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Swamy Deshikan Thiruvadigale Sharanam !!!

Purattasi thiruvonam, that marks the thirunakshatram of Swamy Deshikan, is
also the thirunakshatram of one of his foremost disciples, Perarulalaiyya
Jeeyar also known as Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Jeeyar, who headed
as the first jeeyar of Parakala Matham. Following is a tribute to this
acharya sarvabhouma who is glorified as the thiruvadi of Swamy Deshika
similar to Swamy Nayanaracharya.

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Jeeyar - A Tribute

Vedanta Deshika, the very incarnation of Thiruvenkatamudaiyaan, is
celebrated as the third kootasthar of parama vaidika SriVaishnavaSri
sampradaayam and is also regarded as the greatest acharya of Ramanuja
Sampradaayam. He 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 Sri Ramanuja sampradaayam. 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.

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 Deshikan. 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 - "rAmAnuja dayApAtram ... " 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 -
"shrImallakshmana ... ". This was in the year 1338 ACE, Kali 4440 Bahudaanya
samvatsara avani shuddha dvitiya that corresponds to August 18th. 
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. 
"hastIsham lokavikhyAtam kaundinya viduShAM varam | rAmAnujAryasiddhAnta
sthApanAchAryamAshraye"

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. During his times at Kanchipuram, there was a
scholar who had come from Kashmir invited Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar for a
debate on Vedanta. The debate started with Sri Thirumalai Srinivasacharya as
the judge. After many days of debate, Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar finally
won. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra had such profuse knowledge in Sri Bhasyham,
that Swamy Deshikan hailed him as "Paryaaya Bhashyakaara" (Bhashyakaara
reincarnated again). 

After 1360, when the muslim invaders were driven away, Swamy Deshikan
returned to Srirangam along with his disciples. Once some scholars had come
from Kashi to Srirangam to have disputation debates on Vedanta. Sri
Brahmatantra Swatantra upon the direction of Swamy Deshikan, participated in
the debate and overthrew all his opponents' arguments into thin air with his
powerful intellect and divine anugraham of Swamy Deshikan. Swamy Deshikan
greeted his pet disciple who returned victorious after many days of debate.
He then conferred on him the title "Brahmatantra Swatantra" (one whose is a
master or an authority on Vedanta) and also hailed him as "Brahmatantra
Adhyaapaka". Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeeyar was also the scribe for Swamy
Deshikan's Shatadushani.

At Srirangam, there was a new problem after the maha samprokshanam. Many
people belonging to other philosophies protested against the conduction of
Thiruadhyayanotsavam during Maargazhi and demanded that the divinity of
Azhwars be established before doing so. Swamy Deshikan successfully
established the divinity of Azhwars and made arrangements for the
re-establishment of Azhwars inside Periya koil and also conducted the
Thiruadhyayanotsavam in great grandeur. It was during this time that Sri
Brahmatantra Swatantrar proclaimed the following - 

pUrvam tatparakAlanAthayatirADAchAryasiddhAntitam
shrIraN^gedhyayanotsavaM pratihataM bhUyaH pratiShThApayan .
vedAntadvaya bhAShyamapyakaluShaM bhaktAryasiddhigrahAM -
shchAkalpaM nigamAntadeshikamaNirjIyyAdajayyAtmadhIH ..

"Victory to the great Nigamanta Deshika who successfully re-established the
adhyayanotsavam of Sriranganatha, which was established by Parakala guru
(Thirumangai Azhwar), and renewed by Yatiraja, and which had stopped in
between. Victory to Vedanta Deshika who, successfully re-established the
authority and authenticity of ubhaya vedantam and the great Azhwars, with
his unmatched intellect." 

Swamy Deshikan then composed his magnum opus Srimad Rahasyatrayasaram, and
taught the same to his disciples with Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar being in
the forefront. After having studied this great work at the feet of Deshikan,
Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar was fully equipped to lead as a paramacharya of
Ramanuja Sampradayam. It was Sri Ranganatha's divine proclamation then that
Swamy's taniyan "ramanujadayapatram ... ... vedantadeshikam " which shows
his greatness should be sung at temples, homes and at the beginning of
prabandha goshti. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra swamy composed a psalm on his
paramaachaarya Swamy Deshikan that runs as - 

namaH padamidaM bhUyAttasmai veN^kaTasUraye .
yadvAgamR^itasekena saMjIvitamidaM jagat ..
bhagavantamivAnantakalyANaguNasAgaram .
vedAntadeshikaM naumi veN^kaTeshagurUttamam ..

"I bow to the divine feet of that Vedanta Deshika by whose divine words of
wisdom, this dead world came back to life. I bow to the great Vedanta
Deshika who is rich with all auspicious divine attributes like Paramatma
Sriman Narayana." 
Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Swamy has also sung another psalm in praise of
Swamy Deshikan, when the aadaikaai sambhavanai was offered to him and to all
the Azhwars as per the ordainment of Bhashyakarar, which runs as - 
 
Having studied entirely at the feet of Swamy Deshikan, Sri Brahmatantra
Swatantrar beamed as a great genius. Swamy Deshikan appointed Sri
Brahmatantra Swatantrar along with Swamy's son Sri Kumara Varadacharya as
his successors and ordained them with the duties of propagating Sri Ramanuja
sampradayam. His polemic style was so wonderful that Swamy Deshikan gave him
the title "Parakala" -Destroyer of all other adverse faiths and
philosophies, when he won over advaitins at a nearby agraharam in Melkote in
the year 1338, in a powerful debate lasting many days. Sri Brahmatantra
Swatantrar would never speak a word unless and until his acharyas Swamy
Deshikan and Kumara Varadacharya had finished. But on that day he had to
take the initiative as both of his achaaryas were unable to be present. He
recalls this title in his work on Swamy Deshikan titled
"Acharyaavataaraghattarthah" wherein the first shlokam runs as - 
brahmataMtrasvataMtreNa parakAlayatIndunA .
AryAvatAraghaTTArthaH saMgraheNa prakAshyate ..1..

Swamy Deshikan also gifted the vigraham of Sri Lakshimi Hayagrivar that he
was worshipping to Sri Brahmatantra Swamy who made it the presiding deity of
the Sri Matham. Swamy Deshikan also gave Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar a pair
of Shankham and Chakram used during Chakrankanam. 

Swamy Deshikan gave all instructions regarding the establishment and
administration of this aasthaanam till 1369. Swamy Deshikan in the year
1369, while placing his placed his feet on Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar and
his head on Nayanacharya's lap and attained his acharya's thiruvadi. After
Swamy Deshikan attained paramapadam, the head quarters of the mutt remained
at Kanchipuram for some time. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar took over the
entire administration of the Sri Matham at Kanchipuram. 
Sri Kumara Varadanatha Nayanacharya, the distinguished son of Swamy Deshikan
provided a great deal of support to Brahmatantra Swatantrar in administering
the day-to-day activities of the matham. 

Sri Brahmatanra Swatantra Swamy along with Nayanaacharya completely
catalogued all works of Swamy Deshikan, produced many copies of the same and
safeguarded them with great care. At Vennaatrankarai they arranged for the
recitation of taniyans of Naalaayira (4000) Divya Prabandhams, Deshikan
taniyan and Deshika prabandham during times of anadhyayanam. Sri
Brahmatantra Swatantrar also arranged for Nayanaachaarya's Pillai Anthaadi
and Vaazhi Thirunaamam to be recited along with these. These can be seen
followed till to this day. If not for their efforts Swamy Deshikan's works
would have come to us this day. 

He later took to a pilgrimage of holy shrines and reached Tirupati. During
this period the jeer at Tirupati attained paramapadam. By divine ordainment
Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar was given charge of the entire temple
administration. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar then built a new building for
the Sri Matham at Tirupati and shifted the math headquarters to Tirupati in
1379. Sri Lakshmi Hayagrivan presented by Swamy Deshikan was then installed
at the Sri Matham. It soon became a chief propagating center of Ramanuja
Sampradayam. A temple to Swamy Deshikan was also built at Govindaraja
pattanam and at Thirumalai, and Sri Brahmanatantra Swatantrar took over the
overall temple administration efficiently and was appointed as the Srikaryam
of Tirupati shrine in succession to Tirumalai Srinivasacharya Swamy. 

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar fulfilled the wishes of his master Swamy
Deshikan very well. He conducted Vedantic discourses, debates on
philosophical issues, prabandham recitations and many more. He had many
disciples the important ones being - Kidaambi Nayanaar, Ghatikaashatam
Ammal, Komandur Achchaan, Pillai Appai, Perarulaalayyar Appai, Kandhaadai
Andaan, Veeravalli Pillai. 

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar is present in all the acharya paramparais or
spiritual hierarchies as one of the acharyas. 

Mantrartha paramparai
Bhagavan Ramanuja, Kidambi Achchaan, Kidambi Ramanujapillan, Kidambi
Rangarajar, Kidambi Appullar, Swamy Deshikan, Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar. 

Sribhashya paramparai
Bhagavan Ramanuja, Thirukkurugaippiraan Pillan, Engalaazhwan, Nadadoor
Ammal, Kidambi Appullar, Swamy Deshikan, Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar. 

Bhagavad Vishaya Paramparai
Bhagavan Ramanja, Thirukkurukaippiraan Pillan, Engalaazhwan, Nadadoor Ammal,
Kidambi Appullar, Swamy Deshikan, Kumara Varadacharya, Sri Brahmatantra
Swatantrar. 

Ghatikaashatam Ammal, grandson of Sri Nadadur Ammal, studied Vedanta at the
feet of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar and composed his taniyan starting with
the same words "Paryaaya Bhashyakaara", used by Sri Swamy Deshikan to praise
Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar. It runs as - 
"paryAya bhAshyakArAya praNatArtim vidhUnvate | brahmatantraswatantrAya
dvitIya brahmaNE nama: ||"

Here at Thirupati, he made the mutt a rallying center of all classes of
people eager to adopt the means of prapatti. The Sri Matham remained here
for a long time. Sri Yaduraaya, who was appointed the dandanayaka, on his
way back to Mysore went to Tirupati on a pilgrimage and acquired the
blessings of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar. He performed samaashrayanam and
prapatti at his feet and requested his acharya to be their Rajaguru.  After
seeing the king's dedication to Sri Sampradayam, Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar
accepted his request. 

Perarulaalayyar Appai was a great scholar in Advaita. He had many shishyas
and once came with them to Kanchipuram for a Vedantic debate with Sri
Brahmatantra Swatantrar. Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar won over his opponent
and converted him to a Srivaishnava and made him follow Sri Vishishtadvatha
siddhaanta. He in the course of time made him his successor and crowned him
as Sri Dvitiya Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Maha Deshikan. 

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantrar wrote several works, which include
Acharyaavataaraghattarthah, Acharya Mangalam, Vijayendra Parajaya and
Divyasuristuti. 
As per the inscriptions at Kanchipuram, Sarvajna Singappa Bhupala was an
Andhra king who ruled over Rajamundhry, honored Kumara Varadacharya and Sri
Brahmatantra Swatantrar and sponsored many of their works and provided them
all the support they needed. At the invitation of Kumara kampanna, Sri
Brahmatantra Swatantrar even toured Karnataka desham and propagated Ramanuja
sampradaayam. At Thirunarayanapuram, which was now a great center of
SriVaishnavam faith on par with Arangam and Kanchipuram, he built a huge
gateway or Rajagopuram (unfinished) The religious line of Vedanta Deshikan
has continued uninterruptedly in this Matham. 

Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Maha Deshikan attained the thiruvadi of his
acharya, Swamy Deshikan in the year 1386, at the age of 100. 

Yaduraya, after coming back to Mysore, subsequently became the ruler of
Mysore in 1399 ACE and dedicated himself to the task of furthering the
practice of Sri Vaishnavism, as he had already become one of the disciples
of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Swamy. 
This connection established between Yaduraaya and Sri Brahmatantra
Swatantrar as the head of the Tirupati shrine is still perpetuated
eternally. The great lamp adorned by the rulers of Mysore, is kept burning
inside the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine at Thirumalai all through these
centuries. 

shrImat shrI Vedanta deshika samyami sArvabhouma paripUrNA krupA katAksha
labdha sArvajna
shrImat shrI kavikathaka kantheerava charaNa naLina yugaLa vinyasta
samastAtmabhara
shrImat shrI Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Yatindra Maha Deshikaya Namah

mangaLam deshikendrAya mahanIya guNAya cha
Chakravarthi tanUjAya sArvabhoumAya mangaLam ||
vAzhi vyAkhyAmuddirak kai !!!
vEdAntasUri charaNau sharaNam prapadye !!!


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