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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00012 Sep 2004

 
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Sri:


Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha:


Srimathe RanganAtha Mahadesikaya Namah:


Thirunakshatram: Avani Revathi

Thanian:

Srimath VEdha vathamsa lakshmana munehe praapthaaga maantha dvayam

ThEna Sri raghu punga vangri yugaLe nyasthaathma Rakshaambharam

Srimath Srinidhi yogivarya karuna labdaabhja chakraangkanam

Vande shaanthi virakhthi poornamanagham Sri ranga naatham Gurum

Today (Sep 2nd), Avani REvathi is the 118th Thirunakshatram of Srimath Thembarai Andavan Sri RanganAtha MahA dEsikan who adorned Acharya peetam as the 8th Andavan in the Andavan Periashramam Munithraya Sampradayam AchArya Lineage. AdiyEn is reproducing my earlier postings done two years ago on the life history of this AchArya mahA purushA. Also attached is a rare photo of Srimath Thembirai Andavan taken in 1950s along with Srimath Thirukkudanthai Andavan and Srimath Mysore Andavan in their purvAsramam.


Thembarai is a beautiful serene village situated on the banks of river pAmani. This small hamlet known for its fertile land and abundant water resources is located 7 miles southeast of MannArgudi. One can constantly hear the vEda and divya prabandha gOsham copiously reverberating the ambience thus filling the village with piety. Thembarai is a divya KshEtram where a beautiful temple for Sri Rukmini sathyabhAmA samEta Sri Navaneetha Krishnan is in place with Sri KALinga Nardhanan as Utsava murthy. There lived a pious Sri vaishnavite by the name of Sri. U.Ve. Vangeepuram SeshAdriyAchAr in Thembarai. As EmperumAn proclaims ?vEdAnAm sAma vEdOsmi?, he belonged to the glorious sAma sAkhA. He formally learnt and mastered the sAma vEda along with kAvya sAstrAs. His dharma patni?s name was Srimathi SengamalammAL. 2 sons and 2 daughters were born to them. Eldest of them was Sow. Rukmini Ammal. In the later parts of her life, she spent all her time performing Asrama kainkaryams. The second child was a son who later became Srimath Thembarai Andavan. Third child was a daughter who reached AchAryan thiruvadi at a very young age. The fourth child was a son named Venkata varadAchar who later on became an eminent upanyAsa chakravarthi in bhagavath vishayam other than serving as adhyaksha in Madurai Tamil Sangam. Sri U.Ve. SeshadriyAchAr swAmi performed sAstroktha samskArams to his 2 sons at a very young age. He fulfilled all his duties as a father performing marriage in a grand way for his daughter at the right age and also gave excellent education to his sons. The marriage of the eldest son was also performed at the right age. In the year 1912, SeshadriyAchAr swAmi reached AchAryan thiruvadi. More about the eldest son who later on became Srimath Thembarai Andavan to follow.

 

Jananam and Younger Days 

SwAmi was born in the year viya in the month of Avani on a Thursday. His thirunakshtram was Revathi (19-8-1886). His parents named him as Sri Venkata rAghavan. Since our swAmi was born on the holy thirunakshatram day of Revathi, there is a sloka that came into being which goes as given below:

RanganAtha avathArOyam thath poornAm shOthavA BhavEth |
YadvA ranga yathir vEthi vitharkyA yAsthu mangaLam ||

Since Revathi is the thirunakshatram of peria perumal, we are made to think of our swAmi being an incarnation of nam perumAL Himself or having the poornAmsham of Nam perumAL or the incarnation of Sri KalyAnAvaha Ranganatha Maha dEsikan ( who was popularly called Sri Periya swAmi). Whatever it may be, there is no doubt that swAmi had full blessings and katAkshams of Nam perumAL. The Astrologers who looked at the horoscope of swAmi predicted that he would become a sanyAsi and a parama virakthA,unparalleled. After undergoing samskArams at the right age, swAmi performed adhyayanam of sAma sAkhA and became an exponent. He underwent rigorous training and mastered sanskrit, and Kavya sAstrAs along with other vEda sAkhAs in Thirukkudanthai Sanskrit College. The unquenching thirst to gain sAstraic knowledge made swAmi to go on a pursuit to RajamannAr kovil where he learnt and mastered vyAkaraNa sAstrAs under the tutelage of Sri. U.Ve. RangachAr swAmi (This mahAn later became the 39th Jeer of Sri Ahobila Mutt as Sri Parankusa SatakOpa yatheendra mahA dEsikan). Later he went to viLAkkudi to learn tharka sAstrAs under the eminent guidance of ?ThArkika simham? Sri. U.Ve. SrinivAsachariAr swAmi. Having completely learnt tharka sAstrAs, swAmi learnt and mastered MeemAmsa sAstrAs under the guidance of MahA mahOpAdhyAyA Brahmasri KuppuswAmi SastrigAL and Brahmasri ChinnaswAmi SastrigAL.

 

Marriage

In the year 1908, swAmi was married to Srimathi
Vijayavalli Ammal who was the seemantha puthree of
sAkkai nallAn chakravarthi Sri U.Ve. Srinivasa
dEsikAchariar swAmi. Immediately after the marriage,
swAmi took the VaisvadEva upadEsam from his paternal
uncle(younger brother of his father), Maha vidwAn
Brahmanidhi Sri. U.Ve. RamabhadrAchAr swAmi. During
his GruhasthAsramA, swAmi observed panca kAla
anushtAnams in an austere and rigorous way.

Full responsibility of taking care of the family fell
on swAmi after the passing away of his father in 1912.
Due to insistence of his friends and well wishers,
swAmi undertook sanchAram to southern tamilnadu and
kEralA. First he went to Ettayapuram and received
sambhAvanA in Raja sadas. From there, swAmi went to
vAnamAmalai and was well supported by Jeer Bhattar
piran swAmi. Later he went to Thiruvananthapuram and
was honored by ThiruvthAngur mahArAjA . On his way
back , swAmi also visted kochi samasthAnam and
received sambhAvanA from rAja sadas.

SwAmi returned back to MannArgudi and served as an
examiner in a vidwat sadas set up by Sri satakOpa
mudaliar. Later, swAmi served as a religious teacher
in a national high school. His duty was to teach
religious lessons to the students from different
classes. His daily routine at the school would start
around 10 in the morning when swAmi would recite a
slokA from swAmi dEsikan?s sthothrAs in a melliflous
tone in front of the assembly. One of His students
recollected swAmi?s favorite slokA being ?sEvE dEvi?
from swAmi dEsikan?s Sri Sthuthi. During this time
swAmi served as an examiner for sanskrit competitions
conducted Sri kanchi kAmakOti matam. Sri SankarAchArya
(paramAchAryA) had utmost respect for swAmi?s
pAndithyAm.

SwAmi followed Sriman nigamAntha mahA dEsikan in
observing ?Unccha vrutthi?. In MannArgudi, our swAmi
and Navalpakkam swAmi used to observe ?unccha vrutthi?
in carrying out their day-to-day life. Such was the
vairAghyam swAmi possessed in renouncement all the
materialistic lifestyle and observance of severe
austerity. SwAmi used to walk very fast reciting swAmi
dEsikan?s sri sookthis while going out for unccha
vrutthi. Only those who were waiting in the streets to
give bhikshA to swAmi could do so. Such was the
greatness of swAmi that people considered themselves
to be fortunate to offer bhikshA to him. Due to this,
only a few could give it to him. SwAmi out of his
compassion to bhagavathAs would however not disappoint
those who could not give bhikshA to him, but would
take a few grains from them to keep them happy. SwAmi
performed unccha vrutthi even during later days when
he was undergoing kAlakshEpams under Srimath
NammAndavan.

KalakshEpams

Because of Srimath Andavan thiruvadi sambhandam his
parampara had for generations, swAmi decided to go to
Vaduvoor from Mannargudi to perform kainkaryams for
Srimath NammAndavan. SwAmi underwent grantha
chathushtya kAlakshEpams under Srimath NammAndavan. In
the kAlakshEpa goshti, swAmi used to listen to
kAlakshEpam with rapt attention and full
concentration. SwAmi being an astute and a keen
learner would grasp the most difficult purports and
inner meanings of granthams very first time he
listened to them.

Srimath NammAndavan performed panca samskAram to swAmi
in his younger days and later performed bhara
samarpanam at the lotus feet of vaduvoor chakravarthi
thirumagan(Lord Sri Rama). Having observed swAmi?s
satva gunAs, sraddhA,vairAghyam,intelligence and wide
knowledge of sAstrAs, Srimath NammAndavan ordained him
to take up sanyAsam. But our swAmi prayed to His
Holiness that he was unfit to take up the holy ascetic
order for the asramam and hence continued with his
kAlakshEpams.

Whenever swAmi had a chance to share the extensive
sAstraic knowledge he possessed, he would do so
cheerfully by participating in vidwat sadas and by
talking to individuals who had doubts on our siddanthA
or any religious matters. SwAmi?s upanyasams were
widely accepted as pramAnAs. In the year 1922, in
Mannargudi, Sri Ramanaya upanyasam of swAmi was
arranged by Sri. U.Ve. vidwAn Rona swAmi Iyengar and
Sri. U.Ve. KrishnamAchAriAr which went on for over two
months.

While swAmi was undertaking kAlakshEpams from His
Holiness Srimath NammAndavan during Srimath Andavan?s
sanchAram and in Srirangam, Srimath Andavan adorned
ThirunAdu unexpectedly in Kanchipuram. Srimath Akkur
Andavan succeeded NammAndavan to adorn the AchArya
peetam. Thembarai swAmi continued his kAlakshEpams
under Srimath Akkur Andavan.

 

Guna seelA

From his younger days, swAmi was a puritan filled with
all satva gunAs without a tinge of rajas and tamO
gunAs. People used to wonder if they could find such a
nice person with all the nicest qualities one could
only imagine. Simplicity, honesty, purity, veracity,
courage, equality, renunciation, lucid and profound
sampradayic knowledge were hallmarks of swAmi?s gunAs.
One could see simplicity all the way in the clothes he
wore, the food he ate or the lifestyle he led. SwAmi
was such a down-to-earth person who won the respect of
many of his admirers. SwAmi was a very soft-spoken
person. He would never say harsh words that would hurt
others? feelings. Even when there was a difference of
opinion, he would speak to others in a soft tone and
would finally convince them into his side. He would
never indulge in unnecessary company just to while
away time, rather spending his time on fruitful
sathvishayavichAram, kAlakshEpams.

SwAmi had no desire to save money for his family. The
amazing virakthi swAmi possessed is attributed to his
deep rooted profound knowledge of our siddhAnta and
total belief in it.Even during the sadas when
sambhavana was offered to vidwAns, swAmi would do his
best to avoid taking up sanmAnam.

SanyAsa sweekAram

Swami was doing kainkaryam to Srimath Akkur Andavan,
continuing to undertake kAlakshEpams under His
Holiness. Srimath Andavan was immensely pleased with
our swAmi?s GnAna, vairAghyA and AnushtAnams and felt
that our swami was the right person to be adorned as
?sampradAya pravarthakA? of periAsramam after His
time.


But swami felt that he is not a fit person to take up
the AchArya peetam and hence told the same to His
Holiness. Some also felt our swAmi?s extreme and
rigorous vairAghyA would impede the growth of Asramam
as they thought that the one who has the right balance
of ?Lowkika sAmarthyam? also, would be able to run
the day-to-day administration of Asramam efficiently.

But Srimath Andavan thought otherwise and felt that
swami was the right person to take up the sanyAsam
after him and was very confident our swami would carry
Asramam?s growth to heights of glory. Accordingly HH
did upadEsam on prapatti proyOgA and prEsha manthram
to our swami.

In the meantime, swAmi?s dharma patni attained
AchAryan thiruvadi in the year 1946. Srimath Akkur
Andavan was also becoming weak because of age. HH was
more than convinced that our swami would come to Him
one day to take up sanyAsam. Swami after long thoughts
decided to take up sanyAsam and hence went to Srimath
Andavan and prayed to HH and sought his blessings for
the sanyAsam. Srimath Andavan was extremely pleased by
swAmi?s decision and ordained His sishyAs to make
arrangements for the Holy ceremony.

In the year viya in the month of Aippasi on the 21st
day i.e. on 6-10-1946 in the presence of several
Andavan Thiruvadis, Srimath Akkur Andavan gave the
holy sanyAsam to Sri. U.Ve. Brahmaniddhi Thembarai
VenkatarAghavAchAriar swami. He was given the title as
?Sri RanganAtha mahA dEsikan? and was fondly called as
Thembarai Andavan. Srimath Akkur Andavan lived for 5
more months after that and adorned ThirunAdu on
19-3-1947 on a krishna paksha dwAdasi day ( in the
month of Panguni, viya year).

 

Because of the sanyAsa sweekAram, swami's lifestyle
did not change a bit at all as he practiced a life of
sanyAsi even before that with rigorous anushtAnams and
extreme vairAghyam having completely renounced worldly
comforts.

After Srimath Akkur Andavan adorned ThirunAdu, all of
His Apa kAryams were well done. Besides that, special
vasthrA dAnam and Anna dAnam were performed. A
BrindAvanA was constructed in chinnAsramam and a
vigraha prathistApanA was consecrated for Srimath
Akkur Andavan.

The daily chores of Asramam was maintained the same
way as it was done from Srimath PeriAndavan's period.
Srimath Thembarai Andavan would wake up before 4 AM in
the morning and would perform avagAha snAnam
immediately thereafter. SandhyAvandhanam, japams
would be done after that followed by bhagavath
ArAdhanam and purvAchAryAs' pAdukA ArAdhanam. This was
followed by distribution of perumAl and pAdukA
theertham. A special sambhAvanA would be performed on
the thirunakshatrams of purvAchAryAs. Later, Sri
bhAshya, geethA bhAshya, bhagavath vishaya
kAlakshEpams would by rendered by His Holiness after
which vaidheeka karmas such as samAsrayanams and
bharanyAsams would be performed for the bhAgavathAs
for the day.

In the afternoon, His Holiness would immerse Himself
into grantha patanam or dhyAna japams. Several people
have seen swami profoundly immersed in yoga nishtai.
In the evenings, kAlakshEpams on divya sookthis such
as Srimath RamAyanam, nyAya siddhAnjanam. AdhikaraNa
sArAvaLi would happen besides other anushtAnams.

Srimath Andavan would consume very little food once a
day in the mornings. Later when swami had breathing
related problems, little quantity of 'ThuthuvalAI' and
'ManatthakALikkAi' were included in the food. During
few nights, swami would consume porridge. After 10 PM,
swami would go to sleep.

SwAmi's AchArya bhakthi knew no bounds. SwAmi would
always attribute the 'Apoorva vishayams', he mentioned
during kAlakshepams to what he heard from his
AchAryAs and that they would say that in even more
nicer way.

The Bhakti and viswAsam that swami had towards pAdukAs
is immeasurable. He would always say that pAdukAs had
divine knowledge, power and 'dayA' and whoever seeked
them wholeheartedly would be blessed with 'shrEyas'.

Srimath Andavan never undertook yAthra during his time
as AchAryA. This is attributed to swami becoming very
weak and for health reasons stayed in Srirangam
throughout. But this did not prevent Srimath Andavan
from reaching out to His SishyAs and admirers
throughout the country as bhAgavAthAs from all over
India hearing Srimath Andavan's greatness, rigorous
anushtAnams, extreme vairAghyam, soulabhyam and
sowseelyam thronged Srirangam to seek the blessings of
Srimath Andavan and became Srimath Andavan thiruvadis.
Srimath Andavan sparkled as a 'Srivaishnava pradeepam'
staying in Srirangam but attracting people from all
over, far and wide.

Asramam Administration

Under the supervision of Srimath Andavan, the
administration of Asramam was carried out in an able
and efficient manner. Bhagavath and PadukA ArAdhanam,
kAlakshEpams, thadheeyArAdhanam were performed daily.
PurvAchAryAs' Thirunakshatrams were celebrated in a
grand manner. Asramam temples and pushkarinis were
well maintained. Srimath Andavan would be very
particular that the revenues coming to the asramam had
to be legitimate. With this in mind, the sambhAvanA
given by Srimath periAndavan thiruvadi Sri. U.Ve
kodiyAlam sEshadri Iyengar's son Sri. U.Ve.K.S.
Narayana Iyengar, Svachnnam Sri. U.Ve.
VeerarAghavAchAriAr, Sri. U.Ve. RajagOpalAchAriAr,
pudukOttai diwan Sri. U.Ve. Krishnaswamy Iyengar's
sons, Thirukkudanthai Sri. U.Ve. T.S.R.'s family, Sri.
U.Ve. T.V.S. and family and other devout Andavan
sishyAs were accepted for taking care of Asramam
thadheeyAradhana kainkaryam and other expenses.

During swAmi's time as AchAryA, Sri. U.Ve.
Chakravarthi KrishnamAchAriar swAmi, Sri. U.Ve. V.K.
SrinivAsAchAriAr swami and later Sri. U.Ve. SrinivAsa
rAghavAchariAr swami ( Kannan swami ? later Srimath
Thirukkudanthai Andavan) served as Sri Karyams of
Asramam at different periods.

 

Sri Kannan swami at that time was very popular through
out the country for his outstanding upanyasams. Kannan
swami known for his lowkika and administrative skills
took care of Asramam administration in an able manner
as Srikaryam and made a lot of improvements in
carrying out its administrative day-to-day activities.
Srimath Andavan was very pleased with the developments
and witnessed the enormous strides, the asramam was
making in its growth.

As per the holy order of His Holiness, a monthly
magazine called 'Sri Ranganatha Paduka' was started in
the year 1955 in the month of October ( Manmatha
Varusham in the month of Ippasi) to bring a connection
between the asramam and the andavan sishyas. A
condensed version of Sri bhashyam titled 'Adhikarana
tharpanam' was published in the year 1959. Srimath
PeriAndavan's 160th thirunakshatra mahotsavam was
celebrated in a grand manner in the year 1961 that
included ubhaya veda patanam and sadas. A grantham
titled 'Bhagavath Aradhana kramAnu bhandham' was also
published on the occasion. In order to remove the
obstacles that were to be caused by the union of eight
planets at that time, a grand shanthi homam was
conducted as per vedic rites.

It was Srimath Andavan's wish that the bhagavathas
belonging to our sampradaya indulge in anushtanams
from their younger days, learning divya sukthis and
our siddhanta to a large extent and hence would
encourage His sishyas to bring up their children that
way. Srimath Andavan would bless sishyas to recite the
appropriate slokams in paduka sahasram to ward off
their sufferings.

Adorning of Thirunadu

Srimath Thembarai Andavan became weaker as the days
passed by due to rigorous anushtanams, meagre intake
of food and also due to breathing related health
issues. Srimath Andavan was eager to appoint the right
person to succeed him as AchArya of the Asramam.
Srimath Andavan found Sri U.Ve. Kannan swAmi( who was
serving as Srikaryam of the Asramam at that time)to be
to be right person he was looking for and hence
informed Sri U.Ve.Kannan swami of the same and prayed
Sri padukas for Sri kannan swami to give the consent.
Sri Kannan swami did not accept to take up sanyasam
but at the same time did not say no to it. In the
meantime Srimath Andavan became more weaker as the
days passed by. So His Holiness gave upadEsam on
?PrEsha manthram? and ?MOkshAsrama Ahnika AnushtAnam?
to three vidwAns of the Asramam - U.Ve. Sri. Kannan
swAmi, U.Ve. Sri. Mysore GopAlAchAr swAmi( who later
on became Srimath Mysore Andavan in the late 80s) and
Mannargudi GanapAdi vidwAn U.Ve. Sri. NarasimhAchArya
swAmi for them to be ready and take up sanyAsam any
time when called.

In April 1963, Srimath Andavan?s health was extremely
affected and with great difficulty His Holiness was
performing his nithya karma anushtAnam. One day, His
Holiness it seems told the sishyAs around Him that
?Yesterday I almost went to virajA Nadi but had to
come back to bhoolOkam upon emperumAn?s orders only to
nominate the successor for the AchArya peetam of this
Asramam. This Kannan hasn?t come yet?.

A couple of days earlier, Sri. Kannan swAmi?s son,
Sri. GOpAlan told his father that he had dreamt about
Srimath Thembarai Andavan telling him that He had gone
to virajA nadi and come back and asked him to send his
father immediately and take up sanyAsam. GopAlan also
told his father that he would take care of his mother
(swAmi's dharma pathni) and asked him to proceed to
Srirangam.

On April 4th 1963, Srimath Andavan's condition became
worse and most of the sishyAs were informed. Sree
kAryam Sri. U.Ve. kannan swAmi was also informed of
Srimath Andavan?s health and immediately thereafter
rushed up to Srirangam. On His arrival, arrangements
were speeded up for Sri kannan swAmi's thureeyAsrama
sweekAram.

Early morning the next day i.e. on 5th april, 1963
(Friday, sukla dwAdasi, makam star), in the presence
of sishyAs, His Holiness Srimath Thembarai Andavan
ordained the ascetic order to Sri U.Ve. Kannan SwAmi
who was named as Srimath vEdAnta rAmAnuja mahA
dEsikan. His holiness appointed Him as ?Ubhaya VEdanta
grantha updEsAthi sampradAya samrakshana doorvahar?.
Srimath Thembarai Andavan felt extremely glad that he
was able to fulfill his avadhAra kAryam and within few
hours on the same day (April 5th 1963) he left for
Thirunadu leaving behind grieving sishyAs.

Brindavana prathishta was done for Srimath Thembarai
Andavan in ChinnAsramam to the left of brindavanam of
Srimath Akkur Andavan. In the year 1967 ( Parabhava
varusham in the month of Masi on the 10th instant on
an auspicious wednesday, pushya nakshatram and
thrayodasi thithi between 9 AM and 10:30 AM) divya
mangala vigraha prathishta and maha samprokshanam was
celebrated in a grand manner. Srimath
Paramahamsethyathi Vinnarrangarai Andavan of Srimath
Poundareekapuram Andavan Asramam graced the occasion
where hundreds of bhagavathas participated and got the
blessings of Srimath Thembarai Andavan.

let us pray to the divya mangala vigraha of Srimath
Andavan and His Holiness's pAdukAs to bless us all and
guide us to lead the life in the most righteous way.

AdiyEn would conclude this posting with Srimath
Thembarai Andavan?s thanian and pray to Srimath
Andavan's pAdukAs to get His FULL BLESSINGS.

Srimath VEdha vathamsa lakshmana munehe praapthaaga maantha dvayam
ThEna Sri raghu punga vangri yugaLe nyasthaathma Rakshaambharam
Srimath Srinidhi yogivarya karuna labdaabhja chakraangkanam
Vande shaanthi virakhthi poornamanagham Sri ranga naatham Gurum



Srimath Thembarai Andavan divya charitham samAptham ||


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