Thirunakshtrams of the Month - Purattasi

 This month, Purattasi has  Thirunakshatram of Swami Vedanta Desika falling on  Thiruvonam (Sravanam) star. This year Swami Desika's Thriunakshatram coincides with Vijaya Dashami.

Swami Sri Vedanta Desika

At “Thoopul”, a place near Kancheepuram, a couple, Sri Ananthan Soori and Thotharamba were living. For a long time, they were childless. One day Lord Srinivasa appeared in the dream of Sri Anantha Soori and told him that if he came to Tirupathi, the Lord would bless them with a child. Sri Anantha Soori and Thotharamba were delighted and immediately went to the Tirumala Hills and worshipped Lord Srinivasa. On that night when they were sleeping Lord Srinivasa appeared in the couple’s dream and brought the temple “Mani” (Ghanta) and gave it to Sri Ananthasoori and in turn he gave it to  Thotharamba who swallowed it. In the morning both of them narrated to each other about the the same dream. The Temple trustee Jeer also had a similar dream and lo to the astonishment of everyone, the temple the “Mani” was really missing!

Sri Thotharamba became pregnant thereafter and delivered a boy in Sravana Nakshatra in the month of Purattasi. They named the child as “Venkatanathan” as he was the gift from the God  Venkatanatha of Tirupati.

At the age of five, Sri Venkatanathan was taken to the temple of Lord Varadaraja at  Kancheepuram by Appullar (Sri Vadihamsambudacharya), his maternal uncle. At the temple pradakshina Sri Nadadur Ammal, the acharya for Sri Appullar, was rendering Kalakshepam to some disciples. Looking at the bright child Venkatanatha, Sri Nadadur Ammal blessed the him and wanted to continue the Kalakshepam. But he forgot the context to continue. He enquired with the sishyas and they also did not remember. At that time Sri Venkatanatha, though a small boy of only 5year old, stated the context to continue. Si Nadadur Ammal appreciated the child and praised him and blessed him that he would become a great Acharya for Srivaishnava Sampradaya. He advised Sri Appullar to be the acharya for him and teach him all granthas.

Sri Venkatanatha learnt all the sastras by the age of 20. As Sri Venkatanatha was extraordinary for his age, Sri Appullar taught him “Garuda Mantram” to protect him from any evil. While on his death bed, Sri Appullar gave to Sri Venkatanatha the “Paduka” of Sri Ramanuja and told him to propagate the Ramanuja Sampradaya.

After Sri Appullar attained Paramapada, Sri Venkatanatha went to Thiruvaheendrapuram, and took bath on Garuda Nadhi and worshipped Sri Devanatha. He ascended the small hill near the temple and worshipped Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha there. He sat under a Peepal tree and chanted the “Garuda Mantram”. Sri Garuda appeared before him and gave him Sri Hayagriva Mantram for worshipping the Lord of knowledge- Hayagriva. Sri Venkatanatha chanted Sri Hayagriva Mantram and blessed Sri Venkatanatha with full knowledge. Sri Venkatanatha made Sri Hayagriva Stotra in praise of Lord Hayagriva. He made stotras in praise of Sri Devanatha in Sankrit, Tamil and Prakrut languages. He returned to Kancheepuram thereafter.

The decedents of  Sri Thirukkurugai Piran Pillan (disciple of Sri Ramanuja) gave the idol of Sri Hayagriva, which was worshipped by Sri Ramanuja, to Sri Venkatanatha as ordered in the dream by Sri Ramanuja himself. Sri Venkatanatha visited the Divya Desams around Kancheepuram and worshiped the dieties there and made stotras for each of them. He did “Barasmarpanam” to Lord Sri Varadaraja at Kancheepuram.

He went to Tirupathi and worshiped Lord Srinivasa and made “Sri Daya Satakam” stotra with more than 100 slokas in different meters praising the “Daya” (Kindness) of  the Lord. Sri Venkatanatha traveled to north and visited all the Divya Desams there.

Sri Venkatanatha was doing “Unchavruthi” for his livelihood. He would accept alms only for the requirement of the day. When some persons tried to put some gold coins along with alms he used to throw them telling that they were germs in the rice. Once he was invited by his friend to the Vijayanagar King’s Court for praising the king and therby getting some awards. Sri Venkatanatha bluntly refused and sent a chit with 5 slokas  called “Vairagya Panchakam” by which he said that he valued only the Lord Varadaraja as wealth and would not care for any other material wealth. Such was his vairagyam.

Sri Venkatanatha was giving the kalakshepams in Sri Bhashyam and in also other sastras to many sishyas. Praising this effort Lord Sri Ranganatha gave him the title as “Vedantacharya” and Goddess Sri Ranganayaki gave him the title “Sarvatantra Swatnatra”. The temple priests at Srirangam gave him the title “Kavitarkika Simha”. Sri Venkatanatha was called as “Swami Desika” (Desika means Acharya) since he became an universal acharya for everyone. Swami Desika established Sri Bhashyakara Sampradaya by winning over the pandits following other sampradayas who were coming to him for arguments. Swami Desika has made “Shata Dooshani” a famous text listing the fallacies in the other religions.

During the muslim invasion of south India, the Srirangam Temple was closed and Lord Ranganatha was shifted from there. Swami Desika was given the responsibility of protecting the Sri Bhasyam text and he had moved with lot of difficulties to Satyakalam  in Karnataka and was in exile for many years. When the situation became normal he came to Srirangam.

During his life time he had been challenged by many scholars and siddhas and Swami Desika over came them with the grace of Lord. In one such incidence, he composed Sri Paaduka Sahasram in praise of Sri Paduka Devi (the Paduka of Sri Ranganatha) in a single night.

Swami Desika has covered all the areas in the literary filed. His works are in the filed of Vedanta, Kavya, Nataka, Rahasya Granthas, Tamil Prabhandam, Sanskrit Slokas, Commentaries to other Acharya’s  texts etc. His mastery over the subject can be seen in his texts. In spite of his mastery on the subject and language, Swami Desika quoted poorvacharyas sayings in all his texts and had never deviated from them.

The Thirunakshatram of this great Acharya falls on the 6^th of October this year. Lets us worship Swami Desika on this Purattasi Sravanam without fail.