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asmadhAchArya paryanthAm vandhE GuruparamaparAm- 8

From the Bhakti List Archives

Madhavakkannan V • February 2, 2001 


SrI:
SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

Dearest Srivaishnavas,
Please accept adiyEnÂ’s dhaNdavath praNAmams at your feet.
After Sri Ramanuja, Sri Vedantha Desika (1268 A.D to 1369 A.D) shines like a 
star of immense brilliance. You may get to know more of Swamy Desikan from ( 
http://swamydesika.homepage.com) and Sri Mani VaradarajanÂ’s article on the 
life of Swamy Desikan
( http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/sep99/0114.html)

He was an intellectual giant and wrote more than 120 works covering all 
aspects of VisishtAdvaitha Sri vaishnava srI philosophy. The staunch 
advaithin NilankaNta Dikshitar exclaimed “But, for the fences erected by 
Swamy Vedanta Desika for the crops of Ramanuja Siddhantha, it would have 
been devoured by the other faiths. “ Such was the passionate devotion which 
Sri Vedanta Desika bore to Ramanuja’s philosophy that he exclaimed “I will 
not even look at faiths other than that of Sri Ramanuja”. According to 
Desika, it was Sri Ramanuja who rescued the Supreme Almighty (Brahman) 
fallen into the ditch of Mayavaadins (called “kudhrushti”) by his helping 
hand. One who is capable can only venture to lift the other to save Him from 
trouble. (“kudhrushti kahanAmukhE nipathatha: parabrahmaNa: 
karagrahavichakshaNO jayathi lakshamaNO(S)yam muni:”)

Swamy also says “Similar to the cloud drawing from the waters of the lake, 
the cloud of Varadaraja has drunk the waters offered by YathirAja and is 
raining showers even today.. on us…”

“Except for the works of Swamy Desika’s contemporary Sri PillailOkAchArya 
(1264 A.D to 1369 A.D) , and later the commentaries of Sri Manavala 
maamunigal, (1370 A.D to 1443 A.D), there is no other work could stand in 
comparison with the brilliance, originality and depth of scholarship of 
Swamy Vedanta Desika”- says Sri SMS Chari in his book on Vaishnavism. He 
also adds, “the remarkable development of Vaishnavism through the scholarly 
works of Vedanta Desika was further supplemented by Pillailokacharya. Sri 
PillailokAryar wrote a total of 18 works in Manipravala language (style) 
which are collectively called “”ashtadasa rahasya”.

Sri Manavala mamuni later commented extensively on the works of Sri 
Pillailokacharya and also on other AchAryas, one on the PeriyAzhwAr 
pAsurams, and three independent works.

The subsequent acharya lineages after Vedanta Desika / Sri Pillailokacharya 
gave rise to the establishment of various mutts and Ashramams, like Sri 
Parakala mutt, Sri Ahobila Mutt, Srimad Andavan Ashramams, Sri Navalpakkam 
Swami, Sri kedaNdapatti Acharya paramaparai etc., in vadakalai sampradayam; 
while in thenkalai sampradayam, we have Vaanamaamalai mutt, Tirumalai Jeer 
mutt, Sriranga Narayana Jeer mutt, Yathiraja mutt at melkote, and other 
Swamacharyars.

An extract from Sri T A VaradanÂ’s post few months ago on thennAchArya 
lineage from svAmi emperumAnAr comes to our help:

1. svAmi emperumAnAr
2. svAmi embAr
3. svAmi parAsara bhattar
4. svAmi nanjIyar
5. svAmi nampiLLai
6. svAmi vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai
7. svAmi piLLai lOkAchAriAr
8. svAmi thiruvAymozhip piLLai
9. svAmi maNavALa mAmuni

then vAnamAmalai maTam continues -

svAmi periyavAchchAn piLLai was the approximately the same time period
as svAmi vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai - svAmi azhagiya maNavALap perumAL
nAyanAr was the brother of svAmi piLLai lOkAchAriAr - both of them were
sons to svAmi vadakkuth thiruvIdhip piLLai.
There are numerous maTams that are part of the thennAchArya parapmara,
the main ones being
1. vAnamAmalai jIyar maTam
2. thirupathi chinna jIyar/periya jIyar maTams
3. srIragam srIranga nAraNa jIyar maTam
4. srIperumbUdUr ethirAja jIyar maTam
5. srIperumbUdUr embAr jIyar maTam
6. kAnchIpuram azhagiya maNavALa jIyar maTam
7. AzhvAr thirunagari emperumAnAr jIyar maTam
8. thirukkuRungudi jIyar svAmi maTam
9. thirukkOvilUr emperumAnAr jIyar maTam
10. thirunArAyaNapuram yadgiri yatirAja jIyar maTam
11. srI. tridaNdi china jIyar svAmi maTam

In addition to the maTams, there are numerous AchArya paramparAs that
trace their lineage back to one of the 74 simhAsanAdhipathis - Some main
thirumALigais (i.e. the ones with most following) are

1. svAmi mudaliyANdAn thirumALigai
2. kOvil kandAdai aNNan thirumALigai
3. pratiAdi bayankaram svAmi thirumALigai
4. bhattar thirumALigai (parAsara bhattar lineage)

These thirumALigais can be more than one in number - i.e. different
branches of the same family could have settled in different divya dEsams - a 
prominent example is the prativAdi bayankaram thirumALigai - there is a 
branch in kAnchipuram (that had great stalwarts in the past 100 years - gAdi 
anantAchAr svAmi and aNNangarAchAriar svAmi) and there are many branches in 
the thirunAngUr divya dEsams .

We will have a closer look on Acharya lineages in Vadakalai sampradayam in 
the next few posts.

I humbly request with my folded hands to each Bhagawatha of this list, to 
contribute your mite for the 81st Jayanthi celebration. Please pay your 
obeisance by contributing your mite and donate generously to the cause of 
the 81st Tirunakshatram celebrations planned for March 24-31, 2001. 
Contributions from the USA are tax exempt. Please mail your checks to:

SMSA Inc,
c/o Smt. Nagu Satyan,
7821 W Alder Drive
Littleton, CO 80128

Please indicate on the memo of your check that your contribution
is for Srimad Poundarikapuram Ashramam.

For those in India, please send the cheque or drafts in favour of "S.P.A.V 
Truct, 81st Jayanthi a/c and send to Srikaryam, Srimad Poundarikapuram 
Andavan Ashramam, 43- A/13, Asramam Road, Srirangam, TRICHY.  PIN 620006, 
India.

AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards
Narayana Narayana
AchAryan Thiruvadi nArAyaNadAsan madhavakkannan
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