Srimathe Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikaya Namaha
Sri Ranganatha Divya Mani Padhukabhyam Namaha
Acharya parampara of Srimath Andavan Ashramam continues in this posting with
Srimath Srimushnam Andavan - Sri Ranga Ramanuja Mahadesikan. Adiyen has used
some references from the postings of Sri R. Rajagopalan ( in Sri Ranganatha
Paduka in his article Looking Back and Looking forward) and Sri. C.G.Balaji
(reg. our Andavan Swamy's sri sookthis in His purvasramam). This is the first
of the two postings on Prakrutham Andavan. Second part will be published soon.
Srimath Srimushnam Andavan: Thirunakshatram: Vaikasi - Thiruvadhirai
Thanian:
VEdhAntha lakshmana muneendra krupAtthabOdham
ThadpAdha yugmasaraseeruha brungha rAjam
Thraiyantha yugma kruthaboori parisramamtham
Sriranga lakshmana munim saranam prapadhyE
(Meaning of the Tanian)
We prostrate at the holy feet of Sri Ranga Ramanauja Maha Desikan who had
his Bhara samarpanam at the holy feet of Vedhantha Ramanuja Maha Desikan.
Having gained the wealth of Sri sampradayic knowledge/Ubhaya Vedhanthams
from his Acharya, he whirrs as a honeybee at His lotus feet. Salutations to
Srimath Ranga Ramanuja maha Desikan
Prakrutham Srimad Andavan was born in Srimushnam, a swayam vyaktha Kshethra, in
south arcot district, on a Vaikasi ?ArudrA day in Yuva varusham 03-06-1935 to U
.Ve. Srinivasachariar and sri Kumudhavalli, belonging to to the illustrious
lineage of swayamAchArya purushAs. His great great grand father Sri Nadu nattu
Narayanachar was the prime disciple of annarya Maha Desikan .The pooravasrama
name of Srimushnam Andavan was Varahan. Varahan?s, UpanayAthi samskAram were
performed at the right age.
His father was a disciple of Sangeetha kalanidhi late Tiger Varadhachar swamy.
Young Varahan used to sit by the side of his father during those music lessons
and assimilated the nuances of Carnatic music to an astonishing degree which
enabled Him to sing ragas with mellifluous voice.
Sri Varahan swamy became well qualified in vEda and divya prabhanda adhyayanams
at an young age. His periappa Sri U.Ve. Srimushnam puranam Narayanachariar
taught him kAvya and nAtaka alankarA granthAs. Swamy went to kAkumAni charity
pAtasAlA(affiliated to Madras University) in Chennai for his initial education
in SastrAs.
In a quest to learn more about sAmAnya sAstrAs swAmy came to sriperumbudur and
learnt fully the nyAya and tharka sAstrAs. The yong Varaha swamy qualified
himself as Tharka sironmani, trained under great teachers in Sriperumbudur
Sanskrit patasala like Sri Krishna Desika Thathachariar (father of great N.S.R.
swamy) and others. Seeing swamy?s remarkable knowledge and extreme brilliance
learned wise men who had interacted with swamy at that time, predicted that
swamy would become a maHa vidwAn and a sampradhAya pravarthakaA.
For some time, swami went to Andhra Pradesh and taught in Sanskrit colleges
located in Jeetical and AlwAl, close to Hydrabad. His lucid and brilliant
teaching earned a lot of accolades and he learnt to speak and read Telugu very
fluently. Swamy came back to Sriperumbudur and passed in Tamil VidwAn exam and
served as Such in Tamilnadu Government educational service for 27 years. He
lived in malayangulam for many years and settled down at Velamur, the Birth
place of Upanishad Bhashyakkarar H.H. Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikan. Sri
Varahachar swamy renovated and maintained the temple and performed nithya
Aradhanam all by himself for the Divya Dampathies.
His Holiness 44th Jeer of Sri Ahobila Mutt once conferred a special sambavanai
appreciating his extra ordinary knowledge, Vidvath and lucid presentation. Sri
srimushanam Varahachar, a tamil pandit in Govt Secondary Education service for
27 years had His Prapatti under His holiness Thirukkudanthai Andavan and
Grantha chathushtya Kalakshepams under His Holiness during the same time.
The divine message from Padukas to revered Acharya Thirukkudanthai Andavan was
that ?Srimushnam Varahachariar will be your successor , Rest assured that this
Padukasramam so beautifully nurtured by you, will be safe in his hands and
will reach much greater heights.? The Acharya directed sri Varahachariar swamy
that when the time comes he should come forward to protect and preserve the
Andavan Asrama Paramparai meaning , that he should become his successor
probably knowing in advance that His successor H.H. Mysore Andavan may not live
long.
Two Great Acharyas attaining Paramapadam in quick succession in April & May
1989,
H.H.Srimadh Thirukkudanthai Andavan adorned ThirunAdu on 10.04.1989
His successor H.H.Srimad Mysore Andavan also adorned Thirunadu (within
42 days) on 22.05.1989. Lakhs of disciples were worried, over the continuation
of Andavan Asrama Acharya parampara When the Disciples of the Ashramam
approached Sri Varahachar swamy, He had whole heartedly accepted the call to
the religious order though he had a large family to support.
Exactly on the 10th day, i.e. 01-06-1989, upon the holy command made by H.H.
Thirukkudanthai Andavan earlier, Sri Varahachar Swamy with devotion, took
ascetic order, by taking the ochre ascetic robes of sanyasam from PeriyAndavan
sannadhi on Sukla Varusham- Vaikasi 19th as Sri Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikan, in
memory of his affection towards the illustrious Great Acharya from Velamur ?Sri
Upanishad Bhashyakarar?- H.H. Sri Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikan. The disciples of
the Asramam got convinced that H.H.Sri Mushnam Srimad Andavan can not only
carry aloft the banner of Ashramam but also take it to further heights. H.H.
is a versatile exponent in many other sAstras such as sculpture , sangeetham,
alankAra sAstra, Astrology, Jyothisham, politics, construction,Ayurvedha to
name a few. Swamy?s pandithyam in VedhanthA and vyAkaranA is well known. It is
also well known that His Holiness Srimadh Andavan talks with Slesha in
appropriate moments with amazing timing and precision. It could be said
that there are no literatures left out in Tamil that swami is unaware of. It
is swamy?s special quality to quote Thiruvalluvar,Kamban,IlangO and Bharathi in
His anugraha Bashanams as and when required.
Srimad Andavan once beautifully sculpted a sAlagrAma perumal (which was a
little broken) to Lakshmi Hayagreeva Perumal. So many people have wondered
about His Holiness?s amazing knowledge in a wide variety of subjects. Srimadh
Andavan is well versed in Telugu also and gives anugraha bhAshanams in that
language to sishyas and abhimanis whenever an opportunity arises. His holiness
is a scholar of unfathomable depth in many subjects under the sky.
(to be continued....)
In the next posting adiyen will continue with the second part of history of
Srimath Srimushnam Andavan.
Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi
P. Sreenivasan (of Besant Nagar)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Adiyen is attaching a rare photo (courtesy- Sri Devanathan,Chennai) of Sri
Varachar Swamy taking a holy dip at the tank of Srimath Andavan Periasramam in
Srirangam just before taking up sanyasam on 1-6-1989.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
__________________________________________________
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 Sponsor --------------------~-->
Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page
http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/VkWolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
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 |