aippasi mrugasheersham (Thirunakshatram of Sri VangIpuram swami.

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Tomorrow (Nov 12th) is Thirunakshatram of Sri Andikkadu swami (sri VangIpuram swami).

(aippasi mrugasheersham). On the eve of this auspicious day let us learn a bit about this

acharya.

We are all aware that after Sri Bhagavad Ramanuja our Guru parampara is branched

out widely with numerous acharyas. This is further widened after Swami desika and

we have the beginning of Sri Parakala mutt, Sri Ahobila mutt and Sri Vanamamalai

mutt etc (to name a few). The swayamacharya parampara is also vast and we have lots

and lots of great acharyas and from Sri Thirukkudanthai desikan swami the munitraya

sampradayam is beginning. The guruparampara lineage of Sri Uttamoor swami is given below.

Please note that this is only a partial list and NOT all the acharayas are listed here

for the sake of brevity.

(from the most recent acharya)

SrI Uttamoor swami

|

|

SrI Kozhiyalam swami

|

|

SrI Thiruppathi Swami Thiruvahendrapuram srinivasa Echchampadi satakopa

| ramanuja muni swami swami

| |

|

|--------------------------

(and others)

|

SrI KethANdipatti Swami

|

|

SrI Andikkaattu swami EyyuNNi Srinivasa ramanuja Navalpakkam Annarya maha

(VangIpuram Swami) swami

desikan

| |

|

|-----------------------

|

SrI Vazhuththur Vedanta Srinivasa muni swami Sri Seeyalam rangantha muni swami

Ramanuja Swami | |

| | |

|---------------

|

SrI Thirukundhai Desikan

|

|

SrI Saakshaat swami

|

|

Sri Upanishat Bhashyakarar

|

|

Earlier acharyas

SrI ANdikkAttu svamI

This swami was born in a village called ANdikkAdu, which is in southern part of Tamil Nadu.

He was born in aippasi tamil month in mrugaseersha nakshatra in the illustrous vangIpuram

bharatwaja gotram. His father's name was Sri Raghurama dIxithar. SrI andikkadu swami is

the disciple of illustrous vazhutthur Sri Vedanta Ramanuja maha desikan (Vazhutthur swami).

There were two other disciples for Vazhutthur swami and they are Srimad Annarya maha

desikan and ViLAkkudi EyuNNi Srinivasa ramanuja swami.

SrI VangIpuram swami was a wealthy person. It seems that he had lots of cows in his

house and he used to host the yatrikas by providing lots of milk,curd and butter etc.

Once a great mahan came to this village along with his other sishyas enroute their

divya desa yatra to Dhanushkoti, ThiruppullaNi. Our swami was very pleased to conduct

grand DhathIyaradhanam for the group and when they are about to leave, swami has

provided milk curd and butter in huge mud pots for their usage in their yatra. He

however made one request that the contents of the pots can be used as they like but

the pots must be returned to him. The visiting mahan was indeed surprised at this

request and enquired, " when you are providing so much of milk and curd, why are you

so particular about the old, used pots? Because, unless the pots are used one,

the curd won't be nice" pat came reply.

SrI VangIpuram swami felt that the propagation of the sampradaya should be best

done by his acharya Sri Vazhutthur swami. Due to this reason he did not travel

far and wide but initiated and taught grantas to his disciples from his place only.

Later on, he gave up all the wealth and took up sanyasa. SrI VangIpuram swami is

glorified as apara avatara of Sri Vazhutthur swami and he got the same name as his

acharya ie,"Sri Vedanta Ramanuja swami" after entering into sanyasa ashrama.

SrI VangIpuram swami came to Thiruvahendra puram at the request of another great

mahan Sri Srinivasacharya (who is the elder brother of Echchampadi advocate

Sri T E Shatakopachaiar's grand father). SrI Srinivasacharya swami came to Srirangam,

where our vangipuram swami was giving kalekshpams and he was greatly impressed at

the oratal skills of Vangipuram swami. He became sishya of Vangipuram swami and

persuaded many of his relatives and friends to became his disciples. SrI Vangipuram

swami lived at Thiruvahendrapuram for a long time and this ashramam where he lived

is still being remembered as "Swami ashramam".

It is told that only because of Sri Vangipuram swami the commentries of Sri Sakshaat

swami and Sri Thirukkudanthai desikan for Bhagavad vishayam and Srimad Rahasya

traya saram respectively came to light and this indeed is a bhagavad sankalpam.

Sri Annarya maha desikan had great respect for this swami. Sri VangIpuram swami's

disciple was famous KEthandippatti swami.

KEthaandippatti swami and VangIpuram swami:

Sri Lakshmipura chakravarti swami (kethandippatti swami) was learning Srimad Geetha

bhasyam from Sri Nallan swami at Kethandippatti. At the time of conclusion of this

granta, Sri nallan swami had a dream that Sri Kethandippatti swami should be sent to

Sri Andikkattu swami (vangipuram swami) for further kalekshpams. Sri Kethandippatti

swami took the blessings of Sri Nallan swami and came to Thiruvahendra puram, where

Sri Vangipuram swami was camping and delivering kalekshpams.

Sri VangIpuram swami was also a scholar in astorlogy. He told the goshti one day that,

" many sishyas have learnt from me till now and see one day a bright sishya will come

from western side and he will learn from me and thru him our sampradayam will grow multifold"

Sri Lakshmipura chakravarthi swami came to Sri Vangipuram swami as per the order of

sri nallan swami and prostrated before Sri Vangipuram swami. On looking this sishya

every one realisesd that he is the sishya Sri Vangipuram swami was referring to.

Sri Vangipuram swami was impressed at the brilliance of Sri Lakshimipura chakravarti

swami and taught him all the grantas and sastras. He also did bhara samarpanam for

him. Sri Vangipuram swami in his old age used to instruct Sri Kethandippatti swami to

do pravachanam on his behalf and used to enjoy the brilliance of Sri Kethandippatti swami.

Unquote:

adiyen is indeed blessed to be born in the lineage of Sri Vangipuram swami.

Our ancestors lived in this hamlet which is near Pattukkottai in Thanjavour

district till the year 2000. My father was the last one to leave the andikkadu

village to settle down in Madras.

adiyen will be greatful if anyone can provide taniyan of this acharya and any

additional information including a photo/painting of Sri Andikkadu swami.

(Source: Write up by Sri Uttamoor swamy in an article titled "Guruparampariyil sila

mahAnkaLin chariththira churukkam" in Tamil).

adiyen is thankful to Sri Anand Karalappakkam swami for providing this article.

adiyen has freely translated the tamil article and please pardon for any errors.

regards

adiyen dasan

VangIpuram R. Venkataraghava dasan.