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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00163 Aug 2004

 
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SrI:
SrImathE Gopaladesika Mahadesikaya namah:

We are all aware of Thirukkudanthai Desikan Sri
Gopaalaarya Mahadesikan 
Swamy (from 1700 CE to 1782 CE). There were three
ascetics in saffron attire 
(as Great Sishyas) serving this GrahasthAsrama
Acharya, attending on him with 
implicit reverence, doing all personal chores- a very
unusual phenomenon. 
They had been drawn from far and near; one was from
wartrap, who later 
proved to be on the model of Sri Nathamuni; the second
from Seyyanam 
(Thirunelveli) a prototype of Sri Yamunamuni; and the
third from VazhutthUr 
near Ayyampettai Sri Vedantha Ramanuja muni, whose
prolific progation 
service had brought the school to a preeminent status.
At His feet, there 
were three sanyaasis (munis) and hence is called
?munithraya sampradayam? 
since then.

Sri VazhutthUr Swamy, Sri Vedantha Ramanuja muni- He 
received  the  robes  
of a Sannyasi from the hands of Paduka Sevaka Sri
Ramanuja  Maha  Desika- 
came to Sri Gopalarya Mahadesikan (Thirukkudanthai
Desikan) along with other 
two sanyaasis as mentioned above and fell at his feet,
quoting from 
NammazhwAr Thiruvaymozhi:

Theeraa vinaigaL theera ennai Andaay! THIRUKKUDANTHAI
OORAA!
Unakku Atpattum adiyEn innam uzahlvEnO?

You have ruled me dispelling all my sins accrued so
far! Oh Lord of 
Thirukkudanthai! (Thirukkudanthai DesikanE!) After
being protected by You, 
will I ever suffer here (on this earth?) No? never!
(pl forgive me for my 
free translation).

Thirukkdanthai Desikan was overwhelmed with joy and
blessed our Sri Vedantha 
Ramanuja Swamy ?Here after it is You who is going to
rule the world being a 
glorious Acharya! Here after you will be the ruler
(andavan) of Srivaishnava 
sishya kOtis! Thenceforth, that Acharya came to be
known as Andavan. 
Prefixing  the  name  of  his  village,  he  came to
be known as Vazhuthur 
Andavan.

Sri VazhutthUr Andavan was born in the star of
Poorattadi  in  the  month  
of  AvaNi in 1743 CE..

He  was  also known as Srirangam Srimad Andavan, as he
stayed in Srirangam
almost permanently. As the Sampradaya was continued by
the successive
Acharyas, and Swamy had Sri Navalpakkam Annayaarya
Mahadesikan, Sri 
Andikkattu Swamy and Sri ThirutthuRaippooNdi Andavan
as sishyas. Each of 
them had many sishyas and Samparadyam grew to a great
extent and hence this 
Swamy is known as one of huge family (big kudumbam),
also called ?Kudumbi 
Swami?

The term ?Andavan?- meaning one who came to rule the
hearts
of  his  followers was coined and applied
reverentially not only to him but
also  to  all Acharyas who came after him. Thereafter,
the Parampara itself
came   to   be   called  ?Srimad Andavan   Paramparai,
propagating the 
munithraya sampradayam. Other than Sri Pakalamutt and
Sri Ahobila Mutt, all 
other AchAryas of Vadakalai sect today trace back to
Sri Vedantha Ramanuja 
Muni (Sri VazhutthUr Andavan) . Today is Swamy?s
Thirunakshathram. Let us 
pay our obeisance to this Great Acharya by reciting
the thaniyan  
(dedicatory verse) and contemplate its meaning:

Gopala Desika Padaabja Madhu Vratasya Pragnaa Virakti
Karunaa Mukha Sad Gunaabde/
Vedaanta Lakshmana Muneh Srita Bhagadeyam
Paadaaravinda Yugalam Saranam Prapadhye //

(Meaning)

He who is like bee residing in the (and sucking the
honey from) the lotus 
feet of Sri Thirukkudanthai Desikan, who was endowed
with  a  sea of 
auspicious qualities, knowledge, detachment and mercy,
who showers His grace 
to those who resort to him. adiyEn takes refuge at his
feet with no other 
recourse.

Large number of disciples used to attend his
kaalakshepams due to his 
greatness. Once when a new series of kaalakshepam was
about to start, 
disciples recited the thaniyan and were about to
start. There was a king 
cobra which came out of its hole and had its hood
raised. Immediately one of 
the sishyas took a stick to beat and kill.  Swamy the
most compassionate as 
usual took pity of this being and asked the sishya not
to disturb or hurt 
the snake. They proceeded with the kaalakshepam (in a
tense situation 
perhaps for sishyas).  The  Cobra stood still till the
end and disappeared 
after kaalakshepam was over.

This  extraordinary event was  happening repeated
everyday. The snake became 
one of the regular attendees too. After the grantham
was completed, Swamy 
was descending the steps of the tank  for his
Anushtanam, the Cobra went 
around him  and  struck  its  hood  on  the ground
three times and appeared 
to beg something.

The Acharya understood that it was a Mahapurusha in
the previous birth  and  
had become a Cobra by some curse and that it was
seeking relief from  
Samsara.  Plucking  a  fruit from a tree nearby, he
offered it to his 
Aradhana  murthi  and  performed  Aartha  Prapatti for
the Cobra. Vazhuthur 
Andavan  sprinkled  some holy waters on the Cobra
which was waiting for him 
to come. Instantly, it passed away. 
------------------------------------------------------
(from Sri Anbil Ramaswamy Swamy's article and 
Sri Thirukudanthai Desikan 300 the Anniversary malar)

Sri Vazhutthur Andavan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards
namo narayana
dAsan

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