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Sri Parakala Matham Vaibhavam - IV

From the Bhakti List Archives

Rajeev • October 7, 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,
 
As we continue to read the glory of Swamy Vedanta Desikan and his efforts to
uphold the Sri Sampradayam of Bhagavan Ramanuja, we begin to get a glimpse
of the divine foresight, a sort of a 'divya-drishTi', that perumaL has given to Swamy
Desikan. 
 
Sacred and divine is the Sri Sampradayam as laid out of Bhagavan Ramanuja, sacre
is the true religion and philosophy of our Srutis and Smritis, namely Sri Sri Vaishnavism 
and sacred are the mystical, devotional and emotional outpourings of Azhwar Saints. 
Swamy Desikan with his divya drishTi realized that a new line of acharyas is required to 
uphold the above and hence caused the advent of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Matham 
and established Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeer as the first of the Acharyas of this Matham 
with Swamy Desikan himself recognized as the Founder Acharya of the Matham.
 
Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Maha Deshikan 1286 - 1386

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeer in his poorvashramam was known as Veeravalli Perarulalaiyyan 
or Hasteeshar. He was born in 1286 ACE and hailed from Kaundinya gothram. He was born in the 
month of Purattasi and Shravana nakshatram just like Swamy Desikan and PerumaL Venkateshwara. 
He undertook tutelage at the feet of the greatest acharya of those times - Sriman Nigamantha Maha 
Deshikan. Initially, he studied all shastras including Vedanta at the feet of his acharya Sri Vedanta 
Deshika and took to the holy ascetic order with the title, Perarulaala jeer at a very early age. 
Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar was blessed to have Swamy Deshikan as his Samashrayana, kaalakshepa 
and sanyasa sveekara acharya and shone similar to Swamy Deshikan as an acharya of all three paramparais. 
It is said that when one has to take to the ascetic order, he has to get initiated into that order by another 
sanyaasin, or get initiated from perumal directly or get initiated at the brindavanam of an acharya who also 
should be an ascetic. But this initiation has many parts to it and initiation into certain portions of it could be 
obtained from a grihasta also, while the rest of it should be obtained from a sanyasi only. It is this way that 
Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar obtained initiation into some portions of the mantras from Swamy Deshikan. 
He later moved with his acharya Deshikan wherever he went. 
 
Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar along with Nayanaacharya studied Vedanta along with their esoterics at 
the feet of  Swamy Deshikan. During the muslim devastation at Srirangam in 1327 ACE, Sri Brahmatantra 
Swatantrar moved to Satyagalam along with Swamy Deshikan. After many years of study at Satyakalam, 
Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar along with Swamy Deshikan moved to Thirunarayanapuram. 
Even here Swamy Deshikan conducted Vedanta kalakshepam to many of his disciples including 
Nayanacharya and Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar. He taught his students Araayirappadi (6000) along with 
his commentary to it titled Nigama Parimalam. It was during this time that Sri Brahmatantra 
Swatantrar composed the psalm -
 
"raamaanuja dayaapaatram jyaana vairaagya bhuushaNam |
sriimad vEnkaTanaathaarya: vandE vEdaanta dEsikam ||" 
 
and submitted it to Swamy Deshikan. Swamy Deshikan then accepted that this taniyan be 
sung at the start of Divyaprabandhams and other Srisooktis in Tamil. Sri Brahmatantrar had great 
respect for Swamy's son Sri Kumara Varadacharya and out of his own accord chose to study 
Sri Bhagavadvishayam only under Sri Kumara Varadacharya, just to get his thiruvadi sambandham, 
though Sri Kumara Varadacharya was much junior to him. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar composed 
the famous taniyan on Kumara Varadacharya that runs as - 

"sriimallaxmaNa yOgiindra siddhaanta vijayadhwajam |
vishwaamitra kulOdbhUtam varadaaryamaham bhajE ||"

This was in the year 1338 ACE, Kali 4440 Bahudaanya samvatsara avani shuddha dvitiya that 
corresponds to August 18th. 

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeer as Srikaaryam of Sri Varadaraaja Swamy Kovil, Kanchipuram
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Swamy Deshikan also appointed Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar as the Srikaryam of Sri Varadarajaswamy 
koil at Kanchipuram. 

The stone inscriptions on the walls of the second prakaaram at Sri Varadaraja perumal koil, in the 
holy divya desham of Kanchipuram are very important. These inscriptions delineated in traditional 
Tamil script mixed with Sanskrit are very important in the history of Srivaishnavism, as it stands 
a witness to the Sri Vaishnava history of those days. The inscription says that a Sri Matham was 
established at Kanchipuram and as per the ordainment of the Lord of Hastigiri, Sri Varadaraja perumal, 
a Sri Vaishnava dasar by name Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar who was Sri Vedanta Deshika's 
foremost shishyar, was established as the first yatishvara acharya of this matham with the 
authority of the Sri Matham established at Kanchipuram being handed over to him. 

The time of these inscriptions date to shaka 1282 vikaari samvatsaram, mesha maasam shuddha 
prathama tithi Friday in the constellation of ashvati, which would be 1359 ACE March 29th. 

The inscriptions do not refer itself to the reign of any king, but refers being worded directly by 
the Lord of Hastigiri. This inscription also confirms that one Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar, who used to 
recite the Thiruvaimozhi of Nammazhwar in front of Veeravallaazhan throne on which presided 
Lord Varadaraja's utsava murthy, was given the administration of the Sri Matham at Kanchipuram 
along with the rights to use the huge reserve of books at the temple in order to propagate Sri Ramanuja 
Sampradayam further. 

The inscription concludes saying that these writings are a direct order from Lord Varadaraja Perumal of 
Hastigiri Himself and that the temple accountant has engraved His thirumugam here on the stone walls. 

"hastiishaam lOkavikhyaatam kaunDinya vidushaam varam |
raamaanujaarya siddhaanta sthaapanaachaaryam aashrayE || "

Other inscriptions that support these and provide further information can be found in the temples 
of Southern Arcot, Thirunelveli district during the 14th and 15th centuries

As we continue more in our next postings, we will read and learn why Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeer
is hailed as Paryaaya Bhaashyakaara by his Acharya, Swamy Desikan himself. We will also
read about the various kaimkaryams of  Swamy Desikan and Swamy Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeer.

On behalf of all the volunteers and shishyas of Sri Parakala Matham, I seek the blessings
of Prakritim Parakala Swamy and Divya Dampatis in our continued efforts to be of service.

Sri Laxmi Hayagriva Parabrahmane Nama:

--rajeev karamchedu


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



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