Srimath Nammandavan Life History - I

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Sri:

Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha:

Srimathe Vedhantha Ramanuja Mahadesikaya Namah:

 

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 25th ), Avani poorattadhi is the 131st 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

sthApanam. 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;-

 

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

2. Sri U.Ve.Tenpirai Venkata Raghavachar swami (Thenbarai Andavan-Sri

RanganAtha Maha Desikan)

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

4. Thirukkudanthai Vairakya Nidhi Sri U.Ve. Rajagopalachar ( Sri

Narayana Yatheeswar)

5. 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 Street 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

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 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

PurushakAram, 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.

 

(To be Continued....)

 

 

dasan,

Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi