13 Facts About Vedanta Desika

1.

Vedanta Desika was an Indian philosopher, Sri Vaishnava guru, and one of the most brilliant stalwarts of Sri Vaishnavism in the post-Ramanuja period.

2.

Vedanta Desika was a Hindu devotee, poet, Master of Acharyas and a logician and mathematician.

3.

Vedanta Desika was the disciple of Kidambi Appullar, known as Athreya Ramanujachariar, who himself was of a master-disciple lineage that began with Ramanuja.

4.

Vedanta Desika is considered to be avatar of the divine bell of Venkateshvara of Tirumala by the Vadakalai sect of Sri Vaishnavism.

5.

When Vedanta Desika turned seven, Kidambi Appullar accepted Venkatanaathan as his disciple, and taught him arts, sciences and scriptures.

6.

Vedanta Desika undertook a vow called uchhavritti, whereby he depended wholly on the Supreme Lord for his household needs by accepting grains and vegetables donated by disciples voluntarily, without actively seeking it.

7.

Vedanta Desika stayed in several cities and towns through his life such as Thiruvaheendrapuram, Kanchipuram, Srirangam, Sathyagala, and Melkote.

8.

Vedanta Desika composed many different works in languages such as Tamil, Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Manipravalam.

9.

Vedanta Desika composed over a hundred works in the following genre:.

10.

Vedanta Desika has employed 22 metres in the 862 verses he composed on presiding deities of various temples in India.

11.

Achyuta Shataka: a hundred verses in praise of Devanatha, in which Vedanta Desika expresses his passionate love in the form of a bride.

12.

Nyasa Sutras: three texts composed by Vedanta Desika which extract the essence of the sharanagati doctrine of self-surrender.

13.

Vedanta Desika was challenged by another scholar to compose 1000 verses in a night, and he completed this work in three hours.