SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anubadravam anudhinam samvardhaya/
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anubadravam anudhinam samvardhaya//
KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava:/
SrI RanganAthO jayathu SrI Ranga SrIs cha VardhathAm//
===========================================================
SRI RANGA SRI VOL. I / 019 DATED 31st January 2001
===========================================================
EDITORIAL
We are glad to present the 19th Issue of "Sri Ranga Sri"
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. SriRanga Vijayam Part 17: "Enter the holy City"
- Purisai Krishnamachariar Swami
2. Greatness of Bhagavad RamAnuja Darsanam Part 1B
- Anbil Ramaswamy
3. STOTRAS :
Dhruva StOtram from Srimad BhAgavatam Part 2 from SkAndham 4,
AdhyAyam 9.
4. "Lineage Non-pareil"
- VaikunTavAsi Justice M. Srinivasan
(provided by Sri R. Srinivasan Swami, (General Manager, Brakes
India , Chennai)
==================================================================
AN IMPORTANT APPEAL:
If you are satisfied with the format and content, kindly spread the
word among your friends and others interested.
We request EVERY ONE OF YOU to enroll as many of your friends as
possible, and in any event, AT LEAST ONE MORE NEW MEMBER to your
favorite ejournal - "Sri Ranga Sri".
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE URL HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM "EGROUPS'
TO "YAHOOGROUPS"
You may invite their attention to our URL to help them decide:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri
and encourage them to join by sending an email to
SriRangaSri-Subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As an alternative, you may suggest to us your friends who may be
"really" interested to join, so that we can add them on straightaway
to our mailing list.
We also request you to advise us with your suggestions to improve the
quality of the journal. You may send your feedback and comments to -
Sri_Ranga_Sri@xxxx (specially created for the purpose) and
NOT to the "yahoogroup" address
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
Editor & Publisher
"Sri Ranga Sri"
===============================================================
1. SriRanga Vijayam Part 17: "Enter the holy City"
- Purisai Krishnamachariar Swami
Translated by Anbil Ramaswamy
===========================================================
Our entry into the holy city commences at what is known as "AmmA
manTapam" on the banks of the "kAveri on the South" (ththen-thiruk-
kAveri).This is the place which the Lord visits on the 18th day of
the Tamil month "AaDi" when the river is in full floods known
as "PathineTTAm perukku". We finish our bath in the cool waters
visualizing mentally the groves where the honeybees hummed and
peacocks danced and the drizzles gently drench, cuckoos softly coo
(vaNDinam muralum sOlai, mayilinam AaDum Solai, konDal meedhaNavum
SOlai). We then complete our daily chores "(nitya karma anushTAnams)
and start towards the temple.
As you step out, remember to pay your respects to the divine guards
like Kumudan, KumudAkshan, PunDareekan, VAmanan, SankarNan,
SarpanEtran, Sumukhan, SuprathishTan and other group leaders
(GanAdhipathis), their weapons, their associates (parivAras) and
their vehicles (vAhanams) and secure their permission to enter the
city thus-
"KumudAya GaNAdhipathayE savAhana parivAra praharaNAya namah:"
In Sri RangarAja Sthavam, Sri BhaTTar says-
Janapadasarree thanthrreepa pushyath-pura paripAlana nitya
jAgarookaan/
PraharaNa parivAra vAhanADyAn Kumuda mukhAnGaNanAyakAn namAmi //
After these guards, he pays his respects to all living beings like
cows, birds, trees and humans and even inanimate objects like stones,
rocks etc. He holds that "those who know" would not deem them as
ordinary beings and objects but as the eternals (nityas), the
liberated (muktas) or those desiring mOksha (mumukshus) who had come
into the place and in these forms for the specific purpose of staying
in the holy city.
In the next SlOka, he wonders that perhaps, Mother earth (BhoodEvi)
had come to Sri Rangam to pay her obeisance to Sri Ranga VimAnam. She
seems to be accompanied by huge mountains, trees fully laden with
fragrant flowers, the seven seas, and the islands within ? all
helping her in offering prayers to the Lord. The streets seem to him
like the seven islands lying between the ramparts that appear to him
as the seven seas. The great manTap (mahAmanTapam) seems like the
magnificent mount "MEru".
As we enter the holy city, we find on the left the sanctum (Sannidhi)
of "TirukkuraLappan". This seems to be very ancient. When Madhurakavi
AzhwAr carried the icon of his AchArya, NammAzhwAr from AzhwAr
Tirunagari for the Tiru Adhyayana Utsavam, he is reported to have
stayed at this Sannidhi.
=====================================================================
To Continue: Part18: "The RAya GOpuram"
====================================================================
2. GREATNESS OF BHAGAVAD RAMANUJA DARSANAM: Part 1 - B
{Note: This series was posted earlier in other Internet sites a while
ago. As per the request of a large number of readers who are not
members of those sites and / or those who had missed reading them, it
is being posted here. Those who have read the series earlier may
kindly refresh their memory or just skip excusing me for the encore
presentation}
- Anbil Ramaswamy
=====================================================================
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
There are several streams of philosophic thought among the AASTIKA
DARSANAS (THOSE THAT RECOGNIZE THE AUTHORITY OF THE VEDAS) like those
of Sri Nimbarka, Sri Vallabha, Sri Chaitanya etc but the main ones
based on the relationship between the Universal soul and the
individual souls are those known as Advaita, Dvaita and
Visishtadvaita.
ADVAITA was founded by Gaudapada and expounded by Adhi Sankara charya
based MAINLY on the Non- differential passages contained in the Vedas
(Abeda Srutis). THOUGH THEY ACCEPT THE "BHEDA SRUTIS" ALSO AS
AUTHORITY, THEY GIVE LESS IMPORTANCE TO THEM IN COMPARISON
WITH "ABEDHA SRUTIS". They hold that there is only one soul and there
is no differentiation as Universal and Individual soul because they
are one and the same and were never different.
DVAITA was founded by Madhwacharya and followed by RAghavendra and
others who relied MAINLY on the differential passages contained in
the Vedas (Bheda Srutis). THEY ACCEPT "ABEDHA SRUTIS" AS AUTHORITY
BUT GIVE GREATER IMPORTANCE TO "BHEDA SRUTIS" IN COMPARISON
WITH "ABEDHA SRUTIS". They hold that the Universal soul and the
Individual souls were totally different and remained eternally so and
can never be same or even equal.
VISISHTADVAITA has been in existence from time immemorial from the
days of the Vedas which were in Sanskrit. These were transcribed
into "DrAviDa BAsha" (Tamil) by the AzhwArs especially NammAzhwAr)
through their 4000 holy collects, also called Divya Prabandams.
Due to the influence of Buddhism, Jainism etc outside the pale of
Vedas and other causes there was a period of eclipse, as it were, for
the VisishTAdvaita philosophy. It was given Sri NAtha muni, to
rediscover by receiving UpadEsa through yogic powers from Sri
NammAzhwAr himself. It was elaborated by Sri YAmuna muni, expounded
by Sri RAmAnuja muni and lucidly explained by Swami Sri VedAnta
Desika and propagated by many others.
APART FROM THE ABHEDA AND BHEDA SRUTIS, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WHAT IS
CALLED GHATAKA SRUTIS WHICH SEEK TO RECONCILE, SYNTHESIZE,
SYNCHRONIZE AND INTEGRATE THE APPARENT CONTRADICTIONS AS BETWEEN THE
TWO.
They hold that though the Universal soul and the Individual souls do
exist apart eternally, they exist in a peculiarly inseparable
relationship with each other (Apritak Siddha) in a sort of Body -
Soul relationship (Sarira- Sariri Bhava).
Thus, all these three streams accept the Vedas and therefore are
streams of the Vaideeka matham, though Advaita and Dvaita rely on one
or the other of the BEda and AbEda Srutis, unlike VisishTadvaita
which accepts all the Srutis in the Vedas as authority and reconciles
the apparent discrepancies, in the interpretations of the other two
streams.
There is a historical compulsion also for the stand taken by Sri
Aadhi Sankara. At his time, a-vaidic philosophies had mushroomed and
gained so much popularity due to the influence of NaiyAyikas,
VaisEshikas, Samkhyas, Yogis, LokAyathas, Aarhathas (Jains), HinAyAna
branches of Buddhism like VaibAshikas, SourandhrikAs, MahAyAna
branches of Buddhism like YOgachAras, and MAdhyamikas, PAsupathas,
BhaTTa PrabhAkaras, BhAskariyas, EkAyanas etc that he had a
stupendous task in demolishing all their arguments.
For this, he had to go the extra mile with them, if only to prove
them wrong like " bearding the lion in its den" and in the process
earned the label of "Prachchanna Bouddhas".
The task of Sri RamAnuja was then made much easier, because he had
only one opponent to vanquish viz. Advaita, though he provided
additional arguments against the other streams as well that were
still prevalent at his time.
Sri M.K. Sudarshan observes ?
" The Western world still regards Vedanta as being largely synonymous
with the Advaita system propounded by Adi Sankara. It is Advaitic
thought that is still seen as India's greatest contribution to the
philosophies of the world. In spite of its many flaws and leaks and
inconsistencies, there is no gainsaying that the Advaidic tradition
has become the flagship of the Vedantic armada"
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in "Hindu view of Life" has said this already.
"One or two later followers of Sankara lend countenance to this
hypothesis but it cannot be regarded as representing the main
tendency of Hindu thought......the different theistic systems adopted
by the large majority of the Hindus do not advocate the doctrines
of 'mAya'. etc - The theory is held by Sankara, who is regarded often
as representing the standard type of Hindu thought"
Sri Sudarshan further observes -
" In Hagellian terms, if "Dvaita" represented the "thesis"
and "Advaita" the "Anti-thesis", then VisihTAdvaita verily
constitutes the "synthesis" of many streams of Vedantic thought" It
will be seen from the discussion that follow, that Visishtadvaita
philosophical position is actually an improvement upon not only those
of "Dvaita" and "Advaita" but of many other streams and is NOT JUST A
VARIANT"
In fact, as Sri Sudarshan avers ?
" Visishtadvaita is THE highest evolved form of Vedantic thinking
over 2000 years and it actually represents the "STATE-OF THE ART"
thinking in modern Vedanta".
Returning to the `Apritaksiddha" concept mentioned above, an
illustration is given as follows: "The totality of existence is like
a wheel, God being the hub and the rim and Jeevas being the spokes
connecting. They are inseparable but not identical with him" The
individual soul while being the soul in relation to the physical body
constitutes the body of the Universal soul (i.e. Paramatma) who is
none other than Sri Narayana.
One SrikanTa SivAcharya sought to an attempt to install the supremacy
of Shiva over all other deities. But, his attempt failed to carry
conviction and remained to be known as 'Saiva SiddhAnta'.
As pointed out by Sri Anand Karalapakkam ?
"His BhAshyam to Brahma sutras is almost a carbon copy of Bhagavad
RamAnuja's Sri BhAshyam. The only change he has made is the equation
of Brahman with Lord Shiva, instead of Lord Sriman Narayana. His
system of thought is called "Saiva VisishtAdvaita". He is also
technically a VisishTAdvaitin !"
But for this solitary experiment, all the three streams of
philosophies acknowledge Sri Narayana as the Paramatma. The Advaitins
do not agree wholeheartedly with this position of Sri Narayana and
preferred to call Sri Narayana as 'Saguna Brahman'(Paramatma with
attributes) subject to another entity called 'Nirguna
Brahman'(Attributeless Brahman).
However it be, even for the TRUE Advaitins, Sriman Narayana is THE
PARAMATMA.
=====================================================================
SECTION 2 THE SRUTI PASSAGES IN SUPPORT OF THE THREE STREAMS OF
PHILOSOPHY will follow
=====================================================================
3. STOTRAS :
Dhruva StOtram Part 2 (Concluded) from SkAndham 4, AdhyAyam 9 of
Srimad BhAgavatam. We present in this posting SlOkas 7 to 17
translated by Swami Tapasyananda.
=====================================================================
thE na smaranthi athitharAm priyam Eesa marthyam yEchAnvada:sutha
suhridgruha viththa dhArA: /
yE tvabjanAbha bhavadheeya padAravaindha sougandhyalubdha hridayEshu
krutha prasangA;// 12
Meaning:
"Oh! Lord! Thou holdest the World-lotus in Thy navel! Those who
maintain intimacy with the devotees who are inebriated with the
fragrance of Thy lotus feet forget their own dear body and all
associated with it like son, wife, friends, home and wealth."
Thiryang naga dvija saree srupa dEva daithyAdhibi: parichitham sad
asad visEsham /
Roopam sthavishTam aja thE maha vAdhyanEkam nAtha:param parama vEdhmi
na yatra vAdha: // 13
Meaning
"To me, only Thy gross form as the universe is visible ? the form
manifest as animals, birds, plants, snakes, Devas, Asuras and men and
constituted of categories related as cause and effect like mahat
tattva, AhankAra and the rest. Thy transcendent state, which words
cannot describe is not perceptible to me"
kalpAntha yEthad akhilam jaTarENa grunhan sEthE pumAnsvadrug anantha
sakas thava angE /
yannAbhisindhuruha kAnchanalOka padma garbhE dhyumAn bhagavathE
praNathOsmi thasmai // 14
Meaning:
"At the time of the cosmic dissolution, Thou dost gather all the
worlds into thy abdomen and lie on the serpent bed of Anantha, with
the consciousness indrawn. In the navel pool of Thee so lying, arose
the golden World-lotus and on its pericarp was seated the luminous
Brahma, the creator. My salutations to Thee"
tvam nitya mukta parisuddha vibuddha aatmA kooTastha Aadhi purushO
bhagavAns traya dheesa: /
yad buddhayaavsthithim akhaNDithayA sva drushTyA drushTAsthitha
avadhimakhOvyathiriktha aassE // 15
Meaning
"Thou art the eternally free, pure, and wakeful Spirit. Thou art the
original Being, undecaying and the master of all divine majesties as
well as of all material forces. Transcending all ( but including all
things within Thy being), Thou, the worshipful One (adhimakha) and
the Lord of the whole World [process, standest as the Witness, whose
eternal and indivisible consciousness supports and illumines the
consciousness of individual beings"
yasmin viruddha gathayO hi anisam pathanthi vidhYadhayOvivida
sakthaya aanu poorvyAth /
tad Brahma visva bhavamEkam anantham aadhyam aanandamAtram avikAram
aham prapadhyE // 16
Meaning
" I take refuge in Thee, the all-inclusive and infinite Being known
as Brahman ? the Source of all, the One without a second, the
Infinite, the Perfect,, the essence of bliss. In Thee all
contradictory powers, such as the creative and the destructive, the
illuminating and the concealing, the redeeming and the adjudging all
co-exist, and shed their oppositions"
sathyAsishO hi bhagavan thava pAda padmAsees thathAnu bhajata:
purushArtha moorthE: /
apyEvamarya bhagavAn paripAthi dheenAn vAsrEva vatsakamanugraha
kAtharO asmAn // 17
Meaning:
"Oh! Lord! To a devotee of Thine who is desireless and ever engaged
in the worship of Thee, who art the very embodiment of man's highest
aspirations. Thy feet are the sole object of quest. He seeks no other
boons. Yet, Oh! Lord! Thou who art ever bent on bestowing Thy grace
on all, dost protect the weak and the suffering, even as a cow
protects its new-born calf"
=====================================================================
CONCLUDED
=====================================================================
4. "LINEAGE NON-PAREIL"
VaikunTavAsi Justice M. Srinivasan
(Article provided by Sri R. Srinivasan Swami
(General Manager, Brakes India , Chennai
who maintains the Home Page of the PeriyAShramam)
====================================================================
NOTE 1: We have already presented the lineage of Srimad ANDavans of
PounDarikapuram SwAmi Ashramam.
Now, this article by Justice M. Srinivasan, a Sishya of
PeriyAShramam, deals with the lineage of that Ashramam.
It will be seen from the article that the lineage of both
PounDarikapuram Ashramam and PeriyAShramam is the SAME upto
ChinnANDavan. The branching off took place only from "KADanthethi
ANDavan"
NOTE 2: We have collected information on the lineage of ParakAla
Matam and Ahobila MaTam also. Postings on them will follow. The other
AchAryas of SwAmi Desika SampradAyam not featured in these will be
presented thereafter under the title "Know this AchArya"
Editor
===================================================================
I.PRELUDE:
AdhyAseena thuranga vaktra vilasA jihvAgra simhAsanAth
AchAryad iha dEvathAm samadhikAm anyAm na manyA mahE /
YasyAsou bhajatE kadAchid ajahad bhoomA svayam bhoomikAm
MagnAnAm bhavinAm bhavArNava samutharAya nArAyaNa: //
Meaning
"The tip of the AchArya's tongue shines bright being the throne on
which is seated the Lord Hayagriva. So, we do not consider any deity
as higher than AchArya. Even NArAyaNa plays the part of the AchArya
without ever giving up His Supreme greatness, in order to save those
who are sunk in the sea of worldly life."
Every disciple of Srirangam Srimad Andavan Ashramam can proudly
proclaim from the top of the world that description of an AchArya in
the above slOka of Sri VedAnta Desika fits everyone of the
successive pontiffs who have adorned the Ashramam as the AchArya from
the inception till date. Everyone of the AchAryas in the Ashramam has
been a bright luminous star in the firmament of VisishTadvaita
SiddhAnta propagated by the Munitraya viz. Sriman NAtha Muni, Srimad
YAmuna Muni and Srimad RAmAnuja Muni has been fostered and nourished
by the unstinted efforts of these AchAryas. They have remained
incomparable and unparalleled in the matter of knowledge (jnAna),
practice (anushTAna) and asceticism (VairAghya). They were and are
the living examples of the definition of "AchArya" found in the
SlOka:-
AachinOthi hi sAstra arthAn, achArE sthApayathyapi /
Svayam aacharathE yasmAth thasmAth AchArya IshyathE //
Meaning
"A person is an AchArya because he imparts the meaning of holy
scriptures to his disciple, makes him act in accordance therewith and
also follows himself the same"
Everyone of the AchAryas in Srimad ANDavan Ashram has been a cynosure
to be emulated by other ascetics.
II. HISTORY
TIRUKKUDANTHAI MAHA DESIKAN
The Institution had its genesis in Sri GOPAlArya MhAdEsikan, famously
known as "TirukkuDanthai DEsikan". He was born about 300 years ago,
in the village of RAyampettai in the district of ThanjAvur by the
grace of Lord Oppiliappan as the son of one KrishNasoori. He became
proficient in all scriptures at a young age. He was sent by his
father to Srirangam to be a disciple of Sri SakshAt SwAmi who was
himself very famous from the day of his birth.
In fact, Lord RanganAtha instructed Sri SakshAt SwAmi in his dream to
train Sri GopAladEsika in the philosophical tradition propagated by
Sri RamAnuja and Sri VedAntai Desika. On a command received from Lord
AarAvamudhan of TirukkuDanthai, Sri GopAladEsika returned to
TirukkuDanthai and started propagating the Sampradayam (traditional
religious doctrine) besides completing the books which were left
unfinished by his AchAryas. He himself authored some books
including "Aahnikam" and "sArnganeeva StOtram".
Lord RanganAtha directed three illustrious persons in their dreams to
go to Sri GopAlArya MahAdEsikan and learn the traditional literature
and spread the same. Sri TirukkuDanthaidEsikan had a dream that he
should teach these three persons ? One of them was from Vazhuthur. He
became an ascetic and came to be known as "Sri VedAnta RaamAnuja
MahAdEsikan" aka "Vazhuthur ANDavan".
The title "ANDavan" was given to him by Lord RanganAtha as he was
protecting the SampradAya. Sri Vazhuthur ANDavan founded the
institution `Srirangam Srimad ANDavan Ashramam". His successor
was "Sri SrinivAsa RamAnuja MahAdEsikan" known as "ThirutturaippooNdi
ANDavan". He was staying in Srirangam.
THIRUTHURAIPPOONDI ANDAVAN
One day, a boy of 14 years came to His Holiness and requested for
performance of "BharaNyAsam"(resigning to God).His Holiness did
scriptures etc. The boy went to KAnchipuram where his parents were
living. After his father, KrishNamAchAriar expired, he came to His
Holiness and requested him to give "SannyAsam". Bu, his wife and
mother represented to His Holinesss that he should not be made an
ascetic in that young age. His Holiness advised the young man to go
back and come after the birth of a child. After some time, the young
man became the father of a male child and went to His Holiness and
reiterated his request. His Holiness made him a SannyAsi. That young
man was none other than "SrinivAsa MahAdEsikan" who became famous
as "Srimad PeriyANDavan".
PERIYANDAVAN
SrinivAsa MahAdEsikan after whom the Ashramam came to be known
as "PeriyAshramam" was an ascetic for more than 50 years. For quite a
long time, he was in continuous meditation in Srirangam. He used to
glean grains from the houses of a few devotees of Lord RanganAtha
by `Unchavrithi" only on 7 or 8 days in a month, wash the same in
Kaveri water, cook the same and eat it along with holy basil (Tulasi
leaves) without salt, ghee, milk or curd. On the other days, he used
to powder the dry leaves fallen from the holy fig tree, consume the
same and drink water. By such severe penance, he became very lean and
emaciated and came to be known as "Vathal SwAmi". As he was for long
indulging in meditation, Lord RanganAtha issued a command too him to
take disciples and disseminate and propagate the religion and
philosophy. Thereafter, several persons became his disciples and
turned out to be great men of learning and preceptors. Some of them
who were famous were-
(1) Tirupputkuzhi Appa
(2) MannArguDi gOpAlanna
(3) VyAkaraNam RangAchAriar
(4) MeemisAl NarasimhAchAriar
(5) ChinnAmu RangAchAriar
(6) Tirunelveli GopAlasamudram NarAyaNAchAriar
(7) ShamaLA Chakravarthi and
(8) Purisai NaDAdur RangAchAriar
One of his disciples purchased a land on the southern bank of
Coloroon and offered it to H.H,PeriyANDavan His Holiness accepted it
and had a hermitage constructed where he stayed and rendered
kAlakshEpams. Sri PeriyANDavan was strict disciplinarian and insisted
on adherence to absolute discipline among his disciples both during
the time of kAlakshEpams and other times. It used to be said that in
the morning, when he took the texts in Cadjan leaves for KAlakshepam,
whatever may be the number of pages and whatever be the time span, he
would not rise from his seat without finish8ng all the pages. He
traveled widely in Tamilnadu and Karnataka and performed SamAsrayaNam
and BharaNyAsam. He used to render KAlakshepam of Grantha-
ChatushTayam that is, SribhAshyam, Gita BhAshyam, Srimad Rahasya
Traya Saram and Sri Bhagavad Vishayam in a year and in that way he
had completed them thirty times.
Such an illustrious AchArya was succeeded by one of his disciples who
was tested in several ways by His Holiness before he was given
SannyAsam. As he became an ascetic even during the lifetime of Sri
PeriyANDavan and both were together for about 6 months, he came to be
known as "ChinnANDavan" his official name was "Sri pAdukA sEvaka
RamAnuja MahAdEsikan"
CHINNANDAVAN
He was a great scholar in Dharma SAstras such as Manu Smriti,
yAgjnavAlkya Smriti etc. He was often consulted by the British
Government in matters of Hindu Law etc. He authored as many as 9
books:
(1) AhnikArtha PrakAsika
(2) Sri Jayanthi NirNayam
(3) Ukti AchArya NishTA VichAra
(4) Satpada RakshA
(5) JanmAshTami NirNayam
(6) Tatkratu NyAya VichAra
(7) AchArya SambhAvanA kramam
(8) Yathi dharma Samuchchayam and
(9) Aasoucha Sangraham.
He had several disciples two of whom became heads of the Ashramam
later viz., Therazhundur ANDavan and Thenbarai ANDavan. After
completing 18 ChaturmAsyams, he left this mortal world. At that time
there was none to take charge of the Ashramam for 15 years. Then,
some disciples persuaded Sri Varada VedAntAchAriar to adorn the
AchArya peeTam. He became `SrinivAsa RamAnuja MahAdEsikan" known
as "KADanthethi ANDavan"
KADANTHETHI ANDAVAN
He mastered several mantras with the aid of which he used to perform
some miracles. In his PoorvAsramam when he went by palanquin, the
front side was carried by men and the rear side by mantras, without
any men. He pleased the authorities of Tirupathi DevasthAnam with his
miracles and the DeavasthAnam presented an ivory palanquin which he
presented to Desikan Sannidhi at TiruchchAnur. He authored some
StOtras. He was a SathAvadhAni. He gifted the benefits acquired by
him by reciting Tiru AshTAksharam seven crores times to EeyuNNI
VaradAchAriar SwAmi and also made him a SannyAsi. That was "Sri
VedAnta RamAnuja MahAdEsikan" also known as "NammANDavan"
NAMMANDAVAN
He had "PanchasamskAram" under PeriyANDavan. His versatility even in
his childhood was unrivalled. His erudition and scholarship had no
bounds. He earned several honors in seminars of VidwAns. He was
rewarded by the MahArAja of PudukkOTTai. He had BharanyAsam unde4r
ChinnANDavan. When the latter was thinking of nominating a successor,
Sri VaradAchAriar offered to become a SannyAsi but other people
prevented him as he had elderly parents and young wife. After getting
progeny, he obtained SannyAsam from KADanthethi ANDavan. During his
period, the number of disciples increased.. Everyone was attracted by
his sweet qualities. He was an expert in music. He wrote a commentary
on "Sri pAdukA Sahasram" for 860 SlOkas but was prevented by illness
from completing it. He caused the publication of several books
through Sri V.K.RamanujAchAriar SwAmi. Her made valuable
contributions to several temples and arranged for continuous
performance of festivals and other rituals in some temples. He
traveled widely. He was a rare personality respected even by
atheists. He was succeeded by "Akkur Sri SrinivAsa MahAdEsikan" also
known as EngaL ANDavan"
ENGALANDAVAN
Having studied the scriptures under NammANDavan, he proved to be an
expert in rendering discourses on Srimad BhAgavatam, Srimad RAmAyaNam
etc. He completed the Tamil commentary on pAdukA sahasram and
published it. He traveled all over South India and caused renovation
and repairs of several temples. He gave SannyAsam to Thenbarai
RamabadrAchAriar, who was a disciple of ChinnANDavan.
THENBARAI ANDAVAN
He was an embodiment of detachment (VairAghyam) and quietism
(Shantham) .His calm and unperturbed temperament overpowered anyone
who approached him with a disturbed mind. He performed 15
ChaturmAsyams. On account of indifferent health, he did not move out
of the Ashramam. He caused the performance of AshTAkshara mahA yagyam
in the PeriyAshramam premises at Srirangam. He chose such a successor
who could take the institution to dizzy heights and it
was "TirukkuDanthai ANDavan".
TIRUKKUDANTHAI ANDAVAN
Named as SrinivAsarAghavan by his parents, he earned a popular
name "KaNNan SwAmi". By his discourses in a mellifluous voice, he was
very well known throughout the country. It is no wonder that on his
entering the fourth Asramam, the institution got expanded beyond
recognition. He traveled on foot the length and breadth of the
country and attracted thousands of disciples. Being a scholar in
NyAya and VyAkaraNa, he specialized in AzhwAr's songs compendiously
known as "nAlAyira Divya Prabandham" The mastery which he had over
the subjects on which he rendered discourses was simply amazing. The
way in which he used to quote from Divya Prabandams reminded the
listener of the grandeur of the flow of perennial holy river. Whether
it was a KAlakshepam or UpanyAsam, he used to intersperse them with
witticisms and simple similes which made even an uneducated listener
understand easily the most abstract tenets. He carried out repairs
and renovations in several temples and donated several articles and
jewelry to various temples. He had constructed temples in Bangalore
and Delhi. He established branches of the Ashramam in Andhra Pradesh,
Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh States besides
several important towns in Tamilnadu including the city of Chennai.
He performed 26 ChaturmAsyams. He rejuvenated the monthly
journal "Sri RanganAtha pAdukA". He created several charitable and
educational trusts such as "Sri pAdukA Charities" in Madras and "Sri
RanganAtha pAdukA VidyAlaya trust" in Srirangam. The latter trust
established an educational institution and started courses in Vedas,
Divya Prabandams, SAstras, KAvyas etc. When he realized that the Lord
wanted him back in His abode, he gave SannyAsam to Mysore
GOpAlachAriar SwAmi who was a SrikAryam in the Ashramam and a year
later left this mortal world.
MYSORE ANDAVAN
He was a great scholar in Sanskrit. Unfortunately, the Lord took him
away within a month after the departure of TirukkuDanthai ANDavan.
PRAKRITAM SRIMUSHNAM ANDAVAN
Fortunately for the Ashramam, Sri TirukkuDanthai ANDavan had
mentioned the name of SrimushNam VarAhAchAriar SwAmi as a successor,
probably knowing that Mysore ANDavan may not live for long. When the
disciples of the Ashramam approached the SwAmi, he had no hesitation
in accepting the call to religious order though he had a large family
to support. Following the footsteps of the great Saint EmperumAnAr,
he placed "Service to Society" above his personal family. Ho took
KAshAyam (saffron robe) from PeriyANDavan Sannidhi. Being a scholar
of unfathomable depth in any subject under the sky, he lost no time
in convincing the disciples of the Ashramam that he can not only
carry aloft the banner of the Ashramam but also take it to further
heights. His expertise in SAstras, Vedas, music, dance, medicine,
sculpture, literature (both Tamil and Sanskrit) and PAka SAstras
baffles everyone. He has constructed a temple in Sripuram,
Bangalore. He has founded a college in Ar6ts and Science at
Srirangam under the auspices of "Sri RanganAtha PADukA VidyAlaya
Trust". He not continued what had commenced during the time of
PoorvAchAryas but also adding to the same and expanding the
activities which are useful to Society. His witticism in
conversations is remarkable. The disciples are grateful to the Lord
for installing him as the head of the institution. We pray to the
Lord and the PoorvAchAryas to bless H.H. with long life and sturdy
health.
III. CONCLUSION
Before concluding, it is necessary to mention that Srimad ANDavan
Ashramam maintains the unique practice of worshipping the pAdukas of
PoorvAchAryas. Several of the disciples of the Ashramam perform not
only Bhagavad ArAdhanam but also Paduka ArAdhanam. The AchAryas of
the Ashramam are so keen that the disciples should get the blessings
of the Lord, they perform SamAsrayaNam and BharaNyAsam on being
requested without delay. Our AchAryas have performed BharaNyAsam even
for new-born babies, We, the disciples of the Ashramam would always
follow the ancient path shown to us by the spotless Madhurakavi which
is sage and good. So, we adore the regular and spotless succession of
AchAryas which is well known to extend upwards to the Lord.
=====================================================================
|
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
srirangasri-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |