Parakala Matha

Bramhatantra Swatantra Parakala Matha, commonly known as Parakala Matha, is a Vaishnava monastery established during the Hoysala Empire in 1268 at Mysuru, Karnataka, primarily worshipping Vishnu as Hayagriva along with Lakshmi as Vargeshi.[1] It is the first medieval era monastery of the Vadakalai denomination within Vaishnavism in the Hindu society and is the gurupeeta, the seat of the raja guru or royal mentor, of the maharajas and maharanis of Mysuru.[2]

Parakala Matha
ಪರಕಾಲ ಮಠ
Entrance to the headquarters of Pakarala Matha at Mysore, Karnataka
Monastery information
Full nameBramhatantra Swatantra Parakala Matha
DenominationVadakalai, Vaishnavism, Hinduism
Established1268
People
Founder(s)Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeeyar
Important associated figuresThirumangai Alvar, Vedanta Desika, the Wadiyars
Site
Public accessYes
Websitehttps://www.parakalamatham.org

Originally founded in Mysuru where its headquarters has been based, the matha now has branches across southern India and as well as one abroad.

Etymology

Parakala is a Sanskrit adjective meaning "beyond time". It is another theonym for Lord Vishnu and his incarnation as Lord Narasimha, derivatively meaning "He who is beyond time". Alvar Tirumangai, an influential figure in the matha's history, earned parakala as a title for his scholarship, after whom the matha thus came to be known as Parakala Matha.

History

Parakala Matha was first established by Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeeyar, a disciple of Swami Vedanta Desika, during the reign of the Hoysala emperor Narasimha III. It is among the monasteries that view Vedanta Desika as the torchbearer of Āchārya Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita teachings, the others being Ahobila Matha at Ahobilam, Andavan Ashramam at Srirangam, and Andavan Ashramam at Poundarikapuram. The Hayagriva idol worshipped at the matha is said to have been handed down from Vedanta Desika himself.[3]

The presiding deity of Sri Parakala Matha: Lord Sri Lakshmi Hayagreeva Swami (at the centre)

Āchārya tradition

There have been a total of thirty-six āchāryas (pontiffs or principal seers) so far.

The head of the matha is also the hereditary raja guru of the Mysore Royal Family. The matha thus has had a close relationship with the monarchs of Mysore Kingdom since 1399, one of the reasons for the proximity of Jaganmohana Palace and Mysore Palace to it. Most of the royal ceremonies are officiated by the matha.[4]

List of āchāryas
Portrait Guru/Āchārya Full name Presided
Founding āchāryas
Nigamantha Desikan Sri Nigamantha Maha Desikan 1268 - 1369
Disciple āchāryas
1 Perarulāla Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Perarulāla Jîyar Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1286 - 1386
2 Aiyan Appai Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Vātsya Vêdānta Rāmānuja ‘Perarulāla Aiyan Appai’ Dviteeya Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1386 - 1394
3 Śrinivasa Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Śrinivasa Triteeya Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1394 - 1406
4 Parakāla Swami Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Parakāla Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1406 - 1424
5 Rāmānuja Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Vêdānta Rāmānuja Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1425 - 1440
6 Śrinivasa Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Śrinivasa Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1440 - 1460
7 Nārāyana Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Nārāyana Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1460 - 1482
8 Rangaraja Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Rangaraja Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1482 - 1498
9 Maha Deśikan Swami Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Brahmatantra Swatantra Maha Deśikan 1498 - 1517
10 Yatirāja Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Yatirāja Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1517 - 1535
11 Varada Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Varada Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1535 - 1552
12 Parānkusha Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Parānkusha Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1552 - 1567
13 Simha Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Kavitaarkika Simha Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1567 - 1583
14 Yativarya Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Vêdānta Yativarya Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1583 - 1607
15 Jnanābdhi Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Jnanābdhi Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1607 - 1618
16 Veeraraghava Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Veeraraghava Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1619 - 1640
17 Varada Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Varada Vêdānta Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1640 - 1652
18 Varāha Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Varāha Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1652 - 1663
19 Lakshmana Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Vêdānta Lakshmana Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1663 - 1673
20 Yogindra Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Varada Vêdānta Yogindra Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1673 - 1676
21 Periya Parakala Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Periya Parakāla 'Dodda Parakāla' Brahmatantra Swatantra Swāmi 1676 - 1738
22 Śrinivasa Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Śrinivasa Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakāla Swāmi 1738 - 1750
23 Vêdānta Swami Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Vêdānta Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakāla Swāmi 1750 - 1770
24 Śrinivasa Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Abhinava Śrinivasa Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakāla Swāmi 1770 - 1771
25 Rāmānuja Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Rāmānuja Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakāla Swāmi 1771 - 1810
26 Ghantāvatāra Swami Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Ghantāvatāra Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakāla Swāmi 1810 - 1828
27 Vêdānta Swami Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Vêdānta Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakāla Swāmi 1828 - 1835
28 Śrinivasa Śri Lakshmi Hayavadana Divya Pādukā Sevaka Śri Śrinivasa Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakāla Swāmi 1835 - 1860
29 Śrinivasa Śri Śrinivasa Desikendra Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakāla Swāmi 1860 - 1873
30 Ranganatha Śri Ranganatha Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakāla Swāmi 1873 - 1885
31 Krishna Śri Krishna Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakāla Swāmi 1885 - 1915
32 Vāgeesha Śri Vāgeesha Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakāla Swāmi 1915 - 1925
33 Ranganātha Śri Abhinava Ranganātha Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakāla Swāmi 1925 - 1966
34 Śrinivasa Śri Abhinava Śrinivasa Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakāla Swāmi 1966 - 1972
35 Rāmānuja Śri Abhinava Rāmānuja Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakāla Swāmi 1972 - 1992
36 Vāgeesha Śri Abhinava Vāgeesha Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakāla Swāmi 1992–present

See also

References
  1. "Home". parakalamatham.org.
  2. Bairy, Ramesh (11 January 2013). Being Brahmin, Being Modern: Exploring the Lives of Caste Today. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-19819-9. The Maharajah's Sanskrit College in Mysore was older, more prestigious and 'sacred' than the Chamarajendra Sanskrit College in Bangalore. Both these colleges received patronage from the Sringeri Matha (a Smarta institution) and the Parakala matha (a Srivaishnavite institution, the official Gurupeeta [seat of the teacher] of the Mysore king).
  3. Swami Swahananda: "Monasteries in South Asia", page 50. Vedanta Press, 1989.
  4. Viraraghavacharya, T. K. T. (1997). History of Tirupati: The Thiruvengadam Temple. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.

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