Status report and final appeal: InjimEttu Azhagiya Singhar's 120th Birthday celebration MahOthsavam at ThiruveLLUr

[Guest guest]

Sri:

Srimate Sri Lakshminrusimha Parabrahmane nama:

 

Dear BhakthAs :I had the BhAgyam of inviting your attention

to the ongoing second Shashtiyabdha pUrthi uthsavam of

the great savant of Sri VaishNavism , Sri InjimEttu

Azhagiya Singhar , whose contributions to nourish the

roots of the tree of Bhagavadh RaamAnuja SiddhAntham

has few parallels in the last 120 years. His unique

contributions have been covered in my earlier postings .

 

Nine of us have responded to generate $387 so far

as a result of this appeal inspite of the lack of a lead

time in knowing about it. Before we conclude this appeal ,

May I take the liberty of suggesting that you consider

contribtuing 5 or 10$ each or whatever you can as your

testimonial for the great life and message that is enshrined

in the Institutions that this great AchAryan has left behind

:mathurAnthakam Veda PaatasAlai , Nrusimha priyA journal ,

adhyAthma Granthams and Annual Vedaantha Vidvath Sadas ;

in short , the enormity of his contributions through

personal example , vaatsalyam , achAram, anushtAnam ,

and Kaimkaryam to Sri VaishNavA community is extraordinary .

The least we can do is to offer our modest samarpaNam

to the incomparable riches that he has left behind

so that our modest contributions can help sustain

these irreplacable kaimkaryams .

 

You can send your Tax deductible contributions

still to Sri P.Dileepan at 1908 Presswood Drive ,

Hixson, TN 37343 . Thanks to all those , who have

come forward and supported this Kaimkaryam

even in these times , when all of us are reeling under

the impact of many legitimate requests for support

for worthy Sri VaishNavite causes from Indai

and here .

 

The recent issue of Nrusimha PriyA has the salutations

of many mahAns , who have ascended the AchArya SthAnams later

as well as from great Sri VaishNavite Scholars , whose

lives were made sacred through association with this

ParamAchAryan .

 

I will assemble this information to illustrate his

greatness as documented by the above stalwarts of

the Sri sampradhAyam such as ThirukkOttiyur Swami ,

PutthamkOttakam Swamy , Maharishi VaasudEvAcchAr Swamy ,

H.H. the 44th Jeeyar MukkUr Azhagiya Singhar

(nephew of this Mahaan ), who built the southern gOpuram for

Sri RanganAthA , Villivalam NaarAyaNAcchAr Swamy

(the brother of the Current H.H.the 45th Jeeyar of AhObila Mutt ),

UttamUr VeeraraghavAcchAr Swamy ,NavalpAkkam Iyaa

DevanAthArya Swamy ,MadhurAnthakam VeerarAghavAcchAr

Swamy ,Kaanchi PrathivAdhi Bhayankaram AnnangarAcchAr

Swamy and a host of other Vaikunta Vaasis .

 

The All-around Maadhuryam of this MahAn

****************************************

 

During the time of the InjimEttu Azhagiya Singhar ,

Mukkur Sri RajagOpAlAcchAr Swamy ( who ascended

the AchArya Peetam of AhObila Matam later as H.H ,

the 44th Jeeyar ) was an AarAdhakar at MukkUr Ahobila Matam .

He paid a moving tribute about the Madhuram aspects

of his AchAryA's AchAryA .

 

Madhuram is a Sanskrit word with many meanings:

Sweet , pleasant , agreeable , most enjoyable ,lovely ,

mellifluous , charming ,nectarine et al. To understand

the significance of this word , we have to go

to the works of the great master KaaLi Daasa

and his Kaavyams .H.H. the 44th Jeeyar composed

the following tribute in nostalgic rememberance of

the Madhura Samvidh SvarUpam of H.H the 42nd Jeeyar

from InjimEDu :

 

vadhanam madhuram vachanam madhuram

gamanam madhuram jn~Anam madhuram

vasithA madhurA VaaNi madhurA

Ranga SatArE: Sakalam Madhuram

 

The Aasrama Naamam of the InjimEttu Jeeyar is

saluted in the fourth paadham : Sri Ranga SatAri

standing for Sriranga Sri Ranganathath SatakOpa

YathIndhra mahA Desikan.

 

VADHANAM Madhuram :This Jeeyar is known for a beautiful

face adorning an unforgettable smile . He welcomed every one

to Sri MalOlan's Sannidhi with sumukham . From children to

MahA VidvAns , he displayed an even temperament and

inquired about their Yoga KshEmams and encouraged

them to get involved with our great sampradhAyam .

 

VACHANAM Madhuram : His UpanyAsa style (saili ) was

sweet even when he was treading over controversial points

in the VidvAn's assemblies that he had called for

to preserve and the grow our great tradition .

His achanam was like the shower of nectar.

 

GAMANAM madhuram : His travel to divya dEsams and the enjoyment

of the SaraNya dampathis there , his slow movement of his eyes

(taking it all in ) at the sannidhis to enjoy

the soundharyam of the divya dampathis from the Peetam

to the KirItam of the Lord with the accompaniment of AzhwAr's

prabhnadhams and AchAryA's sthOthrams had few comparisons.

There was no hurry , whatsoever during those occasions .

His recitation of Sri VarardarAja Sthavam and Panchakam at

Kaanchi PeraruLALan's sannidhi in his sweet voice was

a treat . One remembered AlavandhAr , Thirukkacchi Nampi ,

RaamAnujA ,NadAdhUr ammAL ,ApuLLAr and Swami Desikan 's

mangaLAsAsanams at those times .His Prapatthi(upAya anushtAnam )

was performed by his AchAryA , SrimushNam SwarNam Swami ,

right in front of Kaanchi VaradarAja PerumAL .

 

JN~AANAM Madhuram : After mastering the SaamAnya Saasthrams

( Tarkam , MImAmsam, VyAkaraNam , JyOthisham ) , H.H.

the 42nd Jeeyar readied himself for the study of VedhAntha

Saasthrams ( Sri BhAshyam et al ), VichAra Saasthrams

( NyAya Parisuddhi , SarvArtha Siddhi, Tattva Muktha Kalaapam )

thru KaalakshEpams .

 

His expertise in Sri Bhaashyam , and the other three KaalakshEpa

granthams , Divya prabhandham , Ahnika Granthams and

sookshmArthams related to them were legendary . With the choicest

blessings of Jn~Anam bestowed by Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan ,

his AaarAdhana mUrthy , he trained an illustrious

series of AcharyAs including the current Jeeyar of

Sri Ahobila Mutt and instilled high standards for

scholarship in every one of them to enhance their

Kaimkarya Sri to our dear SampradhAyam.

 

VASITHAA madhuram : His vasIkaraNa sakthi to

gather around him great scholars and simple

people alike was legendary .

 

VAANI Madhuram : The timbre of his voice was one of

the sweetest .His sangItha Jn~Anam was very well

developed and he used to render the slOkams

of sthOthrams in different rAgAs like Hamsadhvani

et al .

 

Ranga SatArE's Sarvam Madhuram :After attempting to

remember with affection the MaadhUryam of the face ,

smile , speech , Jn~Anam and VasIkaraNam , the poet

( H.H the 44th Jeeyar ) gives up further description

of the multi-fceted maadhUryam of his ParamAchAryan

and concludes with a statement : All aspects of

Sriranga Sri Ranganatha SatAri is nothing but Madhuram .

 

Concluding prayers to this great AchAryA

*****************************************

 

Now , I will remember with revenrence the tributes paid by

two great Sri VaishNavite Scholars of H.H. the 42nd Jeeyar :

 

Sriranga satajith yOgIDahObila MaDAdhipa:

JeeyAdh akhila kalyANa guNa rathnaakarO MahAn

-- Sri U.Ve. NavalpAkkam DevanAthArya Swamy

 

(Meaning ): May the Ahobila Matam's Jeeyar ,

Sriranga Sriranganaatha SatakOpa Muni,known

for his infinite auspicious attributes like

the ocean full of brilliant gems be victorious

forever !

 

SampUrNO Narasimha divya krupayA jEjIyathAm sarvathA

-- Sri U.Ve. PutthankOttakm SrinivAsAcchArya Swamy

 

(Meaning ): May Sriranga SriranganAtha

SatakOpa Yatheesvarar be victorious everywhere

and every times through the unlimited grace of

Sri LakshmI Nrusimhan .

 

yassanthatham VakuLa bhUshaNa vaangmarandhai:

Sri BhAshya Sookthi sura sindhu gnarAvagAhai:

 

VedAntha desika vachOmrutha dhArayA cha

Kaalam nayanthyanuhinam kamanIya seela :

-- Sri U.Ve .PitthakOttam SrinivAsAchArya Swami

 

(Meanings of the above two slOkams ): This mahAn of

most charming righteous attributes passes his time

tasting the makarandham of the divya prabhandhams of

NammAzhwAr's Bhagavadh Vishayam , immersing himself in

the nectarine fountain of the Sri BhAshyam of AchArya

RaamAnujA , and in the amrutha shower of the Sri Sookthis

of Swami Sri Desikan .

 

Sri PutthankOttam Swami concludes his tributes

with a mangaLa slOkam with a prayer that the glory

of Sriranga SriranganAtha SatakOpa YathIsvarar

last as long as there are stars and the Moon

and recognizes this great AchAryA as the One ,

who acquired sarva mangaLams as a result of

the most merciful katAkshams of Sri Lakshmi

Narasimhan falling on him .

 

AzhwAr , Acharyan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

AdiyEn , Oppiliappan Koil VaradachAri Sadagopan