[Advaita-l] Sri Appayya Dikshitar's supreme loyalty to Advaita sampradaya

[V Subrahmanian]

Post from Sri Gokulakrishna Iyer

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Partial evidence from Dikshitendra's Yādavabhyudayam Commentary to prove
that He had genuine allegiance towards Sri Shankara Bhagavatpada.
Srimad Appayya Dikshitendra was a Smarta by birth and was faithful to our
Acharya. Although he labored hard to make colossal contributions to
Srikanthacharya's school of Sivadvaita Vedanta, His allegiance was with our
Bhagavatpada. Although he was deeply fascinated by Swami Vedanta Deshikar
of the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya and had deep veneration for him, His
allegiance was with our Shankaracharya Sampradaya alone.
In His Sanskrit commentary on Yādavabhyudaya Mahakavyam, He praises Swami
Deshikar as Kavitarkika Simha and honors him by bringing explaining the
text in the way a faithful and erudite Sri Vaishnava scholar would comment
upon it. The accuracy of His understanding in Vishishtadvaita philosophy
was so accurate that very few outside of the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya could
write a commentary as this.
In the opening verses of the commentary Dikshitendra has never written a
Dhyana shloka on Swami Deshikar. The famous verse which the Sri Vaishnavas
recite to invoke Swami Deshikar's presence in their hearts has never been
used by Him.
श्रीमान् वेङ्कटनाथार्यः कवितार्किककेसरी ।
वेदान्ताचार्यवर्यो मे संनिधत्तां सदा हृदि ॥
This shloka has never been used by Dikshitendra. Such invocatory verses on
the Acharyas of a Sampradaya can be recited only by the disciples and
followers of that Sampradaya alone. These are not random shlokas for anyone
to recite. A faithful follower of a particular Sampradaya cannot utter
verses invoking the Acharyas of another Sampradaya.
By not writing a dhyana shloka on Swami Deshikar, Srimad Appayya
Dikshitendra has proved that he is not a follower of the Sri Vaishnava
Sampradaya. He makes His position clear.
When we look at His works on Srikanthacharya's works, we cannot find a
single shloka on Srikanthacharya. This proves that He did not present
Himself as a follower of the Shaiva Vedanta school.
On the other hand, in Advaitic works like Nyayarakshamani and Nayamanjari
He writes a very detailed and beautiful Mangalacharana shloka on our
Bhagavatpada. In His Chaturmata-sara-sangraha He makes the mention of the
names of Anandatirtha Muni, Lakshmana Deshikendra (Ramanujacharya) and
Srikantha Yogi. He reverentially mentions these three Acharyas in one
single samaasa-pada (compound word), and never mentions the name of Sri
Shankaracharya at all. He uses a separate word saying Acharyapaada and this
indicates that He owed allegiance only to Bhagavatpada.
NOTE: Chaturmata-sara-sangraha is a Vedantic work of Dikshitendra divided
into 4 Paricchedas.
Pariccheda 1 named Nyaya-muktavali is an independent commentary on the
Brahmasutras from a Dvaita Vedanta perspective.
Pariccheda 2 named Nayamayukhamalika is an independent commentary on the
Brahmasutras from a Vishishtadvaita Vedanta perspective.
Pariccheda 3 named Nayamanimala is an independent commentary on the
Brahmasutras from a Sivadvaita perspective.
Pariccheda 4 named Nayamanjari is an independent commentary on the
Brahmasutras from an Advaita Vedanta perspective.
That is the greatness of our Dikshitendra. Every follower of Sri Shankara
Bhagavatpada should feel proud of Him and celebrate Him for His wonderful
works.
श्रीमदप्पय्यदीक्षितेन्द्रपरब्रह्मणे नमः ॥
Photos 1 & 2: Introductory verses 9f Dikshitendra's commentary on
Yādavabhyudaya Mahakavyam before the beginning of the first Sarga found in
the Srirangam Sri Vani Vilas Press edition of it.
Photos 3 to 5: Illustrations containing the paintings of Lord Krishna.
These are from Volume 1 of the Yādavabhyudaya Mahakavyam with Sanskrit
commentary published by Sri Vani Vilas Press of Srirangam in 1907.

See images in the FB post.