Sri Parakala Matham Vaibhavam - VII

From the Bhakti List Archives

• October 19, 2001


Sri:
Sri Laxmi Hayavadana Parabrahmane Nama:
Sri Vakula Bhushana Maha Desikaya Nama:
Srimate Ramanujaya Nama:
Srimate Nigamantha Maha Desikaya Nama:
Srimate Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Maha Desikaya Nama:
Srimate Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Guru Paramparaayai Nama:

In the last posting, we saw how Swamy Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeer
was able to fulfill the commands of Swamy Desikan, by conducting
discourses, debates and recitations. During this process, HH
attracted many disciples like Kidaambi Nayanaar, Ghatikaashatam
Ammal, Komandur Achchaan, Pillai Appai, Perarulaalayyar Appai,
Kandhaadai Andaan, Veeravalli Pillai and many more. In fact,
Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar is present in all the acharya
paramparas or spiritual hierarchies as one of the acharyas:


Mantrartha Parampara
======================
Bhagavan Ramanuja, Kidambu Achchaan, Kidambi Ramanujapillan,
Kidambi Rangarajar, Kidambi Appullar, Swamy Vedanta Desikan and
Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar.

Sribhaashya Parampara
======================
Bhagavan Ramanuja, Thirukkurugaippiraan Pillan, Engalaazhwan,
Nadadur Ammal, Kidambi Appullar, Swamy Vedanta Desikan and
Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar.

Bhagavat Vishaya Parampara
===========================
Bhagavan Ramanja, Thirukkurukaippiraan Pillan, Engalaazhwan,
Nadadur Ammal, Kidambi Appullar, Swamy Vedanta Desikan,
Kumara Varadacharya and Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar


Taniyan of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeer
-------------------------------------------
Ghatikaashatam Ammal, grandson of Sri Nadadur Ammal, studied
Vedanta at the feet of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar and composed
his taniyan starting with the same words “Paryaaya Bhashyakaara”,
used by Sri Swamy Desikan to praise Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar:

"paryaaya bhaashyakaaraaya praNataarti vidhUnvatE |
brahmatantra swatantraaya dwitiiya brahmaNE nama: ||"

At Thirumala Thirupati, he made the matham a rallying center of
all classes of people eager to adopt the means of prapatti.
Sri Matham remained here for a long time.

Sri Yaduraaya, who was appointed the dandanayaka, on his way back
to Mysore went to Tirupati on a pilgrimage and received the
blessings of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar. After pleading for and
obtaining samaashrayanam and prapatti, he requested his acharya to
be their Rajaguru.  After seeing the kingÂ’s dedication to
Sri Sampradayam, Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar accepted his request.

In the mean time, Perarulaalayyar Appai, a great scholar in
Advaita school of philosophy and who had many shishyas, once
came with them to Kanchipuram for a Vedantic debate with Sri
Brahmatantra Swatantrar. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar won over
his opponent and showed him the true path of Moksha, the
path of Bhagavan Ramanuja. (Details of this debate to follow
in subsequent postings). Not only did Perarulaalayyar Appai
became an ardent disciple of Swamy Brahmatantra Swatantrar and
a scholar is Sri Sampradaayam, with the blessings of his acharya,
he went on to become the successor of his acharya in the
Sri Matham acharya parampara! Swamy Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeer
crowned him as "Sri Dvitiya Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Maha
Desikan" and made him his successor in order to show the path
of Moksham for the coming generations.

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar wrote several works, which include:
Acharyaavataaraghattarthah, Acharya Mangalam, Vijayendra
Parajaya and Divyasuristuti. The Andhra King, Sri Sarvaja Singappa
Bhupaala, who ruled over RajamunDry, performed numerous kaimkaryams
to Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar and Sri Kumara Varadacharya. He
also sponsored many of their works and provided them all the
support they needed.

At the invitation of Kumara Kampanna, Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar
even toured Karnataka desham and propagated Ramanuja sampradaayam.
At Thirunarayanapuram, which was now a great center of SriVaishnavam
faith on par with Arangam and Kanchipuram, he built a huge gateway
or Rajagopuram (unfinished). The religious line of Vedanta Deshikan
has continued uninterruptedly in this Matham.

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Maha Desikan attained the thiruvadi of
his acharya in the year 1386, at the age of 100. The Mathaadhipatyam
was then the responsibility of Sri Vatsya Vedanta Ramanuja
Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Yatiindra Maha Desikan, also
called as Sri Dwitiiya Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Yatiindra
Maha Desikan.

Yaduraya, after coming back to Mysore, subsequently became the ruler
of Mysore in 1399 ACE and dedicated himself to the task of
furthering the practice of Sri Vaishnavism, as he had already become
one of the disciples of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Swamy.

This connection established between Yaduraaya and Sri Brahmatantra
Swatantrar as the head of the Tirupati shrine is still perpetuated
eternally. The great lamp adorned by the rulers of Mysore, is kept
burning inside the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine at Thirumalai all
through these centuries.

In the next posting, we shall cover the vaibhavams of the
subsequent acharyas of this incredible Matham of Sri Sampradaayam.

Sri Laxmi Hayagriva ParabrahmaNe Nama:

-rajeev


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
*    _|')_        #      # | #     _#_     ('|\   *
*   / |\_/\     #   #    # | #    #\__#   \_/| |  *
*  /  | |  \   ## @ ##   # | #   ## | ##   \ |-   *
*     |/      / #   # \  # | #   / \|/ \    \|    *
*     ##          #       ###       #       ##    *
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp



--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/