Srimathe Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikaya namaha:
Acharya parampara of Srimath Andavan Ashramam continues in this posting with
Srimath Nammandavan - Vedantha Ramanuja Mahadesikan
Srimath Nammandavan
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
Avani poorattadhi is the thirunakshatram of Srimath ThErazhundur Andavan Sri
Vedhantha Ramanuja Mahadesikan. His poorvashrama Name was Sri Varadhachar. Sri
Varadhachar Swami was born in the year Prajothpathi (1871) in the month of
AvaNi in ThErazhundur village in Tanjore district in Tamilnadu. He belonged to
Eyunni vamsam and Bharadwaja Gothram. At very early age, 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. 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 Sowbhagyavathi Sengamala Ammal,
daughter of Sri Annasami Ayyangar of Thirukkudanthai Ayyangar street. 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, 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 of
Varadhachar swamy. HH adorned thirunadu in Vijaya varusham (1894) in the month
of thai 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. . Accordingly Srimath Srinivasa
SatakOpa Yatheendra Maha Desikan (38th Jeer of Sri Ahoibila Mutt) who was
camping at Nrusimhapuram gave thureeyAsramam to Kadanthethi swAmi in presence
of a large Srivaishvaite gathering. Thus 76 year old KAdanthethi swami became
the Asrama Head of Srimath Andavan periAsramam as Srinivasa RAmAnuja MahA
DEsikan.
The health of KAdanthEthi Andavan deteriorated during 1905 and all asramam
sishyas immediately rushed to Sri VaradAchar swami and requested to take up
sanyasam from KAdanthEthi Andavan. Sri VaradAchAr swAmi readily acceded to
their request by leaving the family to take up ascetic orders. He received
thureeyAsramam from the holy hands of KadanthEthi Andavan Srinivasa Ramanuja
Maha Desikan in the year KEELAKA VARUSHAM- AVANI MADHAM (sep-oct ,1908 ) and
was named Sri VEdAntha RAmAnuja MahA dEsikan- also known as & ThErazhundur
Andavan. And NammAndavan. Both AchAryAs were together for a period of 6 months.
Srimath KadanthEthi Andavan attained thirunAdu in 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. Good personality, majestic look, pleasing
voice, convincing talk etc were his great traits. His discourses were full of
humor , 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 (who became Akkur Andavan-Srinivasa Maha Desikan
later)
Sri U.Ve.Tenpirai Venkata Raghavachar swami( who became Thenbarai Andavan-Sri
RanganAtha Maha Desikan later)
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.
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.
In the next posting adiyen will continue with the history of acharyas beginning
with Srimath Akkoor Andavan.
Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi
Perungadambanur Parthasarathy Sreenivasan
(of Besant Nagar)
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