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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00098 Mar 2008

 
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Sri:
SrimathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:
Dearest all,

Today Panguni anusham is the star of the divine
Acharya - SRIMAD ANDAVAN ( SRI VENNATRANKARAI ANDAVAN
) predecessor to Prakritham Srimad Paravakkottai
Andavan Swami whose TN (88th) is being celebrated on
April 10th at Srirangam.

Swami Sri Vennatrankarai Andavan lived in our midst on
this earth and made it holier from 19-3-1882 to
9-4-1980
(from Sri Anbil Ramaswamy Swami's write up]
Sri  Velaamur  Varada  Krishnamachariar Swami belonged
to Kalyana Puram near Tiruvaiyaaru. He married one
Alarmel Mangai. Both the families were 
steeped in Vedic tradition.  The family enjoyed the
patronage of Serfoji Raja of Thanjavur  on account of
their deep dedication to Vedic tradition.
 
They lived in a  house  adjacent to Singaperumal Koil
at Vennatran Karai whose praise has been sung by
Tirumangai Alwar.

The  couple  was  blessed  with  a son in the cyclic
year  ?Kara? in the month of Panguni  when  the  star 
Anuradha  was in the ascendant.19th March 
1882. At his birth,  he  was  named Seshadri. He
received Pancha Samskaram from his father as well as
the first lessons in Sama Veda from his father.

He was sent to Tiruvaiyaru Vembu Sastrigal and 
(*Nagaraja Sastrigal), noted Sanskrit  Pandits  to 
specialize  in  Sama  Veda,  Kavya, and Nataka. 
Later, he studied and became proficient both in Yajur
Veda and Divya Prabhandam. Qualified to  perform 
yagnas,  he was an authority in Dharma Sastras and in
the practical application  of  six  Sutras in daily
life. He excelled in Goshti Parayana as he was 
endowed  with  a  rich  mellifluous voice.  At  the 
Sama Veda examination conducted  by  Pudukkottai 
Samasthanam, he was declared to have passed in second
class  owing  to  the  partiality  of the examiner but
when the Swami refused to accept  the  award
contending the verdict, the Raja ordered a 
re-examination and found  him  to have passed in Ist
class, by which he won the acclaim of the Raja and
other Sanskrit pundits. He  married Janaki, then 
only 7. (the  daughter of Kodavasal Ramabadrachariar
and Ponnu kamalammmal) at the age  of  11. Sri
Velaamur Srinivasachariar was greatly devoted to Sri 
Desika He was  chiefly instrumental in enabling
Velliyanur Srimad Andavan to celebrate Sri Desika 
Annual  festival  at  Neelamegha  Perumal  Koil. He 
gave to the temple a palanquin,  a  number  of 
Vahanas  and  several  jewels.  These  festivals were
conducted  by  him  with  great  devotion  out  of 
the family funds.

Even after becoming  an Acharya, he continued to
evince keen interest in the proper conduct of  these 
festivals.  Today,  Srimad  Andavan's  relations 
in Purvasramam still continue to celebrate Swami
Desika Utsava with unabated interest and devotion.
(Once,  when  participating  in  a  Yaga,  the Ritvik 
in charge of Atharvyu was indisposed  and could not
attend. Within one night, our Swami learned the entire
Atharvyu  mantras  and  acted in  the 
place of the absentee Ritvik and completed
the  Yaga  successfully.  Such  was his capacity to
absorb and retain with razor sharp memory and perform
the role with consummate skill.)

Some  hostile  persons removed the idol of Swami
Desika from the small shrine in Hara  Saapa  Vimochana
 Perumal  Koil  at  Tiruk  Kandiyur. The 
father of Srimad Srinivasa  Maha  Desikan took the
lead in  making a new idol and installed it in the 
empty shrine. Srimad Andavan  in his 
Purvasrama used to lead the _Adhyapaka Goshti_ during
the festival days.Srimad  Srinivasa  Maha  Desikan  in
his Purvasrama was quite well known for 
his philanthropy. He has helped pious Vaishnavas in
times of dire need.

Although  born in a wealthy family, Sri
Srinivasachariar?s mind and heart turned to 
renunciation  and to severing Worldly attachments. He
had already sought the feet  of  Gnana  Vairaghya 
Anushtana  Sampanna   Poundarika  Puram  Andavan and
received  from  his  Grantha  Kalakshepam,  Bhara  
Samarpanam,  Prapatti Prayoga Upadesam,  Presha 
Mantra  Upadesam  and  Sannyaasa  Prayogam. 
Considering  his Poorvasrama  financial  resources as
trash, he came to Poundarika Puram Andavan Asramam as
his final retreat.

After becoming the Acharya, he devoted his full 
attention to the administration of  the  Asramam  and
to the celebration, in a grand manner the
Tirunakshatra of the past Srimad Andavans.

(He helped Chaturveda Satakratu Navalpakkam Narasimha
Tatachariar, Kozhiyalam Sri  Ranga  Ramanuja Maha
Desikan and several others  and earned their gratitude
and blessings)

The   daily  Aradhanas  were  performed  with  great 
piety  and  devotion. The ?SaaRRumuRai?  congregation 
was indeed an inspiring sight to the 
devout. On such occasions,  Srimad  Andavan  himself 
led  the  Goshti giving it both grace and solemnity. 
He would recite all by himself the nighamana Adhikara
of Sri Rahasya Traya Sara of Sri Vedanta Desika. His 
discourses on such occasions were listened to with
rapt attention.

It is relevant to mention that Sri Vinnatrangarai
Swami was accepted as same teacher by Sri Thenbarai
Andavan (of Peria asramam), since the latter had a 
feeling of regret that he had not mastered his own
Sakha, same veda!  Very interestingly, in the Sannyasa
life too, Sri Vinnatrangarai Andavan 
exhibited great concern for the health (that was
rapidly declining) of Sri Thenbarai Andavan (1960's). 
Everyday he would walk to and fro.  What it means is
that he should take bath every time on return!  Once
indeed, a moving event occurred, Sri Vinnatrangarai
Andavan walks to Peria Asramam, 
meets Sri Kannan Swami on the way, learnt that the
latter was going to Madras on some urgent work since
the Thenbarai Andavan's health would sustain life for
some three days, but Sri Vinnatrangarai Andavan warns
the latter that it was not so, takes him back to the
Asramam and almost influences him to take to the
saffron order.  Yes, it was urgently necessary. 
Readers would realize the risk, the confusion, etc. 
That often results on the successor not taking over
immediately without a gap in time.

Indeed on later occasions, Sri Vinnatrangarai Andavan
used to congratulate Sri Thirukkudanthai Andavan on
the growth, expansion, increasing affluence, 
etc. of his Asramam, with a legitimate satisfaction
that He himself had worked for it by forcing Sri
Kannan Swami to accept Sannyasa at the right 
moment.

Srimad Andavan seemed to have a premonition of his
impending death. He called to his side the then
Srikaryam, Paravakkottai  Sri Rajagopalachariar 
Swami( who had come  to the Asramam to assist him in
the conduct of Tirunakshatra celebrations) and  told 
him in confidence that since his earthly life would
not go beyond the next  Sravanam  day  which  fell on
5th April 1980, he should be interred by the side  of 
his  Acharya  in the Brindavanam on the bank of Vada
Kaveri. Strangely enough,  Srimad Andavan entered his
Jyoti at 2 pm on 9th April 1980,(* which was Siddharti
 Panguni 27th, a Krishna Paksha Navami Tithi day)  so
close to the last day which Srimad Andavan had himself
fixed.

(IT  WAS THIS SWAMI WHO INITIATED INTO SANNYASA
ASRAMAM THE MAHAN CELEBRATED AS ?INJIMETTU
AZHAGIYASINGHAR?)

The  Iyal  Goshti of Venntran Karai Andavan was a
magnificent sight, the like of which was never seen or
heard of before. The grand procession led by 
the Ahobila Mutt elephant, with the idol of Sri
Bhashyakaara at the head, passed through the streets  
of  Srirangam  and  impressed  all  by  their colorful
 variety-  the Poorvaasrama  son  of Acharya carrying
the worn garlands of several Divya Desas, seven  or 
eight  divisions of Veda 
Parayana Goshtis, their Vedic chant piercing
the  sky above all the surging sea of Srivaishnavas,
devotees and disciples. 

The procession stood  at  the Dasavataaran Sannidhi
and after Mangalaasaasana there reached   the  
Asramam.   Ubhaya   Vedaanta   Vidwan  Madhurantakam 
Sri  Veera Ragahavachariar  Swami  paid  glowing 
tributes  to  Srimad Andavan's many sided virtues  in 
verse  and  prose.  Another  glorious chapter in the
history of Sri Poundarika Puram Asramam came to a 
close.

His Tanian reads as follows:

Naryanaakhya Yathiraja Paadaabja Bringa
Sri Vaasa Yogi Gurunaa Arpitha Bharam Eese/
Bhakthyaaddhi Poorna Varadaarya Kripaatha Sinham
Sri Srinivasa Munivaram Aham Prapadhye //
(meaning)

I take refuge at the holy feet of Srinivasa Maha
Desikan who was like a honey bee at the lotus feet of
the yathi- srEshtar , Sri NaarAyaNa MahA 
Desikan and performed his prapatthi  at  the  sacred 
feet of Poundarikapuram SrinivAsa MahA Desikan after
receiving  his  pancha samskAram rites from Sri
VaradAchArya Swami known for his Bhakthi-Jn~Ana
-VairAghyam .

AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Regards
namo narayana
narayana dAsan madhavakkannan



      
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