Acharya vaibhavam - 60- Thirukkudanthai Desikan- Sri Gopaalaarya Mahadesikan Swami- Life and works of this Greatest Acharya!

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all,

 

We had enjoyed our Acharya paramparai upto Sri

Gopaladesika Mahadesikan also called as

Thirukkudanthai Desikan. Let us enjoy this greatest

acharya’s life history today.

 

(Purattasi / Pooraadam) (1701 - 1783 CE) Sri

Gopaladesikan was born in Atreya Gotram. He was the

14th generation of Vaadi Hamsambu vaahar, the uncle

and Acharya of Swami Vedanta Desikan. Sri Krishna

Suri, his father had 3 sons. Our Swami was the middle

one. He was born in Royampettai Agraharam near Tiruk

Kandiyur on the northern banks of Kaveri. He was born

in Kaliyuga year 4801, about 294 years ago at the

beginning of the 18th century CE. He was born in 1701

CE (Vikrama year) Purattasi month Sukla Paksha Navami,

a Monday under the star Pooraadam.

 

Once when Sri Krishna Suri couple had been to the

Sravanotsavam at Oppiliappan Koil, the Lord appeared

in their dream and gave them some milk to drink saying

that Swami Vedanta Desika himself will be born as

their son in the constellation of Vishwaksenar. When

they returned to Royampettai, the lady became

pregnant. On the 12th month, she gave birth to a son

who was the very Gantaavataara Desika. Swami Desika

himself indicates about this reincarnation when he

says in his Rahasya Traya Saram-

 

Bhavati Devat Kaschit Kaschid Vivasritaamaha /

Sad Vartaneem Anuvidaasyati Saaswatham Naha //

 

As Sri Krishna Suri_s Aradhya Devata was Gopalan and

as the child was born as Desika Avatara (as per the

dream), he named the child as _Gopala Desikan_. [from

Sri Anbil Ramaswamy Swami’s write up]

 

A GREAT luminary in the spiritual firmament of South

India was born in 1700 C.E. in a hamlet called

Royampettai, in Thanjavur district, on the northern

bank of the Cauvery, near Thiruvaiyaru. He was born in

the year Vikrama (corresponding to 1700 C.E.), in the

month of Purattasi, under the star Pooradam, to

Krishnadesika. The child was named Gopaladesika.

The boy learnt, from his father, the Vedas,

Divyaprabandha, Sanskrit and Tamil grammar, rhetoric

and Sastras. Even when he was in his teens, he was

sent to Srirangam to learn the ``Grantha-Chatushtayam'

(Rahasyatraya-saram, Sri Bhashyam, Gita- Bhashyam and

Bhagavad-Vishayam) from the great Vedanta acharya,

Ramanuja Muni.

 

Young Gopaladesika was advised to settle down in

Kumbakonam after he completed his course. He first

undertook an extensive pilgrimage to the holy shrines

in South India and then settled down in a hermitage in

the Aravamuthan temple premises, at Kumbakonam.

Gopaladesika lived a simple life, sustained by daily

alms. Though such a way of life is not necessary for

the householder, one like Vedantadesika or

Gopaladesika, who had no need for money or savings or

material acquisitions, would naturally, and

instinctively, adopt this mode of life.

 

Three ascetics were attending on him, with implicit

reverence, doing his personal chores - a very unusual

phenomenon. They had been drawn from and near: one was

from Watrap, who was devoted to solitude and

meditation; the second was from Seyyanam (in

Tirunelveli district), a prototype of Yamunamuni (or

Alavandar), who had a few disciples only; the third

was from Vazhuthoor near Ayyampettai.

 

He was indeed a second Vedanta Ramanuja Muni, whose

service helped the school reach a pre-eminent status.

The particular ascetic, referred to as Vazhuthoor

Swami, Vazhuthoor Andavan, and Srirangam Swami, was

the real torch-bearer of Gopaladesika's mission from

about 1750 C.E.

 

The reverence Gopaladesika commanded from the society

then, is reflected in his being addressed as

``Thirukkudanthai Desikan''. He is acknowledged as the

patriarch of the school (or sampradaya, as it is

generally termed), referred to as Munitraya, since it

is suppose to have been carried forward by his three

ascetic disciples. The tradition is essentially the

same as that of Vedantadesika; it marks no departure

from the path; nor it is a branch since it was only

continuing in the same direction. If it is referred to

as the Munitraya tradition or Thirukkudanthai Desikan

tradition, it is only for convenience and for

conveying the regard that he was held in by a large

mass of the religious community.

 

In the context of Indian spiritualism, we find two

kinds of leaders; one might be a great author but no

great orator; another may be good at discourses or

instructions but may not have a flair for writing

works for posterity. Gopaladesika combined both

faculties in happy harmony. He was a `watershed

acharya' in the genealogy of Vaishnavite preceptors.

He inherited Vedantadesika's spiritual legacy totally

and from him different streams can be recognised

today. Among these, two are well organised: they are

the Srirangam Periasramam Andavan tradition and the

Poundarikapuram Andavan tradition.

 

There are a number of others, such as the

Kethandapatti tradition, the Annayaryamahadesikan

tradition composed of many Tatacharyas (descendants of

Nathamuni) and Acharya-Purushas, the Denkanikottai

stream and so on. One could make an estimate that some

40 per cent of the Desikasampradaya adherents today

would acknowledge Thirukkudanthai Desikan as their

patriarch.

 

As an author, his reputation stands simply

unassilable: an original work on ``Prapatti''

(``Nikshepatchintamani''), a commentary on

Rahasyatrayasara of Vedantadesika, commentaries on two

works from Divyaprabandham, a commentary on Tattvatika

of Vedantadesika, a terse Sahasranama-stotra on

Vedantadesika; an Anhika work which is a valuable

guide on rituals of daily routine for pious men to

followl and a unique work called ``Sri-

Jayantyadi-Nirnaya'', where he codifies the criteria

for fixing the dates of such holy fests as Sri Krishna

Jayanthi.

 

His devotion for the local deity, Aravamudhan, can be

gleaned from two short hymns he has composed. It was

he who built the present shrine, with the tower, for

Vedantadesika, almost opposite to his hermitage,

within the temple premises.

 

He was a model of true humility. He used an

unostentatious colophon in his works, that read

somewhat like this: ``written by Gopaladasa, son of

Krishnasoori and receiver of Vedanta knowledge from

Sakshat Swami''.

 

It is said that his grand-uncle Venkatadhwari was so

much impressed by his stature, that he sought to

become Gopaladesika's disciple. But Gopaladesika would

not allow it! He commended the grand old man to his

own Acharya, Sakshat Swami.

However, he appears to have suffered the misfortune of

begetting a misfit son, for whom he could only plead

with God. The son died young. Gopaladesika had a

scholarly nephew, Venkatacharya and a grandson,

Vedantacharya (of Elayavalli line), who became his

`sons' by adoption. They did much to perpetuate his

glorious memory.

 

At 82, he took sanyasa and died within a couple of

days, in the Tamil Plava year (corresponding to 1782

C.E.), in Karthigai month on a Krishna Shashti. Just

before he passed away, his loving admirers made an

idol of his in iron, which he approved and blessed

with his touch.

 

This deity is now worshipped in the Vedantadesika

shrine (in East Uttara Street, Srirangam) which is

under the management of the Sri Poundarikapuram Swami

Asramam.

 

The above wonderful article was written by Dr Sri U Ve

VN Vedantha Desikan Swami in Thirukkudanthai Desikan

300th year malar.

 

Sri Tiruk Kudanthai Desikan has authored several

works, of which _The Aahnika_ which lays down the

daily routine of a Srivaishnava in minute detail is

very useful composition (regarded as a Reference

manual by succeeding Acharyas). This Ahnikam is now

being written in simple Tamil exhaustively by Sri U VE

ANC Swami of Srirangam as per the request of Sri MS

Hari Swami.

 

Thirukkudanthai Desikan also wrote commentaries on

Tirup Pallandu and Kanninun Siruthaambhu .

His other works include-

• Aparyaapta Amruta

• Bhagavad Dhyaana Sopaanam

• Srimad Aahnikam

• Nigamaantha Desika Sahasranamam

• Nikshepa Chintamani

• Saaraswaadhini.

(Saakshaat Swami had done only about 12 chapters of

his Our Swami completed the rest as ordered by his

Acharya)

• Uttara Saaraswtham

• Sri Jayanthi Nirnayam etc.

 

His Tanian reads as follows:

Sri Krishna Desika Padaambhuja Bringaraajam Vedaanta

Lakshmana Muneendra Krupaatha Bodham /

Trayyantha Desika Yatindra Sataari Moorthim Gopaala

Desika Sikhaamanim Aasrayaamaha //

 

Let us take refuge at the feet of Gopala Desika , the

crown jewel, the Acharya for the three great

Sannyasis, who was like the bee surrounding the lotus

feet of Sri Krishna Desika and who was the recipient

of the grace of Vedanta Lakshmana Muni.

 

The above means that Tirukkutanthai Desikan Swami

combined in his persona;ity those of all the three

AchAryas viz Sri Vedanta Desika, Sri Bhashyakara and

Sri Satakopa. It is interesting to note that those who

resorted to him were also three yathivaras.

 

He was hailed as a Maha Bhaagavata in his own time in

recognition whereof the special and rare privilege of

embracing the idol of Aravamudhan so as to render it

more efficacious, was accorded to him. He was

succeeded in the Peetam by Sri Vedaanta Ramanuja Swami

who came to be known as _Vazhuthoor Andavan_.

 

Acharyan ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dasan

 

 

 

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