abhinava dEsika - SrI UttamUr Swamy Divya Charitham- 15

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SrI:

Sri Padmavathi Sametha Srinivasa Parabrahmane Namaha.

Sri Perundhevi Sametha Devadhiraja Parabrahmane Namaha.

SrimathE Bhagavad Ramanujaya Namaha:

SrimathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya namaha:

Srimate Rangaramanuja Maha Desikaya Namaha.

Srimate Abhinava Desika Vatsya Satchakravarti Uttamur SRI

VIRARAGHAVARYA MAHA DESIKAYA NAMAHA

 

SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |

vedAntAcArya-varyome sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||

 

Thanian (Invocatory verse on Sri UttamUr swamy written by

Swamy's AchAryan Sri Kozhiyalam Swamy himself)

 

adbhutam yasya vikrAntam vEda vIthI ViSOdhanE |

aparam nigamAntAryam prapadyE vIrarAghavam ||

 

Let us continue with the divya charitham of Sri UttamUr Swamy.

 

[Article in Tamil by SrI PayyampADi VEnkatavaradAchArya SwAmi; English write

up (based on Tamil) by SrI R.VenkatAchAri (SohattUr- Vankipuram -Oppiliappan

Sannidhi), a disciple of SrI UtthamUr SwAmi. Appeared in the souvenir

released during the SatAbhishEkam (80th birth anniversary) of SrI UtthamUr

swAmi on 10th Feb, 1977]

 

THE BIRTH OF UBHAYA VEDANTA GRANTHAMALA” as a publishing

organization:- (cont'd)

 

Later when the first volume of Upanishad Bhashyam with a commentary called

PARISHKARA was finished, Sri Kolialam Swami went through that and was very

much pleased, the indicating of which can be seen in his Preface to the

first volume. Similarly when two columes of Prabandhams were released with

Our Swami’s commentary called RAKSHA, Sri Koilialam Swami was very much

impressed at the novel approach to the subject, quite different from the

ones published so far, and agreed that Srivaishnava Sampradaya, in essence,

have gone into the commentaries with due regard to the meanings of the prior

and later Pasurams and the context. He commended that the name “Raksha” for

the commentary is quite apt. He said that he would pray that the Alwars

and Acharyas should bless him for the completion of the entire Nalayiram

Pasurams in a similar way.

 

The printing of Isavasyopanishad was done at Pudukottai with the

advice of Sri Thottalam Rajagopalachar Swami, who, at an earlier date, was

kind enough to publish Our Swami’s “Ramayana Rassavada Bhoomika”, in Vedanta

Deepika. He also arranged, that the proof correction and supervision of the

publication will be done by Sri U.Ve.Pudukottai Srainivasa Raghavacharya

Swami, at that time a resident of Pudukottai and a Sishya if Sri Goshtipuram

Swami. With a view to speed up the publication, Our Swami started printing

at Tirupathi itself and the Upanishads like Kena etc. were published.

 

The publication of “Tiruppalladu” in the Prapandam series was first

released along with Our Swami’s Raksha commentary, to find out the

reactions of the scholars in Prabandams, specialized in Prabandams and

qualified to appreciate, criticize and enjoy the RASANUBHAVAM in the

Always’s Sri Suktis, unanimously approved the new way of approach to the

interpretation of Prabandams which was in line with the Pramanams available

on the subject and, in addition, contained many new meanings for the verses.

They requested Our Swami to continue his effort and publish the entire

4000 and odd verses of the Alwars with the Raksha commentary.

 

At this juncture in Our Swami’s career, Sri U.Ve.Desika Darsana

Ratnadeepa V.V.Srinivasa Iyengar Swam, Sri D.Ramaswamy Iyengar Swami,

Advocate, (who is hailed as Abhinava Alwar and a Rasika of Prabandams) and

Retired Police Commissioner Gudalur, G.Rangaswamy Iyengar Swami, from

Madras, jointly sent word to Our Swami, that they would undertake the

responsibility of collecting money for Our Swami's publications and they

fully realize that the publications are really a boon to Our Sampradaya and

that they know the trouble taken by Our Swmai for the publications of books

in Sri Desika Sampradaya. They also said that Sri.G.Rangaswami Iyengar

would be the Secretary for the campaign.

 

The sincerity of Sri.V.V.Swami would be seen in the English Preface he had

written for the first volume of the Upanishads, in his inimitable style.

 

With the blessings of the Acharyas and Alwars the work on Prabandams

was progressing well. The printing was done at the Sri Venkateswara

Press, at Little Kanchipuram, owned by Sri Purisai Srinivasavaradachariar

Swami, who is the son-in-law of Sri U.Ve.Gaadi

Swami, who studied for Tarka Siromani under Our Swami. (The major

work of Nalayira Divya Prabandams, now completed, was done only at Sri

Venkateswara Press, except, a few sanchikas which were printed at

Madras towards the end).

 

When the Upanishads were taken up for publication, Our Swami wanted to go

through all the available manuscripts and other authentic palm leaf

versions, as he was not satisfied with the books so far published on the

subject. Our Swami heard that Sri U.Ve. Kothimangalam Gopalacharya was

having some authentic palm leaf manuscripts of Upanishads. (Sri

Kothimangalam Swami was the Acharya for Vedanta Adhyayana for Sri.Swachandam

Swami under whom Our Swami studied Tarka at Madurantakam, and so, known to

Our Swami.) Our Swami approached SrI U.Ve.Navalpakkam Narayanachar Swami,

a renowned AGNI HOTRI, who was at that time visiting Kanchipuram, and

requested him to help Our Swami to have access to the Palm Leaf manuscripts.

He readily agreed to do that immediately on his return to Navalpakkam. a

little later, Our Swami's son-in-law and disciple for Tarka Shastra, Sri. K.

Sridharatatachar Swami of Kanchi, proceeded to Navalpakkam and secured the

Palm Leaf manuscripts (through Sri Kotimangalam Swami's nephew Sri

Viraraghavacharya, also called Seemachas Swami) and brought them to Madras.

In addition to the above, Our Swami also went through the manuscripts at the

famous Adyar Library. Convinced that he had enough material, the work on

Upanishads with the commentary called PARISHAKARA progressed well. The

commentary Parishkara contains details like; the difference in the versions

of Sri Madhwa and Sri Sankara; the merits and demerits of the different

versions and whether it is advisable to deviate from the version in the

"Bhashya" of Sri Saakshaat Swami, who was well known as "Upanishad

Bhashyakara". The Parishkara also contains certain new approaches to the

study of Upanishads and full commentaries for the portions left out by the

Upanishad Bhashyakara, which are quoted by some of the Acharyas in our

Sampradaya books

To be continued..

AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE saraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

aDiyEn dAsan

 

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