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 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Bored stiff? Loosen up... Download and play hundreds of games for free on Yahoo! Games. http://games.yahoo.com/games/front Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/join (Yahoo! 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