There is some interesting facts about the ancestry of Appayya Dikshita. His grandfather was Acharya Dikshita, a favorite of King Krishnadevaraya. Once Acharya was on his way to Vellore he saw a morose young girl near a pond and on enquiry found that her father, Vaikuntacharya,a Vaishnavite was going to marry her off to a very old man because he could not repay the loan he had taken earlier. The girl, Thodambi, was very learned and Acharya took her to the King. The King on seeing the erudition of the girl said she should marry only someone equally well educated and ordered Acharya to marry her. He also paid enough money to Vaikuntacharya to pay of the debt and live comfortably.
Acharya Dikshita got two sons by Thodambi and the elder son Rangaraja was the father of Appayya Dikshita
The younger son was Achan Dikshita and he was also patronized by Krishnadevaraya. His son was Nilakanta Dikshita, who served in the Court of Thirumala Naicken at Madurai. Nilakanta Diskshita was instrumental in getting all his relatives down to Paalaamadai near Tirunelveli and start what is known as the Vada Desa Vadama clan
Appayya Dikshita married Mangala Nayaki, daughter of Srinivasa Dikshita of Thoopil village in Kanchipuram. Srinivasa Dikshita was the Court Scholar of the King in Kancheepuram and was the recipient of a Ketaya studded with gems (Shield) in honour of his great knowledge, hence also was called Rathnaketa Dikshita. He also belonged to the same lineage as that of Vedanta Desika.
More to come .....
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