Swami Desikan Tirunakshatram 2016

Swami Vedanta Desika, Swami Desikan, was born in 1268 at Thoopul near Kanchipuram, on the star Shravanam (Thiruvonam) in the Tamil month Purattasi, the star of Lord Venkateswara himself, whose bell he is held to be.

Poet, philosopher and teacher, he was honoured as Kavitarkika Simham, the lion among poets and logicians, and Sarvatantra Svatantra, master of every branch of learning. He wrote more than a hundred works in Sanskrit, Tamil and Manipravalam, among them the Paduka Sahasram, a thousand verses on the Lord's sandals composed in a single night at Srirangam, and the Rahasya Traya Saram. At Thiruvahindrapuram Lord Hayagriva blessed him with learning.

On his Tirunakshatram the ten-day utsavam ends at Thoopul, and his sannidhis at Mylapore, Thiruvahindrapuram, Srirangam and the Desika mutts are honoured with special worship.