29. GOPALARYA MAHA DESIKAN—MUNITHRAYA SAMPRADHAYA PRAVARTHAKAR

Purattasi-Pooradam is the thirunakshatram of Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan (1700 - 1781) also known as GopAlArya MahAdEsikan. He is an important Acharya in the Munithraya sampradayam. His thanian reads as  

Sri Krishna dEsika PadAmbuja Brunga rAjam   
VEdAntha lakshmana muneeindra kripatha bOtham   
Thraiantha dEesika yatheendra satAri moorthim   
Gopala dEsika sikAmanim Aasrayamaha

Srimathe Gopalarya Mahadesikaya Namaha  

Sri Gopala Desikan was born in Aathreya gothram in Sri Appullar's Vamsam (Swami Desikan's maternal uncle). The kootasthar of this Vamsam Sri Kidambi Aachaan (also known as madaippalli Aachaan) was doing the Madaippalli kainkaryam to Sri Ramanuja. Thirukkudanthai Gopala Desikan was the direct and fifteenth descendant of Appullar. Swami's Avatharam took place in Vikrama Varusham (1700) purattasi madham, pooradam star, sukla paksham, navami thithi in dhanur lagnam. Swami received his pancha samaskaram and veda adhyanam from his father Sri Krishna Suri. From his father, he also learnt tharkam, vyakaranam, meemamsam, Divya Prabhandham, Desika Prabhandham & Sthothra paatams of Sri NigamAntha MahA dEsikan and became an erudite scholar.

Sri Gopala Desikan requested Saakshaath swami to bless him and take him as a sishya. Saakshath swami, after testing his gnanam, anushtanam and bhakthi was immensely pleased and blessed him and accepted him as his sishya. Sri Gopala Desikan studied Srimath Rahasyathraya Saaram, Sri Bhaashyam, Geethaa Bhaashyam, Sri Paancharaathra Prabruthi, Anushtaana Granthas, Sruthaprakaasikaa, Thaathparya Chandrikaa, Sathadooshani, Thathva mukthaa kalaabaa, Nyasavidyaa Darpana and Sri Thathva Sidhanjanam under the holy feet of Saakshaath swami. Saakshath swami instructed Sri Gopala Desikan to learn Bhagavath Vishayam from his Satheerthar and disciple Sri Paduka Sevaka Ramanuja muni, who had learnt 24 Ayirappadi earlier from Sri Saakshath swami. As instructed, Sri Gopala dEsikan studied Bhagavath Vishayam from Padhuka Sevaka Ramanuja muni and became a scholar in that too, and requested Sri Saakshaath swami for Bharasamarpanam. Saakshaath swami was very much pleased at his request and perfromed Prapatti for Sri Gopala Desikan at the sacred feet of Lord Sri Ranganatha through Acharya nishtai.  

When he offered prayers with AparyabdhAmritha Dhyana slokam to Lord at Thirukkudanthai. Lord Aravamudhan appeared through archakar and granted the name Thirukkudanthai Desikan

Other works of swami are Ahniga Grantham, Sri Desika sahasranamam, Nikshepa Chinthamani also known as Saranaagathi Saasthra Vivaranam, Sangraha Vyaakyaanams for Kanninun Siruththambu, Thiruppallandu, Sri Jayanthi Nirnayam, Aparyabdhamritha Dhyana sopanam on Araavamudhan (similar to Bhagavath Dhyana sopanam of Swami Desikan on Lord Ranganatha) 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:

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

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 Karthigai month- Krishna sashti (1781 Nov/Dec) Srimath Thirukkudanthai Desikan breathed his last at Thirukkudanthai and adorned Thirunadu

30. Vazhuthur Andavan-VEdhantha Ramanuja Maha Desikan

Thirunakshatram: Aavani PoorattAdhi  

Thanian:   

GOpaala dEsika pathaabhja madhuvrathasya   
Pragnyaa virakhthi karuNaa muKHa sath guNaabhDHe:   
VEdaantha lakshmana munE sritha BHaagha DHEyam   
Paadhaara vindha yugaLam sharanam prapadhyE  

Vazhuthur Andavan - was born in the month of Avani with Pooratadhi as his nakshathram in the tamil year Rudrothkari ( 1744-1745 AD) to Srinivasachar in Vazhuthur.

He took sanyAsam from the then Paduka Sevaka Ramanuja Maha Desikan, and became a fitting successor to Sri Thirukkudanthai Desikan with the name Srimad VEdhantha Ramanuja Maha Desikan also called as Vazhuthur Andavan and lived in a small hut on the southern bank of coleroon doing sidhantha pravachanam at srirangam.

 

Many bhagavathas became sishyas of Srimath Vazhuthur Vedhantha Ramanuja Maha Desikan during these pravachanams. It is told that Sri Gopalarya Maha Desikan blessed Vazhuthur swamy that "Neeray num sampradhaayathai Aala vandha Andavan" meaning you alone are going to guard, rule and spread our sampradhaayam". From that day he was known to be called as Vazhuthur Andavan and sampradhaayam was called as Srimath Aandavan Asramam Sampradhaayam.  

From Him, sampradhaayam spreaded through his disciples to many branches. Prominent among them are as follows:

1. Srinivasa Ramanuja Maha Desikan - Thiruthuraipoondi Andavan also known as Vilakkudi andavan (Andavan asramam)
2. Annarya Maha Desikan - also known as Navalpakkam Swamy who was in gruhasthasramam spreading sampradhayam at Thirukkudanthai, Thiruvaheendapuram and Navalpakkam.
3. Vangipuram Vedhantha Ramanuja Maha desikan (Aandikadu Swamy in Srirangam)

Through these 3 acharyas who were sishyas of Srimath Vazhuthur Andavan, the sampradhaayam has spread to a very great extent like a big banyan tree.  
In the next Chapter, adiyEn will continue with the history of achAryAs starting with Srimath Thirutthuraippoondi Andavan.

Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi

Perungadambanur Parthasarathy Sreenivasan

(of  Besant Nagar,Chennai)