Three Great Post Ramanuja Teachers

Pillai Lokacarya, 1264-1369 AD

A revolutionist, he opposed all differences based upon caste, gender and taught that all should be treated equally and seek the good of all sentient beings (loka sangraha).

His revolutionary teachings were resisted by many who complained to Lord Ranganatha, that he was doing immense offence to the tradition by preaching the concepts of equality and fraternity and writing down the secret doctrines thereby negating the need to establish proper relationship between the guru and disciple.

When called upon to explain his conduct, Alagiya Manavala Perumal Nayanar appearing on behalf of his brother Pillai Lokacarya, stated that, they were merely clarifying the sacred doctrines for the benefit of those who are unable to have personal contact with the guru and for use by the future generation.

Lord Sri Ranganatha endorsed this explanation and confirmed the title Loka carya (world teacher) upon the acarya. The Lord then directed Nayanar to compile all the statements now made into a text called 'Acarya hrdayam' and that this text should be equally venerated to the works of his elder brother Pillai Loka acarya.

One of his foremost disciples was a Harijan (untouchable), called Vilancolai- pillai, who became very learned and had many Brahmins as his disciples. He was the author of a pure Tamil poem called Sapta-kathai for which Sri Manavala Mamuni later wrote a commentary.

Pllai Lokacarya wrote 18 treatises on the secret doctrines of Srivaisnavism. When the Muslims under Malik Kafur, attacked Sri Rangam, Vedanta Desikan undertook to protect the magnum opus of Sudarsana-suri -- the 'sruta prakasika'. Pillai Loka carya took upon the duty of protecting the deities. In spite of his advanced age and failing health he accompanied the temple priests who were taking the deities under cover of darkness, for safety in Tirupati. Overcome by fatigue, he rested at a crossroad and gained time for the refugees by misdirecting the pursuing Muslim soldiers. Realising that they have been misled, the soldiers returned to skin the venerable acarya alive and left him to die in agony.

Vedanta Desikan managed to escape with the text and the two sons of Sudarsana Suri, who was slaughtered by the Muslim invaders in the temple, along with hundreds of his disciples who were with him at that time.

Vedanta Desikan, 1268-1369 AD

Sri Vedanta Desikan was born in Thupul, a village near Kanchipuram, to Totaramba and Ananta Suri. Both parents came from very traditional Srivaisnava families; Ananta Suri was a Vedic Srivaisnava, belonging to the Yajur Veda, and Totaramba was the great-grand daughter of Kidambi Accan (Pranatartiharacharya), Ramanuja's cook and one of his chief disciples. Vedanta Desikan appeared on puratasi sravanam, the star of Lord Venkatesa, so accordingly his parents named him "Venkatanatha".

Vedanta Desikan's maternal uncle was the renowned scholar Kidambi Appullaar (aka Atreya Ramanuja). It was under him that Desikan studied all the scriptures. Appullaar in turn had studied Vedanta under Vatsya Varadacharya along with Sudarsana Suri (author of the Sruta-prakasika, a famous commentary on Ramanuja's Sribashya).

Tradition records that at the age of five, Desikan's precocious intelligence attracted the notice of Varadacharya, the latter blessed him and predicted that he would be a great scholar, firmly establishing the greatness of Ramanuja's philosophy. Before the age of twenty, by his own account Desikan had mastered all branches of learning, both religious and secular. In particular, he had an uncanny ability to compose poetry instantaneously combining philosophy and devotion. This combined with his expertise at the art of debate earned him the title "Kavi Tarkika Simha", or lion among poets and debaters.

A devotee of Lord Hayagriva, Desikan meditated on this form of the Lord and is said to have had a profound vision of Him. Hayagriva Stotram, Raghu Vira Gadyam, Gopala Vimsati (all in Sanskrit), Achyuta Satakam (in Prakrit), Mummanikkovai and Navamani Maalai (in Tamil) are among his works. These works are remarkable for their poetic and linguistic range, as well as their deeply emotional turns. In his Tamil love hymns to Lord Devanatha, for example, the influence of the Alvars' bhakti is transparent, as is his mastery of the Sangam Tamil conventions. The rhythmic beauty of the Raghu Vira Gadyam's prose and his touching descriptions of the Krishna-lilas in the Gopala Vimsati are among the high points of the entire gamut of India's religious literature.

At some point, Desikan returned to Kanchipuram to continue his teaching and writing. He regularly visited the many pilgrimage centres (divya desams) of this town, composing hymns on them. One of them, the Vairagya Panchakam ("Five Verses on Dispassion"), gives us a rare autobiographical insight into his personality. Addressed to Lord Varadaraja, the Vairagya Panchakam is a reply to a friend, who, upon seeing Desikan's abject poverty, invited him to join the King's court where he could lead a more comfortable life. Desikan's verses display a stern independence of spirit and utter disregard for material wealth, particularly when it distracts from the greater wealth of the company of God.

Desikan would daily go about begging for alms. This is evidenced by his declaration at the conclusion of the Vairagya Panchakam that neither he nor his father had any wealth worth speaking of, save the continuous presence of the Lord Varadaraja.

Near the end of the 13th century, it is recorded that several Advaita scholars came to Srirangam and challenged the Srivaisnavas to a debate. Being advanced in age, Sudarsana Suri invited Desika to take up the challenge. He accepted the challenge and defeated his opponents, and thereafter settled down in Srirangam. In Bhagavad Dhyana Sopanam, a contemplative poem on Lord Ranganatha, he describes Srirangam as a place where "great connoisseurs live contentedly, their minds full of delight".

When Desikan was in his thirties, his scholarly achievements in the service of God were coming at an increasing pace. He summarised his objections to Advaita in the polemic work Satadusani; he clarified many aspects of Srivaisnava ritual and practice; he constantly elucidated and clarified the philosophical teachings of his predecessors. He himself writes that he taught the entire Sri Bashya at least thirty times; the bulk of these must have occurred during his stay in Srirangam. It is also during this period that he wrote many of his "rahasya granthas", or expositions of the more esoteric doctrines of the tradition, including the nature of self-surrender (prapatti), the meaning of sacred mantras, etc. Many of these works are clearly a product of long discussions with senior scholars living in Srirangam at the time, such as Pillai Lokacarya, Alagiya Manavaala Perumal Nayanar, and Nayanar Accan Pillai. Many of the thoughts of these other acaryas are indirectly recorded in Desika's works, even when they occasionally disagree with his conclusions.

Scientific in his approach, he argues from all sides of an issue, before deriving the most logical conclusion. In examining these works one is struck by Desikan's thoroughness, and by his desire to discuss all possible meanings and nuances of an interpretation, both in the course of experience (anubhavam) as well as argument. Without Desikan's careful noting of the variety of interpretations, many important meanings would have been lost to posterity. It is no wonder that Lord Ranganatha conferred the title "Vedanta Desika" (teacher) on him.

In Srirangam that Desikan composed the Paduka Sahasram, 1008 verses on the sandals of the Lord. It is said that Desikan composed it in a single night in response to challenge from another pandit (scholar). In the course of the 32 chapters, Desikan makes countless allusions to the Alvars, to Sri Ramayanam from which the idea of the greatness of the sandals occurs, as well as other aspects of philosophy.

In 1327 Srirangam was attacked by Malik Kafur from North India, with resulting tragic consequences. In the ensuing med ham, hundreds of Srivaisnavas were killed, and the very existence of Lord Ranganatha was threatened. Led by Pillai Lokacarya, the senior most teacher at the time, with a group of Srivaisnavas hurriedly left Srirangam with the ceremonial (utsava) deity of Lord Ranganatha.

Meanwhile, the main deity of Goddess Ranganayaki was buried in the courtyard in front of Her sanctum, and Desikan is said to have supervised the building of a wall in front of the Ranganatha's sanctum hide the immovable (mulavar) deity of Rangantha in his reclining posture.

The aged Sudarsana Suri was among those who were killed during the invasion. Before his death, he entrusted his two young sons and the only manuscript of the Sruta-prakasika to Desikan's care. Desikan, the boys, and others hid themselves among the dead bodies to escape slaughter.

With the invasion Desikan left Srirangam, with his family and the sons of Sudarsana Suri and headed northwest, settling down first in Satyamangalam, (Karnataka). He then moved to Melkote, where he attracted a bright pupil, known as Brahmatantra Svatantra Jiyar, the first Swami of Sri Parakala Matham. From Melkote, Desikan proceeded to Tirupati, and then toured North Indian pilgrimage centres, like Mathura, Brindavana, Ayodhya, and Varanasi. In the course of this long exile from Srirangam, seeing the devastating destruction caused to the holiest of temples, Srirangam, he composed the Abhiti Stava, or Prayer for Freedom From Fear.

In 1360 AD, Gopanna Udaiyar defeated the Muslims, and Srivaisnavas returned to Srirangam. With the restoration of Srirangam, Desikan now returned to his service of Lord Ranganatha. Tradition records that he composed Sri Rahasya Traya Saaram, an exhaustive work on the essence of Srivaisnava philosophy, lifestyle, and the meaning of the esoteric mantras, in these last few years of his life.

In 1369, with his head resting in the lap of Kumara Varadacarya and his feet with Brahmatantra Svatantra Jiyar, Vedanta Desikan left his earthly body and ascended to the spiritual abode. He had lived the full Vedic lifespan of 100 years in an exemplary and humble manner, tirelessly engaged in the service of the Lord and Srivaisnava sampradayam. Even given such a long life, one can hardly imagine how someone can have contributed so much with so much consistency, and yet have lived such a simple life of complete poverty.

For these reasons, Vedanta Desikan is highly admired and revered by all devotees and is rightfully recognized as the greatest vaisnava teacher to have ever lived.

Manavala-mamuni, 1370-1443 AD

Sri Manavala-mamuni was the son of Thikalakidanthan Thirunavirudayapiran Thatharannan, a disciple of Sri Pillai-lokacarya, and Sriranga Nacciyar. He was born in Kidaram (Tamilnadu) and was the first acarya to comment of the works of earlier acaryas.

His parents named him Azhakiya Manavalan (the handsome groom), after the Lord Himself. He learnt the Vedas, Vedangas and all other sastras from his father. He was an outstanding student, who knew the Dravida veda (Divya prabandhas), the Vedas and had a boundless knowledge of religion. He married at the proper time and lived as a true vaisnava. He moved to Alvar Tirunagari and became a disciple of Tiruvay-mozhip pillai.

It is said that Manavala mamuni's devotion to Nammalvar, Ramanuja and to his own Acarya grew as he studied the Alvars? hymns and doctrines (rahasyas) at Alvar Tirunagari. On observing his devotion to Ramanuja, Tiruvay-mozhip pillai ordered the construction of a Shrine for Ramanuja at Tirunagari and appointed Manavala mamuni to oversee the activities of the shrine. During this time Manavala mamuni composed his first work Yatiraja Vimsati, twenty Sanskrit stanzas in praise of Ramanuja. Tiruvay-mozhip pillai read the works and gave him the title Yatindra Pravanar.>

After the death of his guru, Tiruvay-mozhip pillai, Manavala mamuni moved to Srirangam with his family and co-disciple Ramanuja Jiyar (later known as Vanamamalai Jiyar). He was very well received at Srirangam and started to institute some reforms at the temple, very much in line with what Ramanuja did. He started to research the manuscripts of earlier acaryas and had them restored and recopied.

He went on a pilgrimage to Kanchipuram Tirupati and Sriperumpudur. While in Kanchipuram he studied Sri Bashya with Kitambi Nayanar, a disciple of Brahamatantra Svatantra Jiyar. After his return to Srirangam he renounced his householder status and took up monkhood to concentrate on temple activities. He renovated the old monastery of Ramanuja and had an icon of Pillai Lokacharya installed in Srirangam temple.

Around 1430 AD, Lord Ranganatha had all festivals stopped for a year to hear Manavala mamuni?s discourse on Nammalvar?s Tiruvaymozhi according to all the five commentaries. At the end of discourse Lord Ranganatha appeared as a young boy and placed at his feet the written verse that became to be known as Manavala mamuni's Taniyan

sri sailesa daya paatram dhi-bhaktyaqdi gunarnavam |
yatindra-pravanam vande ramya-jamatram munim ||

I pay my obeisance to the sage Manavala mamuni who is an ocean of virtues such as intelligence and devotion
and who received the mercy of his guru Sri Sailesa and is so attached to Ramanuja

By this proclamation the Lord Himself had accepted Manavala mamuni as His guru. After this incident, Manavala mamuni started writing commentaries on the works of earlier acaryas, composed independent works and compiled source documentation and cross-referencing on some important works.

He composed the commentary on Acarya Hrdayam with great difficulty as his health was failing. When he became very ill and unable to worship at the temple, he dedicated one Tamil stanza a day, expressing to Ramanuja his anguish at staying in this world and his eagerness to reach Vaikuntha. These collected verses became known as Arti Prabhantham, his last work.

Manavala mamuni had many disciples, however, the following eight were the chief disciples known as Ashtadiggajas (elephants of the eight directions):

• Vanamamalai Jiyar,
• Bhattar Piraan jiyar,
• Tiruvengada jiyar,
• Koil kanthaadai annan,
• Prathivaadhi Bhayankaram annaa,
• Erumbi appaa,
• Appillai,
• Appillan.

They and their disciples made contributions to promote Srivaisnavism.