Acharya vaibhavam - 59- Vedantha Desikan to Thirukkudanthai Desikan Sri Gopaalaarya Maha Desikan - Acharya paramparai

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Sri:

SrImathE Gopaladesika Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

Dearest all:

 

After enjoying the acharya paramparai of

thennAchAryas, Sri Ahobila Mutt’s, Parakalamutt’s, let

us continue our learning to get to know the Munithraya

Sampradaya paramparai’s viabhavam.

 

From Swamy Desikan on Rahasyagrantha paramparai (which

is also SamAsrayaNa paramparai) the tree upto

Tirukkudanthai Desikan is as given below: [we had seen

earlier the numbering upto Desikan i.e. 1 to 18 from

Sriman Narayanan till Swamy Desikan]

 

18. SRI VEDANTA DESIKAN

20. Sri Brahmathanthra swathanthrar

21. GatikAsatham ammAL

25. VaradavishNvAchAryar

26. MahAdayAdheesar

27. Vaathsya AhobilAchAryar

29. Vaathsya VaradAchAryar

30. Shashta parAnkusa SwAmy

31. Sri Panchamatha bhanchanam thAtha Desikan

34. Vaathsya AnanthAchAryar

[35. Ranga Ramanujamuni- UPANISHAD BHASHYAKAR comes in

Sri Bhashya Paramparai]

36. RamanujAchAryar

[37.Ranganatha Swami in SriBhashya Paramparai]

38. VenkatAchAryar

40. VeerarAghavAchAryar

42. Sri Rangapathi Desikar

43. Ranganatha Swamy

44. Sri Saakshaath Swamy

(reported to be an avtaar of Sri Ramanuja,- as Swamy

Desikan had longed to have direct AchArya sambandham

with Emperumaanaar Sri Ramanujacharya. (as Swamy

Desikan lived from 1268 to 1369 CE he naturally could

not have the bhAgyam of enjoying the darshan of

studying directly under Sri Ramanuja (1017 to 1137 CE)

 

46. TIRUKKUDANTHAI DESIKAN (1700 CE to 1782 CE) (an

avathaaram of Swamy Desikan, fulfilling his desire to

study at the feet of Ramanujacharya)- Sri Munithraya

sampradAya Pravartthakar.

 

The Bhagavad Vishaya paramparai is almost the same

except:

 

19. NaiynAchAryar [son of Swami desikan] is the

Acharya for

20. Sri Brahmathanthra Swathanthrar [founder of Sri

Parakala Mutt]

22. Hasthinayakar

23. Vaathsya VaradAchAryar

24. AdhivaNN SatakOpar [founder of Sri Ahobila Mutt]

28. Thrutheeya Parankusa:

30. Shashta parAnkusa Swamy

32. Vanghipuram Srinivasachariar Swami

33. Srisaila Srinivasachariar Swami

34. Vaathsya AnanthAchAryar

39. Munivahana Swami

41. Chandragiri Srisaila Venkatacharyar Swami

43. Ranganatha Swami

44. Sri Saakshath Swami

45. Sri padukasevaka Ramanujamuni

46. TIRUKKUDANTHAI DESIKAN Sri Gopaladesika

Mahadesikan

 

 

SRI SAAKSHAAT SWAMI ( SRIMAD VEDANTA RAMANUJA SWAMI)

(Chitrai / Tiruvaadirai)

 

He was the son of one Srinivasachariar of Kondal

Agraharam in Tirunarayanapuram. His father was a great

astrologer. He was born in the month of Chitrai under

the asterism of Tiruvaadirai. the same month and same

natal star as those of Sri Ramanuja. It is said that

his birth took place exactly at the moment when the

processional deity of Sri Ramanuja stopped for a while

before his house during the annual festival. His

mother was in an advanced stage of pregnancy then.

 

As his father was offering prayers to Ramanuja,

someone from inside the home conveyed to him the news

that a son was born to him at that very moment. People

around hailed that here was the Apara Avatara of

Bhashyakaarar himself. Hence, his father named him as

_Sri Saakshaat Swami_.

 

It is this Swami who was a shining example of Gnaanam,

Vairaghyam and Anushtaanam and as the Muni

Saarvabhoumar known as Srimad Vedanta Ramanuja Maha

Desikan. Sri Ranganatha Maha Desikan mentioned above

was his Acharya who instructed him in Sri Bhashya, Sri

Rahasya Traya Sara, Gita Bhashya and Bhagavad Vishaya.

Later, Sri Saakshaat Swami took the holy order. An

accomplished scholar, he excelled in dialectical

debates and discussions on theological and ontological

matters.

 

He has authored several Granthas: the 24,000 Padi,

Poorva Saara Swaadhini, Nyaasa Vidyaa Darpanam, Sri

Tattva Siddhaanjanam etc. The Swami settled down in

Vaduvur in Thanjavur district and engaged himself in

propagation of religious knowledge. Many disciples

flocked to him, the chief among them being the

celebrated Sri Gopalarya Maha Desikan. He lived near

the Sannidhi of Neelamegap Perumal at Vennatrankarai

where he is reported to have written his famous 24,000

Padi. He was proficient in Swami Desika_s Sri sooktis

and Ubhaya Vedanta Granthas. He had his Grantha

Chatushtaya training under Kalyaanaavaha Ranganatha

Maha Desika Swami. He is reported to have lived in

Srirangam, Vaduvur and Vennatrankarai.

 

He also had three Yathis as his Sishyas viz. Sri

Satakopa Swami, Paduka Sevaka Ramanuja Swami and Sri

Ranganatha Swami.

 

His Tanian reads as follows:

Sri Ranganatha Guru Paada Saroja Hamsam Vedaanta

Desika Padaambhuja Bringaraajam /

Srimad Yateendra Satakopa Dayaavalabdam Vedanta

Lakshmana Muni Charanam Prapadhye //

 

Meaning: _I surrender at the feet of Vedanta Lakshmana

Muni who obtained the grace of Srimad Yatindra

Satakopa himself, who was the swan at the feet of Sri

Ranganatha Guru and who was the bee at the lotus feet

of Swami Vedanta Desika_

 

His sishya, Sri Gopaalaarya Mahadesikan,

THIRUKKUDANTHAI DESIKAN completed the whole course of

his studies at the feet of Sri Saakshaath Swamy. Sri

Saakshaath Swamy blessed the disciple to settle down

at Kumbakonam (Tirukkudanthai) and spread the

sampradayam. Sri Gopaladesika mahadesikan was in his

30 years of age when many disciples flocked to him.

There were three sanyaasis (namely Sri Srinivasamuni,

VazhutthUr Sri Vedantharamanujamuni and Sri Ranganatha

muni, who were considered to be amsam or avathaaram of

Sri Yamunamuni- sri Alavandhar, Sri Ramanujamuni and

Sri Nathamuni respectively..) in their saffron attire,

were attending on Sri Tirukkudanthai Desikan (a

gruhastha AchAryan).

 

Thus, since there were three munis (sanyaasis) at the

feet of Sri Tirukkudnathai desikan, He is called

Munithraya sampradaya pravartthakar.

 

Vazhutthoor Sri Vedantha ramanuja muni had more

followers than the other two. His propagation brought

the Acharya vamsa vruksham to a very prominent status.

One thing needs to be mentioned here. When this Swamy

approached Sri Tirukkudanthai Desikan, he prostrated

at his feet saying..” theera vinaigaL theera ennai

Andaay! Thirukkudanthai ooraa! ? (from sri

NammAzhwAr’s ThiruvAymozhi 5.8- Oh Resident of

Tirukkudanthai! You have ruled me, dispelling all my

karmic diseases?. Sri Tirukkudanthai Desikan said to

him.. Since you mentioned this line.. hereafter you

will be the one who will rule and propagate… blessed

the Acharyan. . (Andaan- and hence he was called as

Andavan- THUS came Sri Andavan Ashramam)

 

Sri VazhutthUr Andavan- Sri Vedantha Ramanujamuni

became the real torchbearer of Sri Tirukkudanthai

Desikan- Sri Gopalarya Mahadesikan.

 

Sri Vedantha Ramanuja Mahadesikan (Sri VazhutthUr

Andavan) had the following main disciples

 

1. Navalpakkam Sri Annayarya Mahadesikan and thus came

in Sri Valayapettai Swamy Paramparai.

2. Sri Vedantha Ramanuja mahadesikan (Sri Andikkaadu

Swamy- Sri Vangheepuram Swamy)

3. Sri Rangaramanuja mahadesikan- Sri Kedhaandipatti

Swamy Paramparai (from which we were blessed with Sri

KozhiyAlam Swamy- Sri Utthamoor Swamy paramparai; Sri

Ramadesikacharyar; Sri Madhuranthakam Swamy et al)

3. SRI SRINIVASA RAMANUJA MAHADESIKAN- Sri

TirutthuRaippooNdi Andavan

 

More about the most divine wonderful Acharya Sri

Gopaladesika Mahadesikan also called as

Thirukkudanthai Desikan in next post.

 

Reference: Sri Anbil Ramaswamy Swami’s Acharya vamsa

vruksham write up and Thirukkudanthai desikan 300th

year malar.

 

Acharyan ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dasan

 

 

 

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