Fwd: Benediction from H.H. Srimad Andavan Swami of Srimad Poundarikapuram Ashramam

[Guest guest]

Dear BhavatOttamAs:

 

Shri Muralidhar Rangaswamy returned from India recently. He had the

sowbhagyam of meeting Srimad Poundareekapuram Swamigal. Swami has a special

message for us that he had sent through Murali. Due to Mani's absence he

has not been able to re to the bhakti group. Hence I am pleased to

forward the same. Thanks.

 

Vijayaraghavan

Buffalo, NY

 

>"muralidhar rangaswamy" <rangaswamy_m

>CC: vijayaraghavan_s

>Benediction from H.H. Srimad Andavan Swami of Srimad

>Poundarikapuram Ashramam

>Sat, 01 Jan 2000 05:12:33 PST

>

>

>Sri:

>

>SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

>

>Dear Bhaktas,

>

>At the start of the new millenium, Adiyen wishes to share with all

>of you the message of benediction from H.H. Srimad Andavan Swami of Srimad

>Poundarikapuram Ashramam. The message,

>originally in Tamil has been translated by U.Ve. Dr. V.N. Vedanta

>Desikan Swamin.

>

>Namo Narayana,

>

>SriMuralidhara Dasan

>

>***************************************************************

>

>Benediction Message from

>Sri Paravakkotti Srimad Andavan

>SRI GOPALADESIKAMAHADESIKAN

>of

>Srirangam Sri Poundarikapuram Swami Asramam

>

>

>To the Srivaishnava Community living in the United States of America

>

>

>All persons devoted to the Sri Vaishnava Sampradayam would be well familiar

>with the name of Mahavidwan Sri Ubhaya Vedanta Acharya Thirumalai

>Eachambadi

>Veeraraghavacharya Swami of Madhurantakam. Rightly was he, famous as 'Sri

>Madhurantakam Swami'. He had devoted his whole life to the propagation of

>Sri Desika Sampradaya. He had been writing articles on our sampradaya

>throughout his life. A collection of those writings would prove to be an

>ideal source book for the moderns to understand the nuances of sampradaya.

>

>He was one who would never swerve from the codes of conduct mandatory for a

>Sri Vaishnavite. There is a maxim that a Vaishnava ought to fall down on

>all forms, like a stick (danda) on seeing another Vaishnava.

>

>That is, how the usage 'dandam samarpippadu' came into vogue. This

>signifies the sesha-seshi relationship, the one who prostrates is the Sesha

>and the one to whom prostration is rendered is the Seshi. I have observed

>in my life the implicit observance of this great virtue that marks a

>Srivaishnav, only in the case of two great Swamis. One was the Goshtipuram

>Swami (Sri Sowmya Narayanarya Mahadesikan), when I was a student of the

>Tirupathi Sanskrit College, I was a resident of the Ahobila Math there.

>There I saw one day, the above Swami returning to the Math, after finishing

>his daily rituals in the Pushkarini. Remember he was revered very highly

>for his Jnana as well as Anushtana. I felt I should pay obeisance to him.

>I went and fell down on all fours in Sashtangapranam and lo! what did he

>do!

> He too, fell down before me even as I was in the process of prostration.

>I was shocked. I could not swallow and forbear the thought of my Bhagavata

>apachara. I ran away with tearful eyes and avoided the repetition.

>Therefore, I used to prostrate only 'behind the screen', somewhere,

>unnoticed by him. What a touching quality of these great Swamis!.

>

>Later on, some 30 years later, I had occasion to visit Sri Madhurantakam

>Swami in his residence at Srirangam. I experienced the same return of

>Pranama from him, when I rendered it. Now I had the guts to stop him. I

>prayed to him to cease from such an act that hurts me. No, he would not

>relent. I then hit a strategy to keep the Swami off from rendering a

>Prativandana, I requested him to initiate me in Vaiswadeva, which would

>place him at the level of a preceptor in a sense. He kindly obliged me and

>smilingly commented: 'This is only a pretext of being a preceptor. Anyhow

>you have won me.

>

>Both the Swamins were real treasure houses of Jnana. They had such

>sterling

>qualities that they would be respectable to all. For them, to exhibit this

>virtue of servility to any Srivaishnava, irrespective of age or other

>qualifications, marks them out as unique models for us to follow.

>

>We had only recently celebrated the 120th Jayanthi of Sri Goshtipuram

>Swami.

> The centenary of Sri Madhurantakam Swami is to be held on 4.3.2000. It

>is

>in the fitness of things to celebrate these functions as a matter of our

>duty towards our sampradaya.

>

>Swami Desika has mentioned in his 'sampradaya parisuddhi' (one of Sillarai

>Rahasyas), that "there is no conflict of content among the branches,

>whatever they may be, in the Ramanuja Sishyas' sampradayas. But whatever

>minor difference arises in certain practices, because of place, passage of

>time or condition of living, should be treated as permitted by our

>scriptures. This emphasises that all belonging to Sri Bhashyakara's

>Siddhanta are; one they to the same cardinal Vedantic tenets.

>Differences, if any, in some practical aspects, are to be conceded as

>permissible. They will themselves not amount to an antagonism or a cause

>for conflict. This is what we should learn from the life of this great

>swami; Let each Sri Vaishnava adhere to practices transmitted from

>generation to generation in a family. Let each adhere to his practice and

>respect others' practices also.

>

>Sri Vaishnavas in the USA are a minority in that country now. They ought

>not to make much fuss about differences that may necessarily exist between

>one group belonging to one sub-unit and another similar group, say

>belonging

>to another Acharya-line. After all, all of you inherit the tradition of

>Bhagavad, Ramanuja and Swami Desika. Remember what Swami Desika wished:

>"May jealousy be abandoned; It is jealousy that generates mutual enmity".

>Live without jealousy, with a feeling of unity, with the right kind of

>reverence to the Bhagavatas as other Vaishnavas are to be treated. That

>kind of culture is called Bhagavata-nishta. The Lord would not excuse

>offence against His devotees, namely, the Bhagavatas. May this sprit

>inform you all, in everyday conduct and in assemblies of Sri Vaishnavites.

>

>Now comes an occasion for your participation in the Centenary of the great

>Vaishnava that Sri Madhurantakam Swami is.

>

>I pray to the Divine couple Sri Ranganatha - Sri Ranganayaki and to the

>great Poorvacharyas that you may all be blessed with long life to all of

>you

>and your kith and kin, with sound health, with bounteous affluence, and

>with

>all that each one of you may wish for.

>

>I take leave with my hearty benedictions and with Sriman Narayana smarana.

>

>Narayana Narayana

>

>Srimad Andavan

>Sri Poundarikapuram Swami Asramam

>

>-- oo0oo --

>

>

>

>

>

>

>____

>

>------

>Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka

>Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

>

>------

>-- 20 megs of disk space in your group's Document Vault

>-- /docvault//?m=1

>

 

____

Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com