his purvaashramam). Later, under the tutleage of the 22nd Jeer of

the Parakala Matham, Sri Srinivasa Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala

Maha Desikan, he underwent Sastraabhyasam, Vedantha Grantha

kaalakshepam and was an expert in Udaya Vedantha.

 

At the tender age of 24, Sri Ramanuja Chary was attending the

Brahmotsavam festivals at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthaanam. During

the celebrations, he had a premonition about his future life

and as a result, he immediately proceeded to Kumbakonam and

at the feet of the then Jeer of the Parakala Matham, Sri Srinivasa

Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Maha Desikan, he sought

and obtained Sanyaasaashramam. Sri Ramanuja Chary spent the next

38 years performing Vedantha kaalakshepams and spreading

the essence of the Ramanuja Siddhanta. With his dedication towards

Laxmi Hayagriva and anugraham of PerumaL, Sri Ramanuja Chary became

a " mahaa tapOnidhi " , " gyani " and above all, a achanchala bhakta

of Lord Hayagriva.

 

At the time when Sri Ramanuja Chary was about 62 years young,

the then Jeer of the Sri Parakala Matham (24nd Jeer), Srimad

Abhinava Srinivasa Brahmatantra Parakala Maha Desikan was

searching for a successor for the Matham. He found Sri Ramanuja

Chary to be the most suitable candidate and instructed him to arrive

at Sri Rangapattanam. Sri Ramanuja Chary followed the instructions

and in 1771, became the 25th Jeer of the Parakala Matham, Sri

Ramanuja Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Maha Desikan. The

Maharani of Mysore, Maharani Lakshmimani also sought Jeer's counsel

on several matters.

 

During the Tippusultan-Maraatha war and also because of the

pressures from the British Empire and the Nizam of Hyderabad,

the conditions were becoming unsafe for the Jeer and the Matham.

At the insistence of the Maharani of Mysore and several well-wishers,

HH left for Tirupati for preserving the divine heritage of the Matham.

 

In 1799 Srirangapattanam fell into the hands of the British Empire.

who handed the kingdom over to its previous rulers. After

the kingdom regained its peaceful times, the Maharani of Mysore

requested HH to return to Mysore. HH granted the request and returned

to Sri Rangapattanam. HH also performed the " Pattaabhishekam " for

Sri KrishnaRaja Wodeyar, after which Mysore was made the capital

city for the Kingdom of Mysore.

 

Shortly after that, Sri Krishna Raja Wodeyar invited HH to come

to Mysore. But, a more divine and sacred place was calling for

HH. This punyakshetram was Krishnaapuram, which was in the taluka

of T.Narispura. Krishnaapuram was on the banks of river Kaveri

with a very beautiful temple of Lord Krishna in the form of

" Santhaana Gopala Krishna " . HH, Sri Ramanuja Brahmatantra Swatantra

Parakala Maha Desikan moved there, performing aaradhana to Sri

Lakshmihayagreevaha LakshmiNarayana and immersed himself and the

people there in Sastra-Grantha pravachanam.

 

HH later also instructed the Maharani of Mysore to invite a great

scholar named Sri Krishnaacharya to take up the activities of

the Matham at Mysore. At the Jeer's command, the Maharani of Mysore

built a beautiful temple for Sri Sveta-Varaaha Swamy and presented

to HH for the activities of the Matham.

 

Sri Ramanuja Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Maha Desikan remained

at the banks of kaveri for a long time to come. Like his Prathama

Acharya/Paramaachaarya, Sri Swamy Nigamantha Maha Desikan, HH graced

this earth for a full 102 years. In Pramodutha samvatsara (1810), meena

maasa, shasti thithi (Saturday), Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra

Parakala Maha Desikan reached the lotus feet of his acharyas.

 

" Vandeya SriNilaya Parakalaatha Vedaantha Yagnam

Tatpaadaabje Vinihitabharam Brahmatantraathathuryam

SriKrishnaarayadhadhighaTatham Gaabjamabjaakshahrutakam

Srimad Raamavaraja Parakalabhidam Desikendram. "

 

 

Rajeev Karamchedu

 

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