About this stamp
Poet, Philosopher and Logician
India Post issued this ₹5 stamp on 2 May 2019 for Vedanta Desikan (1268–1369), the Sri Vaishnava poet, philosopher and logician who wrote in both Sanskrit and Tamil. He taught that anyone could attain salvation through prapatti, loving surrender and service. One hundred and seventy works are attributed to him: devotional poems, Vedanta treatises, commentaries, esoteric works, poems and drama. He carried the titles Sarvatantra Swatantra (master of all arts), Kavitarkika Simha (lion among poets and logicians) and Vedantacharya.
Life
He was born Venkatanatha in 1268 at Thoopul, Kancheepuram, to Anantasuri and Todaramba. In Sri Vaishnava tradition he is regarded as an incarnation of the bell of Lord Venkateswara of Tirumala, after a dream his mother had while praying there for a child. He became a disciple of Kidambi Appullar at seven and by twenty was known for his mastery of poetry, logic and Vedanta. Challenged to compose a thousand hymns in a day, he wrote the Paduka Sahasram, 1008 verses on the sandals of Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam, within four hours.
He lived simply on alms given by his disciples, under a vow called uchhavritti, and stayed at Thiruvahindrapuram, Kancheepuram, Srirangam, Tirupati and Melkote, travelling across India on foot. He died in 1369, aged 101.
On the Stamp
The tall, narrow stamp shows an image of Vedanta Desikan seated in front of a temple tower, on a golden background. It was designed by Vinita Sinha, with the cancellation by Alka Sharma; 600,500 were printed by wet offset at the India Security Press, Nashik.
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