Andavan Ashramam Acharya Guru Parampara - 8

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Srimathe Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikaya namaha:

Acharya parampara of Srimath Andavan Ashramam continues in this

posting with Srimath Akkur Andavan - Srinivasa Mahadesikan

 

Sri Srinivasa Mahadesikan (Srimath Akkur Andavan) Thirunakshatram: PurattAsi-UtthirattAdiThanian

Srimath vEdhaantha Raamaanuja yathi nrupathEr labdha vEdhaantha yugmum

Srimath dEvaadhinEthu ChCharana sarasijE thEna daththaathma

BaaramSrimath Srivaasa yogeeshwara mahitha mahaa sampradaayaika

nishtamVandhE Srivaasa yogeeshwara gurumanagam vathsalam

Bhavyasheelam

 

Akkur Andavan was born in the year 1880 in the month of Purattasi

with Uthirattadhi as his birth star.His poorvasrama name was

Rangachariar. He was the immediate successor to Srimad Nammandavan

and 7th Peetadhipathy of Srirangam Srimad Andavan Asramam. He had

studied sampradhaya granthas at the holy feet of sri Nammandavan

along with Sri U.Ve.Thembarai Venkata Raghavachar swami (who became

Tembarai Andavan later) Dimmakudi sri U.Ve .Srinivasachar

Thirukkudanthai Vairakya Nidhi Sri U.Ve. Rajagopalachar, Rayampettai

GanapAdi Vidwan Seemachar and many

others

 

In 1931,When Nammandavan's health was very much affcted, HH wanted to

appoint a successor for the Asramam. His Holiness NammAndavan wanted

Sri Akkur Rangachar Swami to be his successor. But having influenced

by gnanam, vairaghyam, anushtAnam, spiritual powers, and great

capabilities of Srimath NamAndavan, Sri Rangachar swami 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. 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:" and 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.

 

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

by Lord Varadha later. Srimath Aakur Rangachar swamy 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, the same

name as PeriAndavan and very much like PeriAndavan in Gnaana,

vairagya, anushtaanam etc.. His sancharam in the 15 year period from

1931 was all on foot (paadha yathrA). His holiness Srimad Akkur

Andavan covered Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Thirupathi through His

paadha yatra and spread Munithraya ashrama sampradyaa.

Srimad thembarai Andavan and Srimath Thirukkudanthai Andavan attended

the Kalakshebam of various granthams in their poorvasramam at the

holy feet of Srimath Aakkur Andavan. Srimath Akkur Andavan had the

blessings of Srimath Nammandavan in Completing the Vyakyanam for the

remaining 208 slokas of Padhuka sahasram (Srimath Nammandavan had

already completed vYAkyanam for about 800 slokas of paduka sahasram,

but before completing the balance, he adorned ThirunAdu)

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Once Akkur Andavan had to undergo a surgery to remove a cyst from his

chest. He never took any pain killing medicine or anesthesia for the

procedure. Instead, he was deeply immersed, in reciting ramayana

slokas mentally for getting himself relieved from the pain. He was

one of the greatest exponents of Ramayana discourses at his time.

People had a very high regard for him for his simplicity, lucid and

profound knowledge in sampradhaya and sastras, humourous discourses,

etc, and called him as ""ENGAL ANDAVAN"

 

Thembarai Venkata Raghavachar Swamy was doing kainkaryam to Srimath

Akkur Andavan, continuing to undertake kAlakshEpams under His

Holiness. Srimath Akkur Andavan. His Holiness was immensely

pleased with Thembarai swAmi’s GnAna, vairAghyA and AnushtAnams and

felt that Thembarai Swamy was the right person to be

adorned as ‘sampradAya pravarthakA’ of periAsramam after His time.

His Holiness Srimad Akkur Andavan informed Thembarai Swamy about his

decision. Thembarai Swamy after long thoughts, decided to take up

sanyAsam and gave his consent to his Holiness. Srimath Andavan was

extremely pleased byThembarai swAmi

mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">’s decision and ordained His sishyAs to

make arrangements for the Holy ceremony.

 

On 06.10.1946, Srimath Akkur Andavan gave the holy sanyAsam to Sri.

U.Ve. Brahmaniddhi Thembarai VenkatarAghavAchAriar swami in presence

of several Andavan thiruvadis and named him as ‘Sri RanganAtha mahA

dEsikan’

and asrama disciples fondly called him as Thembarai Andavan. Both

Acharyas, namely Akkur Andavan and his successor Srimath Thembarai

Andavan were together in the Asramam for a period of 5-1/2months till

Srimath Akkur Andavan adorned ThirunAdu on 19-3-1947 on a krishna

paksha dwAdasi day (in the month of Panguni, viya year).

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

beginning with Srimath Thembarai Andavan.

Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi

Perungadambanur Parthasarathy Sreenivasan

(of Besant Nagar)

 

Adiyen is attaching a rare photo taken in 1930's at Tanjai Mamani

Koil( I think) where Srimath Akkur Andavan is in the center along

with Srimath Thembarai Andavan in His purvasramam(fourth from right)

and Vaikuntavasi Vidwan U.Ve. Sri Ammoor Narasimhachariar (first from

left)who had given this photo a few years ago)

 

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