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SrI:
SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

Dearest all, 

We had enjoyed our Acharya paramparai upto Sri
Gopaladesika Mahadesikan also called as
Thirukkudanthai Desikan. Let us enjoy this greatest
acharya?s life history today. 

(Purattasi / Pooraadam) (1701 - 1783 CE) Sri
Gopaladesikan was born in Atreya Gotram. He was the
14th generation of Vaadi Hamsambu vaahar, the uncle
and Acharya of Swami Vedanta Desikan. Sri Krishna
Suri, his father had 3 sons. Our Swami was the middle
one. He was born in Royampettai Agraharam near Tiruk
Kandiyur on the northern banks of Kaveri. He was born
in Kaliyuga year 4801, about 294 years ago at the
beginning of the 18th century CE. He was born in 1701
CE (Vikrama year) Purattasi month Sukla Paksha Navami,
a Monday under the star Pooraadam. 

Once when Sri Krishna Suri couple had been to the
Sravanotsavam at Oppiliappan Koil, the Lord appeared
in their dream and gave them some milk to drink saying
that Swami Vedanta Desika himself will be born as
their son in the constellation of Vishwaksenar. When
they returned to Royampettai, the lady became
pregnant. On the 12th month, she gave birth to a son
who was the very Gantaavataara Desika. Swami Desika
himself indicates about this reincarnation when he
says in his Rahasya Traya Saram- 

Bhavati Devat Kaschit Kaschid Vivasritaamaha / 
Sad Vartaneem Anuvidaasyati Saaswatham Naha // 

As Sri Krishna Suri_s Aradhya Devata was Gopalan and
as the child was born as Desika Avatara (as per the
dream), he named the child as _Gopala Desikan_. [from
Sri Anbil Ramaswamy Swami?s write up] 

A GREAT luminary in the spiritual firmament of South
India was born in 1700 C.E. in a hamlet called
Royampettai, in Thanjavur district, on the northern
bank of the Cauvery, near Thiruvaiyaru. He was born in
the year Vikrama (corresponding to 1700 C.E.), in the
month of Purattasi, under the star Pooradam, to
Krishnadesika. The child was named Gopaladesika. 
The boy learnt, from his father, the Vedas,
Divyaprabandha, Sanskrit and Tamil grammar, rhetoric
and Sastras. Even when he was in his teens, he was
sent to Srirangam to learn the ``Grantha-Chatushtayam'
(Rahasyatraya-saram, Sri Bhashyam, Gita- Bhashyam and
Bhagavad-Vishayam) from the great Vedanta acharya,
Ramanuja Muni. 

Young Gopaladesika was advised to settle down in
Kumbakonam after he completed his course. He first
undertook an extensive pilgrimage to the holy shrines
in South India and then settled down in a hermitage in
the Aravamuthan temple premises, at Kumbakonam. 
Gopaladesika lived a simple life, sustained by daily
alms. Though such a way of life is not necessary for
the householder, one like Vedantadesika or
Gopaladesika, who had no need for money or savings or
material acquisitions, would naturally, and
instinctively, adopt this mode of life. 

Three ascetics were attending on him, with implicit
reverence, doing his personal chores - a very unusual
phenomenon. They had been drawn from and near: one was
from Watrap, who was devoted to solitude and
meditation; the second was from Seyyanam (in
Tirunelveli district), a prototype of Yamunamuni (or
Alavandar), who had a few disciples only; the third
was from Vazhuthoor near Ayyampettai. 

He was indeed a second Vedanta Ramanuja Muni, whose
service helped the school reach a pre-eminent status.
The particular ascetic, referred to as Vazhuthoor
Swami, Vazhuthoor Andavan, and Srirangam Swami, was
the real torch-bearer of Gopaladesika's mission from
about 1750 C.E. 

The reverence Gopaladesika commanded from the society
then, is reflected in his being addressed as
``Thirukkudanthai Desikan''. He is acknowledged as the
patriarch of the school (or sampradaya, as it is
generally termed), referred to as Munitraya, since it
is suppose to have been carried forward by his three
ascetic disciples. The tradition is essentially the
same as that of Vedantadesika; it marks no departure
from the path; nor it is a branch since it was only
continuing in the same direction. If it is referred to
as the Munitraya tradition or Thirukkudanthai Desikan
tradition, it is only for convenience and for
conveying the regard that he was held in by a large
mass of the religious community. 

In the context of Indian spiritualism, we find two
kinds of leaders; one might be a great author but no
great orator; another may be good at discourses or
instructions but may not have a flair for writing
works for posterity. Gopaladesika combined both
faculties in happy harmony. He was a `watershed
acharya' in the genealogy of Vaishnavite preceptors.
He inherited Vedantadesika's spiritual legacy totally
and from him different streams can be recognised
today. Among these, two are well organised: they are
the Srirangam Periasramam Andavan tradition and the
Poundarikapuram Andavan tradition. 

There are a number of others, such as the
Kethandapatti tradition, the Annayaryamahadesikan
tradition composed of many Tatacharyas (descendants of
Nathamuni) and Acharya-Purushas, the Denkanikottai
stream and so on. One could make an estimate that some
40 per cent of the Desikasampradaya adherents today
would acknowledge Thirukkudanthai Desikan as their
patriarch. 

As an author, his reputation stands simply
unassilable: an original work on ``Prapatti''
(``Nikshepatchintamani''), a commentary on
Rahasyatrayasara of Vedantadesika, commentaries on two
works from Divyaprabandham, a commentary on Tattvatika
of Vedantadesika, a terse Sahasranama-stotra on
Vedantadesika; an Anhika work which is a valuable
guide on rituals of daily routine for pious men to
followl and a unique work called ``Sri-
Jayantyadi-Nirnaya'', where he codifies the criteria
for fixing the dates of such holy fests as Sri Krishna
Jayanthi. 

His devotion for the local deity, Aravamudhan, can be
gleaned from two short hymns he has composed. It was
he who built the present shrine, with the tower, for
Vedantadesika, almost opposite to his hermitage,
within the temple premises. 

He was a model of true humility. He used an
unostentatious colophon in his works, that read
somewhat like this: ``written by Gopaladasa, son of
Krishnasoori and receiver of Vedanta knowledge from
Sakshat Swami''. 

It is said that his grand-uncle Venkatadhwari was so
much impressed by his stature, that he sought to
become Gopaladesika's disciple. But Gopaladesika would
not allow it! He commended the grand old man to his
own Acharya, Sakshat Swami. 
However, he appears to have suffered the misfortune of
begetting a misfit son, for whom he could only plead
with God. The son died young. Gopaladesika had a
scholarly nephew, Venkatacharya and a grandson,
Vedantacharya (of Elayavalli line), who became his
`sons' by adoption. They did much to perpetuate his
glorious memory. 

At 82, he took sanyasa and died within a couple of
days, in the Tamil Plava year (corresponding to 1782
C.E.), in Karthigai month on a Krishna Shashti. Just
before he passed away, his loving admirers made an
idol of his in iron, which he approved and blessed
with his touch. 

This deity is now worshipped in the Vedantadesika
shrine (in East Uttara Street, Srirangam) which is
under the management of the Sri Poundarikapuram Swami
Asramam. 

The above wonderful article was written by Dr Sri U Ve
VN Vedantha Desikan Swami in Thirukkudanthai Desikan
300th year malar. 

Sri Tiruk Kudanthai Desikan has authored several
works, of which _The Aahnika_ which lays down the
daily routine of a Srivaishnava in minute detail is
very useful composition (regarded as a Reference
manual by succeeding Acharyas). This Ahnikam is now
being written in simple Tamil exhaustively by Sri U VE
ANC Swami of Srirangam as per the request of Sri MS
Hari Swami. 

Thirukkudanthai Desikan also wrote commentaries on
Tirup Pallandu and Kanninun Siruthaambhu . 
His other works include- 
?       Aparyaapta Amruta 
?       Bhagavad Dhyaana Sopaanam 
?       Srimad Aahnikam 
?       Nigamaantha Desika Sahasranamam 
?       Nikshepa Chintamani 
?       Saaraswaadhini. 
(Saakshaat Swami had done only about 12 chapters of
his Our Swami completed the rest as ordered by his
Acharya) 
?       Uttara Saaraswtham 
?       Sri Jayanthi Nirnayam etc.

His Tanian reads as follows: 
Sri Krishna Desika Padaambhuja Bringaraajam Vedaanta
Lakshmana Muneendra Krupaatha Bodham / 
Trayyantha Desika Yatindra Sataari Moorthim Gopaala
Desika Sikhaamanim Aasrayaamaha // 

Let us take refuge at the feet of Gopala Desika , the
crown jewel, the Acharya for the three great
Sannyasis, who was like the bee surrounding the lotus
feet of Sri Krishna Desika and who was the recipient
of the grace of Vedanta Lakshmana Muni. 

The above means that Tirukkutanthai Desikan Swami
combined in his persona;ity those of all the three
AchAryas viz Sri Vedanta Desika, Sri Bhashyakara and
Sri Satakopa. It is interesting to note that those who
resorted to him were also three yathivaras. 

He was hailed as a Maha Bhaagavata in his own time in
recognition whereof the special and rare privilege of
embracing the idol of Aravamudhan so as to render it
more efficacious, was accorded to him. He was
succeeded in the Peetam by Sri Vedaanta Ramanuja Swami
who came to be known as _Vazhuthoor Andavan_. 

Acharyan ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam
Regards
Namo narayana
dasan


 
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