Srimathe Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikaya namaha:
Acharya parampara of Srimath Andavan Ashramam continues in this posting with
Srimath Akkur Andavan - Srinivasa Mahadesikan
Sri Srinivasa Mahadesikan (Srimath Akkur Andavan)
Thirunakshatram: PurattAsi-UtthirattAdi
Thanian
Srimath vEdhaantha Raamaanuja yathi nrupathEr labdha vEdhaantha yugmum
Srimath dEvaadhinEthu ChCharana sarasijE thEna daththaathma Baaram
Srimath Srivaasa yogeeshwara mahitha mahaa sampradaayaika nishtam
VandhE Srivaasa yogeeshwara gurumanagam vathsalam Bhavyasheelam
Akkur Andavan was born in the year 1880 in the month of Purattasi with
Uthirattadhi as his birth star.His poorvasrama name was Rangachariar. He was
the immediate successor to Srimad Nammandavan and 7th Peetadhipathy of
Srirangam Srimad Andavan Asramam. He had studied sampradhaya granthas at the
holy feet of sri Nammandavan along with Sri U.Ve.Thembarai Venkata Raghavachar
swami (who became Tembarai Andavan later) Dimmakudi sri U.Ve .Srinivasachar
Thirukkudanthai Vairakya Nidhi Sri U.Ve. Rajagopalachar, Rayampettai GanapAdi
Vidwan Seemachar and many others
In 1931,When Nammandavan's health was very much affcted, HH 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 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. 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:" and 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.
Like AlavandAr's prayer, Srimath NammAndavan's prayer too was granted by Lord
Varadha later. Srimath Aakur Rangachar swamy 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, the same name as PeriAndavan
and very much like PeriAndavan in Gnaana, vairagya, anushtaanam etc.. His
sancharam in the 15 year period from 1931 was all on foot (paadha yathrA). His
holiness Srimad Akkur Andavan covered Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Thirupathi
through His paadha yatra and spread Munithraya ashrama sampradyaa.
Srimad thembarai Andavan and Srimath Thirukkudanthai Andavan attended the
Kalakshebam of various granthams in their poorvasramam at the holy feet of
Srimath Aakkur Andavan. Srimath Akkur Andavan had the blessings of Srimath
Nammandavan in Completing the Vyakyanam for the remaining 208 slokas of Padhuka
sahasram (Srimath Nammandavan had already completed vYAkyanam for about 800
slokas of paduka sahasram, but before completing the balance, he adorned
ThirunAdu)
Once Akkur Andavan had to undergo a surgery to remove a cyst from his chest. He
never took any pain killing medicine or anesthesia for the procedure. Instead,
he was deeply immersed, in reciting ramayana slokas mentally for getting
himself relieved from the pain. He was one of the greatest exponents of
Ramayana discourses at his time. People had a very high regard for him for his
simplicity, lucid and profound knowledge in sampradhaya and sastras, humourous
discourses, etc, and called him as ""ENGAL ANDAVAN"
Thembarai Venkata Raghavachar Swamy was doing kainkaryam to Srimath Akkur
Andavan, continuing to undertake kAlakshEpams under His Holiness. Srimath
Akkur Andavan. His Holiness was immensely pleased with Thembarai swAmi?s
GnAna, vairAghyA and AnushtAnams and felt that Thembarai Swamy was the right
person to be adorned as ?sampradAya pravarthakA? of periAsramam after His time.
His Holiness Srimad Akkur Andavan informed Thembarai Swamy about his
decision. Thembarai Swamy after long thoughts, decided to take up sanyAsam and
gave his consent to his Holiness. Srimath Andavan was extremely pleased
byThembarai swAmi?s decision and ordained His sishyAs to make arrangements for
the Holy ceremony.
On 06.10.1946, Srimath Akkur Andavan gave the holy sanyAsam to Sri. U.Ve.
Brahmaniddhi Thembarai VenkatarAghavAchAriar swami in presence of several
Andavan thiruvadis and named him as ?Sri RanganAtha mahA dEsikan? and asrama
disciples fondly called him as Thembarai Andavan. Both Acharyas, namely
Akkur Andavan and his successor Srimath Thembarai Andavan were together in the
Asramam for a period of 5-1/2months till Srimath Akkur Andavan adorned
ThirunAdu on 19-3-1947 on a krishna paksha dwAdasi day (in the month of
Panguni, viya year).
In the next posting adiyen will continue with the history of acharyas beginning
with Srimath Thembarai Andavan.
Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi
Perungadambanur Parthasarathy Sreenivasan
(of Besant Nagar)
Adiyen is attaching a rare photo taken in 1930's at Tanjai Mamani Koil( I
think) where Srimath Akkur Andavan is in the center along with Srimath
Thembarai Andavan in His purvasramam(fourth from right) and Vaikuntavasi Vidwan
U.Ve. Sri Ammoor Narasimhachariar (first from left)who had given this photo a
few years ago)
---------------------------------
Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page
[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 |