Draft of Appeal

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs:

 

On behalf of the International committee of Sri VaishNavAs

wishing to pay tribute to the great scholars of Bhagavath

RaamAnuja Darsanam , adiyEn would like to invite your attention

to the life and works of an illustrious MahAn , Sri U.Ve.

Thirumalai Ecchampadi (Madurantakakam ) Veeraragavachariar Swamy,

who shared the dais with giants of his times such as

HH InjimEdu Azhagiya Singar, Utthamur Swamy , Putthankottam

Swamy , Thirukkoshtiyur Sowmya Narayanacchar Swamy ,

Vangipuram Navaneetham Krishnamachar Swamy ,HH Devanarvilagam

Azhagiya Singar and others .

 

Parama Padhavaasi Sri Maduratakam Veraragavacchar Swamy 's

centernary will be celebrated at Srirangam in March 2000 .

This mahan was prolific in his writings and shared his

immense knowledge with fellow Sri Vaishnavas at every

level . Many articles of Swamy are in the earlier issues

of Nrusimha Priya . During the forthcoming cenetenary celebrations,

the many monographs will be reissued and there will be

a Vidvath sadas at Srirangam presided over by HH Poundarikapuram

Sri Gopala Desika Maha Desikan . The committe invites all

of you to particpate in this MahOthsavam and requests

you to support this kaimkaryam , which is our way of

celebrating the life and message of a great Sri Vaishnavite

scholar and savant.

 

Sri Madhuranthakam Veeraragavachar Swamy was the Thiruvadi

( Sishya rathnam ) of the great Garudapuram Swamy belonging

to the Ecchampadi Vamsam . HH Garudapuram Swamy hails from

the lineage of Ecchampadi Aacchan , one of the seventy four

simhAsanadhipathis appointed by Acharya Raamanuja himself.

Ecchampadi Acchan was known as Srinivasa Purohitha for

the construction of champaka praakaram and Hema Koopam

for Lord Srinivasan at Thirumalai and Purana , manthra Pushpa,

Panchaanga patanam for Thirumalaiappan daily . AchArya Ramanuja

initiated Ecchampadi Acchan into Nrusimha Manthram

and Naarasimha Taapaneeyopanishad as well . Such is

the glory of the lineage of Madhuranthakam Veeraraghavachar

swamy's Acharyan and his sishya paramparai coming from

the Ecchampadi Vamsam.

 

AdiyEn will be writing later about the AchArya sathakam

and AchArya mangaLam for the Garudapuram Swamy to pay tribute

to the AchAryan of Mashuranthakam Veeraraghavachar Swamy .

Other members of the committee and scholars from India

will be contributing articles to pay our reverence to this

giant of a scholar , Sriman Madhuranthakam Veeraraghavacchar

Swamy during the next few weeks. We appeal to you to support

this kaimkaryam ot the best of your ability .Thanks in advance .

 

Subhamasthu ,

Pramaathi Sukla Paksha Dhvitheeyai

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan

 

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

 

Sri U. Ve. Mahavidvan Madurantakam T.E Veeraraghavachariar Swamy

Centenary Celebration

 

 

AN APPEAL

 

In the spiritual history of India, Sri Ramanujacharya's Ubhaya or

two fold Vedanta has far-reaching importance. The genius of Sri

Ramanuja lay in showing the unity of the Vedas and the Sanskrit

scriptures with the mystic hymns of the Alvars. Sri Ramanuja

chose 74 of his disciples and appointed them as "Simhasana Adhipatis",

messengers to continue the propagation of his philosophy.

One of them was Ecchambadi Acchaan. To this distinguished

and scholarly family belonged Sri U. Ve. Thirumalai Ecchambadi

Veeraraghavacharya Swami, who carried aloft the great spiritual

tradition of Bhagavad Ramanuja in this century.

 

Sri Veeraraghavacharya Swami was born on February 28, 1900, under

the nakshatra 'Avittam'. His father was Sri T.E. Krishnamachariar, the

first Tirthakaarar of Sri Kodanda Rama Swami temple at Madurantakam.

Swami had his education in Sanskrit at his native place and soon

gained enviable proficiency in the Vedas. At the same time, he also

mastered the 4000 verses of the Divya Prabandham. He then specialized

in Nyaya Sastra (logic) at the renowned Rajah's college under the

eminent vidvan Sri U.Ve. Swacchandam Swamy. Subsequently, Swami

learnt Sribhashyam, Gita Bhashyam, Srimad Rahasya Traya Saaram and

Arayirappadi (Bhagavad Vishayam) under Sri Sri Paramahamsa

Parivrajaka Garudapuram Swami. He also studied Tattva Mukta Kalaapam

from Sri U. Ve. Goshtipuram Sowmya Narayanacharya Swami.

 

Fully trained by eminent vidvans in the shastras, Sri Madurantakam

Swami took a position as professor of Nyaya in Rajah's College. For

nearly three decades, hundreds of students benefitted from his deep

knowledge of Nyaya, ubhaya Vedanta, and Mimamsa.

 

After his retirement in 1955, Sri Madurantakam Swami settled down

in Srirangam, following the tradition of countless acharyas of Sri

Vaishnavism from Nathamuni onwards who made this pilgrim centre their

place of Jnana Yoga. He was associated with the Sri Ranganatha Paduka

Vidyalaya as a teacher during these days. Always in demand for

scholarly congregations, he was scintillating as a powerful debater.

His expositions were clear and to the point. Blessed with a

prodigious memory, he could effortlessly recall scriptural sources

to convey the message of his arguments.

 

Recognizing his accomplishment in all aspects of Ubhaya Vedanta,

including the tenets and texts of both subschools, Sri Madurantakam

Swami became the President of the Srimad Ubhaya Vedanta Prachaara Sabha

in Srirangam, founded by Sri Tridandi Sriman Narayana Ramanuja Jeeyar

Swami in 1963.

 

A prolific writer on the philosophy and literature of Sri

Vaishnavism, Swami contributed regularly to journals such as Sri

Vedanta Dipika, Sri Nrusimha Priya and Sri Ranganatha Paduka. Among

his works are:

 

1. Tamil translation of Anumana Adhyaya (Chapter on Inference)

of Nyaya Parisuddhi of Vedanta Desika.

2. Tamil commentary on Desika's Nyasa Tilakam.

3. Tamil rendering of Desika's "Raksha" commentary on Alavandar's

Gitartha Sangraha.

4. Sri Sampradaya Sudha.

5. Sanskrit rendering of Tirumangai Alvar's Siriya Tirumadal.

6. NikAsha Sata Dushani.

7. Tamil commentary on Jitante Stotram.

8. Tamil Commentary on Desika's Abhiti Stava and Sri Stuti.

 

The birth centenary of this great acharya falls on March 4, 2000

(Maasi Avittam). Special programs are being planned for this day, as

this auspicious occasion would provide the right atmosphere for the

dissemination of Sri Vaishnava ideas.

 

To celebrate the centenary in a fitting manner, the "Sri

U. Ve. Mahavidvan Madurantakam T.E. Veeraraghavachariar Swami

Satabdhi Mahotsava Committee" has been set up as a central organizing

body under the benedictory presidentship of Sri Sri Paravakkottai

Andavan, Srimad Paramahamsa ParivrAjaka PaRavakkOttai Gopaladesika

Mahadesikan of Srimad Poundrikapuram Andavan Asramam, Srirangam.

 

In keeping with the life and teachings of Sri Madurantakam Swami,

a broad outline of activities for the celebrations has been drawn up

as below:

 

1. Recitation of Vedas, the Divya Prabhandham, Sribhasyam,

Gita Bhashyam, Srimad Rahasya Traya Saaram and Bhagavad Vishayam

2. Vidvat Sadas for five days.

3. Discourses by eminent scholars in the evenings.

4. Publishing the collected works of Sri Madurantakam Swami.

5. Tadiyaradhana for all the participants during the five days.

 

To add lustre to this celebration of Sri Ramanuja Darsana, all the

Yati Sreshtas of our Sampradaya will be invited to participate in the

celebrations. Each scholar is to be given around Rs. 1000 as

sambhavana and travel expenses. The total cost for the entire

celebration is estimated to be Rs. 10 lakhs.

 

We earnestly appeal to all Sri Vaishnavas to come forward with

liberal donations to this noble cause in order to pay a fitting

tribute to the great contributions of Sri Madurantakam Swami to the

Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya.

 

Donations can be sent to any one of the following committee

members. Contributors residing in the USA/Canada can make their

checks payable to SMSA, Inc. These contributions are

tax-deductible. Contributors at Singapore can send their checks to

Shri Madhava Kannan. At the end of each month (Nov., Dec., Jan., and

Feb.,) the checks will be sent to SMSA for issuing a consolidated

check to the Satabdhi celebration committee.

 

For those who make contributions at $100 (US) level, as a token of

appreciation, copies of Yatiraja Saptati by Sri Poundarikapuram Andavan

Swami (7 cassettes) will be given. If you are making contributions

at the $150 level, a complete set (about 20 casettes) of Upanyasams

recorded under the "popularization of Vedanta Desika project" will be

given as a compliment.

 

With respects:

 

 

International Fund Raising committee for

Madurantakam Swami's Centenary Celebration

 

 

V.Sadagopan

Apt. 68-1

Scarborough Manor

Scarborough, NY 10510

 

S. Vijayaraghavan

99 Kingsview Road

Williamsville, NY 14221

 

Hemmige vachaspati(Mani Varadarajan )

326 Frederick St

San Fransisco , CA 94117

 

Muralidhar Rangaswamy

37 Briarwood lane, Apt#9

Marlborough , MA 01752

 

Madhavakkannan vasudevan

Block 130 # 06-255

Yishun Street , 11

Singapore 760130