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Sri Parakala Matham Vaibhavam - III

From the Bhakti List Archives

Rajeev • October 6, 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:

Dear Bhaktas,

Continuing our exploration of the vaibhavam of Sri Parakala Matham, we are 
now treated to the charitram of our dearest and revered acharya parampara. The 
Acharya Parampara, as mentioned in previous articles, starts with none other 
than Swamy Vedanta Desikan, as He is our founder Acharya of the Matham. I 
would like to recall from my previous article that when Swamy Desikan realized 
that unless there is a brand new line of Acharyas that is established, the sacred 
Sampradayam that was re-energized by Bhagavan Ramanuja is bound to be lost, 
Swamy Desikan caused his dearest of his disciples to take up "sanyaasa aashramam" 
and established what is now known as Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Matham.

We cannot even begin to write about the glory of Swamy Desikan, let alone encompass 
all of it. Here, we are treated to the Story of Swamy Desikan, as the Founder-Acharya
of Sri Matham.

Sri Nigamantha Maha Deshikan (1268 - 1369)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Founder acharya of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Matham


Sri Vedanta Desika (aka venkaTanaatha), the very incarnation of Sri Thiruvenkatamudaiyaan, 
is celebrated as the third kootasthar of  parama vaidika SriVaishnavaSri sampradaayam and
is also regarded as the greatest acharya of  Bhagavan Ramanuja Sampradaayam. Born in 
Thuppul in the year 1268 on the sacred day of Purattasi SravaNam, the ThiruNakshatram of 
Sri Venkateshwara, venkaTanaathan studied Vedanta and all shastras at the feet of his maternal
uncle, Sri Atreya Ramanuja. He was a remarkable genius matched by rare humility. Swamy 
Deshikan was a ubhaya simhasanadhipati and  a great devotee of Sri Lakshmi Hayagrivar, 
authored over 130 works which include Stotrams, Kavyams, Natakams,  Philosophical treatises, 
Rahasya granthams, Commentaries and other miscellaneous works. Known for his Jnana, 
Vairagya and Anushtanam, he lived his life on uncha vrutti or begging for alms. He preserved
"Shrutaprakashika",  the great work of Sri Sudarshana Bhattar, which is the most authentic 
sub commentary on the Sri Bhashya of Bhagavan Ramanuja. Swamy Deshikan composed his 
magnum opus "Rahasyatrayasaram", which stands as an evidence to his ripe knowledge. He 
earned many titles like "Sarvatantra Swatantra", "Kavitarkika Simha", "Vedantacharya" and "Bhagavad 
Ramanuja Siddhanta Nirdharana Sarvabhouma".

He had a distinguished son and pupil by name Sri Kumara Varadanatha Nayanacharya and a 
great pupil by name Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra whom he fondly called "Jiya". Swamy Deshikan
is regarded as a divinely commissioned personality not only by his senior and junior contemporaries,
but also by all the successive generations belonging to SriVaishnavaSri sampradaayam till today. 
With his vast scholarship and extraordinary intellect he has contributed a great deal for the promotion
and propagation of Bhagavan Ramanuja siddhantam. He was a great poet and philosopher and 
became a great institution in his lifetime and also founded a religious institution in 1360 ACE with 
its headquarters at  Kanchipuram and Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar, his foremost disciple as its head 
and as a yatishvarar of this mutt. This is the origin of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Matham.

Swamy Deshikan attained his acharya thiruvadi in the year 1369 at the age of 100. Innumerable number 
of stotrams has been composed on Swamy Deshikan and his glories. His taniyan was composed by his
illustrious son Kumara Varadacharya, which is as follows -

'sriimaan venkaTa naathaarya: kavitaarkika kesarii
vedaantaachaarya varyome, sanniddhattaam sada hridi

kavitaarkika simhaaya kaLyaaNa guNa shaaline
sriimatE venkateshaaya, vedaanta gurave nama:'


In the next posting, we will read about the story of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra, the shishya of Swamy 
Desikan and the First Jeer of Sri Matham.


Sri Laxmi Hayagriva Parabrahmane Nama:

--rajeev karamchedu


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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