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Re: Kainkaryam to aacharyan

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Mani Varadarajan • August 15, 2000 


In the interests of accuracy, I would like to offer
the following small corrections to Sri Sadagopan's
detailed post:

> Typically , Sri VaishnavAls belong
> to one of the following AchArya paramparai:
> 
> A.Vadakalai/ Munithrayam
> **************************
> 1.Sri Ahobila Matam 
[...]

Neither the Ahobila Matham nor the Parakaala Matham fall 
under the 'munitraya' umbrella.  The term 'munitraya'
applies to those who trace their acharya parampara
through Sri Tirukkudandai Gopala Desika (early 18th century)
and his three primary disciples.  These three sannyasis,
Sri Srinivasa Swami, Sri Ranganatha Swami, and Sri 
Vedanta Ramanuja Swami, came to be known as the 'munitraya'
(three saints).

The Srirangam Andavan Ashramam, Poundarikapuram Andavan
Ashramam, and most of the present-day Vadagalai 'svayam-acharya
purusha' families are directly connected to this acharya 
parampara and follow the worship and ritual patterns outlined
by Sri Gopala Desika.

The Ahobila Matha traces its parampara through an unbroken
series of 'yatis' or sannyasis who bear the title 'Azhagiya
Singar', after Lord Narasimha, who is their 'ArAdhana mUrti'.  
The first of these sannyasis was Sri Adi Van Sathakopa Jiyar (b. 1379). 
It is not a widely known fact that Sri Adi Van Sathakopa Jiyar 
himself traces his 'samASrayaNa' acharya parampara through the 
same acharyas as what we know as the Thengalai or Thennacharya
sampradAya.  One of the daily guru parampara anusandhAna slokas
of the Ahobila Matha sampradaya mentions this connection, which
goes through Sri Vadakku Tiruveedi Pillai (Krishna Pada), 
the father of Sri Pillai Lokacharya.  Sri Adi Van Sathakopa Jiyar's
connection to Sri Vedanta Desika is through his learning of
Sribhashya from Sri Ghatikasatam (Ammal) Varadacharya, who had
a direct connection to Sri Desika.

The Parakala Matha also traces its parampara through an unbroken
series of sannyasis, all bearing the title 'Brahmatantra Svatantra',
meaning Master of the Vedanta.  The first of these sannyasis was
Sri Brahmatantra Svatantra Jiyar, a direct disciple of Sri Vedanta
Desika.  

Therefore, neither the Ahobila Matha nor the Parakala Matha falls
under the 'munitraya' acharya parampara. However, the Parakala Matha's 
worship and ritual practices tend to be the same as what Sri Gopala 
Desika has outlined, to my knowledge.
 
> TennAchArya SampradhAyam:
> *************************
> 

The followers of the Thennacharya sampradaya either are connected
to one of the mathas or jiyars listed by Sri Sadagopan, or belong
to a 'tirumALigai' (sacred house), where the acharya traces his
descent from one of the 74 original primary disciples of Sri Ramanuja.
In fact, the majority of Thengalai Sri Vaishnavas are connected
to acharyas who belong to one of these tirumALigais.  Such a situation
also existed earlier among Vadagalai Sri Vaishnavas as well, but
these days most such people have been absorbed into one of the
mathas or ashramas.

aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,
Mani



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