kAnchi svAmi PB Annangaracharya

[Guest guest]

[The following write-up is offered as a tribute to the kAnchi svAmi,

Sri prativAdi-bhayankaram aNNangar/AchArya of sacred memory

who had passed away on June 21 1983.

 

Part-1 is a brief account of his ancestor who was adorned with the

title 'prativAdi-bhayankaram'.

 

Part-2 is a short memoir of the kAnchi svAmi. Biographical facts

are as authenticated in the excellent booklet written by

Dr M.A. Venkata-krishnan, tiruvallikkENi, Chennai.

 

Part-3 is my sketchy 'in memoriam' account of the kAnchi svAmi.]

 

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PART-1: prati-vAdi-bhayankaram aNNA -- the kooTa-stha

(eponymous ancestor)

~~ (by tirumanjanam S. Sundara Rajan)

 

aNNA was of Sri-vatsa gOtra and his family name was muDumbai, as was

another noble preceptor-theologian piLLai lOkA/chArya. aNNA was the

grandson of the younger brother of lOkA/chArya's father,

vaDakku-t-tiru-veethi-p-piLLai.

 

aNNA's eponymous ancestor muDumbai-nambi was among the convocation of

preceptors identified by Sri rAmAnuja and revered as the 74

simhAsanA/dhipati-s.

aNNA's spiritual schooling was owed to the line of preceptors made up of

piLLai-lOkA/chArya (of Srirangam), Sri-SailESa (=tiru-vAi-mozhi-p-piLLai

of kuntakai...AzhvAr-tiru-nagari), maNavALa-mAmuni (of AzhvAr-tiru-nagari

....Srirangam).

 

aNNA was born in the 'divya-dESam' tiru-t-taN-kA (in kAncheepuram) and was

named hasti-giri-nAtha after the presiding deity dEva-p-perumAL. He

received

his early instruction from vEdAnta-dESika's son, varada-nAyanA/chArya who

extolled his disciple's intellectual prowess by calling him

'prati-vAdi-bhayankaram aNNA' (= formidable in debate), and presented

to aNNA the 'archA' icon of svAmi-dESikan.

 

In his later years aNNA came to learn about the outstanding personality of

kOyil maNavALa-mA-muni and of his great services to the 'sampradAya' in

 

~~renovating the 'divya-dESam' temples left ravaged on the brute trail

(1310-1320 AD) of Malik-kafur,

~~restoring worship and festivals in the 'divya-dESam' temples,

~~organising a dedicated band of amanuenses to make multiple copies of the

'sampradAya rahasya' (esoteric) works so as to preserve them for posterity,

~~writing his own fragrant exegesis on a part of 'periyAzhvAr-tirumozhi',

'irAmAnuSa-nUR-RantAdi', the prasthAna-traya works Sri-vachana-bhUshaNam,

mumukshu-p-paDi and AchArya-hrdayam and, most of all,

~~administering the Great Temple of Srirangam with great dedication and

vigilance.

 

Having come to know of mA-muni, aNNA forthwith repaired to Srirangam

seeking to be accepted by the gentle sage. Their very first meeting was

marked

by an outgoing cordiality and expressed admiration for each other's service

in

the religion of ancestors.

 

The 'taniyan' / muktaka-SlOkam of aNNA is nearly a cryptic record of their

first meeting.

 

Acknowledging aNNA's early discipleship of nAyanA/chArya, mA-muni

introduced him to the assembly as an intellect nurtured in the mores of

vEdAnta-dESika [vEdAnta-dESika-kaTAksha-vivrddha-bOdham].

 

aNNA responded by declaring that he had been singularly blessed to receive

the grace of mA-muni [kAntOpayantr -yamina:-karuNAika-pAtram].

 

The second line of 'SlOkam' was then completed by the savants in assembly,

to identify aNNA as of Sri-vatsa descent, and of unblemished character

[vats-AnvavAyam anavadya-guNai: upEtam

bhaktyA bhajAmi paravAdi-bhayankar-Aryam].

 

aNNA was among the eight select disciples who were thought of to be the

support and hoist of the religion ~~ the 'ashTa-dik-gaja'.

 

aNNA is to-day remembered for his euphonious hymns drawn upon the

'divya-prabandham' and dedicated to Sri vEnkaTESa, as bidden by mA-muni

on a joint pilgrimage to tiru-malai/tiru-vEnkaTam. The 'su-prabhAtam' is

the AzhvAr's tiru-p-paLLi-ezhucchi; the 'mangal-ASAsanam' is from the

tiru-p-pallANDu; the 'prapatti' draws upon the aruLi-c-cheyal "ulakam

uNDa",

"Ezhai Etalan", "ArA-amudE" and "taru-tuyaram taDAyEl"; and 'stOtram'

from diverse hymns of the blessed AzhvAr saints. In the 'mangalA/SAsanam'

and 'prapatti', aNNA's spiritual debt to mA-muni is acknowledged:

 

"Srimat-sundara-jAmAtr-muni-mAnasa-vAsinE,

SrimatE vEnkaTESAya Sri-nivAsAya mangalam"

 

(Blessed be the Lord of Sri, and of the vEnkaTam hills, Himself the abode of

Sri,

He the one who dwells in the thoughts of Sri azhakiya-maNavALa-mA-muni !)

 

"sAumyOpayantr-muninA mama darSitau tE,

Sri-vEnkaTESa-charaNau SaraNam prapadyE"

 

(I seek refuge in Sri vEnkaTESa's feet as were identified for me

by azhakiya-maNavALa-mA-muni.)

 

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~