Tatvamuktakalapa

Tatvamuktaa Kalapam of Deshikar

The Tatva Muktha Kalaapam (TMK) is one of the four magnificent philosophical gems of Swamy Desikan. The other three are Sathadhusini, Nyaya Parisuddhi and Nyaya Siddhanjana. TMK is categorized as a Prakarana grantham, a manual or Independent treatise to present and defend Visishtadhvaithic doctrines and to evaluate critically the deficiencies in the rival philosophical systems.

While Sathadhushani confined itself to the criticism of Advaitham alone, TMK went farther and provided a comprehensive evaluation of the metaphysical doctrines(Thathvaas) of significant rival schools of thought. With the sure footedness of a Mastergymnast, Swamy Desikan created TMK in the form of 500 verses in the majestic Sragdhara meter to house his dialectical arguments in poetry. 
The Taarkika Simham (the Lion among the Logicians) combined his extraordinary poetic skills with those of his dialectic skills to bless us with 500 verses brimming with such elegance about the serious topics of philosophy. Nobody has ever dared to achieve this extraordinary feat. Regarding his scope of coverage in TMK, Swamy Desikan paraphrases the statement of Sage Vyasa about Mahaabhaaratham and describes: “what is not considered here(TMK) cannot be found elsewhere”. 
Swamy Desikan is referring to the topics on Philosophy here. Regarding the name selected by Swamy Desikan for this Prakarana grantham, he was inspired by the passage in Vishnu Puranam, which refers to the Tatthvams as ornaments of the Lord. Swamy Desikan, a long term resident of Srirangam at the time of creating this Sri Sookthi decided to name this grantham as “Pearl (mukta) ornament (Kalapa) of metaphysical doctrines (Tathvaas)”. Swamy Desikan, who had offered MummaNikkivai (three strands of Pearls); a Tamizh Prabhandham as a garland to Sri Hemabhjavalli Thayar of Thiru Ayindhai decided to offer a Five strand Pearl ornament to Lord Ranganatha this time. 

The five pearl strands are the five major parts of TMK: (1) dhravya (substance), (2) Jeeva (Individual Soul), (3) Iswara (God), (4) Buddhi (Knowledge) and (5) adhravya(non-substance). TMK is a treasured bhushanam (Aabharanam) of LordRanganatha, which He adorns with great joy. The rival schools of philosophy examined by Swamy Desikan in TMK to establish the soundness of Visishtadhvaitham and to expose the deficiencies of Para Mathams are:

Nyaya and Vaiseshika, Saankya and Yoga, Poorva Mimaamsa, Vedantha (Bhaskara, Yaadhava Prakasa and Sankara), the four schools of Buddhism, Jainism andCharvakam. No wonder Swamy Desikan said in TMK: “yannasmin kvapinaitath” (What is not considered here can not be found elsewhere).Swamy Desikan blessed us with a commentary for TMK to elucidate the fine points taken up in TMK

Sreenivasa Prasad.K.V.
President , Coordination committee, Bangalore