SrI: SrImathE Goapladesika mahadesikaya namah: SrImathE Srinivasadesika Mahadesikaya namah: SrImathE Ranganathadesika Mahadesikaya namah: SrImathE Srinivasadesika Mahadesikaya namah: SrImathE Gopalarya Mahadesikaya Namah: Dearest all, After Srimad Poundarikapuram Andavan Sri Srinivasa desika Mahadesikan, Sri Ranganthadesika Mahadesikan (RAJAMANNAR KOIL ANDAVAN) took over. In 1934, in the month of Vaikasi on Pornami day, the AchArya?s look finally fell kindly on the great scholar disciple from Mannaargudi as he had decided that he should succeed him and carry forward the intellectual and spiritual service that he had so deftly given a new dimension to. Thus Sri Mannargudi Anadavan, (followed then by sri ViNNaaRRankarai Andavan) succeeded Sri Srinivasa Mahadesikan (Poundarikapuram Andavan). And Prakritham Andavan is Srimad Andavan ParavaakkOttai Gopaladesika Mahadesikan, whose silver Jubilee celebration of his ascent to Sanyaasa Ashramam [Acharya peetam] is being held on February the 14th at Srirangam Divya kshEthram. Let us be blessed to enjoy reading the life histories of Sri Mannargudi Andavan and Sri ViNNaaRRankarai Andavan Swamins. Sri Mannargudi Andavan (Vikrama- Vaikasi- Mrigaseersham) (8-6-1880 - 17-11-1954) There was in Mannaargudi one Ramanujacharya Swami, one of the descendants in the lineage of Nadadur Ammaal, one of the immediate disciples of Sri Bhashyakara. He belonged to Srivatsa Gotram and was a well known Vedic scholar. His forefathers were famed for their proficiency in Vedic recitation which would charm the ears of the listeners. Sri Ramanujachar Swami organized and led the Veda Parayana Goshti during the festivals of Sri Rajagopala Swami. He was married to one Senkamalathammaal. To them was born on 28th Mrigasirsha, Vikrama, Vaikasi (8th June 1880) a male child who was given the name of Srinivasagopalan. After Upanayana Samskara, he started his early studies at the feet of his father who also administered the Pancha Samskara. Later, he learnt Vyakarana Sastras under the famous Vyakarana Pandit Uruppattur Sri Rangachariar Swami (who later became the 39th Pontiff of Sri Ahobila Mutt). In the beginning he served as Adhyaapaka in the Sastra Patasala at Orattanad. Sri Srinivasa Gopalan married at the early age of 10 to one Nachiyar Ammaal who belonged to a very orthodox Sri Vaishnava family. He arrived at Srirangam with his wife and fell at the feet of Srimad PoundarikaPuram Andavan and was given a room in the rear of the Asramam. He studied under the Acharya the Grantha Chatushtayam. At the end of his studies, he received Bharanyasa from his Acharya. On hearing about his proficiency in Vyakarana Sastras, the authorities in Kerala Sanskrit College invited him to serve as Professor of Vyakarana. Sri Srinivasa Gopalan served in the Sanskrit College at Pattambi for 20 years. Then, when he completed his assignment at Pattambi, he visited Srirangam. Srimad Poundarika Puram Andavan, considering the Vairaghya and scholarship of Sri Srinivasa Gopala Swami desired that he should succeed him and accordingly he was given Preksha Mantropadesa and admitted into the holy order of ascetics and was given the new name of Sri Ranganatha Maha Desikan. He was just 54. When Srimad Poundarika Puram Andavan attained the lotus feet of his Acharya on 20th October 1934 (*Bhava- Vaikasi- Pournami day* ), Sri Ranganatha Maha Desikan took charge of the Ashramam with all sincerity and seriousness. Many scholars who had intimately known and moved with the Swami in his Purvasrama came to study at his feet, notable among them are Sri Tatachariar Swami of Cuddalore, and Sri Ramaswamy Iyengar of Thanjavur. Srimad Andavan spent his leisure hours in meditation and Ashtakshara Japa. At the conclusion of every 10 million japam, a _Thadeeya Aaraadhana_ used to be held. He advised the disciples to celebrate the Tirunakshatra day of Srimad Poundarika Puram Andavan in their own homes so that more and more Srivaishnavas could come to know of Swami's greatness. Srimad Andavan was averse to receiving gifts in cash or kind. Once, when he was presented an amount of Rs.4,000, he handed over the amount to Sri V.R. Ramaswamy Iyengar, Advocate, Thanjavur with a request that the money should be utilized to bring out a new edition of Rahasya Traya Sara in Devanagari script. The instruction was complied with and today we have this beautiful edition in our hands with the superb commentary of Vangeepuram Navaneetham Sri Rama Desikachariar Swami. It remains a monument to Swami?s vision and generosity and devotion to Swami Desikan. Srimad Andavan Ranganatha Maha Desikan attained the lotus feet of his Acharya on 17th November 1954 ( Jaya/ Kartigai/ Krishna Saptami) when he was 75. His Tanian reads as follows:- Aadhya Srinidhi Yogi Labda Manuraat Sri Vaatsya Raamaanujaath Sampraaptanguna Mantra Jaatham / Apara Sri Vaasa Yogi Swaraat Gnaanaabdim Suguna Karam Munivaram Sri Ranganatham Bhaje // (meaning) I take refuge at the sacred feet of Sri Ranganatha MahA Desikan, the ocean of Jn~Anam and the treasure house of all auspicious attributes, who received his manthrOpadesam from the first SrinivAsa MahA Desikan, his samAsrayaNam from Sri RaamAnuja MahA desikan of Srivathsa gOthram and his Bhara SamarpaNam, thuriyAsramam and Ubhaya VedAntha Isvaryam from the other Srinivasa MahA Desikan . 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 Poundarika Puram 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 Aradhanams 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 Vennatrangarai 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. [Sri Thirukkudanthai Andavan SathAbhsishEka Uthsavam is held this Panguni? ] 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 the 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 Acharya PadhukAngri rENu: ____________________________________________________________________________________ Finding fabulous fares is fun. Let Yahoo! FareChase search your favorite travel sites to find flight and hotel bargains. http://farechase.yahoo.com/promo-generic-14795097 Yahoo! 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