Andavan Ashramam Acharya Guru Parampara - 7

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Srimathe Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikaya namaha:

Acharya parampara of Srimath Andavan Ashramam continues in this

posting with Srimath Nammandavan - Vedantha Ramanuja Mahadesikan

Srimath Nammandavan

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

Avani poorattadhi is the thirunakshatram of Srimath ThErazhundur

Andavan Sri Vedhantha Ramanuja Mahadesikan. His poorvashrama Name was

Sri Varadhachar. Sri Varadhachar Swami was born in the year

Prajothpathi (1871) in the month of AvaNi in ThErazhundur village in

Tanjore district in Tamilnadu. He belonged to Eyunni vamsam and

Bharadwaja Gothram. At very early age, 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. 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 Sowbhagyavathi Sengamala

Ammal, daughter of Sri Annasami Ayyangar of Thirukkudanthai Ayyangar

street. 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, 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 of Varadhachar swamy. HH adorned thirunadu in Vijaya

varusham (1894) in the month of thai 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. . Accordingly Srimath Srinivasa SatakOpa Yatheendra Maha

Desikan (38th Jeer of Sri Ahoibila Mutt) who was camping at

Nrusimhapuram gave thureeyAsramam to Kadanthethi swAmi in presence of

a large Srivaishvaite gathering. Thus 76 year old KAdanthethi swami

became the Asrama Head of Srimath Andavan periAsramam as Srinivasa

RAmAnuja MahA DEsikan.

The health of KAdanthEthi Andavan deteriorated during 1905 and all

asramam sishyas immediately rushed to Sri VaradAchar swami and

requested to take up sanyasam from KAdanthEthi Andavan. Sri

VaradAchAr swAmi readily acceded to their request by leaving the

family to take up ascetic orders. He received thureeyAsramam from the

holy hands of KadanthEthi Andavan Srinivasa Ramanuja Maha Desikan in

the year KEELAKA VARUSHAM- AVANI MADHAM (sep-oct ,1908 ) and was

named Sri VEdAntha RAmAnuja MahA dEsikan- also known as &

ThErazhundur Andavan. And NammAndavan. Both AchAryAs were together

for a period of 6 months. Srimath KadanthEthi Andavan attained

thirunAdu in 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. Good personality, majestic look, pleasing voice,

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

of humor , 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 (who became Akkur Andavan-Srinivasa Maha Desikan later)

Sri U.Ve.Tenpirai Venkata Raghavachar swami( who became Thenbarai

Andavan-Sri RanganAtha Maha Desikan later)

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.

 

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.

 

 

In the next posting adiyen will continue with the history of acharyas

beginning with Srimath Akkoor Andavan.

Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi

Perungadambanur Parthasarathy Sreenivasan

(of Besant Nagar)

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