SrI: SrImathE Goapladesika mahadesikaya namah: SrImathE Srinivasadesika Mahadesikaya namah: SrImathE Ranganathadesika Mahadesikaya namah: SrImathE Srinivasadesika Mahadesikaya namah: SrImathE Gopalarya Mahadesikaya Namah: Sri Narayana YogIndra Varadaarya Kripaasrayam / Rangesa Paada Vinatham Srinivaasa Munim Bhaje // (meaning) I hail Srinivasa Muni who obtained the full grace of Sri Narayana Yogindra Varadaarya, who always bowed at the feet of Lord Ranganatha.About this Great mahaan, there are two slokas composed by Sri RV Krishnamachariar:
I am giving only the translation (Please forgive my translation as well): For those who take to sanyaas (renunciation), there could be many reasons.Poverty, disinterest in samsaaric afflictions, mental worries, non-cooperation from spouse etc. For this Swamy (Sri Poundarikapuram Andavan Swamy), lot of wealth (inherited), extremely cooperative Pathivratha dEvigaL (spouse),; a great vidwAn of the first kind. Simply due to his vairAgyam alone, he took to sanyaasaasramam.
What kind of vidvathvam he has! He is PaNinI in vyAkaraNam. GaNAthar in mImAmsA. Vedantha Desikan in Vedantha!Those vidwAns and scholars who acknowledge the above whole heartedly also do not speak in front of Him (with respect and fear- bhayam kalandha mariyAdhai)
May He reside (as alwayts) forever in the hearts of such Great scholars and vidwAns! (in order to bless them as he does always!)
This day about one hundred and fifty seven years ago, our land witnessed the holy birth of a mahaan in Poundarikapuram; truly it was an avtaar of Sriman Narayanan Himself, who out of His benevolence, and sincere determination, Dhrida vratha, to save all human beings comes into this world. And the Lord also chooses the time, the place and the parents to take birth from ? it is all preordained by Him.
It was the day of days- Adi PoorAdam (TODAY)- Sowmya year, August 1847, a child-prodigy was born in Poundarikapuram village. This village with its sylvan surroundings is very near to the famous Oppiliappan Koil Divya Desam, whose praise has been sung by Peyazhwar, Nammazhwar and Thirumangai Azhwar. Enjoying, so to say, the Divya kataaksha of the Lord, this cozy village has been the birth of many great personages. Among them were the couple- Sri Singaperumal Ayyangar, an effulgent scholar and a man of unswerving principles of personal practice and conduct and Smt Senkamalam Ammal, his wife. No wonder that Sriman Narayanan chose to take His birth from this noble couple as their seventh son and was named after Lord Srinivasan. How so true this about Srimad Andavan Poundarikapuram Srinivasa Mahadesikan needs no elucidation to the Srivaishnava world, more so to those unnumbered beneficiaries. This multifaceted genius was a repository of erudite scholarship endowed with an uncommon acumen, which helped not only of acquisition of knowledge of Kaavyarthas, Saasthras, Vedanthaarthas, Granthachathushtayam, besides the Vedas and the Divya prabandhas but also in the exposition of these to an never ending chain of disciples who flocked to
him all the year around and down the years.A quick review of his biographical details will inform us how great personages (in our Acharya parampara) are born great and tower far above the commonality!
Young Srinivasan was given in adoption to his father?s younger brother. After his upanayanam at 7, he promptly sought to learn Sanskrit from illustrious Sri Rangachariar Swami, father of reputed Tharka scholar Sri Narasimhachariar. Soon followed his higher education from mahavidwans like Ghattam Varadachariar Swamy, Sogathur Vijayaraghavachariar Swami, Perumal koil Thirupputkuzhi Swami, Kuricchi Rangachariar Swami at Mannargudi, and in matter of time, he became an accomplished scholar, a mahaa vidwaan himself., having mastered Alankaara saasthra, Tharkaam, vyAkaraNam, and mImAmsa besides the Vedas and Prabandhams. He had his Pancha samskaaram from Sri Ghattam Varadachariar Swami and Vedantha Grantha kaalakshepam and BharasamapraNam at the feet of Srimad Andavan VeliyanallUr Narayana Mahadesikan Swamy, an act indicating possibly things to come, as later he succeeded Sri Narayana Desika Mahadesikan Swamy. He undertook pilgrimages to all divya desas from Tirupathi to Thiruvananthapuram. In due time, he married Smt Komalavilli Ammal hailing from Vagarai, a nearby village and led his grihasthAsramam at Poundarikapuram in a manner that was remarkable for its simplicity and austerity in spite of belonging to a family as affluent materially as erudite in scholarship.
When his (adopted) mother Srirangammal passed away, he migrated to Srirangam and settled down there. He led his life strictly as ordained by the elders, performing Pancha kaala kriyas, the observance of which gives no room for accepting any material gift whatsoever it be nor aspire of ill-gotten wealth. His scholarship and mastery in Sahithya, Alankara, Tharkka, mImAmsA, Sri Bhsahya and vyAkaraNa was legendary and little wonder that those who aspired to gain knowledge of these sought after him and learnt at his Feet.
In good time, he heard the call, the divine call for taking up sanyaasa Ashramam and to become a ?light house:, guiding the parched souls tossed about the samsaara saagara. It was a definite call and he went and prostrated repeatedly at the feet of Srimad Andavan Veliyanalloor Narayana Mahadesikan who after thorough scrutiny of his disciple?s genuineness, offered him upadesa of Preksha mantra and Prapatti Prayoga and admitted him to Sanyaasa Asramam, more fittingly called ThurIya Asramam (the fourth stage). Thereafter he went to live in the Srimad Andavan Asramam at Srirangam hallowed by the footprints of Srimad PeriyANdavan and spent years there offering Samasrayanam, BharaNyAsam, and daily kaalskhepa Goshtis to the innumerable disciples thirsting spiritually. But as there were hindrances to the peaceful functioning of Asramam, he decided to move out of Srirangam itself so as to more effectively carry on with his spiritual mission. When the disciples came to know of this, they prevailed upon him to continue his stay at Srirangam. Through their efforts, a separate Asrama was set up and it came to be known as the "Sri Poundarikapuram Andavan Asramam?, in the same line of Srimad Periyandavan Guruparampara, verily because Sriman Narayana willed it so there shall be another illustrious seat of munithraya Sampradayam, to cater to the spiritual needs of the ever growing Sishyavarga, ever seeking new nuances and creeping in to the crevices of the Sampradaya. And so from this center this great Acharya traveled on foot across South India at the request of countless disciples who considered that their places became sanctified by the very touch of the Acharya?s feet. Eventually he stayed at Srirangam itself following the footsteps of Emeprumaanaar Sri Ramanujacharya.
Thus started a great era, a Saga of monumental service to the Lord. Not a day passed without a Kaalakshepa Goshti in the Asramam. It became the confluence of great minds seeking more and more scholarship in Sribhashyam, bhagavath vishayam, and all else with a thirst and enthusiasm as witnessed
never before.Sri Poundarikapuram Swami had a large stock of affluence in his grahasthAsramam. He left off all in his supreme self-denial and became an ascetic by almost compelling his preceptor to grant him the saffron robe. He swayed, as spiritual king, the Srirangam town for almost five decades. He was no ordinary scholar, nor an ordinary ascetic, nor even an ordinary pontiff at that. He taught many; taught Sri Bhashya every day; believed that it was his chief goal and inaugurated the present headquarters of the Asramam on the banks of the Coleroon river, a few yards west of Sri Dasavatharam Sannidhi (of Sri Ahobila Mutt).
A special kind of link between the Ahobila Mutt and Sri Poundarikapuram Andavan Asramam deserves mention in this connection. Down from 1750 to this day the Acharya hierarchy is unbroken, uniquely continuous in this Asramam. The Acharyas are also native to the school; inbred and brought up by Kalakshapam / invitation by earlier Pontiffs at some time. Once a gap occurred in the Ahobila Mutt; for some five years (1900-1905). The Poundarikapuram Andavan of this Asramam had proudly helped in securing a deserving candidate and giving him Sannyasa order and installing him as the Pontiff (the 38th). This happened in 1905.
Thus, from Srirangam, he continued his mission. The Asramam under Sri Srinivasa Maha Desikan was a center of religious activities and philosophical discussions. The Acharya was an erudite scholar in Vedaanta Sastras; he possessed an extraordinary power of mind by which he could accurately recall any passage, sloka or Sutra with ease. Many learned scholars came to study Adhyatma Sastras under his feet. Apart from the saamaanya sishyas and countless extraordinary sishyas, mention must be made of a few outstanding sishyas who distinguished themselves by their startling mastery of the sampradaya granthas in all their facets and left an indelible mark in the form of permanent contributions to the growth and spread of the Munithraya sampradayam. And thus the three Acahrays who succeeded him after, Srimad Ranganatha Mahadesikan, Srimad ViNNaRRankarai Srinivasa Mahadesikan and Sri Gopaladesika Mahadesikan are manifestations of the Great AchArya Himself as they follow his footprints in the sands of time, offering spiritual succour to the ever growing disciples. In their succession lies the clue to great
Acharya?s prophetic gift, the Visionary that he was.In 1934, in the month of Vaikasi on Pornami day, the AchArya's look finally fell kindly on the great scholar disciple from Mannaargudi as he had decided that he should succeed him and carry forward the intellectual and spiritual service that he had so deftly given a new dimension to. Thus Sri Mannargudi Anadavan, (followed then by sri ViNNaaRRankarai Andavan) succeeded Sri Srinivasa Mahadesikan (Poundarikapuram Anadavan). And (present) Prakritham Andavan is Srimad Andavan ParavaakkOttai Gopaladesika Mahadesikan, whose 83rd Thirunakshathram was celebrated in last Panguni Rohini.
While this was the Great Acharya?s work to keep the line of succession continuous, he did not rest content there; he knew the coming days would demand more than this. While this was the Great Acharya Srimad Poundarikapuram Andavan Sri Srinivasadesika mahadesikan's work to keep the line of succession continuous, he did not rest content there; he knew the coming days would demand more than this, that the future upkeep of our sampradaya would need not merely "ships" and "light houses", but also, pillars and foundation Structures. Among the many hundreds of Ashthikas/Sishyas, mention should be made of Sri A.V Gopalacharyar of Anbil, of Sri Krishna thathachariar Swamy of Bangalore, and of Sri C.M Vijayaraghavachariar Swamy also of Bangalore, not because others were less equal, but because these scholar disciples carved for themselves a unique position.
Sri A.V Gopalacharyar was at the feet of this great Acharya for 42 years of his life, practically everyday learning the nuances of our sampradayam. A man of shrewd intellect, a lawyer matchless in his profession at Tiruchi and affluent, learned in Poorvapaksham forms of Advaita found full enlightenment from Acharya's responses and answers to his full load of doubts and questions. Srimad Andavan well versed in the intricacies of Advaita completely and fully satisfied the disciple's lurking doubts so well that Sri Anbil Gopalcharyar Swami was enabled to author many books in elucidation of Advaitha philosophy, - a contribution of very crucial importance for the very understanding of Greatness of unparalleled and unambiguous Visishtadvaita; he also brought out a few other granthas. He perpetuated the memory of this great mahan thus, in the form of granthas and idealized it by instituting the "Srinivasa Mahadesikan Vidhwath Sadhas", munificently endowing for its conduct. It is an annual feature since then, in this ashramam that brings in congregation scholars of repute for intellectual and philosophical discussion, disputation and authoritative assertion of our sampradaya Gnana.
What Sri AV Gopalchariar had done ? the Granthas he brought out and the vidwath sadhas he instituted standing ?concretized? in the form of an elegant front mandapa named after the great Savant, reverberating with the sonorous voices of the great scholars who congregate there- will for ages speak of the glory of his master ? Srimad Andavan Poundarikapuram Swamy.
So was the great scholar from Bangalore, Sri Krishna Thathachariar who sat at the feet of the great Acharya for several years and in turn in multiplication of those years, imbibed with a sense of purpose and mission, he enthusiastically undertook the propagation of our Munithraya Sampradaya by teaching many disciples in and around Bangalore- a contrbution of great value requiring Bhashanthara Gnana to cater to the Spiritual well being of the Kannasa Desa sishyavarga so dear to Srimath Bhashyakarar and Swamy Desikan.
Equally great was the life of Sri CM Vijayaraghavachariar of Bangalore. It was all a divine dispensation; how else could a retired police circle inspector who had casually gone to prostrate at the feet of this Acharya, get transformed, metamorphosed, so to say into an erudite scholar with such depth, thorughness and accuracy of knowledge as to be able to write and publish many of our sampradaya granthas in Kannada language for the invaluable benefit of the disciples in kannada desa.
And you will be wonderstruck when known how did it happen. This Swami, after ten interesting and enlightening years of Gurukulavasam, at Srirangam Poundarikapuram Ashramam and gratified at the Acharya?s commitment with which he taught him all these years right from Sanskrit alphabet to Vedanthas and Saathras in great depths, offered even in those days, an enticing Rs 10,000 as Guru dhakshiNa. Srimad Andavan looked up and asked him, ?Is this what you have learnt and understood me??. The disciple persisited in offering it as a token of his gratitude. The Acharya consolingly told him, ?If I accepted this from you, great harm will follow- in future, our disciples may stop coming to mearn from me unable to make a GurudhakshiNa; also this may incite me an expectation of the same too?. The disciple knew that the Acharya was sincere but still he persisted. Now the Acharya spoke- ?Think what one in my state can do with this money; with you perhaps, it may find immense use in making our Sampradayam Granthas so much needed for the future?. This was the divine spark that impregnated in the mind of Sri CM Vijayaraghavachariar the passion and the spirit for writing many books in kannada language which are available even today as source books for reference and research in Karnataka ? something which Bhagawan Ramanuja would have approved of. Words do not suffice to extol the importance of this service to Srivaishnava community. Srimad Andavan was noted for his vairAgya ? inassailable spirit of total renunciation of worldly, material things. It was Bhagawath Sankalpa, that in this manner a whole range of our Samparadya Granthas should be born in Kannada language.
It is pertinent to mention here of just two sweet anecdotes illustrating Srimad Andavan poundarikapuram Swamy?s depth of knowledge and a wealth of interpretations whether it be Swamy Desikan?s Srisukthis or Bhagavath Bhashyakarar?s Sri Bhashya or Gita Bhashya or any grantha whatsoever. The article will remain incomplete without recalling these incidents. One relates to Sri CM Vijayaraghachariar?s personal experience. Late one night at Srirangam, East Utthara Veedhi Sri Vijayaraghavachariar ? while bringing back to his mind the explanation of Acharya Srimad Andavan on the Abheethi sthava sloka 7:
ramaa dhayitha rangabhUramaNa? na thasya yamavasyathaa narakapaatha bhIthi krutha:It proclaims Swamy desikan?s declaration of Lord Ranganatha?s certain protection to Prapannas from falling into the clutches of Yamakinkaras if they chant this sloka. Sri CMV Swamy could not digest it. He found it difficult to understdnmand as to how one sloka could be so specific to Sri Ranganatha;s protection! Perhaps, swamy would have said this due to Bhagavath Abhimaanam and abhimaanam towards Swamy Desikan?s abhIthis sthavam.? ? thus, he was pondering and was having a sleepless night.
Srirangam Divya Dampathi appeared in Acharya Srimad Andavan?s dream and said, ?Your sishya has got a doubt on SrI Vedantha Desikan?s sthuthi on Us. Go and explain the greatness and speciality of this sloka. Within an hour, Srimad Andavan knocked at the dorr of Sri CM Vijayaraghavachariar and right there at the door step, explained the meaning of sloka and greatness of the compassion of Divya Dampathi with tears rolling down his cheeks. This is a proof of his depth and clarity and explains how Lord Himself was prathyaksham (visible to his eyes) to him. Swamy desikan has packed into this sloka all the Beejaaksharaas contained in the Praanaprathishta Manthra and Saannidhyaachana manthra ? installation of energizing mantras pertaining to Lord Ranganathan.
Another famous anecdote: Srimad Andavan had tremendous Sri Hayagriva Mantrasiddhi. One there was a young Boy of five years walking in front of Swamy when the parents of the boy came to the Ashramam for offering their obeisance and dhaNdavath praNamams to swamy. The boy walked towards where Swamy was delivering his kaalakshepam. Swamy looked at the child, pausing the kaalakshepam and aksed him, ?un peyar enna?? (what is your name?) The boy did not utter a word. The Father of the boy told Swamy that he is born dumb (mute). Immediately Srimad Andavan asked the boy to come near and asked him to sit in front of him. He taught him ?aksharaabhyaasam,? and recited,
SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI | vedAntAcArya-varyome sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||(May the glorious Venkatanatha, the greatest of teachers of Vedanta, and the lion among poets and debaters, reside forever in my heart.) and
jnAnanda mayamdEvam nirmalaspaTikAkruthim | AdhAram sarva viganAnAm hayagrIvam upAsmahE ||The five year old boy repeated both slokas. The one who did not speak a single word in his past five years spoke due to swamy?s merciful kataaksham. Today that boy has grown to His Holiness Sri Rangapriya Mahadesikan Swamy of Bangalore.
The Great Sri Kozhiyaalam Raghavachariar Swami came to Srirangam and sought Sannyaasa Sweekaranam at the feet of Srimad Poundarikapuram Andavan who initiated him into the Sannyaasa Asrama in 1920 in the year Roudri- Aani- pournami day. The Aasthaana Vidwan of Tirumalai Tirupati Devasthanam, Kapisthalam Desikaachaarya submitted to Swami for approval his Grantha
"Adhikarana Ratna Maalai". The Swami accorded his approval.When the affluent devotees of Poundarikapuram village nevertheless not his disciples had arranged for renovation and consecration, It was H H Sri Poundarikapuram Andavan who was invited to lend the 'holy hand' for karasparsam (by a great man). With what results! All can see today how the small shrine of Oppiliappn has grown as Southern Thiruppathi, with gala and festivity, fund-flow and pomp and fame and attraction, all after 1928! The event has a precedent in Thirukkudanthai Desikan lending his 'kara-sparsam' to Araavamuthan some 200 years back!
This was Srimad Andavan Poundarikapuram Srinivasa Mahadesikan, a creative genius, a perennial spring who made himself an institution and a legend with his many sided qualities. He was a great servant, a teacher unsurpassed, an organizer with an eye for protection, a missionary with a vision and a visionary with a mission. No wonder that he was known as Gnana Vairagya Anusntana Sampanna. A little known truth about this unassuming practitioner mentioned by Sri Navalpaakaam NS Devanathachar who got it authoritatively from Srimad Andavan ViNNARRankarai Swami. This mahaan made it a daily practice to chant praNavam even during brief leisure hours following the precepts of Upanishads, thereby experiencing the thrill of the union of JivAthmA with the ParamAthmA. That he was practicing this was not known to anybody. It was not necessary to inform anyone, it being the individual communion of Jivan with Sriman Narayanan. How did then others come to know of? It was the custom to invite four Srivaishnavas and feed them in the Ashramam on the completion of every one crore (ten millions) of PraNava japam. Such was his accuracy in keeping count of a small GREAT mantra. Sri VennaaRRankarai Andavan Swami chanced to notice this and humbly enquired and got to know the truth.
Does this not testify to the unassuming nature and greatness of the AchArya, his gnAna, anushtAnam and VairAgyam?
Whenever there were doubts on sri Bhashyam Grantham and its interpretations, Srimad Andavan was always the Judge to pass his final judgement as to who is right. - " was the statement of Srimad Azhagiyasingar (41st Pattam).
What a wonder ? He attained the everlasting Bliss of AchAryan Thiruvadi on 20th October 1934, a day after completion of one of the many Sri Bhashya Grantha saaRRumuRais, signifying Sri Bhashya Bhakti.
Let us pay our obeisance to this Great Acharyan His Holiness Srimad Andavan Sri Poundarikapuram Swamy on His 157th Thirunakshathram, today.
Acknowledgement: 1. Biography of Srimad Andavan Poundarikapuram Srinivasa Mahadesikan- by Prof. P.R. Srinivasan, Perugavazhndhan, Bangalore. 2. Sri Anbil Ramaswamy?s write up. 3. Dr. Sri VN Vedantha Desikan Swamin?s article 4. Sri Delhi Hari Nagar Rajagopachariar Swamy?s article AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam Regards namo narayana aDiyEn _________________________________________________________________Send a fun phone greeting to your friend! http://www.msn.com.sg/mobile/fungreetings/
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