| Parakala Matha | |
| Established: | 1268 |
| Founder: | Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeeyar |
| People: | Thirumangai Alvar, Vedanta Desika, the Wadiyars |
| Public Access: | Yes |
| Native Name Lang: | ka |
| Native Name: | ಪರಕಾಲ ಮಠ |
| Denomination: | Sri Vaishnavism |
| Full Name: | Bramhatantra Swatantra Parakala Matha |
| Location Country: | Mysore, Karnataka |
| Website: | https://www.parakalamatham.org |
Bramhatantra Swatantra Parakala Matha, commonly known as Parakala Matha, is a Hindu Sri Vaishnava monastery founded during the Hoysala Empire in 1268 at Mysore, Karnataka, primarily worshipping Vishnu and Lakshmi as Hayagriva and Vargeshi.[1] It is the first mediaeval era monastery of the Vadakalai denomination within Vaishnavism in the Hindu society and is the gurupeeta, the seat of the royal guru, of the maharajas of Mysore.[2]
Originally founded in Mysore where its headquarters has been based, the matha has branches across southern India and as well as one abroad.
Parakala is a Sanskrit adjective meaning "beyond time". It is an epithet of Vishnu's incarnation as Narasimha, and by derivation means "he who is beyond time". Alvar Tirumangai, an influential figure in the monastery's history, earned parakala as an honorary style for his scholarship, after whom the monastic came to be known as Parakala Matha.
Parakala Matha was first founded by 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 hermitage is said to have been handed down from Vedanta Desika himself.[3]
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 has thus had connections 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 seers of the hermitage.[4]
| 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 | ||