Sri:
Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha:
Srimathe Vedhantha Ramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha:
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 31st 2004 ), Avani poorattadhi is the 133rd 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 sthApana= m.
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;-
Sri U.Ve. Rangachar swami (Akkur Andavan-Srinivasa Maha Desikan)
Sri U.Ve.Tenpirai Venkata Raghavachar swami (Thenbarai Andavan-Sri
RanganAtha Maha Desikan)
Dimmakudi sri U.Ve .Srinivasachar (Sri Ramanja Yatheeswarar)
Thirukkudanthai Vairakya Nidhi Sri U.Ve. Rajagopalachar ( Sri Narayana
Yatheeswar)
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 Stree t
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 Holine ss
NammAndavan wanted Sri Akkur Rangachar Swami to be his successor. But havin g
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 Purusha kAram, 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.
dasan,
Venkat Sreenivasan
Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi
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