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(contd from Part I posting on Oct 13, 2002)
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Sri:

[Image]



Srimath
Thirukkudanthai
Desikan Sri Gopalarya
Maha Desikan (1700 -
1781)

Thirunakshatram:
Purattasi Pooradam


Thanian
Sri Krishna Desika
Padaambuja Brunga
raajam
Vedaantha lakshmana
munindra kripatha
bodham
Thraiantha desika
yatheendra satari
moorthim
Gopala desika
sikamanim Aasrayamaha

Meaning of Thanian: Like a bee, which goes after the lotus for nectar,
He went after the feet of Sri Krishna Desikan (who was his Father) and
had his Pancha Samskaram and Veda Adyanam under him. He absorbed
Vedantha gnanam from Vedantha Lakshmana Muni (Sakshath Swami). He is an
embodiment of three great acharyas Swami Desikan, Sri Ramanuja and Swami
Nammazhwar. We seek refuge and prostrate such a great acharya Srimath
Gopalarya Maha Desikan.

The three Yatheeswaras:
One day Lord Aparyabdhamudhan appeared in the dream of Thirukudanthai
Desikan and told him that three yatheeswas, the Amsa avatharams of Sri
Nathamuni, Sri Alavanthar, and Sri Bashyakarar will come and request him
to take them as his sishyas and instructed him to accept them as his
sishyas and teach them the Munithraya sath-sampradayam, the sampradayam
passed down by three munis namely Nathamuni, Yamunamuni and Ramanuja
Muni. Similarly Lord appeared in the dream of the three swamis also, and
told them to take up Thureeyasramam and become sishyas of
Thirukkudanthai Desikan swami. The three swamis were:

1. Sri Srinivasa Maha Desikan of Cheyyanam on the banks of
Tamirabarani river
2. Sri Ranganatha Maha Desikan of Vathiraairuppu, Thirumaliruncholai
near Madurai
3. Sri Vedantha Ramanuja Maha Desikan of Vazhuthur, a small village
near Thirukkudanthai

The three Yatheeswaras who had taken up Thureeyasramam seperately
followed the command of the Lord and proceeded to Thirukkudanthai. They
met each other at Lord Aravamudhan sannidhi (like the first three alwars
Poigai azhwar, Peyazhwar and Boodhathazhwar meeting at Thirukovilur) and
exchanged their bhagavadh anubhavam in their dreams and the bhagavadh
Aagnya for which, they had come to Thirukkudanthai. After performing
mangalasaasanam to Lord Amudhan, they reached Thirukkudanthai Desikan's
Ashramam. At that time, Sri Thirukkudanthai Desikan was performimg
sidhantha pravachanam on "Srutha Prakasika". The three yatheeswaras
performed saashtanga pranams at the holy feet of swami and requested him
to accept them as his sishyas and teach them sampradhaya granthas by
upadesa anushtanam.

Swami felt extremely glad at their presence and blessed them with his
acharya kataaksham. He told them that he is already aware of the purpose
of their visit and the bhagavadh niyamanam is for him to accept them as
his sishyas. Swami told them that they must do gurukula vaasam for
atleast six months as per saastras, before doing sidhaantha pravachanam.
They replied "anugraha daasa" and stayed with Thirukkudanthai swami.
They were performing all the kainkaryams at his hermitage with
reverence. It was a very rare and unusual phenomenon that the three
sanyasis were performing kainkaryams to a Gruhastha. After six months of
gurukula vaasam they prayed the Acharya with the sloka from Gita
(Chapter II - 7)

kaarpanya dOshOpahatha svabhAvaha
pruchchAmi tvAm Dharma sammoodachEthAha
yathchrEya: syAth nischitham broohi thanmE
sishyasthEham shAdhi mAm tvam prapannam"

Meaning: My true nature has been corrupted by my weaknesses. I am asking
you to tell me what is best for me. Now I am your disciple, and a soul
surrendered unto you. You know what is good for me. Please instruct me !
(Arjuna's plea to Lord Krishna).

Thirukkudanthai Desikan swami took all three of them as his sishyas and
taught them all the granthas through upadesams and kalakshebams. One day
during Adhyayanothsavam Sarrumurai time when swami, along with the three
sishyas did mangalasaasanam at Amudhan sannidhi, Lord Amudhan through
Archamukam, awarded the thirunamam "MUNITHRAYA SAMPRADHAYA PRAVARTHAKAR"
to Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan. Swami accepted it with humility
saying, "Naayindhen, DhanyOsmi". Swami instructed the yatheeswaras to do
sampradhaya pravachanam from their respective places. The yatheeswaras
returned back to their villages. Of these yatheeswaras,

1. Srinivasa Maha Desikan who was an amsam of Nathamuni, was dedicating
his upasana on meditation. He also gave bhagavath vishaya kalakshebam to
a very few sishyas.

2. Sri Ranganatha Maha Desikan: an amsaboodhar of Yamuna muni was doing
sampradhaya pravachanam to a few sishyas on Sri Bhashya vishesha artha
anusanthanam.

3. Sri Vedantha Ramanuja Maha Desikan (Srimath Vazhuthur Andavan) who
was an amsam of Sri Bhashyakkarar, was doing ubhaya vedantha pravachanam
to a lot of sishyas. Through this swami, munithraya sampradhyam grew
like a big banyan tree with many branches, the prominent among them are
Srimath Srirangam Aandavan Periasramam and Srimad Srirangam
Poundarikapuram Aandavan Aasraman, Navalpakkam Acharya parampara,
Aandikadu, Kedandippatti, Thenkanikkottai, and many swayamacharya
purushas.

Kara-sparsa Kainkaryam
During the time of renovation and samprokshanam of Sri Aparyabdhamrithan
temple, among the various scholars of all the three sidhanthas present,
Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan was given the bhagavdh niyamanam to do
Karasparsa Kainkaryam (sanctification of the divya mangala vigraha of
the Lord by touching by ones hands and embrasing the vigraha). He
accepted the Niyamanam of Lord Amudhan and prostrated the divya
dhampathis for their Kripaadhisayam and performed kara sparsa kainkaryam
for divya mangala vigraha moorthy of Aravamudha Perumal and Komalavalli
Thaayar.

Mangalasaasanam of Divya Desams
Thirukkudanthai Desikan had a desire to do mangalasaasanam of
divyadesams at north. Along with the three yatheeswaras and other
gruhastasrama sishyas, he visited Veeranarayanapuram, Srimushnam,
Thirukoilur, Kanchi and Thiruvengadam. From the hills of Thiruvengadam,
he prostrated towards the northern direction for the divyadesams at
Mathura, Ayodhya, Dwaraka, Badrikasram, Sri Koorma Mangalagiri and
Simmachalam. He then visited Thiruvellur, Thiruneermalai,
Thiruvahindapram and all other divya desams from Thiruchithrakoodam to
Therazhundoor and finally came back to Thirukudanthai and offered
prayers at Aravamudhan sannidhi. Sri Thirukkudanthai Desikan swami
performed many kainkaryams at the Aravamudhan sannidhi. He offered many
divyabharanam (jewels) to the Lord. Also he erected a temple and tower
for Swami Vedantha Desikan within the Aravamudhan temple premises.

Thureeyasramam
Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan led a life of Acharya in gruhasthashrama
for almost all of his life like Swami Desikan. He took up sanyasam at
the age of 81 years (In Plava year 1781, Karthigai month on Pushya
star-Krishna panchami) with the name Aparyabdhaamridha Maha Desikan. The
very next day, in plava varusham 1783 Karthigai month- Krishna sashti
(1781 Nov/Dec) Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan breathed his last at
Thirukkudanthai and reached Thirunaadu.

(To be concluded with a Part III with a comparison of the Life of Swami
Desikan and Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan)

Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi,
Shyamsundar Sreenivasan


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





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