Sri Lakshmi Hayavadana Moorthy, the Principal Deity at the Mutt
Swamy Bhagavad Ramanuja as per the divine order of his pracharya Srimath Yamunacharya authored a divine commentary to the Brahma sutras of Vyasa, in accordance with the teachings of the masters of yore like Bodhayana and others. He submitted this work to the assembly at the Sarasvati peetam in Kashmir. The work was received by none other than Sarasvatidevi, who named it as Sribhashya and Ramanuja as Sribhashyakara. In recognition to this, she even presented the moorthy of Sri Lakshmi Hayagriva that was being worshipped by her. From that day, the moorthy came to be in the thiruvaradhanam of Sribhashyakara.
Sribhashyakara worshipped this moorthy during his lifetime and subsequently handed it over along with the spiritual succession to his jnana-putra Thirukkurugaipiraan Pillan. From Pillan it flowed down through his successive familial generations to Sri Pundarikaksha Deshika and then to Sri Shatakopa Deshika and then to his progeny also called Sri Pundarikaksha Deshika, who was the rajaguru of the Vijayanagara rulers and also the son-in-law of Sri Atreya Ramanuja Appullar, the preceptor of Swamy Deshika.
At the instance of Sri Appullar, Sri Pundarikaksha Deshika, with all attendant imperial paraphernalia, bequeathed the moorthy of Sri Lakshmi Hayagriva to Swamy Deshika who had already obtained the sakshatkaram of Sri Lakshmi Hayagriva at Thiruvahindrapuram. Swamy received this with extraordinary delight and enshrined it as part of his thiruvaradhanam. Swamy Deshika worshipped this moorthy all his lifetime and in due course, in the year 1360 ACE, bequeathed this moorthy to Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra jeeyar, who installed it as the Asthana-perumal (presiding deity) of the institution established by him at Kanchipuram under the direct guidance of Swamy that came to be known as Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Swamy Matham.
हयमुखमुखैः तत्तद्रूपैः अकर्मविनिमितैः उपदिशति यस्तथ्यं पथ्यं सतामवसीदताम्।
जनपदवीयातायाता श्रमापहरां धियं जनयतु स मे देवः श्रीमान् धनंजयसारथिः॥
Since that day onwards, the moorthy has been worshipped incessantly by the avichchinna (uninterrupted) yatishvara acharya parampara of this matham that owes its direct allegiance to the lotus feet of Thuppul Kulamani Swamy Sriman Nigamantha Maha Deshika. This moorthy of Sri Lakshmi Hayavadana has been the object of immense adoration and thecentral theme of several charming works composed by the sadacharyas of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala matham, right from the grand ages of Swamy Vedanta Maha Deshika.
Other Aradhya Moorthys at the Mutt
In addition to these moorthys, there is also a moorthy of Swamy Deshika that was once upon a time in the thiruvaradhanam of Swamy Varadanatha Nayanaracharya himself. At the end of his time, Swamy Varadanatha bequeathed this moorthy and also the moorthy of Sri Devadhiraja that was their family treasure to Sri Emperumanarappan, his prime disciple. The moorthy of Sri Vedanta Deshika was bequeathed by Emperumanarappan to Sri Truteeya Brahmatantra Swatantra Sri Srinivasa Parakala Swamy as a reward for his monumental prose work – The Muvayirappadi Guruparampara Prabhavam. Since that day onwards, the moorthy of Swamy Vedanta Deshika also continues to be receiving nitya-thiruvaradhanam from the Acharyas of this matham.
There are several other Thiruvaradhana moorthys that have come from individual Poorvacharyas in the divine paramparai of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Swamy Mutt. The Aradhana Paramparai of the presiding deities of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Swamy Mutt is given below.
Sri Lakshmi Hayavadana
From Sri Chaturmukha Brahma —> Sri Sarasvati Devi —> Sri Bhagavad Bhashyakarar —> Sri Thirukkurugaippiran Pillan —> Sri Pundarikaksha Deshika —> Sri Shathakopa Deshika —> Sri Pundarikaksha Deshika – II —> Swamy Vedanta Deshika —> Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeeyar (1st pattam) —> Down the lineage of Sri Parakala Mutt Acharyas till date.
Sri Venugopala
From Vamsha paramparai of 1st pattam Srimad Parakala Swamy —> purvashramam of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeeyar (1st pattam) —> Down the lineage of Sri Parakala Mutt Acharyas till date.
Sri Lakshmi Narayana
From Vamsha paramparai of 20th pattam Srimad Parakala Swamy —> purvashramam of Sri Varadavedanta Yogindra Parakala Swamy (20th pattam) —> Sri Maha Parakala Swamy (21st pattam) —> Down the lineage of Sri Parakala Mutt Acharyas till date.
Sri Vedanta Deshika
From Swamy Thuppul Varadantha Nayanaracharya —> Sri Emperumanarappan —> Sri Tritiya Brahmatantra Swatantra Swamy (3rd pattam) —> Down the lineage of Sri Parakala Mutt Acharyas till date.
Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeeyar (1st pattam Srimad Parakala swami)
