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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00066 May 2004

 
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SrI:
SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:
SrImathE Srinivasa Mahadesikaya namah:
SrImathE Ranganatha mahadesikaya namah:

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

Today (VaikAsi mruiaseersham) is The Thirunakshathram
of Sri Mannaargudi Andavan Sri Ranganatha Mahadesikan
Swami - who adorned Srimad Poundarikapuram Andavan
Asramam before Sri VennaaRRankarai Andavan [who is the
Acharya of Present (Prakritham Andavan) Sri
ParavaakkOTTai Andavan Sri Gopaladesika Mahadesikan
Swami]

Let us dwell upon the glorious life history of this
Acharya on his TN, and place our heads at the feet of
this Acharyan.

let us be blessed to enjoy reading the life history of
Sri Mannargudi Andavan. (This is from Sri Anbil
mama’s article- thanks to Sri Anbil mama for his
permission)

Sri Mannargudi Andavan- Sri Ranganatha Mahadesikan
(Vikrama- Vaikasi- Mrigaseersham)
(8-6-1880 - 17-11-1954)

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 .

Life history: 
There  was  in  Mannargudi  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. Both
adorned the Asramam for almost five years. 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. what a paramOpAkAram (greatest help)
to our sampradayam! 

Srimad Andavan Ranganatha Maha Desikan attained the
lotus feet of his Acharya on 17th November 1954 (
Jaya/ Kartigai/ Krishna Saptami) when he was 
75.
AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards
namo narayana
dAsAnu dAsan   


        
                
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