SRI RANGA SRI VOL. I / 019 d/01/31/01

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SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anubadravam anudhinam samvardhaya/

SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anubadravam anudhinam samvardhaya//

KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava:/

SrI RanganAthO jayathu SrI Ranga SrIs cha VardhathAm//

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SRI RANGA SRI VOL. I / 019 DATED 31st January 2001

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EDITORIAL

We are glad to present the 19th Issue of "Sri Ranga Sri"

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. SriRanga Vijayam Part 17: "Enter the holy City"

- Purisai Krishnamachariar Swami

2. Greatness of Bhagavad RamAnuja Darsanam Part 1B

- Anbil Ramaswamy

3. STOTRAS :

Dhruva StOtram from Srimad BhAgavatam Part 2 from SkAndham 4,

AdhyAyam 9.

4. "Lineage Non-pareil"

- VaikunTavAsi Justice M. Srinivasan

(provided by Sri R. Srinivasan Swami, (General Manager, Brakes

India , Chennai)

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Anbil Ramaswamy

Editor & Publisher

"Sri Ranga Sri"

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1. SriRanga Vijayam Part 17: "Enter the holy City"

- Purisai Krishnamachariar Swami

Translated by Anbil Ramaswamy

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Our entry into the holy city commences at what is known as "AmmA

manTapam" on the banks of the "kAveri on the South" (ththen-thiruk-

kAveri).This is the place which the Lord visits on the 18th day of

the Tamil month "AaDi" when the river is in full floods known

as "PathineTTAm perukku". We finish our bath in the cool waters

visualizing mentally the groves where the honeybees hummed and

peacocks danced and the drizzles gently drench, cuckoos softly coo

(vaNDinam muralum sOlai, mayilinam AaDum Solai, konDal meedhaNavum

SOlai). We then complete our daily chores "(nitya karma anushTAnams)

and start towards the temple.

 

As you step out, remember to pay your respects to the divine guards

like Kumudan, KumudAkshan, PunDareekan, VAmanan, SankarNan,

SarpanEtran, Sumukhan, SuprathishTan and other group leaders

(GanAdhipathis), their weapons, their associates (parivAras) and

their vehicles (vAhanams) and secure their permission to enter the

city thus-

"KumudAya GaNAdhipathayE savAhana parivAra praharaNAya namah:"

In Sri RangarAja Sthavam, Sri BhaTTar says-

Janapadasarree thanthrreepa pushyath-pura paripAlana nitya

jAgarookaan/

PraharaNa parivAra vAhanADyAn Kumuda mukhAnGaNanAyakAn namAmi //

 

After these guards, he pays his respects to all living beings like

cows, birds, trees and humans and even inanimate objects like stones,

rocks etc. He holds that "those who know" would not deem them as

ordinary beings and objects but as the eternals (nityas), the

liberated (muktas) or those desiring mOksha (mumukshus) who had come

into the place and in these forms for the specific purpose of staying

in the holy city.

 

In the next SlOka, he wonders that perhaps, Mother earth (BhoodEvi)

had come to Sri Rangam to pay her obeisance to Sri Ranga VimAnam. She

seems to be accompanied by huge mountains, trees fully laden with

fragrant flowers, the seven seas, and the islands within – all

helping her in offering prayers to the Lord. The streets seem to him

like the seven islands lying between the ramparts that appear to him

as the seven seas. The great manTap (mahAmanTapam) seems like the

magnificent mount "MEru".

 

As we enter the holy city, we find on the left the sanctum (Sannidhi)

of "TirukkuraLappan". This seems to be very ancient. When Madhurakavi

AzhwAr carried the icon of his AchArya, NammAzhwAr from AzhwAr

Tirunagari for the Tiru Adhyayana Utsavam, he is reported to have

stayed at this Sannidhi.

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To Continue: Part18: "The RAya GOpuram"

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2. GREATNESS OF BHAGAVAD RAMANUJA DARSANAM: Part 1 - B

{Note: This series was posted earlier in other Internet sites a while

ago. As per the request of a large number of readers who are not

members of those sites and / or those who had missed reading them, it

is being posted here. Those who have read the series earlier may

kindly refresh their memory or just skip excusing me for the encore

presentation}

- Anbil Ramaswamy

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SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

There are several streams of philosophic thought among the AASTIKA

DARSANAS (THOSE THAT RECOGNIZE THE AUTHORITY OF THE VEDAS) like those

of Sri Nimbarka, Sri Vallabha, Sri Chaitanya etc but the main ones

based on the relationship between the Universal soul and the

individual souls are those known as Advaita, Dvaita and

Visishtadvaita.

 

ADVAITA was founded by Gaudapada and expounded by Adhi Sankara charya

based MAINLY on the Non- differential passages contained in the Vedas

(Abeda Srutis). THOUGH THEY ACCEPT THE "BHEDA SRUTIS" ALSO AS

AUTHORITY, THEY GIVE LESS IMPORTANCE TO THEM IN COMPARISON

WITH "ABEDHA SRUTIS". They hold that there is only one soul and there

is no differentiation as Universal and Individual soul because they

are one and the same and were never different.

 

DVAITA was founded by Madhwacharya and followed by RAghavendra and

others who relied MAINLY on the differential passages contained in

the Vedas (Bheda Srutis). THEY ACCEPT "ABEDHA SRUTIS" AS AUTHORITY

BUT GIVE GREATER IMPORTANCE TO "BHEDA SRUTIS" IN COMPARISON

WITH "ABEDHA SRUTIS". They hold that the Universal soul and the

Individual souls were totally different and remained eternally so and

can never be same or even equal.

 

VISISHTADVAITA has been in existence from time immemorial from the

days of the Vedas which were in Sanskrit. These were transcribed

into "DrAviDa BAsha" (Tamil) by the AzhwArs especially NammAzhwAr)

through their 4000 holy collects, also called Divya Prabandams.

 

Due to the influence of Buddhism, Jainism etc outside the pale of

Vedas and other causes there was a period of eclipse, as it were, for

the VisishTAdvaita philosophy. It was given Sri NAtha muni, to

rediscover by receiving UpadEsa through yogic powers from Sri

NammAzhwAr himself. It was elaborated by Sri YAmuna muni, expounded

by Sri RAmAnuja muni and lucidly explained by Swami Sri VedAnta

Desika and propagated by many others.

 

APART FROM THE ABHEDA AND BHEDA SRUTIS, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WHAT IS

CALLED GHATAKA SRUTIS WHICH SEEK TO RECONCILE, SYNTHESIZE,

SYNCHRONIZE AND INTEGRATE THE APPARENT CONTRADICTIONS AS BETWEEN THE

TWO.

 

They hold that though the Universal soul and the Individual souls do

exist apart eternally, they exist in a peculiarly inseparable

relationship with each other (Apritak Siddha) in a sort of Body -

Soul relationship (Sarira- Sariri Bhava).

 

Thus, all these three streams accept the Vedas and therefore are

streams of the Vaideeka matham, though Advaita and Dvaita rely on one

or the other of the BEda and AbEda Srutis, unlike VisishTadvaita

which accepts all the Srutis in the Vedas as authority and reconciles

the apparent discrepancies, in the interpretations of the other two

streams.

 

There is a historical compulsion also for the stand taken by Sri

Aadhi Sankara. At his time, a-vaidic philosophies had mushroomed and

gained so much popularity due to the influence of NaiyAyikas,

VaisEshikas, Samkhyas, Yogis, LokAyathas, Aarhathas (Jains), HinAyAna

branches of Buddhism like VaibAshikas, SourandhrikAs, MahAyAna

branches of Buddhism like YOgachAras, and MAdhyamikas, PAsupathas,

BhaTTa PrabhAkaras, BhAskariyas, EkAyanas etc that he had a

stupendous task in demolishing all their arguments.

 

For this, he had to go the extra mile with them, if only to prove

them wrong like " bearding the lion in its den" and in the process

earned the label of "Prachchanna Bouddhas".

 

The task of Sri RamAnuja was then made much easier, because he had

only one opponent to vanquish viz. Advaita, though he provided

additional arguments against the other streams as well that were

still prevalent at his time.

 

Sri M.K. Sudarshan observes –

" The Western world still regards Vedanta as being largely synonymous

with the Advaita system propounded by Adi Sankara. It is Advaitic

thought that is still seen as India's greatest contribution to the

philosophies of the world. In spite of its many flaws and leaks and

inconsistencies, there is no gainsaying that the Advaidic tradition

has become the flagship of the Vedantic armada"

 

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in "Hindu view of Life" has said this already.

"One or two later followers of Sankara lend countenance to this

hypothesis but it cannot be regarded as representing the main

tendency of Hindu thought......the different theistic systems adopted

by the large majority of the Hindus do not advocate the doctrines

of 'mAya'. etc - The theory is held by Sankara, who is regarded often

as representing the standard type of Hindu thought"

 

Sri Sudarshan further observes -

" In Hagellian terms, if "Dvaita" represented the "thesis"

and "Advaita" the "Anti-thesis", then VisihTAdvaita verily

constitutes the "synthesis" of many streams of Vedantic thought" It

will be seen from the discussion that follow, that Visishtadvaita

philosophical position is actually an improvement upon not only those

of "Dvaita" and "Advaita" but of many other streams and is NOT JUST A

VARIANT"

 

In fact, as Sri Sudarshan avers –

" Visishtadvaita is THE highest evolved form of Vedantic thinking

over 2000 years and it actually represents the "STATE-OF THE ART"

thinking in modern Vedanta".

 

Returning to the `Apritaksiddha" concept mentioned above, an

illustration is given as follows: "The totality of existence is like

a wheel, God being the hub and the rim and Jeevas being the spokes

connecting. They are inseparable but not identical with him" The

individual soul while being the soul in relation to the physical body

constitutes the body of the Universal soul (i.e. Paramatma) who is

none other than Sri Narayana.

 

One SrikanTa SivAcharya sought to an attempt to install the supremacy

of Shiva over all other deities. But, his attempt failed to carry

conviction and remained to be known as 'Saiva SiddhAnta'.

 

As pointed out by Sri Anand Karalapakkam –

"His BhAshyam to Brahma sutras is almost a carbon copy of Bhagavad

RamAnuja's Sri BhAshyam. The only change he has made is the equation

of Brahman with Lord Shiva, instead of Lord Sriman Narayana. His

system of thought is called "Saiva VisishtAdvaita". He is also

technically a VisishTAdvaitin !"

 

But for this solitary experiment, all the three streams of

philosophies acknowledge Sri Narayana as the Paramatma. The Advaitins

do not agree wholeheartedly with this position of Sri Narayana and

preferred to call Sri Narayana as 'Saguna Brahman'(Paramatma with

attributes) subject to another entity called 'Nirguna

Brahman'(Attributeless Brahman).

 

However it be, even for the TRUE Advaitins, Sriman Narayana is THE

PARAMATMA.

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SECTION 2 THE SRUTI PASSAGES IN SUPPORT OF THE THREE STREAMS OF

PHILOSOPHY will follow

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3. STOTRAS :

Dhruva StOtram Part 2 (Concluded) from SkAndham 4, AdhyAyam 9 of

Srimad BhAgavatam. We present in this posting SlOkas 7 to 17

translated by Swami Tapasyananda.

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thE na smaranthi athitharAm priyam Eesa marthyam yEchAnvada:sutha

suhridgruha viththa dhArA: /

yE tvabjanAbha bhavadheeya padAravaindha sougandhyalubdha hridayEshu

krutha prasangA;// 12

Meaning:

"Oh! Lord! Thou holdest the World-lotus in Thy navel! Those who

maintain intimacy with the devotees who are inebriated with the

fragrance of Thy lotus feet forget their own dear body and all

associated with it like son, wife, friends, home and wealth."

 

Thiryang naga dvija saree srupa dEva daithyAdhibi: parichitham sad

asad visEsham /

Roopam sthavishTam aja thE maha vAdhyanEkam nAtha:param parama vEdhmi

na yatra vAdha: // 13

Meaning

"To me, only Thy gross form as the universe is visible – the form

manifest as animals, birds, plants, snakes, Devas, Asuras and men and

constituted of categories related as cause and effect like mahat

tattva, AhankAra and the rest. Thy transcendent state, which words

cannot describe is not perceptible to me"

 

kalpAntha yEthad akhilam jaTarENa grunhan sEthE pumAnsvadrug anantha

sakas thava angE /

yannAbhisindhuruha kAnchanalOka padma garbhE dhyumAn bhagavathE

praNathOsmi thasmai // 14

Meaning:

"At the time of the cosmic dissolution, Thou dost gather all the

worlds into thy abdomen and lie on the serpent bed of Anantha, with

the consciousness indrawn. In the navel pool of Thee so lying, arose

the golden World-lotus and on its pericarp was seated the luminous

Brahma, the creator. My salutations to Thee"

 

tvam nitya mukta parisuddha vibuddha aatmA kooTastha Aadhi purushO

bhagavAns traya dheesa: /

yad buddhayaavsthithim akhaNDithayA sva drushTyA drushTAsthitha

avadhimakhOvyathiriktha aassE // 15

Meaning

"Thou art the eternally free, pure, and wakeful Spirit. Thou art the

original Being, undecaying and the master of all divine majesties as

well as of all material forces. Transcending all ( but including all

things within Thy being), Thou, the worshipful One (adhimakha) and

the Lord of the whole World [process, standest as the Witness, whose

eternal and indivisible consciousness supports and illumines the

consciousness of individual beings"

 

yasmin viruddha gathayO hi anisam pathanthi vidhYadhayOvivida

sakthaya aanu poorvyAth /

tad Brahma visva bhavamEkam anantham aadhyam aanandamAtram avikAram

aham prapadhyE // 16

Meaning

" I take refuge in Thee, the all-inclusive and infinite Being known

as Brahman – the Source of all, the One without a second, the

Infinite, the Perfect,, the essence of bliss. In Thee all

contradictory powers, such as the creative and the destructive, the

illuminating and the concealing, the redeeming and the adjudging all

co-exist, and shed their oppositions"

 

sathyAsishO hi bhagavan thava pAda padmAsees thathAnu bhajata:

purushArtha moorthE: /

apyEvamarya bhagavAn paripAthi dheenAn vAsrEva vatsakamanugraha

kAtharO asmAn // 17

Meaning:

"Oh! Lord! To a devotee of Thine who is desireless and ever engaged

in the worship of Thee, who art the very embodiment of man's highest

aspirations. Thy feet are the sole object of quest. He seeks no other

boons. Yet, Oh! Lord! Thou who art ever bent on bestowing Thy grace

on all, dost protect the weak and the suffering, even as a cow

protects its new-born calf"

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CONCLUDED

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4. "LINEAGE NON-PAREIL"

VaikunTavAsi Justice M. Srinivasan

(Article provided by Sri R. Srinivasan Swami

(General Manager, Brakes India , Chennai

who maintains the Home Page of the PeriyAShramam)

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NOTE 1: We have already presented the lineage of Srimad ANDavans of

PounDarikapuram SwAmi Ashramam.

 

Now, this article by Justice M. Srinivasan, a Sishya of

PeriyAShramam, deals with the lineage of that Ashramam.

 

It will be seen from the article that the lineage of both

PounDarikapuram Ashramam and PeriyAShramam is the SAME upto

ChinnANDavan. The branching off took place only from "KADanthethi

ANDavan"

 

NOTE 2: We have collected information on the lineage of ParakAla

Matam and Ahobila MaTam also. Postings on them will follow. The other

AchAryas of SwAmi Desika SampradAyam not featured in these will be

presented thereafter under the title "Know this AchArya"

Editor

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I.PRELUDE:

AdhyAseena thuranga vaktra vilasA jihvAgra simhAsanAth

AchAryad iha dEvathAm samadhikAm anyAm na manyA mahE /

YasyAsou bhajatE kadAchid ajahad bhoomA svayam bhoomikAm

MagnAnAm bhavinAm bhavArNava samutharAya nArAyaNa: //

Meaning

"The tip of the AchArya's tongue shines bright being the throne on

which is seated the Lord Hayagriva. So, we do not consider any deity

as higher than AchArya. Even NArAyaNa plays the part of the AchArya

without ever giving up His Supreme greatness, in order to save those

who are sunk in the sea of worldly life."

 

Every disciple of Srirangam Srimad Andavan Ashramam can proudly

proclaim from the top of the world that description of an AchArya in

the above slOka of Sri VedAnta Desika fits everyone of the

successive pontiffs who have adorned the Ashramam as the AchArya from

the inception till date. Everyone of the AchAryas in the Ashramam has

been a bright luminous star in the firmament of VisishTadvaita

SiddhAnta propagated by the Munitraya viz. Sriman NAtha Muni, Srimad

YAmuna Muni and Srimad RAmAnuja Muni has been fostered and nourished

by the unstinted efforts of these AchAryas. They have remained

incomparable and unparalleled in the matter of knowledge (jnAna),

practice (anushTAna) and asceticism (VairAghya). They were and are

the living examples of the definition of "AchArya" found in the

SlOka:-

AachinOthi hi sAstra arthAn, achArE sthApayathyapi /

Svayam aacharathE yasmAth thasmAth AchArya IshyathE //

Meaning

"A person is an AchArya because he imparts the meaning of holy

scriptures to his disciple, makes him act in accordance therewith and

also follows himself the same"

Everyone of the AchAryas in Srimad ANDavan Ashram has been a cynosure

to be emulated by other ascetics.

 

II. HISTORY

TIRUKKUDANTHAI MAHA DESIKAN

The Institution had its genesis in Sri GOPAlArya MhAdEsikan, famously

known as "TirukkuDanthai DEsikan". He was born about 300 years ago,

in the village of RAyampettai in the district of ThanjAvur by the

grace of Lord Oppiliappan as the son of one KrishNasoori. He became

proficient in all scriptures at a young age. He was sent by his

father to Srirangam to be a disciple of Sri SakshAt SwAmi who was

himself very famous from the day of his birth.

 

In fact, Lord RanganAtha instructed Sri SakshAt SwAmi in his dream to

train Sri GopAladEsika in the philosophical tradition propagated by

Sri RamAnuja and Sri VedAntai Desika. On a command received from Lord

AarAvamudhan of TirukkuDanthai, Sri GopAladEsika returned to

TirukkuDanthai and started propagating the Sampradayam (traditional

religious doctrine) besides completing the books which were left

unfinished by his AchAryas. He himself authored some books

including "Aahnikam" and "sArnganeeva StOtram".

 

Lord RanganAtha directed three illustrious persons in their dreams to

go to Sri GopAlArya MahAdEsikan and learn the traditional literature

and spread the same. Sri TirukkuDanthaidEsikan had a dream that he

should teach these three persons – One of them was from Vazhuthur. He

became an ascetic and came to be known as "Sri VedAnta RaamAnuja

MahAdEsikan" aka "Vazhuthur ANDavan".

 

The title "ANDavan" was given to him by Lord RanganAtha as he was

protecting the SampradAya. Sri Vazhuthur ANDavan founded the

institution `Srirangam Srimad ANDavan Ashramam". His successor

was "Sri SrinivAsa RamAnuja MahAdEsikan" known as "ThirutturaippooNdi

ANDavan". He was staying in Srirangam.

 

THIRUTHURAIPPOONDI ANDAVAN

One day, a boy of 14 years came to His Holiness and requested for

performance of "BharaNyAsam"(resigning to God).His Holiness did

scriptures etc. The boy went to KAnchipuram where his parents were

living. After his father, KrishNamAchAriar expired, he came to His

Holiness and requested him to give "SannyAsam". Bu, his wife and

mother represented to His Holinesss that he should not be made an

ascetic in that young age. His Holiness advised the young man to go

back and come after the birth of a child. After some time, the young

man became the father of a male child and went to His Holiness and

reiterated his request. His Holiness made him a SannyAsi. That young

man was none other than "SrinivAsa MahAdEsikan" who became famous

as "Srimad PeriyANDavan".

 

PERIYANDAVAN

SrinivAsa MahAdEsikan after whom the Ashramam came to be known

as "PeriyAshramam" was an ascetic for more than 50 years. For quite a

long time, he was in continuous meditation in Srirangam. He used to

glean grains from the houses of a few devotees of Lord RanganAtha

by `Unchavrithi" only on 7 or 8 days in a month, wash the same in

Kaveri water, cook the same and eat it along with holy basil (Tulasi

leaves) without salt, ghee, milk or curd. On the other days, he used

to powder the dry leaves fallen from the holy fig tree, consume the

same and drink water. By such severe penance, he became very lean and

emaciated and came to be known as "Vathal SwAmi". As he was for long

indulging in meditation, Lord RanganAtha issued a command too him to

take disciples and disseminate and propagate the religion and

philosophy. Thereafter, several persons became his disciples and

turned out to be great men of learning and preceptors. Some of them

who were famous were-

(1) Tirupputkuzhi Appa

(2) MannArguDi gOpAlanna

(3) VyAkaraNam RangAchAriar

(4) MeemisAl NarasimhAchAriar

(5) ChinnAmu RangAchAriar

(6) Tirunelveli GopAlasamudram NarAyaNAchAriar

(7) ShamaLA Chakravarthi and

(8) Purisai NaDAdur RangAchAriar

One of his disciples purchased a land on the southern bank of

Coloroon and offered it to H.H,PeriyANDavan His Holiness accepted it

and had a hermitage constructed where he stayed and rendered

kAlakshEpams. Sri PeriyANDavan was strict disciplinarian and insisted

on adherence to absolute discipline among his disciples both during

the time of kAlakshEpams and other times. It used to be said that in

the morning, when he took the texts in Cadjan leaves for KAlakshepam,

whatever may be the number of pages and whatever be the time span, he

would not rise from his seat without finish8ng all the pages. He

traveled widely in Tamilnadu and Karnataka and performed SamAsrayaNam

and BharaNyAsam. He used to render KAlakshepam of Grantha-

ChatushTayam that is, SribhAshyam, Gita BhAshyam, Srimad Rahasya

Traya Saram and Sri Bhagavad Vishayam in a year and in that way he

had completed them thirty times.

 

Such an illustrious AchArya was succeeded by one of his disciples who

was tested in several ways by His Holiness before he was given

SannyAsam. As he became an ascetic even during the lifetime of Sri

PeriyANDavan and both were together for about 6 months, he came to be

known as "ChinnANDavan" his official name was "Sri pAdukA sEvaka

RamAnuja MahAdEsikan"

 

CHINNANDAVAN

He was a great scholar in Dharma SAstras such as Manu Smriti,

yAgjnavAlkya Smriti etc. He was often consulted by the British

Government in matters of Hindu Law etc. He authored as many as 9

books:

(1) AhnikArtha PrakAsika

(2) Sri Jayanthi NirNayam

(3) Ukti AchArya NishTA VichAra

(4) Satpada RakshA

(5) JanmAshTami NirNayam

(6) Tatkratu NyAya VichAra

(7) AchArya SambhAvanA kramam

(8) Yathi dharma Samuchchayam and

(9) Aasoucha Sangraham.

 

He had several disciples two of whom became heads of the Ashramam

later viz., Therazhundur ANDavan and Thenbarai ANDavan. After

completing 18 ChaturmAsyams, he left this mortal world. At that time

there was none to take charge of the Ashramam for 15 years. Then,

some disciples persuaded Sri Varada VedAntAchAriar to adorn the

AchArya peeTam. He became `SrinivAsa RamAnuja MahAdEsikan" known

as "KADanthethi ANDavan"

 

KADANTHETHI ANDAVAN

He mastered several mantras with the aid of which he used to perform

some miracles. In his PoorvAsramam when he went by palanquin, the

front side was carried by men and the rear side by mantras, without

any men. He pleased the authorities of Tirupathi DevasthAnam with his

miracles and the DeavasthAnam presented an ivory palanquin which he

presented to Desikan Sannidhi at TiruchchAnur. He authored some

StOtras. He was a SathAvadhAni. He gifted the benefits acquired by

him by reciting Tiru AshTAksharam seven crores times to EeyuNNI

VaradAchAriar SwAmi and also made him a SannyAsi. That was "Sri

VedAnta RamAnuja MahAdEsikan" also known as "NammANDavan"

 

NAMMANDAVAN

He had "PanchasamskAram" under PeriyANDavan. His versatility even in

his childhood was unrivalled. His erudition and scholarship had no

bounds. He earned several honors in seminars of VidwAns. He was

rewarded by the MahArAja of PudukkOTTai. He had BharanyAsam unde4r

ChinnANDavan. When the latter was thinking of nominating a successor,

Sri VaradAchAriar offered to become a SannyAsi but other people

prevented him as he had elderly parents and young wife. After getting

progeny, he obtained SannyAsam from KADanthethi ANDavan. During his

period, the number of disciples increased.. Everyone was attracted by

his sweet qualities. He was an expert in music. He wrote a commentary

on "Sri pAdukA Sahasram" for 860 SlOkas but was prevented by illness

from completing it. He caused the publication of several books

through Sri V.K.RamanujAchAriar SwAmi. Her made valuable

contributions to several temples and arranged for continuous

performance of festivals and other rituals in some temples. He

traveled widely. He was a rare personality respected even by

atheists. He was succeeded by "Akkur Sri SrinivAsa MahAdEsikan" also

known as EngaL ANDavan"

 

ENGALANDAVAN

Having studied the scriptures under NammANDavan, he proved to be an

expert in rendering discourses on Srimad BhAgavatam, Srimad RAmAyaNam

etc. He completed the Tamil commentary on pAdukA sahasram and

published it. He traveled all over South India and caused renovation

and repairs of several temples. He gave SannyAsam to Thenbarai

RamabadrAchAriar, who was a disciple of ChinnANDavan.

 

THENBARAI ANDAVAN

He was an embodiment of detachment (VairAghyam) and quietism

(Shantham) .His calm and unperturbed temperament overpowered anyone

who approached him with a disturbed mind. He performed 15

ChaturmAsyams. On account of indifferent health, he did not move out

of the Ashramam. He caused the performance of AshTAkshara mahA yagyam

in the PeriyAshramam premises at Srirangam. He chose such a successor

who could take the institution to dizzy heights and it

was "TirukkuDanthai ANDavan".

 

TIRUKKUDANTHAI ANDAVAN

Named as SrinivAsarAghavan by his parents, he earned a popular

name "KaNNan SwAmi". By his discourses in a mellifluous voice, he was

very well known throughout the country. It is no wonder that on his

entering the fourth Asramam, the institution got expanded beyond

recognition. He traveled on foot the length and breadth of the

country and attracted thousands of disciples. Being a scholar in

NyAya and VyAkaraNa, he specialized in AzhwAr's songs compendiously

known as "nAlAyira Divya Prabandham" The mastery which he had over

the subjects on which he rendered discourses was simply amazing. The

way in which he used to quote from Divya Prabandams reminded the

listener of the grandeur of the flow of perennial holy river. Whether

it was a KAlakshepam or UpanyAsam, he used to intersperse them with

witticisms and simple similes which made even an uneducated listener

understand easily the most abstract tenets. He carried out repairs

and renovations in several temples and donated several articles and

jewelry to various temples. He had constructed temples in Bangalore

and Delhi. He established branches of the Ashramam in Andhra Pradesh,

Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh States besides

several important towns in Tamilnadu including the city of Chennai.

He performed 26 ChaturmAsyams. He rejuvenated the monthly

journal "Sri RanganAtha pAdukA". He created several charitable and

educational trusts such as "Sri pAdukA Charities" in Madras and "Sri

RanganAtha pAdukA VidyAlaya trust" in Srirangam. The latter trust

established an educational institution and started courses in Vedas,

Divya Prabandams, SAstras, KAvyas etc. When he realized that the Lord

wanted him back in His abode, he gave SannyAsam to Mysore

GOpAlachAriar SwAmi who was a SrikAryam in the Ashramam and a year

later left this mortal world.

 

MYSORE ANDAVAN

He was a great scholar in Sanskrit. Unfortunately, the Lord took him

away within a month after the departure of TirukkuDanthai ANDavan.

 

PRAKRITAM SRIMUSHNAM ANDAVAN

Fortunately for the Ashramam, Sri TirukkuDanthai ANDavan had

mentioned the name of SrimushNam VarAhAchAriar SwAmi as a successor,

probably knowing that Mysore ANDavan may not live for long. When the

disciples of the Ashramam approached the SwAmi, he had no hesitation

in accepting the call to religious order though he had a large family

to support. Following the footsteps of the great Saint EmperumAnAr,

he placed "Service to Society" above his personal family. Ho took

KAshAyam (saffron robe) from PeriyANDavan Sannidhi. Being a scholar

of unfathomable depth in any subject under the sky, he lost no time

in convincing the disciples of the Ashramam that he can not only

carry aloft the banner of the Ashramam but also take it to further

heights. His expertise in SAstras, Vedas, music, dance, medicine,

sculpture, literature (both Tamil and Sanskrit) and PAka SAstras

baffles everyone. He has constructed a temple in Sripuram,

Bangalore. He has founded a college in Ar6ts and Science at

Srirangam under the auspices of "Sri RanganAtha PADukA VidyAlaya

Trust". He not continued what had commenced during the time of

PoorvAchAryas but also adding to the same and expanding the

activities which are useful to Society. His witticism in

conversations is remarkable. The disciples are grateful to the Lord

for installing him as the head of the institution. We pray to the

Lord and the PoorvAchAryas to bless H.H. with long life and sturdy

health.

 

III. CONCLUSION

Before concluding, it is necessary to mention that Srimad ANDavan

Ashramam maintains the unique practice of worshipping the pAdukas of

PoorvAchAryas. Several of the disciples of the Ashramam perform not

only Bhagavad ArAdhanam but also Paduka ArAdhanam. The AchAryas of

the Ashramam are so keen that the disciples should get the blessings

of the Lord, they perform SamAsrayaNam and BharaNyAsam on being

requested without delay. Our AchAryas have performed BharaNyAsam even

for new-born babies, We, the disciples of the Ashramam would always

follow the ancient path shown to us by the spotless Madhurakavi which

is sage and good. So, we adore the regular and spotless succession of

AchAryas which is well known to extend upwards to the Lord.

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