asmadhAcharyan Sri PaRavaakkOttai Andavan Thirunakshathram TODAY (Panguni Rohni)

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

 

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

 

Please accept aDiyEn’s dhaNdavath praNAmams. Today (Panguni – Rohini) is the

82nd Thirunakshathtram (Birthday) of AsmadhAchAryan Srimad PaRavakkOttai

Andavan Sri Gopaladesika Mahadesikan of Sri Poundarikapuram Andavan Asramam.

 

Let me pay my salutation to the noblest of the noblest on His

Thirunakshathram,.

GurOr nAma sadhA japEth.. One should always utter the divine name of the

Guru. There is no God equal to the Acharyan. We will never ever consider so.

(AchAryAdhiha dEvathAm smadhikAm anyAm na manyAmahE..). adiyEn reproduces

the article written by the great scholar of today- Sri U Ve Navalpakkam

Ramanuja Thathachariar (Sri NSR) Swamin on asmadhAchAryan on this most

auspicious day.

 

South Indian vaishnavism traces the hierarchy of Acharyas (preceptors) from

lord Narayanan and Mahalakshmi thorugh Vishwaksena, then Nammazhwar,

Nathamuni, Yamunamuni (Alavandhar) and Ramanuja muni, then descending down

to Vedantha Desikan (1268 – 1369) who did great service through expositions

as well as numerous literary works. This tradition is higly regarded as

‘munithraya samparadaya” (acknowledging the contributions of three munis or

sages) . Then came a great teacher Goaparaya Mahadesikan 9Thirukkudnathai

Desikan) who lived between 1700 and 1782. He was in many aspects the

prototype of Swamy Vedantha Desikan and is acclaimed as apara desikan. This

great savant enjoyed the singular distinction of teaching three disciples

who were sanyaasis. Such ascetics in saffron clothes normally commanded

great respect. Nevertheless Thirukkudanthai Desikan commanded such

preeminence in qualities of a preceptor that the three ascetic disciples

came to him, showed the reverence implied in prostration and learnt, from

him, all Vedantha works. They then carried on the spiritual propagation in

their own way. This tradition came to be known by the term, Munithraya-

which acquired a two fold significance since then.

 

A great luminary of this “acharya chain” was Sri Pounadrikapuram Andavan

(1847- 1934). He was held in his times, as the most important and competent

exponent on scriptures and Vaishnavism, to whose abode great scholars

flocked to benefit. It is in his times, that a hermitage in sylvan

surroundings arose near the KoLLidam river bank, in the northern edge of

Srirangam, which had since his time, acquired the distinctive label, Sri

Poundarikapuram Andavan Ashramam. Incidentally in the Tamil counterpart of

the Sanskrit designation ”Swami”. And in this line came the great savant,

Sri PaRavaakkOttai Andavan – Sri Gopaladesika Mahadesikan Swami – who was

born in 1921 and who after having been a sanskrit teacher for long took to

Sanyaas in 1982. Strictly abiding by the highest level of austerity that

characterizes this line of teachers, he confines himself to the

headquarters, only occasionally going, on foot to attend temple festival in

the not far off shrines. He has been the guide in Saasthric knowledge and

spiritual works called “Grantha chathushtayam” (the four works, Sri

Bhashyam, Githa Bhashyam, Bhagavath Vishayam, and Rahasyathraya Saram) to a

large number of yearning students who proceed to the Ashramam for this

prupose. So also, he administers, Pancha Samskaram (Samasrayanam) and

BharanyAsam to persons who go to him and seek them. Here it should be

mentioned that he does not simply accept everyone. The seeker has to fulfill

certain qualifications- in terms of personal discipline, say sporting a

sikhA (kudumi- tuft), daily fulfillment of scriptural duties such as

Sandhyavandhanam. Every day, he devotes more than two hours for the

kalakshepam.

 

He greets visitors with geniality and great warmth, to whatever religious

sect they might belong to. His strictness is aptly and equally matched by

his kindness to humanity. He has been doing excellent propagation work also

in the filed of publication of the four Rahasya master pieces of Swamy

desikan. These are indispensable books for students and teachers of

Srivaishnavam. He contributes masterly articles to spiritual magazines.

 

He was respected alike by his peers and scholars even in his teens. It is

worthwhile to specifically mention that they sued to comment: “There comes

the Sage; he is like Vasishta and Vamadevar; one has to very careful in his

presence; This is no mean tribute, to his stature, that too, as evident in

his youth. He would always be chanting some holy hymn or manthra. In other

words, he was always in communion with god even during school days. His

student days were perhaps, an apprenticeship, a training ground, for ths

sanyaasa life and the life of an Ashrama pontiff that he was to adopt after

40 years later.

 

This great Acharya completes 82 years of age today. The Sathabishekam

celebrations were celebrated last year in a very GRAND manner in Srirangam.

Last week, on Mar 8th, Swamy’s 20th year celebration of Sanyaasa Ashramam

(of ascendance as Acharya) were celebrated in Srirangam along with 100th

year celebration of Sri Poundarikapuram Andavan Sri Srinivasadesika

Mahadesikan Swamy’s ascendance as Acharyan (In fact, under this pretext

only, Prakritham Andavan was persuaded and forced to accept this celebration

of his 20th year. (Else, he was to give an emphatic “No”- I was told)

 

adiyEn merely reproduced mostly from Sri U Ve Navalpakkam S Ramanuja

Thathachar (NSR) Swamy’s article from the Sathabhishekam magazine (but for

the above paragraph).

 

This is adiyEn’s humble offering and obeisance to the lotus feet of

asmadhAchAryan Sri Gopaladesika Mahadesikan Swamy.

May Swamy live for HUNDRED YEARS and continue to guide us!

Regards

Namo narayana

Acharyan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Acharyan Thiruvadi

 

 

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