Srimathe Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikaya namaha:
Acharya parampara of Srimath Andavan Ashramam continues in this posting with
Srimath Chinnandavan - Sri Paduka Sevaka Ramanuja Mahadesikan
Srimath Chinnandavan
Thirunakshatram: Karthigai - Magam Thaniyan:
Sriman naatha muneendra yaamuna muni Srisamya mindraathmanaha
Sri Srivasa muneendra desika mane: praapthaaga maanthath dvayam
Sri rangesha padhe thadharpithabharam Sri paadukasevaka
Sri ramanuja yoginam guruvaram vandhe dayasagaram
Karthigai - Magam is the thirunakshtram day of one of the foremost and
illustrious acharyas of Srirangam Srimath Andavan Periasramam, Srimath
Chinnandavan - Sri Paduka Sevaka ramanuja maha desikan.
This mahan was born in the year sarvadhari (1828), in the month of Karthigai in
a hamlet called velliyanallur. His janma nakshatram is Magam. He belonged to
satamarshana gothra. His father, Sri Krishna Thathacharya. named his son as
Srinivasaraghavan. It is a great coincidence that two other Acharyas in this
illustrious lineage who adorned the peetam were also named as Srinivasaraghavan
in their poorvasramam namely Srimath Periandavan who was Srimath Chinnandavan?s
direct predecessor and the other Acharya was none other than the famous Srimath
Thirukkudanthai Andavan who was instrumental in spreading the Periasrama
parampara to length and breadth of the country and made it reach dizzy heights
of glory in our sampradaya.
Younger days of Srimath Chinnandavan
Sri Krishna Thathacharya performed upayanam and other vaithika samskarams to
his son at the right age. SrinivasarAghavan swami also underwent veda
adhyayanam and learnt kavya alankara grantham. He went to Mysore. And There He
met SriRama Sastri who was the Asthana vidwan of the Mysore raja samsthanam. He
learnt nyaya sastras and advaita philosophy under his tutelage and thus became
an exponent With his radiant brilliance. he even cleared the doubts Sri sastri
encountered on sastraic research and earned his awe and accolades. In
particular, swami was extremely proficient in tharka sastras. He went to
Srirangam in pursuit of the studying ampradhaya granthas and reached the holy
hermitage of Srimath Periandavan who was the paragon of Gnana and vairaghya and
prayed at His holy feet for the same. Observing Srinivasaraghavan Swami,
Srimath Periandavan was very much pleased with His modesty and His sastraic
knowledge and accepted Him as His sishya. He rendered Grantha chathustayam (
namely
Srimath Rahasya thraya saram, Geetha Bhashyam, Sri Bhashyam and bhagavath
vishayam) and satha dhooshani to Srinivasaraghavan. Srinivasaraghavan swami
went back to vellianallur after completing the kalakshepam. i
Taking up sanyasa
When swami was in vellianallur observing his panca kala anushtanams and leading
a very regimented life of a true srivaishnava paramAikanthi, Srimath
Periandavan due to His severe penance and austere life, became very weak.. For
the sampradaya to continue to flourish and grow, Srimath Periandavan wanted to
choose His successor .After makingseveral tests,Peria Andavan decided that
Srinivasaraghavan swami was the right person to succeed Him as the acharya of
the periasramam. In the meantime, Periandavan?s health deteriorated.
Srinivasaraghavan swami went back to Srirangam from vellianallur and prostated
before srimath periandavan and prayed to him that he be granted sanyasa. With
great modesty, he went through the explanation of qualification of oneself to
take up sanyasa thereby indicating his readiness for the same. swAmi told
srimath periandavan that he did "Sarvasanga parithyagam", completely renouncing
samsara bhandham and prayed to Srimath periandavan to grant Him sanyasa.
Srimath periandavan was filled with extreme happiness to have chosen the right
successor and granted Srinivasaraghavan swami, sanyasa on an auspicious day. He
was given the title "Sri Paduka sevaka ramanuja maha desikan".
Since both were Acharyas together at the same time, they were fondly called as
periandavan and chinnandavan by the sishyas and admirers alike. This period
lasted for a very short duration though with Srimath periandavan reaching
parama padam within 4 months of Srimath chinnandavan taking up sanyasa.
Srimath chinnandavan was serving as guiding light of the sampradaya and
authored rarest of several granthas when he was the Acharya of the periasramam-
They are as follows:
1. Ahnikartha prakasikai 2.Sri Jayanthi nirnayam 3.ukthyacharya nishta vicharam
4.sathpadha rakshai 5. Janmashtami nirnayam ..6.thathkrathu nyaya
vicharam.7.Acharya sambavanai kramam...8.Aasowcha sangam
Sishya parampara:- Several erudite scholars became the disciples of srimath
chinnandavan, foremost being:- 1.Eyunni SriVaradhachar swamy(who later became
Terazhundur Andavan) 2 Sri Villiputhur Ammalachar swami 3.Vidvan ukkur
Srinivasaraghavachar.4.Akkur Srinivasaraghavachar. 5..Vidvan Tembarai
Ramabadrachar
Yathra
Srimath chinnandavan traveled to Sri kanchi from Srirangam and gave several
sampradayic pravachanams(discourses) during His yathra and came back to
Srirangam.
Srimath Chinnandavan attained Thirunadu at the age of 68 leaving behind
grieving disciples in the year Vijaya (1895), on the sukla sapthami thithi in
the tamil month of Thai. Swami was in thureeyasramam was 10 years observing
that many chaturmasyams.
Srimath Kadanthethi Andavan
Thirunakshatram: Aavani-Moolam
Thanian
Srimath Srivasa yogi pravarasa kaaruNa paanghasanghaadha BHangaath
VEdhaantha dvandva vidhya madhu rasa lahari chchanchari kaayamaaNaha
THEnaachaaryENa ranga prabhu charaNa yugE daththa rakshaa BharaSri:
Srimath Srivasa raamaavaraja muNimaNis santhatham srEyasE syaath
Srimath KAdandhEthi Andavan was born in the Avani month of Virodhi varusham
(1829 A.D) in Moolam nakshatram in a village just south of river KAveri called
KAdandhEthi to Srimathi Janaki Ammal and Sri RaghunAthAchar. Sri RaghunAthAchar
was performing kainkaryam to Srimath Thiruthuraipoondi Andavan, the second
Andavan of Srimath Andavan Ashramam. The child was named Sri Varada
VedAnthAchAriAr. He was initiated into Brahmacharyam with upanayanam at the
prescribed age and was taught vEdAs and upanishads. He learnt Tharka ShAstras
in ,RajamannAr Koil under the tutelage of Sri U.Ve. SamiyAchchAr swAmi.
In his young days itself Sri Varada VedAnthAchAriar, with sincere devotion and
strong vairAgyam meditated on the sacred Moola manthram, AshtAkshara manthram
and gAyathri manthram vigrorously and attained manthra sidhdhi and power. Later
he visited Mysore Asthanam and further mastered in tharka shAstrAs from Mysore
samasthAna vidwan named Aakki Azhwan. During this period he also received Sri
Hayagreeva ManthrOpadEsam from Sri Parakala Jeeyar Swami and Sri Nrusimha
ManthrOpaDesam from Sri Ahobila Matam Azhagiyasingar. Thus he attained various
manthra sidhdhi and SathAvadAna shakthi at a very young age as a bramhachAri.
He mastered the four shAstras and also had poetic prowess as an "Aasu Kavi".
Sri Varada VedAnthAchAriar was married at the age of 35. Immediately after his
marriage, he started on a yathra and visited various samasthAnams.
At Nagapattinam ,a request from the town?s Tashildar Sri Rangaswami Nayakkar,
Sri Varada Vedanthachariar swami displayed his Satavadhana skills in
Vellipalayam Krishna Sannidhi. (Sathavadanam is a skill where the person
performing this skill will tackle 100 questions or acts at the same time). The
people were awed by this display. At the end, he asked a palanquin to be
brought and he got into the palanquin. He asked it to be lifted only in the
back of the palanquin. With his manthra sidhdhi he went on a procession in the
palanquin, with no one lifting the front side of the palanquin.
At Thirumala, he was gifted an ivory Planquin as a sanmAnam on one occasion. He
later donated this palanquin to Swami Desikan Sannidhi at Thirucherai. He
stayed in Thirupati till he completed 60 years.
At Thirukkudanthai
After celebrating his sasthiabdapoorthy at Tirumala, he desired to come and
live in Thirukkudanthai. He sold his properties at Tirupathi and came to
Thirukkudanthai. He purchased a house in Sri Aravamdhan Sannidhi Street and
stayed there. He did many kainkaryams and ubhayams at the sannidhi of Sri
Aravamudhan. He was very much devoted to Sri Komalavalli Thaayar and donated a
Simha Vahanam for Komalavalli ThAyAr.
Swami?s Compositions
Adbudha vAmanam". Aaraat Prabhandham Swapna Sathakam" When his eyesight had
weakened considerably due to his old age, he composed a grantham called "Sri
Komala Dandakam" on Thirukkudanthai Komalavalli Thayaar. . By reciting this
wonderful grantham he regained his vision completely. HH Kadenthethi Andavan
had a special attachment to Komalavalli Thayar.He has given a Gold Karai (
Jewel ) and a Silver Simha vahana to Thayar
Srimath Chinnandavan attained Thirunadu at the age of 68 leaving behind
grieving disciples in the year Vijaya (1895), on the sukla sapthami thithi in
the tamil month of Thai.. In 1905 after 11 years without acharya, Andavan
sishyas went to Thirukkudanthai. Having known the greatness and gnana,
anushtana and vairagyam of Sri Varada Vedanthachariar, Andavan Ashramam sishyas
went to Thirukkudanthai and requested him to become their Acharya , to continue
the Andavan Sampradhayam.
Sri Varada Vedanthachariar was already 76 years old then. He decided to accept
the sanyasa ashramam with the intent of satisying the longing of Andavan
sishyas for an Acharya and also with the intent of appointing Therezundur
Varadachariar as the next Andavan at an appropriate time.
38th pattam Thirukkudanthai Azagiyasingar
He approached 38th pattam Azhagiyasingar Srimath Srinivasa Sadagopa yatheendra
Mahadesikan (Thirukkudanthai Azagiyasingar) with other Andavan sishyas and
requested him to give sanyasa ashramam to him. Sri Varadha Vedanthachariar
accepted the Preksha manthram and sanyasa ashramam from Srimath Azhagiyasingar
and became the 6th Andavan of Andavan Ashramam in Avani month of 1905 (Tamil
year Visvavasu) at Nrusimhapuram in front of hundreds of sishyas of Andavan
Ashramam, Ahobila Matam and srivaishnavas of Tirukkudanthai. He was given the
name "Srinivasa Ramanuja Mahadesikan" and was called as Thirukkudanthai Andavan
and also as Kadandethi Andavan. An Andavan thiruvadi, Tiruvaheendrapuram
Ashtavadani Sri Anathachariar composed and offered the tanian "Srimath SrivAsa
yOgi.." for Kadandethi Andavan at the sannidhi of Sri Ranganatha Perumal. But
due to his old age, Srimath Andavan used to faint and lose conciousness during
pravachanam.
Srimath Nammandavan
In 1908, as Srimath Andavan was getting older and weaker day by day, he decided
it was time to hand over the Acharya peetam to Therezhundur swami and
communicated this to him through his sishyas. On hearing this, Therezhundur
swami rushed to Srirangam leaving his family and properties. He gave all the
manthra powers of saptha koti (7 crores) Thiruvastaakshara manthram he had
earned to Therezhundur swami and said it will help in his winning over everyone
to our sath-sampradayam. He gave preksha manthram and sanyasa ashramam to
Theruzhundur swami in Aug 1908 (tamil year Keelakam) and made him the 7th
Andavan with title Srimath Vedantha Ramanuja Mahadesikan who was also called as
Nammandavan and Therezundur Andavan. After having restored the Andavan Ashramam
sampradayam to its glory and after appointing a great avathara pursha like
Nammandavan as the succeeding Acharya, Srimath Kadandethi Andavan graced His
sishyas in leela vibuti for 6 more months and in early 1909 attained Thirunadu
(Tamil year Keelaka, Masi month, Krishna paksham, Dwadasi thithi) after 3
chaturmasyams at the age of 79 years.
In the next posting adiyen will continue with the history of acharyas beginning
with Srimath NammAndavan.
Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi
Perungadambanur Parthasarathy Sreenivasan
(of Besant Nagar)
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
SriRangaSri-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
|
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
srirangasri-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |