SrI: SrImathE Gopaladesika Mahadesikaya nama: Dearest all, Thus the Acharya Paramparai after Vedantha Desikan is: 18. SRI VEDANTA DESIKAN 19. NaiyinAchAryar [Bhagavad Vishaya paramparai] 20. Sri Brahmathanthra swathanthrar 21. GatikAsatham ammAL 25. VaradavishNvAchAryar 26. MahAdayAdheesar 27. Vaathsya AhobilAchAryar 29. Vaathsya VaradAchAryar 30. Shashta parAnkusa SwAmy 31. Sri Panchamatha bhanchanam thAtha Desikan 34. Vaathsya AnanthAchAryar [35. Ranga Ramanujamuni- UPANISHAD BHASHYAKAR comes in Sri Bhashya Paramparai] 36. RamanujAchAryar [37.Ranganatha Swami in SriBhashya Paramparai] 38. VenkatAchAryar 40. VeerarAghavAchAryar 42. Sri Rangapathi Desikar 43. Ranganatha Swamy 44. Sri Saakshaath Swamy 45. Sri Padukasevaka Ramanujamuni [Bhagavad Vishaya paramparai] 46. TIRUKKUDANTHAI DESIKAN Sri Gopaladesika Mahadesikan His sishyas were Sri Srinivasa muni; Sri Seeyalam Ranganathamuni and 47. SRI VEDANTHA RAMANUJA MAHADESIKAN [Vazhutthoor Andavan Swami] Sri Vedantha Ramanuja Mahadesikan had sishyas: Sri Annayaarya Mahadesikan ???????.. Sri ValayapEttai Swami Paramparai Sri ANdikkaattu Swami Sri Vangipuram Swami??.. KethaaNdapatti Swami Paramparai [Sri Rangaramanuja Mahadesikan 48. SRIMAD ANDAVAN SRINIVASA RAMANUJA MAHA DESIKAN ( of TIRUTTURAIP PUNDI) (Aippasi - Uthiradam) Sri Srinivasachariar referred above assumed the name of Sri Srinivasa Ramanuja Maha Desikan when he became Acharya but he was familiarly known as _Tirutturaip Pundi Andavan_ owing to his long association with that place where he had been giving instructions in all Sastras. He was an obvious successor to his Acharya on account of his pre-eminence among the disciples of Vazhuthur Andavan. His ancestors hailed from the fertile village of Vilaakkudi in East Thanjavur District, a few miles from Rajamannar gudi. He belonged to the illustrious Eyunni family of Bharadwaja Gotram. His forefathers had served Sri Ramanuja with devotion and distinction. He was born in the sacred month of Tula (Aippasi) when the star Uttradam was ascendant. In his poorvasrama, he sought the feet of Vazhuthur Andavan and became an erudite scholar. He won acclaim as an authentic exponent of our Darsana and continued the Vaishnava Sampradaya in a worthy manner. His Tanian reads as follows: Srimad Gopaala Sureh Niravathi Karunaa Vaapta Satsampradaayam Srimad Vedaanta Ramanuja Yathi Nripathih Sarvatah Sthaapayitvaa / Yasmin Sat Sampradaayam Sakalam Upadisan Amsato Anupravishtan Srimad Srivaasa Ramanuja Munim Anagham Tham Bhaje Desikendram // (meaning) _ I salute the blemishless Srimad Srinivasa Ramanuja Muni, who was the recipient of the limitless mercy of Srimad Gopaala Suri, who was nominated by the King among Yathis Sri Vedaanta Ramanuja Muni who taught him all that one should know about our Satsampradayam, and who appeared to have reincarnated in him_. 49. SRIMAD PERIYA ANDAVAN Sri Srinivasa Mahadesikana.k.a VATHAL SWAMI (Masi- Pushyam) (1801 - 1886 CE) Periya Andavan, as he has come to be familiarly known is the real architect of the Andavan Paramparai, for he laid it on firm foundation. He lived during the 19th Century CE- a most disturbed period in the history of Vaishnavism, when the Southern part of the Tamil country became a hotbed of internecine wars. Carnatic Wars (1743-1767 CE) broke out between the English and the French and both the temple and the town of Srirangam suffered much. The pilgrim town and the center of Vaishnavism became an occupied territory. The Nawa?s army took shelter in the Srirangam temple. The military fortunes of the contending parties were fluctuating until the English won the war and seized Tirucchirappalli and the surrounding regions. In his Poorvasrama, Periya Andavan was called Sri Srinivasa Raghavachariar. The son of one Krishnamacharya Swami, he belonged to the village, Pillaiyaranai near Kanchi. He was born in the Kali year Roudri in the month of Maasi when the star Pushyam was in the ascendant and this corresponds to 25-2-1801. He came from a distinguished Dipa- Pradipa family who were entitled to some special honors at the Kanchi Perarulaalan temple. After Brahmopadesa at the age of 8, his father himself instructed him in the Vedas and Divya Prabhandam. He also administered the Sudarsana Maha Mantram. He received his Pancha Samskaram from one Sama Periyappan Swami, a descendent of Tata Desika. In the course of a pilgrimage, Sri Krishnamachariar and his family worshipped at the Aravamudan Sannidhi at Kumbakonam, where he met one Navalpakkam Raghavachariar Swami, an erudite scholar and previous acquaintance. At the latter_s request, Sri Krishnamachariar and his family stayed with him for some years as his guest. At his departure, he left his son to be instructed in Kavyas and Tamil lore at the feet of Navalpakkam Swami. Later, Srinivasa Raghavachariar studied Vyakarana and Mimamsa Sastras at the feet of his paternal uncle. Goaded by an intense urge to seek the feet of Sri Vedanta Ramanuja Maha Desikan, he arrived at Srirangam and prostrated himself before the Acharya. From him he sought and received Bharanyasam at the Sannidhi of Lord Ranganatha. Discovering in the Prapanna, the potential Acharya, Srimad Andavan directed him to get instructed in all Rahasya Granthas by Tirutturaip Pundi Andavan. Soon, he became a scholar in all Vedaanta Sastras and won the appreciation of the two Acharyas and their disciples. He visited the Navalpakkam village six months after his marriage and on that occasion, his father-in-law presented him a gold ring. Srinivasa Raghavachariar is said to have made golden image of Swami Desika out of the ring and installed it in the local temple. With an intense longing to become a Sannyasi, he came back to Srirangam but both his mother and wife pleaded with him not to take to holy orders. Sensing the domestic compulsions, the Acharya advised him to remain a householder till such time as he is blessed with a child. With the birth of a daughter, a few years later, Sri Srinivasa Raghavachariar decided to take the Sannyasa Asrama. But, still his mother would not allow him to do so. Assuring his mother that he would not become an ascetic unless he saw auspicious signs, he proceeded to Srirangam. On the way, he encountered an astrologer who predicted that he would turn either a great king or a saint destined to blaze a new trail. Just about the same time two Garudas were seen hovering in the sky. The green signal for the new course of life was given and his mother reconciled herself to the inevitable and blessed her son. Taking leave of Lord Devaraja, Sri Srinivasa Raghavachariar reached Srirangam and received the ochre robes from Tirutturap Pundi Andavan. Assuming the name of Srinivasa Maha Desikan, he entered the holy order of ascetics at the age of 30 in the year 1831 CE. Srimad Srinivasa Maha Desikan led a simple, austere life on the banks of Kollidam. Every day he would go round the streets of Srirangam and accept alms from the houses of only those who lived a pure life, reciting and teaching Vedas. It is said that after receiving the cooked rice, he would go to the river and wash it so as to rid it of all fat and oil content. The meager food he took lacked the vital fat content rendering him frail and he was, therefore, called _Vathal Swami_. He was a self-denying saint, a Jithendriya who bent his Thirumeni to the service of his soul. He taught rather by his practice than by precept. He wielded such influence on his disciples that they hailed him _Periya Andavan_. When Tirutturaip Pundi Andavan attained his Acharya_s feet, Periya Andavan became the Acharya in due course. On hearing about his succession,, learned scholars of the day came to see him and obtain his grace. A brilliant galaxy of distinguished scholars flocked to his feet and the Goshti consisted of such eminent persons as Vedaanta Tatachariar Swami of Sankarapuram (who later became Veliyanallur Andavan of this Asramam), Sri Tirupput Kuzhi Tatachar Swami, Gopala Samudram Vidwan Sri Narayanachar Swami, Mannargudi Vyaakarana Narasimhachar Swami ( who late became the 39th Jeeyar of Ahobila Mutt), Agnihotram Srinivasa Tatachar Swami, Vidwan Paravastu Venkatachar of Srivilli puttur, Tiruvaheendrapuram Ashtaavadhaanam Anantachar Swami ( who later became Tiruk Kudanthai Andavan) etc. etc. Periya Andavan was a logician of great repute and many of his disciples also excelled in this art. One Govardhanam Rangachariar, a reputed logician of the North arrived in Srirangam and challenged the scholars of the day to a dialectical debate. Mannargudi Rajagopalachariar, nominated by Srimad Periya Andavan to accept the challenge defeated the visiting scholar after several days of debate. The vanquished gracefully accepted defeat and requested Periya Andavan to spare Raj agopalachariar Swami for a brief period , so that he could get further instructions from him in Vedanta. At the end of the period, he honored Mannargudi Rajagoplachariar and conveyed his gratitude to Periya Andavan for putting him in the right path of knowledge. He set up the Asrama on the lands donated by a patron and continued his Kalakshepam classes there uninterrupted in the sylvan environment. He conducted classes in Sri Gita Bhashya, Sri Bhashya, Rahasya Traya Sara and Bhagavad Vishaya more than 30 times to hundreds of disciples. His Sishyas listened entranced wondering that so much Vedantic wisdom emanated from so frail a body. He framed a code of conduct to be strictly adhered to by his disciples. He undertook a pilgrimage which took him to Tiruk Kudanthai, Mannargudi, Vaduvur and other places. Whatever he touched he enriched and he left behind a tradition of excellence, a spiritual touch for his worthy successors to cherish and carry forward. Such indeed is the glory of Periya Andavan. He observed 55 Chaturmasya austerities (58 according to SRP) during the span of 85 years. He attained the lotus feet of his Acharya in the year 1886 that is the Krishna Trayodasi in the month of Makara. His Tanian reads as follows:- Sri Rangesa Pathe Samarpitha Bharam Srutyanta Raamaanuja Sri Yogeendra Guroothamena Yaminah Srutyanta Vidyaatmanah / Praaptha Srutya vathamsa Yugma Hridayam Sri Vaasa Raamaanujaath Sri Srivaasa Muneendra Desika Manim Sreyonidhim Samaasraye // (meaning) _ I resort to Srivasa Munindra Desika who is the gem of Sreyas, who did his Bharasamarpanam at the feet of Rangesa, who had learnt all about Ramanuja darsanam from his Guru, to whose heart resort all the Srutis_ Acharyan ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam Regards Namo Narayana dAsan ____________________________________________________________________________________ No need to miss a message. Get email on-the-go with Yahoo! Mail for Mobile. Get started. http://mobile.yahoo.com/mail Yahoo! 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