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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

Dearest all, 

Please accept adiyEn?s dhaNdavath praNAmams at your
feet. Today is the Thirunakshathram of Sri
VeNNaaRRankarai Andavan Swami... Panguni Anusham... 

After Srimad Andavan Sri Ranganatha Mahadesikan (Sri
Mannaargudi Andavan), Sri VeNNaaRRankarai Andavan took
over 
(Panguni - Anusham) (19-3-1882 - 9-4-1980)

Let us first enjoy the life of this great AchArya
(extracts from Sri Anbil mama?s write up and Sri Dr VN
Vedantha Desikan?s article- Thanks to both of them for
their permission to use their articles)

SRIMAD ANDAVAN ( SRI VENNATRANKARAI ANDAVAN )
(Panguni - Anusham) (19-3-1882 - 9-4-1980)

Sri  Velaamur  Varada  Krishnamachariar Swami belonged
to Kalyana Puram near Tiruvaiyaaru. He married one
Alarmel Mangai. Both the families were steeped in
Vedic tradition.  The family enjoyed the patronage of
Serfoji Raja of Thanjavur  on account of their deep
dedication to Vedic tradition.
 
They lived in a  house  adjacent to Singaperumal Koil
at VennatranKarai whose praise has been sung by
Tirumangai Alwar.

The  couple  was  blessed  with  a son in the cyclic
year  ?Kara? in the month of Panguni  when  the  star 
Anuradha  was in the ascendant.19th March 1882. At his
birth,  he  was  named Seshadri. He received Pancha
Samskaram from his father as well as the first lessons
in Sama Veda from his father.

He was sent to Tiruvaiyaru Vembu Sastrigal and 
(*Nagaraja Sastrigal), noted Sanskrit  Pandits  to 
specialize  in  Sama  Veda,  Kavya, and Nataka. Later,
he studied and became proficient both in Yajur Veda
and Divya Prabhandam. Qualified to  perform  yagnas, 
he was an authority in Dharma Sastras and in the
practical application  of  six  Sutras in daily life. 

He excelled in Goshti Parayana as he was  endowed 
with  a  rich  mellifluous voice.  At  the  Sama Veda
examination conducted  by  Pudukkottai Samasthanam, he
was declared to have passed in second class  owing  to
 the  partiality  of the examiner but when the Swami
refused to accept  the  award contending the verdict,
the Raja ordered a re-examination and found  him  to
have passed in Ist class, by which he won the acclaim
of the Raja and other Sanskrit pundits. He  married
Janaki, then only 7. (the  daughter of Kodavasal
Ramabadrachariar and Ponnu kamalammmal) at the age  of
 11. Sri Velaamur Srinivasachariar was greatly devoted
to Sri Desika He was  chiefly instrumental in enabling
Velliyanur Srimad Andavan to celebrate Sri Desika 
Annual  festival  at  Neelamegha  Perumal  Koil. He
gave to the temple a palanquin,  a  number  of 
Vahanas  and  several jewels.  These  festivals were
conducted  by  him  with  great  devotion  out  of 
the family funds.

Even after becoming  an Acharya, he continued to
evince keen interest in the proper conduct of  these 
festivals.  Today,  Srimad  Andavan's  relations in
Purvasramam still continue to celebrate Swami Desika
Utsava with unabated interest and devotion. (Once, 
when  participating  in  a  Yaga,  the Ritvik in
charge of Atharvyu was indisposed  and could not
attend. Within one night, our Swami learned the entire
Atharvyu  mantras  and  acted in  the place of the
absentee Ritvik and completed the  Yaga  successfully.
 Such  was his capacity to absorb and retain with
razor sharp memory and perform the role with
consummate skill.)

Some  hostile  persons removed the idol of Swami
Desika from the small shrine in Hara  Saapa  Vimochana
 Perumal  Koil  at  Tiruk  Kandiyur. The father of
Srimad Srinivasa  Maha  Desikan took the lead in 
making a new idol and installed it in the  empty
shrine. Srimad Andavan  in his Purvasrama used to lead
the _Adhyapaka Goshti_ during the festival days. 

Srimad  Srinivasa  Maha  Desikan  in his Purvasrama
was quite well known for his philanthropy. He has
helped pious Vaishnavas in times of dire need.

Although  born in a wealthy family, Sri
Srinivasachariar?s mind and heart 
turned to  renunciation  and to severing Worldly
attachments. He had already sought the feet  of  Gnana
 Vairaghya  Anushtana  Sampanna   Poundarikapuram 
Andavan and received  from  his  Grantha  Kalakshepam,
 Bhara Samarpanam,  Prapatti Prayoga Upadesam,  Presha
 Mantra  Upadesam  and Sannyaasa  Prayogam. 
Considering  his Poorvasrama  financial  resources as
trash, he came to Poundarika Puram Andavan Asramam as
his final retreat.

After becoming the Acharya, he devoted his full 
attention to the administration of  the  Asramam  and
to the celebration, in a grand manner the
Tirunakshatra of the past Srimad Andavans.

(He helped Chaturveda Satakratu Navalpakkam Narasimha
Tatachariar, Kozhiyalam Sri  Ranga  Ramanuja Maha
Desikan and several others  and earned their gratitude
and blessings)

The daily  Aradhanas  were  performed  with  great 
piety  and  devotion.  

The ?SaaRRumuRai?  congregation  was indeed an
inspiring sight to the devout. On such occasions, 
Srimad  Andavan  himself  led  the  Goshti giving it
both grace and solemnity.  He would recite all by
himself the Nighamana Adhikara of Sri Rahasya Traya
Sara of Sri Vedanta Desika. His discourses on such
occasions were listened to with rapt attention. 

It is relevant to mention that Sri Vinnatrangarai
Swami was accepted as same teacher by Sri Thenbarai
Andavan (of Peria asramam), since the latter had a
feeling of regret that he had not mastered his own
Sakha, same veda!  Very interestingly, in the Sannyasa
life too, Sri Vinnatrangarai Andavan exhibited great
concern for the health (that was rapidly declining) of
Sri Thenbarai Andavan (1960's).  Everyday he would
walk to and fro.  What it means is that he should take
bath every time on return!  Once indeed, a moving
event occurred, Sri Vinnatrangarai Andavan walks to
Peria Asramam, meets Sri Kannan Swami on the way,
learnt that the latter was going to Madras on some
urgent work since the Thenbarai Andavan's health would
sustain life for some three days, but Sri
Vinnatrangarai Andavan warns the latter that it was
not so, takes him back to the Asramam and almost
influences him to take to the saffron order.  Yes, it
was urgently necessary.  Readers would realize the
risk, the confusion, etc.  That often results on the
successor not taking over immediately without a gap in
time.

Indeed on later occasions, Sri Vinnatrangarai Andavan
used to congratulate Sri Thirukkudanthai Andavan on
the growth, expansion, increasing affluence, etc. of
his Asramam, with a legitimate satisfaction that He
himself had worked for it by forcing Sri Kannan Swami
to accept Sannyasa at the right moment 

Srimad Andavan seemed to have a premonition of his
impending death. He called to his side the then
Srikaryam, Paravakkottai  Sri Rajagopalachariar Swami(
who had come  to the Asramam to assist him in the
conduct of Tirunakshatra celebrations) and  told  him
in confidence that since his earthly life would not go
beyond the next  Sravanam  day  which  fell on 5th
April 1980, he should be interred by the side  of  his
 Acharya  in the Brindavanam on the bank of Vada
Kaveri. Strangely enough,  Srimad Andavan entered his
Jyoti at 2 pm on 9th April 1980,(* which was Siddharti
 Panguni 27th, a Krishna Paksha Navami Tithi day)  so
close to the last day which Srimad Andavan had himself
fixed.

(IT  WAS THIS SWAMI WHO INITIATED INTO SANNYASA
ASRAMAM THE MAHAN CELEBRATED AS ?INJIMETTU
AZHAGIYASINGHAR?)

The  Iyal  Goshti of Venntran Karai Andavan was a
magnificent sight, the like of which was never seen or
heard of before. The grand procession led by the
Ahobila Mutt elephant, with the idol of Sri
Bhashyakaara at the head, passed through the streets  
of  Srirangam  and  impressed  all  by  their colorful
 variety-  the Poorvaasrama  son  of Acharya carrying
the worn garlands of several Divya Desas, seven  or 
eight  divisions of Veda Parayana Goshtis, their Vedic
chant piercing the  sky above all the surging sea of
Srivaishnavas, devotees and disciples.
 
The procession stood  at  the Dasavataaran Sannidhi
and after Mangalaasaasana there reached   the  
Asramam.   Ubhaya   Vedaanta   Vidwan Madhurantakam 
Sri  Veera Ragahavachariar  Swami  paid  glowing 
tributes to  Srimad Andavan's many sided virtues  in 
verse  and  prose.  Another glorious chapter in the
history of Sri Poundarika Puram Asramam came to a
close.

His Tanian reads as follows:

Naryanaakhya Yathiraja Paadaabja Bringa
Sri Vaasa Yogi Gurunaa Arpitha Bharam Eese/
Bhakthyaaddhi Poorna Varadaarya Kripaatha Sinham
Sri Srinivasa Munivaram Aham Prapadhye //
(meaning)

I take refuge at the holy feet of Srinivasa Maha
Desikan who was like a honey bee at the lotus feet of
the yathi- srEshtar , Sri NaarAyaNa MahA Desikan and
performed his prapatthi  at  the  sacred  feet of
Poundarikapuram SrinivAsa MahA Desikan after receiving
 his  pancha samskAram rites from Sri VaradAchArya
Swami known for his Bhakthi-Jn~Ana -VairAghyam.

AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Regards
namo Narayana
adiyEn AchAryan Thiruvadi Narayana dAsan
madhavakkannan



 
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