Sri:
SrimathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:
Dearest all,
Today Panguni anusham is the star of the divine
Acharya - SRIMAD ANDAVAN ( SRI VENNATRANKARAI ANDAVAN
) predecessor to Prakritham Srimad Paravakkottai
Andavan Swami whose TN (88th) is being celebrated on
April 10th at Srirangam.
Swami Sri Vennatrankarai Andavan lived in our midst on
this earth and made it holier from 19-3-1882 to
9-4-1980
(from Sri Anbil Ramaswamy Swami's write up]
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 Vennatran Karai 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 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
narayana dAsan madhavakkannan
____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
------------------------------------
Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan
http://www.sadagopan.org Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:Oppiliappan-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
mailto:Oppiliappan-fullfeatured@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Oppiliappan-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
|
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
oppiliappan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |