Today is Srimath Nammandavan's Thirunakshtram

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Sri: Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha: Srimathe Vedhantha Ramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha:

Thirunakshatram: Avani PoorattAdhi

Thanian: Srimath Srivasa yogeeshwara padhavinatham labdha vEdhaantha

yugmam Sri paadooSEvi raamaanuja munithilakaath thathpadha nyastha

Baaram Srimath Srivasa raamaanuja munimaNEr labda mokshaasramam tham

Srimath vEdhaantha raamaanuja yathi nrupathim sumsrayE gnyana

vaardhim

Today (Aug 31st 2004 ), Avani poorattadhi is the 133rd Thirunakshatram

of Srimath ThErazhundur Andavan Sri Vedhantha Ramanuja Mahadesikan,

also popularly known as NammAndavan who adorned Acharya peetam as the

6th Andavan in the Andavan Periashramam Munithraya Sampradayam AchArya

Lineage. Today is even more auspicious as it is also the

Thriunakshatram day of Srimath Vazhuthoor Andavan, the first Andavan

in Srimath Andavan Ashramam Acharya paramparai.

The poorvashrama Name of Srimath NammAndavan was Sri Varadhachar. Sri

Varadhachar Swami was born in the year Prajothpathi (1871) in the

month of AvaNi to Sri Srinivasachariar and Srimathi Alamelu mangai in

ThErazhundur village in Tanjore district in Tamilnadu. He belonged to

Eyunni vamsam and Bharadwaja Gothram, his vamsam being one of the 74

simmasanAthipadhis' vamsams, established by Emperumarar, to which

Eeyunni Madhavachar, Eeyunni Devarajachar, and Thiruthuraipoondi

Andavan Srinivasa Ramanuja Maha Desikan also belonged.

His aksharAbhyAsam and upanayana samskAram took place at a very early

age, and he was trained at vedha adhyayanam, kavyam and nataka

alankaram at his birth place. To learn TharkA, vyAkaranA, and

meemAmsA he went to Srirangam, offered his obeisance at the feet of

PeriAndavan who in turn blessed Sri VaradhAchar swami with pancha

samskaram and manthra upadesam

Sri VaradAchAr swami learnt Tharka and nyAya sAsthrA from the great

scholar Vilakkudi Vedhanthachar swAmi. Sri VaradAchar swami became a

great scholar and he received awards and merit certificates from all

vidwath gatherings at Pudukkottai and mysore samasthanams. He under

went intensive training under the great pandit pudhu-agrahAram

Brahmasri Kuppuswami sastrigal in meemAmsA and vyakaranA. He had

performed Atma samarpanam at the holy feet of Nam Perumal by Srimath

ChinnAndavan - Srimath Paduka Sevaka Ramanuja Maha Desikan.

He was married at the age of 18 years to Sow. Sengamala Ammal,

daughter of Sri Annasami Ayyangar of Thirukkudanthai Ayyangar street.

Sri Pudukkotai MahArAjA and VidwAn Seshayya took part in marriage

celebrations and presented him with Rs.400, a very big amount in

those days. After marriage, he went to ThiruvAiyAru to study further,

the advanced sections in Vyakarana sAstrA from Maha mahopAdhyAyA Sri

SubbarAyAchAriar and obtained asAdhArana pAndithyam. Mysore ParakAla

swAmi used to request Sri VaradhAchAr swAmi to visit Sri Parakala

Mutt every year to adorn vidwath sabhA gatherings.

Sri Varadhachar swami became a disciple at the holy feet of Srimath

ChinnAndavan - Srimath PAdukA Sevaka Ramanuja Maha Desikan and learnt

kalakshEpa grantha chathushtyams from His Holiness, and became a gNana

vairaghya nidhi , and an adhyantha sishya with paripoorna kataksham of

His Holiness. His Holiness Srimath Chinnandavan who was very much

impressed with Sri VaradhAchar Swami called him one day and told,

"You are going to be the Sampradhaya Pravarthaka of this Asramam" .

When Srimath Chinnandavan's health was affected, he longed for a

successor for this sampradhaya. Sri VaradAchAr swami, at that young

age readily offered himself for the ascetic order. But some concerns

were raised from very close circle that if Sri VaraAchar swami took

up sanyAsam at that time, there will be nobody to take care of his

family consisting of aged parents and a very young wife. and they

would suffer for livelihood, it was told. Sri VaradachAr swami was

yet to have a

progeny at that time. Having heard these remarks, ChinnAndavan was

upset but did not pursue it further. He adorned thirunadu in Vijaya

varusham (! 1894) Thai month without appointing a successor to

Asramam . Sri VaradAchAr swami, after completion of Chinnandavan's

kainkaryams, purchased a house at Srirangam and lived there with his

parents and wife. He visited the Brindavanam of asramam daily,

performed ThiruvArAdhanam, and pAdukArAdhanam in morning and offered

ThiruviLakku at evening and after all kainkaryams, he used to return

home only at night.

This was his daily activity for 11 long years from Vijaya varusham

1884 Thai month to Visuvavasu-Avani -1905, when 76 years old

Kadanthethi SathavadhAnam Varadha vEdhanthAchAr swami, a disciple of

PeriAndavan, was requested by all Andavan Ashramam sishyas and other

bhagavathas to take up sanyasam from Thirukkudanthai Srimath Azhagiya

singar. KAdanthEthi swami agreed to their request but on one

condition, that Sri Therazhundur Varadhachar swami (who is already

doing all Asrama ArAdhana kainkaryam) should make a promise that he

will take up the ascetic order in Andavan Asramam as his successor on

his DEhAvasAnam. Sri Varadhachar swami agreed to this condition and

accordingly Srimath Srinivasa SatakOpa Yatheendra Maha Desikan (38th

Jeer of Sri Ahoibila Mutt ) who was camping at Nrusimhapram gave

ThureeyAsramam to Kadanthethi swAmi in presence of a large

Srivaishvaite gathering. Thus 76 year old KAdanthethi swami became

the pontiff of Srimath Andavan

periAsramam as Srinivasa RAmAnuja MahA DEsikan.

Sri Varadhachar swami went to back to his family to take care of his

aged parents. By the prophetic vision and blessings of Srimath

KAdanthEthi Andavan, a son was born to Sri Varadhachar swami in 1907-

Parabhava panguni - ( 30.3.1907 ) in Hastha nakshathram . The health

of KAdanthEthi Andavan deteriorated during the same time and all

asramam sishyas immediately rushed to Sri VaradAchar swami and

requested to take up sanyasam from KAdanthEthi Andavan. Sri

VaradAchAr swAmi also readily acceeded to their request. He did a

maha upakAram to our sampradayam by deciding to take up sanyasam

immediately and decided to leave his 16 month old child and family to

take up holy ascetic orders. He received thureeyAsramam from the holy

hands of KadanthEthi Andavan Srinivasa Ramanuja Maha Desikan in the

year KEELAKA VARUSHAM- AVANI MADHAM(1908) and was named Sri VEdAntha

RAmAnuja MahA dEsikan- also known as NammAndavan & ThErazhundur

Andavan. Both AchAryAs were

together for a period of 6 months. Srimath KadanthEthi Andavan

attained thirunAdu in the year, Keelaka varusham-masi

madham-krishnapaksham-dwadasi thithi (17.02.1909).

Ever since Srimath NammAndavan took up sanyasam, His Holiness had

assimilated in himself strict austerity, extreme rigid and rigorous

routines of a sanyAsi, leading a highly puritan's life of his

poorvacharyas, rejecting all luxuries and conveniences. He travelled

by walk only like his predecessors observing " pAdhayAthra" to visit

holy shrines for doing MangalAsAsanams of various Divya Desams,

throughout south India. Some of the places he visited for doing

mangalasasanam are mentioned below: Rayampettai, Mannargudi, Vaduvoor

, Thirukkudanthai, Thittanimuttam, Vazhuthur, Pappakoil near

Nagapattinam, Mysore, Thiruppathi, Kanchi, Thiruvahindrapuram,

Chidambaram Navathirupathigal, Keezhanattam(thirunelveli) etc.

NammAndavan travelled far and wide to establish the sampradhaya

sthApana= m. Good personality, majestic look, pleasing voice,

convincing talk etc were his great traits. His discourses were full

of humour, and was a rasika ranjana with penetrating perception of

holy life of sages Alwars and ArchAvathAras. He attracted all

sections of vaishnavite community, vedic scholars and VEdhAnthis, by

his philosophic lectures. His deliverance of Sri BAshyA, Bhagavath

vishyam and other granthAs, were with such ease and perfection, that

they attracted a large gathering around him, wherever he lectured.

People in those days used to say that, Peria perumal is namm

Perumal, jewel among alwars - is nammAlwAr and jewel among acharyas-

is NammAndavan .

Some of the great scholars who studied , swaroopa granthas under His

Holiness srimad NammAndavan were;-

Sri U.Ve. Rangachar swami (Akkur Andavan-Srinivasa Maha Desikan)

Sri U.Ve.Tenpirai Venkata Raghavachar swami (Thenbarai Andavan-Sri RanganAtha Maha Desikan)

Dimmakudi sri U.Ve .Srinivasachar (Sri Ramanja Yatheeswarar)

Thirukkudanthai Vairakya Nidhi Sri U.Ve. Rajagopalachar ( Sri Narayana Yatheeswar)

Rayampettai GanapAdi Vidwan Seemachar ( Sri Srinivasa Ramanuja Maha

Desikan ) and many others.After staying at Srirangam for some time,

His Holiness was on a PAdhayAthra to Kanchipuram via Thirukkudanthai.

At Kanchi, sishyas of Srimath Andavan constructed an Asramam in the

banks of river Veghavathi in Rangarajan Stree t and requested Srimath

Andavan to visit and stay at that place. On His Holiness 's command an

Ashramam was constructed and completed on 15.12.1928, the first day of

MARGAZHI in VIBHAVA varusham and He named it as pAdukAsramam. He

stayed there for about 2-1/2 years, teaching sath sampradAya granthAs

to sishyas.

In Prajothpathi year (60th year of his birth) his health was very much

affected and H.H. wanted to appoint a successor for the Asramam. His

Holine ss NammAndavan wanted Sri Akkur Rangachar Swami to be his

successor. But havin g influenced by gnanam, vairaghyam, anushtAnam,

spiritual powers, and great capabilities of Srimath NamAndavan, Sri

Rangachar swami was afraid and thought that he may not be a fit

person to be the successor of Srimath NamAndavan and adorn this great

Acharya lineage of Srimath Andavan Ashramam . So Sri. Rangachar swami

hesitated and respectfully declined to take up thureeyashramam at

that time. Srimath Andavan was very upset that Sri Rangachar could

not be appointed immediately as His Holiness realized His dehAvasanam

(end) was nearing. His Holiness offered prayers to the PAdukAs of

PoorvAchAryas, and with tears rolling in his eyes, reciting slokas

like "Sriman Abeeshta ,Varadha Thvaam asmi charanam Gatha:" & with

Goddess Thayaar

as Purusha kAram, His Holiness offered pranams many times at the lotus

feet of Lord Varadharaja of Kanchi, and appealed to HIM ,

"Hey Prabho! you have fulfilled the prayers, of Sri Alavandar by

making Sri Ramanuja as the Sampradhaya pravarthakar. Now fulfil my

prayer also by making Akkur Rangachar swami, as the sampradhya

pravarthakar & my successor, in our Asramam. The responsibility is

yours."

Saying so, He surrendered his burden at the lotus feet of the Lord

Varadhan of Kanchi. His holiness adorned thirunAdu in PRAJOTHPATHI

year (1931)-Aadi -Poorattadhi Krishna panchami day, that was on

03.08.1931 at the age 59 years and 11 months shortly before

celebrations of His shashti-abtha-poorthi, without appointing a

successor to Asramam.

Like AlavandAr's prayer, Srimath NammAndavan's prayer too was granted

by Lord Varadha later. Srimath Aakur Rangachar consented to take up

sanyasam immediately after Srimath Nammandavan adorned ThirunAdu.

Exactly 3 weeks after NammAndavan adorning Thirunadu, Sri Narayana

Yatheeswarar, a Disciple of NammAndavan, who had already received

Sanyasam from NammAndavan, gave the ochre ascetic robes of sanyasam

to Sri Rangachar swami. SriRangachar swami became the successor of

NammAndavan in Andavan asramam as Srimath Akkur Andavan Sri Srinivasa

Maha Desikan.

 

dasan,

Venkat SreenivasanSrimath Andavan Thiruvadi

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