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Sri:
Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha:
Srimathe Vedhantha Ramanuja Mahadesikaya Namah:

Thirunakshatram: Avani PoorattAdhi

Thanian:
Srimath Srivasa yogeeshwara padhavinatham labdha vEdhaantha yugmam
Sri paadooSEvi raamaanuja munithilakaath thathpadha nyastha Baaram
Srimath Srivasa raamaanuja munimaNEr labda mokshaasramam tham
Srimath vEdhaantha raamaanuja yathi nrupathim sumsrayE gnyana vaardhim

Today (Aug 25th ), Avani poorattadhi is the 131st Thirunakshatram of
Srimath ThErazhundur Andavan Sri Vedhantha Ramanuja Mahadesikan, also
popularly known as NammAndavan who adorned Acharya peetam as the 6th
Andavan in the Andavan Periashramam Munithraya Sampradayam AchArya
Lineage. Today is even more auspicious as it is also the Thriunakshatram
day of Srimath Vazhuthoor Andavan, the first Andavan in Srimath Andavan
Ashramam Acharya paramparai.

The poorvashrama Name of Srimath NammAndavan was Sri Varadhachar. Sri
Varadhachar Swami was born in the year Prajothpathi (1871) in the month
of AvaNi to Sri Srinivasachariar and Srimathi Alamelu mangai in
ThErazhundur village in Tanjore district in Tamilnadu. He belonged to
Eyunni vamsam and Bharadwaja Gothram, his vamsam being one of the 74
simmasanAthipadhis' vamsams, established by Emperumarar, to which
Eeyunni Madhavachar, Eeyunni Devarajachar, and Thiruthuraipoondi Andavan
Srinivasa Ramanuja Maha Desikan also belonged.

His aksharAbhyAsam and upanayana samskAram took place at a very early
age, and he was trained at vedha adhyayanam, kavyam and nataka alankaram
at his birth place. To learn TharkA, vyAkaranA, and meemAmsA he went to
Srirangam, offered his obeisance at the feet of PeriAndavan who in turn
blessed Sri VaradhAchar swami with pancha samskaram and manthra upadesam

Sri VaradAchAr swami learnt Tharka and nyAya sAsthrA from the great
scholar Vilakkudi Vedhanthachar swAmi. Sri VaradAchar swami became a
great scholar and he received awards and merit certificates from all
vidwath gatherings at Pudukkottai and mysore samasthanams. He under went
intensive training under the great pandit pudhu-agrahAram Brahmasri
Kuppuswami sastrigal in meemAmsA and vyakaranA. He had performed Atma
samarpanam at the holy feet of Nam Perumal by Srimath ChinnAndavan -
Srimath Paduka Sevaka Ramanuja Maha Desikan.

He was married at the age of 18 years to Sow. Sengamala Ammal, daughter
of Sri Annasami Ayyangar of Thirukkudanthai Ayyangar street. Sri
Pudukkotai MahArAjA and VidwAn Seshayya took part in marriage
celebrations and presented him with Rs.400, a very big amount in those
days. After marriage, he went to ThiruvAiyAru to study further, the
advanced sections in Vyakarana sAstrA from Maha mahopAdhyAyA Sri
SubbarAyAchAriar and obtained asAdhArana pAndithyam. Mysore ParakAla
swAmi used to request Sri VaradhAchAr swAmi to visit Sri Parakala Mutt
every year to adorn vidwath sabhA gatherings.

Sri Varadhachar swami became a disciple at the holy feet of Srimath
ChinnAndavan - Srimath PAdukA Sevaka Ramanuja Maha Desikan and learnt
kalakshEpa grantha chathushtyams from His Holiness, and became a gNana
vairaghya nidhi, and an adhyantha sishya with paripoorna kataksham of
His Holiness. His Holiness Srimath Chinnandavan who was very much
impressed with Sri VaradhAchar Swami called him one day and told, "You
are going to be the Sampradhaya Pravarthaka of this Asramam" . When
Srimath Chinnandavan's health was affected, he longed for a successor
for this sampradhaya. Sri VaradAchAr swami, at that young age readily
offered himself for the ascetic order. But some concerns were raised
from very close circle that if Sri VaraAchar swami took up sanyAsam at
that time, there will be nobody to take care of his family consisting of
aged parents and a very young wife. and they would suffer for
livelihood, it was told. Sri VaradachAr swami was yet to have a progeny
at that time. Having heard these remarks, ChinnAndavan was upset but did
not pursue it further. He adorned thirunadu in Vijaya varusham (! 1894)
Thai month without appointing a successor to Asramam . Sri VaradAchAr
swami, after completion of Chinnandavan's kainkaryams, purchased a house
at Srirangam and lived there with his parents and wife. He visited the
Brindavanam of asramam daily, performed ThiruvArAdhanam, and
pAdukArAdhanam in morning and offered ThiruviLakku at evening and after
all kainkaryams, he used to return home only at night.

This was his daily activity for 11 long years from Vijaya varusham 1884
Thai month to Visuvavasu-Avani -1905, when 76 years old Kadanthethi
SathavadhAnam Varadha vEdhanthAchAr swami, a disciple of PeriAndavan,
was requested by all Andavan Ashramam sishyas and other bhagavathas to
take up sanyasam from Thirukkudanthai Srimath Azhagiya singar.
KAdanthEthi swami agreed to their request but on one condition, that Sri
Therazhundur Varadhachar swami (who is already doing all Asrama ArAdhana
kainkaryam) should make a promise that he will take up the ascetic order
in Andavan Asramam as his successor on his DEhAvasAnam. Sri Varadhachar
swami agreed to this condition and accordingly Srimath Srinivasa
SatakOpa Yatheendra Maha Desikan (38th Jeer of Sri Ahoibila Mutt ) who
was camping at Nrusimhapram gave ThureeyAsramam to Kadanthethi swAmi in
presence of a large Srivaishvaite gathering. Thus 76 year old
KAdanthethi swami became the pontiff of Srimath Andavan periAsramam as
Srinivasa RAmAnuja MahA DEsikan.

Sri Varadhachar swami went to back to his family to take care of his
aged parents. By the prophetic vision and blessings of Srimath
KAdanthEthi Andavan, a son was born to Sri Varadhachar swami in 1907-
Parabhava panguni- ( 30.3.1907 ) in Hastha nakshathram . The health of
KAdanthEthi Andavan deteriorated during the same time and all asramam
sishyas immediately rushed to Sri VaradAchar swami and requested to take
up sanyasam from KAdanthEthi Andavan. Sri VaradAchAr swAmi also readily
acceeded to their request. He did a maha upakAram to our sampradayam by
deciding to take up sanyasam immediately and decided to leave his 16
month old child and family to take up holy ascetic orders. He received
thureeyAsramam from the holy hands of KadanthEthi Andavan Srinivasa
Ramanuja Maha Desikan in the year KEELAKA VARUSHAM- AVANI MADHAM?(1908)
and was named Sri VEdAntha RAmAnuja MahA dEsikan- also known as
NammAndavan & ThErazhundur Andavan. Both AchAryAs were together for a
period of 6 months. Srimath KadanthEthi Andavan attained thirunAdu in
the year, Keelaka varusham-masi madham-krishnapaksham-dwadasi thithi
(17.02.1909).

Ever since Srimath NammAndavan took up sanyasam, His Holiness had
assimilated in himself strict austerity, extreme rigid and rigorous
routines of a sanyAsi, leading a highly puritan's life of his
poorvacharyas, rejecting all luxuries and conveniences. He travelled by
walk only like his predecessors observing " pAdhayAthra" to visit holy
shrines for doing MangalAsAsanams of various Divya Desams, throughout
south India. Some of the places he visited for doing mangalasasanam are
mentioned below: Rayampettai, Mannargudi, Vaduvoor, Thirukkudanthai,
Thittanimuttam, Vazhuthur, Pappakoil near Nagapattinam, Mysore,
Thiruppathi, Kanchi, Thiruvahindrapuram, Chidambaram Navathirupathigal,
Keezhanattam(thirunelveli) etc.

NammAndavan travelled far and wide to establish the sampradhaya
sthApanam. Good personality, majestic look, pleasing voice, convincing
talk etc were his great traits. His discourses were full of humour, and
was a rasika ranjana with penetrating perception of holy life of sages
Alwars and ArchAvathAras. He attracted all sections of vaishnavite
community, vedic scholars and VEdhAnthis, by his philosophic lectures.
His deliverance of Sri BAshyA, Bhagavath vishyam and other granthAs,
were with such ease and perfection, that they attracted a large
gathering around him, wherever he lectured. People in those days used to
say that, Peria perumal is namm Perumal, jewel among alwars - is
nammAlwAr and jewel among acharyas- is NammAndavan .

Some of the great scholars who studied , swaroopa granthas under His
Holiness srimad NammAndavan were;-

1. Sri U.Ve. Rangachar swami (Akkur Andavan-Srinivasa Maha Desikan)
2. Sri U.Ve.Tenpirai Venkata Raghavachar swami (Thenbarai Andavan-Sri
RanganAtha Maha Desikan)
3. Dimmakudi sri U.Ve .Srinivasachar (Sri Ramanja Yatheeswarar)
4. Thirukkudanthai Vairakya Nidhi Sri U.Ve. Rajagopalachar ( Sri
Narayana Yatheeswar)
5. Rayampettai GanapAdi Vidwan Seemachar ( Sri Srinivasa Ramanuja Maha
Desikan) and many others.

After staying at Srirangam for some time, His Holiness was on a
PAdhayAthra to Kanchipuram via Thirukkudanthai. At Kanchi, sishyas of
Srimath Andavan constructed an Asramam in the banks of river Veghavathi
in Rangarajan Street and requested Srimath Andavan to visit and stay at
that place. On His Holiness 's command an Ashramam was constructed and
completed on 15.12.1928, the first day of MARGAZHI in VIBHAVA varusham
and He named it as pAdukAsramam. He stayed there for about 2-1/2 years,
teaching sath sampradAya granthAs to sishyas.

In Prajothpathi year (60th year of his birth) his health was very much
affected and H.H. wanted to appoint a successor for the Asramam. His
Holiness NammAndavan wanted Sri Akkur Rangachar Swami to be his
successor. But having influenced by gnanam, vairaghyam, anushtAnam,
spiritual powers, and great capabilities of Srimath NamAndavan, Sri
Rangachar swami was afraid and thought that he may not be a fit person
to be the successor of Srimath NamAndavan and adorn this great Acharya
lineage of Srimath Andavan Ashramam. So Sri. Rangachar swami hesitated
and respectfully declined to take up thureeyashramam at that time.
Srimath Andavan was very upset that Sri Rangachar could not be appointed
immediately as His Holiness realized His dehAvasanam (end) was nearing.
His Holiness offered prayers to the PAdukAs of PoorvAchAryas, and with
tears rolling in his eyes, reciting slokas like "Sriman Abeeshta
,Varadha Thvaam asmi charanam Gatha:" & with Goddess Thayaar as
PurushakAram, His Holiness offered pranams many times at the lotus feet
of Lord Varadharaja of Kanchi, and appealed to HIM ,

"Hey Prabho! you have fulfilled the prayers, of Sri Alavandar by making
Sri Ramanuja as the Sampradhaya pravarthakar. Now fulfil my prayer also
by making Akkur Rangachar swami, as the sampradhya pravarthakar & my
successor, in our Asramam. The responsibility is yours."

Saying so, He surrendered his burden at the lotus feet of the Lord
Varadhan of Kanchi. His holiness adorned thirunAdu in PRAJOTHPATHI year
(1931)-Aadi -Poorattadhi Krishna panchami day, that was on 03.08.1931 at
the age 59 years and 11 months shortly before celebrations of His
shashti-abtha-poorthi, without appointing a successor to Asramam.

Like AlavandAr's prayer, Srimath NammAndavan's prayer too was granted by
Lord Varadha later. Srimath Aakur Rangachar consented to take up
sanyasam immediately after Srimath Nammandavan adorned ThirunAdu.
Exactly 3 weeks after NammAndavan adorning Thirunadu, Sri Narayana
Yatheeswarar, a Disciple of NammAndavan, who had already received
Sanyasam from NammAndavan, gave the ochre ascetic robes of sanyasam to
Sri Rangachar swami. SriRangachar swami became the successor of
NammAndavan in Andavan asramam as Srimath Akkur Andavan ? Sri Srinivasa
Maha Desikan.

(To be Continued....)


dasan,
Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





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