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SrI:
SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //
SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha //
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam
Samvardhaya/
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam
Samvardhaya//
KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /
SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//
===================================================================
SRI RANGA SRI VOL.08 / ISSUE # 19 (Special Issue)
dated 24th March 2007
===================================================================
EDITORIAL
We are glad to release this special issue on the exact
Thirunakshathram day of asmadhAchAryan His Holiness
Srimad Paravakkottai Andavan Swami of Srimad
Poundarikapuram Andavan Ashramam Sri Gopaladesika
Mahadesikan Swami ? Panguni RohiNi? 

=====================================================================
ISSUES RELEASED
With this issue, about 241 Regular issues of SRS have
been released
so far, apart from numerous "Special Issues" as
indicated below:
27 Issues of Vol. 1
15 Issues of Vol. 2
42 Issues of Vol. 3
35 Issues of Vol. 4
28 Issues of Vol. 5
30 Issues of Vol. 6
50 Issues of Vol. 7 and
19 Issues of Vol. 8 (including this)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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in the Files Section and view the Contents at
srsindex.html (Not the
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We are sure that you will be convinced of the quality
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contents.

IF you are satisfied with the quality and contents of
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IF NOT:
Tell us, as to how we may improve.
Ever at your service
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"Sri Ranga Sri"
======================================================================
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======================================================================
IN THIS ISSUE 
1. A TRIBUTE TO ASMAD ACHARYAN
(Sri Anbil Ramaswamy Swami, USA)
2. The HOLIEST of THE HOLY (from the humblest of the
humble) 
======================================================================



A TRIBUTE TO ASMAD ACHARYAN
It used to be said that unable to enumerate the
auspicious qualities
of Bhagavaan, the Vedas returned crestfallen.
"Yatho vaachaa nivartantE apraapya manasaa saha"

The same can be said of the qualities of head and
heart of Asmad
Acharyan. However much we may extol his `GuNas", they
fit him like
a "T" and yet fall far short of describing him fully.
I was
therefore, scared to write about him lest it should
give an
impression that this was all that could be said about
him. However,
his very qualities compel me to venture to say a few
words of
obeisance to him.

As LakshmaNa put it, I became a slave to his GuNas.
"guNair daasyam upaagata:"

As Swami Desika puts it in his "GOdha Sthuti", his
guNas embolden
even a dumb person like me to venture to write a few
lines about him.
"mounaan mukharayanti guNaas tvadeeyaa:

As all of you know, he is hailed by all other Acharyas
of our
Sampradayam as verily the "VasishTa" among them and as
"NaDamaaDum
Deivam" (God walking on earth)

WHAT MAKES HIM QUALIFIED FOR THESE EPITHETS?
Asmad Acharyan belongs to a long line of "Munis" who
are
absolute "Viraktas" to name fame and material gains
but remain silent
to the point of being almost incognito shunning
publicity and pomp,
doing their duties with incredible rigor and intense
self discipline.

MUNI IN ALL TANIANS
If you look at the Tanians (Stand alone dedicatory
verses) of
successive Achaaryas of Poundarikapuram Swami Asramam,
you will find
the word "MUNI" repeated in each one of them (For
example)
Paravakkottai Andavan: "gOpaala Desika MUNIM gurum
assrayaama:"
Vinnatrankarai Andavan: "Sri Srinivasa MUNIVARYAM aham
prapadhyE"
Mannargudi Andavan: "Jnaabdim suguNaakaram MUNIVARAM
Sriranganaatham
bhajE"
Poundarikapuram Andavan: "rangEsa paada vinatam
Srinivaasa MUNIM
bhajE"
Narayana Maha Desikan: "naaraayanaakhyam MUNIM
aasrayaama:"
PeriyaaNdavan: "Sri Srivaasa MUNEENDRA dEsika maNim
sreyOnidhim
samsrayE"
TirutturaipooNDi Andavan: "Srimad Srivaasa Ramaanuja
MUNIM anagham
tam bhajE DesikEndram"
Vazhuttur Andavan: "vEdaanta LakshmaNa MUNEH srita
bhaagadEyam
paadaara vinda yugaLam saraNam prapadhyE"
Tirukkudantai Desikan: "vEdaanta LakshmaNa MUNEENDRA
krupaata bOdam?"
Sri Saakshaat Swami: vEdaanta LakshmaNa MUNIM saraNam
prapadhyE"

This repetition of the term "Muni" is not by any
accident nor because
the composers could not find alternative expressions!
I feel it was
by way of conscious recognition of the "Virakti" of
these Acharyas in
not indulging in vain talk but keeping "mum" in silent
contemplation
and meditation on the Lord. This does not mean that
they never speak
out at all. Speak they will, but only while expounding
the nuances
of our Siddhantam in KaalakshEpamas or while advising
on AnushTaanams
to their Sishyas in private.

TIRUTHIP PANI KOLLAL
H.H. is strict on himself and strict on others who
come to him. He
would never spare anyone committing any indiscretions
like coming
into the Asramam without washing their feet, without
wearing Oordva
puNdram and the traditional Pancha Katcham (grihastas)
and MaDisaar
(for Sumangalis). But, his advice would always be
polite "hitam" so
that we would be made to feel ashamed of ourselves for
the
indiscretions.

SANDHYAVANDANAM - A JUSTIFIED HARSHNESS
In the matter of doing Nitya karmas like
Sandhyaavandanam, he is
uncompromising. Sometimes, he may look a bit harsh but
it would
always be for our good.

DID YOU WASH YOUR HAND?
Once, I was attending the "Abhigamanam" and Pongal
prasaadam was
offered and we had to take it with a leaf in our
cupped up palms. I
had unwittingly kept it on the floor because I was
called for some
urgent call. This had not escaped the watchful eye of
H.H. When I
returned and was about to take the prasaadam back, he
asked me
whether I had washed my hands.

ACCEPTING SISHYAS AND ADMINISTERING RAHASYA MANTRAS
H.H. follows the traditional method of testing the
would-be- Sishyas
before accepting. He is not the one to consider
"Anything is fish
that comes to the net". This is because his only
concern is the
spiritual welfare of the would-be-Sishya and he is
never motivated by
monetary considerations that might come with accepting
Sishyas
indiscriminately.

In my case, when I went to him for BharaNyaasam some
23 years ago, he
asked me to go back and listen to KaalakshEpams of the
then
Villivalam Swami (Present Jeeyar of AhObila Mutt)
before coming back
to him for the purpose. He asked me to have a bath in
the sea at
TiruppullaaNi for receiving the mantras. He insists on
what Swami
Desikan says as "Ashad-karNam" method in administering
Rahasya
mantras and does not initiate Sishyas en masse.

MOSQUITOES NOT DRIVEN
There were several occasions when we were given to
realize that the
Sareeram of Achaarya like that of the Lord is made of
Suddha Sattvam
and not like us.

While describing Rama to Sita in the AshOka vana,
Hanumaan says:

"naiva damsaan na masakaan na keeataan na saree
srupaan/
raaghavO apanayEt gaatraat tvad
gatEnaanantaraatmanaa//" (VR-6-36-42)

I could see this once when I visited the Asramam in
the evening.
Swarms of mosquitoes were invading everywhere. One
cannot open one's
mouth lest a bunch of mosquitoes should get into the
mouth. We were
fidgety all the time. H.H also went through the same
torture. But,
not once did he venture to chase away the tormentors,
not because he
was not bothered but because his concentration was on
Bhagavaan.

Is it not said "Paramaatmani yO raktah viraktah
aparamaatmani"

Another occasion we were reminded of this was when he
had a fall and
fractured his leg. The Sishyas offered a wheel chair
for him to sit
but he refused saying that he was not supposed to
touch metal. With
excruciating pain, he slowly got up and moved to the
Asramam. Anyone
of us in similar circumstances would have raised a
hell of noise
renting cries of suffering.

Here is an Achaarya who proved his mettle in the face
of grave pain.

Yet another occasion arose at the time of his
SathaabhishEkam in
2001. H.H. used to get up early in the morning before
dawn and climb
down the steps of the tank that had dried up but with
some water in a
deep well dug at the center of the tank. Seeing how he
was struggling
to climb up and down, we suggested that we would put
up railings on
the side walls of the tank and well so that he could
hold them for
steadying himself, especially as there was lot of moss
and algae all
over making the surface slippery. He declined the
offer saying again
that he cannot touch an iron railing.

To this day, he has been adhering to this difficult
exercise!

ONLY WALKS ? NO PALLAKKU
He is the only Achaarya who does not travel by car or
palanquin till
this day. He normally does not go out of Srirangam but
when he does
on Sanchaaram, he always goes by foot as ordained by
the Saastras.
This is not a reflection on others who may use
vehicles. H.H. used to
say that he would not comment on them but this is the
norm that he
had been following ever since he took up the ascetic
order 25 years
ago and there was no reason for him to change it now.

Indeed, he is literally and allegorically a
"NaDamaaDum Deivam"!

NO TELEPHONE
When we suggested that he should have a Telephone in
the Asramam, he
resisted the idea saying that it would be a nuisance
interfering with
his AnushTaanams. We had to convince him that it was
in the interests
of his Sishyas who were like his children that there
should be a
phone installed in the Asramam for our sake. I even
suggested that we
would install an Answering machine with caller id so
that he need not
have to answer the calls right away but could choose
to call back if
he felt later that it was necessary for him to
respond. Only after
much persuasion did he agree to our request to install
a telephone...
And, this has been a boon to us because we are now
blessed to hear
his voice through Tele-discourses.

SAPTADI, SATABHISHEKAM AND RAJAT JAYANTI OF HIS
SANNYAASA SWEEKARANAM
H.H. would have none of the "Celebrations part" on the
occasions of
his Saptadi, Sathaabhishekam and Rajat Jayanti of his
Sannyaasa
Sweekaranam and wanted to keep them at a low key
without pomp and
paraphernalia. It was almost impossible task for us to
make him agree
to it. It was because these functions gave
opportunities to be in the
midst of Veda Vidwaans whose company was dear to his
heart, that he
accepted our requests.

SAMARPANAI
H.H. never asks for any assistance especially
financial assistance
from anyone, whether it is for any function or for any
Kainkaryams or
for even running of the day-to-day administration of
the Asramam. He
is not the one to accept any Samarpanai unless he made
sure that it
was tendered without any ulterior motives. Once, he
contributed an
article to one of the Souvenirs. The publishers
published it in the
name of another author. H.H. had noticed this but did
not object.
When the publishers came to offer some honorarium for
the article, he
politely declined.

COMPASSION INCARNATE
His extraordinary compassion to Sishyas and Abhimaanis
should be seen
to be believed.

During my last visit in 2006, I could do the
"SaashTaanga
namaskaaram" only with great difficulty, due to knee
pain. H.H.
noticed this and immediately motioned to me saying
that I did not
need to prostrate and that an Anjali was enough. He
suggested that I
should apply some Ayurvedic Thailams to the knee and
even took pains
to explain how to apply and how long too apply to get
full relief.

TIRU ANBIL DWAJASTHAMBA KAINKARYAM
I will be failing in my duty if I do not mention the
immense help and
guidance he gave in completing the Dwajasthamba
Kainkaryam last year.
>From the inception to the conclusion, H.H. took
personal interest in
obtaining estimates from various Sthapatis, arranging
for the
approval by Temple and HR & CE authorities and
instructing on even the minutest
details in executing the project.

READY ANSWERS
Every time I go to India, I used to collect a long
list of doubts
bearing on our Siddhaantam and AnushTaanams for
securing
clarifications from the H.H. He himself would ask me
"Have you
brought any list this time?" For every question, he
would give a
ready and convincing reply and for every doubt he
would give
startling clarifications with appropriate PramaaNams.

GUEST HOUSE
Noticing that Sishyas and Abhimanis coming from
outstations and
overseas were experiencing difficulty in getting
suitable lodging
facilities, he had constructed a beautiful guest house
very near the
Asramam. Anyone who goes to pay respects to H.H. can
book a room at
moderate rent (just enough for maintaining it). This
is a great boon
for people like me.

ACHCHIDRA ASWAMEDA PAARAAYANAM
During my SathabhishEkam in 2005, H.H. suggested that
the
famous "Achchidra- AswamEdaha PaaraayaNam" may be
arranged. I could
not find anyone to do it in U.S.A. H.H kindly arranged
to have it
performed on my behalf at the Asramam itself under his
immediate
supervision and the Veda Vidwaans were sumptuously
rewarded and a
grand Tadeeya Aaraadanai was also done at the Asramam.

BOOKS GALORE
H.H. has brought out several publications like Srimad
Rahasya Traya
Saaram, Chillarai RahasyangaL, Raampiraanai KarpOm etc
and almost all
Desika StOtras with commentaries of Poorva Achaaryas.
This is a
yeoman service to the SrivaishNava world that will be
eternally
indebted to him.

We have the sacred duty of praying to Divya Dhampatis
to grant
him "PoorNaayus" with pink of health.

dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
=====================================================================

===============================================================

THE HOLIEST OF THE HOLY
A salutation from the humblest of the humble

INTRODUCTION
Thirukkundanthai Desikan was a very bright star in the
Desika Sampradaya
Acharya genealogy. From him we trace the Parampara as
below
SRI GOPALARYA MAHADESIKA
(Thirukkudanthai Desikan)

SRI VEDANTA RAMANUJA MAHADESIKAN
(Vazhuthoor Andavan)

SRI SRINIVASA RAMANUJA MAHADESIKAN
(Thiruthuraipoondi Andavan)

SRI SRINIVASA MAHADESIKAN
(Periya Andavan)

SRI NARAYANA MAHADESIKAN
(Veliyanallur Andavan)

SRI SRINIVASA MAHADESIKAN
(Poundarikapuram Andavan0

SRI RANGANATHA MAHADESIKAN
(Mannarkoil Andavan)

SRI SRINIVASA MAHADESIKAN
(Vinnatrangarai Andavan)

SRI GOPALA DESIKA MAHADESIKAN
(Paravakkottai Andavan)

Down from Periya Andavan, the Acharyas in this
parampara sport the simple
nomenclature as a Mahadesikan-contrast with an
intermediate name as Ramanuja
Yateendra,etc. generally adopted in other paramparas.
Sri Paravakkottai
Andavan had happily chosen Gopaladesika as his
distinctive forth asrama
name, because of his special adoration for
Thirukkudanthai Desikan
(Gopaldesika being his name), because his birth star
was Rohini, the same as
that of Krishna or Gopala, and because the star of the
day on which he took
over Sanyasa Asram was Pooradam, the same star at the
birth of
Thirukkudanthai Desikan.

Poorvasrama

Born on 17-3-1921(corresponding to Rowdri, Panguni
Rohini) he was actually
christened as Rajagopala, that being the name of the
Mannargudi deity whose
annual Jayanti Day fell on that day. His grandfather
(Rajagopalacharya) and
father (Sri Venkatacharya) were also connected to the
Ashram in many ways.

Child Rajagopala sustained his mother death at the age
of 2. When he was
initiated into Bramhopadesam (Upanayanam) at the age
of 8, the
responsibility of Sraddha rites of his mother fell on
his shoulders. One can
imagine his respectability even at that small age,
from the fact that great
highly orthodox Vidwans like Thillayambur Swami
(Asthana Vidwan of Ahobila
Mutt) and Mannargudi Desikacharya Swami would gladly
participate as
Brahmanas for these Sraddhas!

He learnt Sanskrit, Kavyas, etc. from Sri
Prugavazhudan Krishnamacharya;
then studied at Sholingur and at Thirupati(
Venkateswara College) in the
period 1936-1942 approximately. At Tirupati he had
known, as his juniors
particularly, gentlemen who later became became
vidwans of great reputation;
e.g. Sri Purisai Swami, Sri N.S. Ramanuja Tatacharya;
he had also the
companionship of Sri Villivalam Narayanacharya , Sri
Melpakkam Swami, Sri
Marudur A.R. Krishnamacharya and others. We are
touched to recall one or two
episodes of that time. Our hero at the age of 20 was
admired for great
lustre-radiation from his face because of virtues like
austerity, personal
discipline, supreme vairagya and godliness. The result
was that whenever he
walked into a company, friends- who were themselves
great personages even
then-would alert one another with a comment: ?Oh there
he comes; He is like
Vaisishta and Vamadeva. Better we are cautious in our
talk and
behaviour?.Even at that time he was so prepossesive in
his personal virtues
that Sri Goshtipuram Swami ( Sri Sowmya
Narayanacharya) would respond to his
prostration by a return prostration! This, in spite of
an age difference of
40 years. It does credit to the senior Swami?s
guna-poorti as well; but it
speaks volumes about the stature of our hero even at
age 20.

Returning to the village, he studied many advanced
works from the
Thillaiyambur Brothers, who were great masters in
Sanskrit, Vedanta and
Jyothisha. This is continued for many years during
vacations.

Our hero had the privilege of Panchasamskara and
Bharanyasa sri
Poundarikapuram Andavan. His father, discerningly,
advised him to go to
Mysore to receive complete initiation in all our major
four granthas, from
the then very famous Abhinava Ranganatha Brahmathantra
Parakala Swami.
Batches of kalakshepam at graded levels, with dozens
of students drawn from
all parts of South India were receiving instruction.
It was a very fruitful
period in his life.

Our hero married the daughter of Sri ARu paathi
Sinivasacharya, who was
mostly at Kumbakonam. The family was equal to our
hero?s in every respect.
ARupaathi Swami was rightly famous for his achara,
anushtana, and
scholarship. He was, incidentally related to the
Devanarvilagam Swami. His
Udaya Upastana Anushtana was admired by all at
Kumbakonam, including
Matadhipathi, who wished to meet him and felicitate
him but who was
disappointed in not being able to-for obvious reasons!

Our hero was serving as Sanskrit pundit in schools in
Tiruchi District.
Fortunately, the Kaveri fertility kept his lifestyle
in pristine purity. He
had five sons and one daughter. One son named Desikan,
devoted himself to
organizations swearing by the Hindu Dharma and had to
face death in a bomb
blast in Madras. The daughter had been given marriage
to Swami?s
brother-in-law, Sri Venkatacharya. Her son, Sri
Srirama Desikan is learned
in Sanskrit and Vedanta and promises to tow the
traditional lines of his
grandfather.

While being in service, our hero visited the Asramam
regularly. Even in
those times he had greatly impressed Sri Madhurantakam
Swami, who respected
him almost as a compeer, though some twenty years
younger. True to his
sincerity to our religious discipline, he had once
stayed with his devigal
to serve in Madhookara kainkarya at the Asramam. When
Sri Vinnatrangarai
Andavan foresaw his end, with accurate prophetic
vision, he had engaged Sri
Paravakkottai Swami to take interest in the Asrama
parampara, initiated him
esoterics, and conferred him the Tridanda and saffron
garment and everything
else smoothly. As desired by his predecessor, our
Swami took to the fourth
order at Vinnatrankarai at the Brindavanam of Sri
Narayana Mahadesikan(Sri
Veliyanallur Andavan). Note that Veliyanallur Andavan
enjoys a special
honour in the hierarchy. He was a Naishtika
Bramachary, when he switched
over to the ochre robe. He was the final word in
self-denying austerity. He
was called viraktinetram of Sri periya Andavan. What
is finally more
interesting is that he could not- and did not- choose
any successor, accept
anyone easily as a disciple, and was not interested
in popular propagation of the ochre species just in a
light hearted vein.
His exacting demands on Sri Poundarikapuram Swami,
whom he had indeed known
long and well enough before conferring the forth
Asrama on him would be
reminiscent of Thirukkotiyur Nambi trying to the
extreme, Ramanuja and
Azhvan, before revealing the esoteric significance of
Charma sloka mantra.

Whether Mantra transmission or transfer of Acharyaka,
it is not a trifle
to be easily light-heartedly treated to be passed on
to a seeker just like
that!

>From day 1, Sri Gopaladesika Mahadesikan stuck to
drastic discipline. It
is there in this Asrama all along. Partaking of
Madhookara only from
Vaiswadeva remnant (that is, from dampati-grihasthas)
pursuing the highest
grade of sanyasa achara, engaging disciples in Sri
Bhashya Kalakshepa, never
conferring Samasrayana ? benefit or Bharanyasa
indiscriminately, eschewing
the proselytization fervour influencing every visitor
to whatever Sampradaya
persuasion he/she belonged; reforming them in a manner
that they will order
their lives in a reasonably orthodox fashion, sticking
to our ancient
scriptures as much as can be even in this advanced
Kali age- these are
worthy of mention.

IN THE SANYAASA ORDER:
He lives a simple life; he eats a very simple meal.
More fasting days will
intersperse in his agenda than in the case of ordinary
sanyaasis. But it is
not surprising because he has a manner of speaking; he
lived strict
disciplined style of living as Brahmachari or Grihasta
too. When he used to
visit places he has never waived the
abstention-from-Paraannam. Such a life
style might be even incomprehensible to many modern
readers unfamiliar with
old discipline.

The asrama atmosphere is precisely befitting the
denotation ?Asrama?. It
is very much like the hermitage of the ancient sages
we have heard of. This,
not withstanding the fact that basic amenities like
electricity, fan etc.
have been introduced out of necessity; yes, we
disciples and visitors cannot
afford to go without them! A small pond, with
non-metal supports at the
steps to help the Acharya to cling to for the
exclusive use of the Acharya
for total immersion bath that is a must for that
(sanyasa) order.

Ever since he took over Sanyasa order, he depends only
on walking, to
reach any place. Therefore, he has denied himself the
Archaanubava which he
cherishes most. Without any fear of contradiction or
an impression that the
statement is an exaggeration, his love for Archa, his
attachment to our
shrines, his love for Azhvars? works are all so very
deep that he has had
complete satisfaction in terms of Kshetratana even in
the Poorvasrama having
fulfilled Badrikasrama pilgrimage too. He loves the
traditional festivals,
the captivating charm that the Lord sports etc. but
then on that score, he
can simply not be walking to various shrines in these
days of fall in
standards of orthodoxy. Readers would appreciate, in
this context, that our
acharya revels-rightly so-in the opportunity for
Acharya seva and acceptance
of Divyadesa-honour when Sri Malola camps at the
Dasavataram shrine.
Especially at the present day he has suffered in
health and finds it
difficult to walk. He feels crippled and denied the
pleasure of attendance
at the festivities at the Sri Desikan Sannidhi, in
East Uttara Street, which
shrine that ashrama maintains. in the recent October
festivity of the
Tercentenary of Thirukkudanthai Desikan, he preferred
camp for four days in
the Ahobila Mutt a few yards off, so that the walking
strain could be
minimized. But the all this has been the order
prescribed by pristine
precedent of his revered predecessors.

Disciples staying locally cherish the participation in
the morning
Abhigamana, Saathumurai Teertha-prasada, then a daily
kalakshepam for almost
an hour and a half. From noon Madhyanhika bath,etc.
till about 4.30p.m he
has private existence. Thereafter till about 6p.m. and
later, if possible
from 8 to 10 p.m. he is available for the public to
pay homage to
respectfully consult etc. Pancha samskara and
Bharanyasa are not mere
rituals in his mind; they are perfecting reforms on
the soul and body. They
are therefore, administered only after elaborate
preliminary purifications,
long instructions and very simple explanations that he
takes pains to
deliver. It is all one-to-one communication.
Disciples, if they really
cherish to have these self-purification practices,
have to rise to and live
upto certain standards. The Andavan insists on our
sticking to Sikha (tuft);
regular performance of Sandhyavandana and observance
of elementary
principles of orthodoxy.

One cannot lightly retort:? How can we live upto such
demanding
expectations these days?? Because, discerning
disciples living even in
foreign coumtries come, get away to live as he
advises. It is faith that is
needed. And that faith he himself inspires.

Readers would appreciate his approach if a particular
incident is touched
upon. An Andhra IAS officer who had once come to
Srirangam on an official
assignment heard of our Acharya living like a
beacon-light; the officer
wanted to pay homage to the Andavan and have prapatti
performed, he having
heard of it. He indeed did not have a clear
perceptions but he had an urge.
I will briefly construct the dialogue as one having
been a witness to it and
having functioned as an interpreter. Purely
accidentally though.

Seeker : ?I am fed up with life. I have not married.
Family problems
are torturing me. I will prefer to have Prapatti. I
have got that faith.

Andavan : It is all right. But you cannot simply have
Prapatti like that.
For performing Prapatti on your behalf, I should
ensure that your life style
is to some extent God-abiding; you should have Sikha.

Seeker: I shall.

Andavan : Do you perform Sandhyavandana?

Seeker; Sorry, but I worship Gayatri Devi?

Andavan : Sandhyavandana is the only way of worship of
Gayatri. Perhaps you
have not done all these years.

Seeker; I shall now start.

Andavan: you can read Sanskrit? Here is the book.
Today itself I will ask my
helper to instruct you. You start it now. Sport a
Sikha(tuft).

Seeker: I shall do so.

Andavan: you will first hace Pancha samskara. You
should then do Gayatri
Japam amd Ashtakshara Japam. A few days later we can
have Prapatti but then,
there is one more hitch. You are going to surrender to
Lord Sriman
Narayanan. Thereafter you ought to live a life of a
chaste wife (to Him).
That is, you have only one God. You should abjure the
erstwhile habit of
praying and worshipping scores of deities. The essence
of Saranagathi would
be lost if you do not change your life in this
respect. Would your relatives
? brothers etc., co-exist with you? Could you order
your life away from
them? These are easy and essential; but you should
also feel so.

Seeker: Already I am having great devotion for Lord
Vishnu. I shall behave
well. I am greatly dejected and frustrated. Can you
not kindly perform it in
a day or two?

Andavan: No great urgency. Turn a new leaf. I will
surely help you. But you
ought to satisfy me.

Whether the seeker had his way or not is a different
matter. The dialogue
had already continued for over two hours. I could not
really satisfy myself
with regard to the purpose of my own visit! Andavan
did not budge an inch;
at the same time he did not dismiss the seeker away.

My purpose in narrating the episode in some detail is
to indicate that
Srimad Andavan was really earnest in helping a soul;
only he could not
compromise, his demands were also not impossible of
fulfillment. It was not
a real Apat (danger imminence); there was no question
of a real emergency.
It could not be designated as seeking Arta Prapatti.
At the same time, Sri
Andavan?s condescension to spare so much of his
precious time pained me.
Hence I ventured to intervene in Tamil: Should Srimad
Andavan endeavour so
much in the case of starter (beginner)? Perhaps he
would prove a
non-starter. Somehow he has got the feeling that
Prapatti will solve his
family problems. And he has heard of the kindliness of
the Acharya; he has
to be taught the elements of our Sampradayam, sicne he
is not a
Srivaishnava??

Do you know what the reply was?

?He has come with a confidence. I have tried to help
him. If he turns a new
leaf I will have the satisfaction of having a soul
from the Samsara cycle.
Who knows? He may agree to fulfill my requirements.?

I really felt thrilled to witness this kind of
approach. It is not as though
he is cold to real piety; nor even that he would help
only established
disciples, performing Prapatti in absentia to their
grand children and great
grand children even. He is all kindness; he will
perform Prapatti to the
deserving and yearning souls, whoever they may be;
only they ought to earn
for it!

This recalls to me another phenomenon. Everyday
visitors come; they take so
much of his time, it is not that they are all his
disciples. In fact a large
majority are NOT. Yet he makes no discrimination. He
makes kind enquiries;
grants suitable advice; offers consolation; even
enquires as to how they are
going to please Antharyami (i.e. where they are going
to eat). If the reply
is not re-assuring, he unhesitatingly treats the
visitor to lunch in the
Asramam. In the manner of courteous dialogue, he not
only equals, but even
excels his own hero, Sri Ramabhadra! It is perhaps
only in this that he
simulates the courtesies of a householder!

Readers are aware of the circumstances under which the
Asramam is making
headway. May be the financial strength is enormously
better now than when he
took over 20 years ago. Even today he sometimes
recalls how his predecessors
used to keep one or two currency notes in some wall
crèche or in a Sri
Bhashya text. Another would have even hesitated to
take over. He himself
knew it. In the manner of Sri Devanavilagam
Azhagiyasingar, once counseling
caution to Sri Kannan Swami in regard to the ascent to
the Asrama seat, the
latter (Thirukkudanthai Andavan) being well aware of
financial straits in
which this Asramam was, lightly suggested it appears
to Swami to ponder. As
an alternative and as a good encouragement, he told
our Swami: In fact you
have a good reputation, and rightly so, as a occupant,
your services in this
regard would not be available to the public at large.
In that way I have
regrets. ? Of course, our Swami had no two thoughts,
thankfully so!

This takes me incidentally to another aspect: Sri
Andavan would be acclaimed
as a Ramayana expositor par excellence. When he
delivers lectures on Puranic
themes, especially his familiarity with highly
intricate issues, recondite
literary sources, subtle matters of dharmic impact and
eminently enjoyable
interpretations and highly impressive and impactful
delivery are all
evident. For particular example, his discourses on
Yathiraja Sapthathi,
Gopala Vimsathi and Padhukasahasram could be cited. As
evidence of material
available in print, please refer to his recent book on
Ramayana (Ramapiranai
karpOm) released on the occasion of the SathAbhishekam
function (the second
issue upto Padhuka Pattabhishekam is released on this
year Panguni Rohini-
on 7th April) It is a treasure for Ramayana lovers. It
is therefore no
exaggeration to state that what we gained for the
Ashramam and for our
Sampradayam did really entail a loss to the larger
public world of Purana
listening.

True the disciples are, in recent times, witnessing
the monetary
improvement of the Ashramam. Sri Andavan is not very
happy; he feels all
that would cast a strain on the management and might
create problems. The
disciples well-meaningly take the importance of
finance in these days, the
Acharya prefers to depend on Bhagavth Sankaplam!
?SaraNyan will take care.
He knows what is best. Things will turn out well. I
have faith.? This is
his usual refrain.

This does not make him miserly. When it comes to
honoring Vedic pandits and
Vedantha Vidwans,. He becomes lavishingly generous.
The impact of His
Holiness Sri Mukkoor Azhagiya Singar in this respect
of courteousness is
palpable.

The world knows that Sri Desika probably designated
Sri Poundarikapuram
Andavan Ashramam for carrying on the torch of the
Rahasya works, their
propagation, their publication in print as the right
heir, so to say. From
the 1950s, till date, four volumes have come out all
of them encompass the
magum opus Srimad Rahasyathrayasaram and the assorted
Rahasyas called
SillaRai Rahasyas with a few other Manipraval works.
Some have seen second
and third editions. What a lot of interest Sri Andavan
has shown in every
minutest aspect of the editions is to be learnt to be
believed! When the
work is taken up, he somehow will provide fund. When
it is out he rejoices;
to discerning seekers he liberally gifts copies. Some
of these phenomena may
rightly or wrongly give a rosy picture of the
financial stability of the
establishment! Be it so!

Acharya Bhakti is rightly very much emphasized by Sri
Desika. We have, by
dint of our good deeds over many births, so to say, an
Acharya of
incomparable stature. Some particular great personage
truly described our
Acharya as ?God walking in our midst.?. A reference to
this phrase is
unpalatable to Srimad Andavan, because he spurns
hyperboles. But fact is a
fact. Think of Him; repeat his Thaniyan sloka or
vakya; do so before you
begin any Sankalpa; before any auspicious deed; before
you begin to rise and
walk from bed; before you start an act; before you
begin a deal; before you
begin ThiruArAdhanam. Now I shall conclude with the
invocation verse
(Thaniyan) and explain the content:

Srivaasa Ranga Parakaala Munitrayaapta Lakshmaatma
Rakshana Yathitva Yugaagamaantham /
Achaarya Bhakthi Pari pootham Anargha Seelam
Gopaala Desika Munim Gurum Aasrayaamaha //

MEANING:

Srivaasa Lakshmana aatmaraksha: From one Srinivasa
Mahadesikan namely
Poundarikapuram Andavan, both Samasryana that is the
symbol of Vaishnavism
and soul?s protection (Bharanyasa) were received.

Srivasa taitiva- From another Srinivasa Mahadesikan,
namely Sri
Vinnarrankari Andavan Sanyaas initiation, emblems
etc.. were received.

Rangaparakala Yugagamaantham- From Abhinava Rangantha
Parakala Swami, Ubhaya
Vedantha knowledge was secured.

Munitrayaapta- Thus all were received from a triad of
Sanyaasis- yet another
munitraya.

Acharya bhakti paripootham- Sanctified he is already;
he is further
sanctified so to say by the deep devotion he cherishes
for his Acharyas.

Anarghaseelam- His character, his life style, his
approach, all are
exemplary. They are free from any stigma.

Gopaladesikamunim GurumAsrayaamaha: - We have resorted
to such a GREAT
Acharya namely, SRI GOPALADESIKA MAHDESIKAN- Sanyasi
Saarvabhouma. We have
clung to Him. May we ever be His! That way is assured
of our salvation!

Srimathe Gopaladesika Mahadesikaya namah:
Acharyan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

[we have merely reproduced the article.. anything good
is due to the great
article written by the author. Any mistake or errors ?
is due to our wrong
typing or lack of understanding. ]

namo narayana
Srimad Andavan Thiruvadi
====================================================================



 
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