asmadhAchAryan Thirunakshathram special- Part 1

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

 

Reproduced below is the article appeared in SathAbhisheka malar of

asmadHAchAryan's 81st Thirunakshathram (The author has not written his name:

I guess he is Dr Sri U Ve VN Vedantha Desikan Swami- from the lucid and

lovely language and reverence he depicts on His Holiness life)

 

It has been typed jointly by adiyEn's wife and my son Chi Vijai Srinivas

(both of whom have performed prapatti at the lotus feet of His Holiness-

they wanted to perform this as their kaimkaryams on this greatest day..)

 

Due to the length of the article, it is posted in three parts (in three

consecutive days), please bear with us.. anything good in it- the credit

goes to the author's great article and Swamy's KalyANa guNAs; and any

mistake or error- adiyOngaL's faults...

 

THE HOLIEST OF THE HOLY

A salutation from the humblest of the humble

 

INTRODUCTION

Thirukkundanthai Desikan was a very bright star in the Desika Sampradaya

Acharya genealogy. From him we trace the Parampara as below

SRI GOPALARYA MAHADESIKA

(Thirukkudanthai Desikan)

 

SRI VEDANTA RAMANUJA MAHADESIKAN

(Vazhuthoor Andavan)

 

SRI SRINIVASA RAMANUJA MAHADESIKAN

(Thiruthuraipoondi Andavan)

 

SRI SRINIVASA MAHADESIKAN

(Periya Andavan)

 

SRI NARAYANA MAHADESIKAN

(Veliyanallur Andavan)

 

SRI SRINIVASA MAHADESIKAN

(Poundarikapuram Andavan0

 

SRI RANGANATHA MAHADESIKAN

(Mannarkoil Andavan)

 

SRI SRINIVASA MAHADESIKAN

(Vinnatrangarai Andavan)

 

SRI GOPALA DESIKA MAHADESIKAN

(Paravakkottai Andavan)

 

Down from Periya Andavan, the Acharyas in this parampara sport the simple

nomenclature as a Mahadesikan-contrast with an intermediate name as Ramanuja

Yateendra,etc. generally adopted in other paramparas. Sri Paravakkottai

Andavan had happily chosen Gopaladesika as his distinctive forth asrama

name, because of his special adoration for Thirukkudanthai Desikan

(Gopaldesika being his name), because his birth star was Rohini, the same as

that of Krishna or Gopala, and because the star of the day on which he took

over Sanyasa Asram was Pooradam, the same star at the birth of

Thirukkudanthai Desikan.

 

Poorvasrama

 

Born on 17-3-1921(corresponding to Rowdri, Panguni Rohini) he was actually

christened as Rajagopala, that being the name of the Mannargudi deity whose

annual Jayanti Day fell on that day. His grandfather (Rajagopalacharya) and

father (Sri Venkatacharya) were also connected to the Ashram in many ways.

 

Child Rajagopala sustained his mother death at the age of 2. When he was

initiated into Bramhopadesam (Upanayanam) at the age of 8, the

responsibility of Sraddha rites of his mother fell on his shoulders. One can

imagine his respectability even at that small age, from the fact that great

highly orthodox Vidwans like Thillayambur Swami (Asthana Vidwan of Ahobila

Mutt) and Mannargudi Desikacharya Swami would gladly participate as

Brahmanas for these Sraddhas!

 

He learnt Sanskrit, Kavyas, etc. from Sri Prugavazhudan Krishnamacharya;

then studied at Sholingur and at Thirupati( Venkateswara College) in the

period 1936-1942 approximately. At Tirupati he had known, as his juniors

particularly, gentlemen who later became became vidwans of great reputation;

e.g. Sri Purisai Swami, Sri N.S. Ramanuja Tatacharya; he had also the

companionship of Sri Villivalam Narayanacharya , Sri Melpakkam Swami, Sri

Marudur A.R. Krishnamacharya and others. We are touched to recall one or two

episodes of that time. Our hero at the age of 20 was admired for great

lustre-radiation from his face because of virtues like austerity, personal

discipline, supreme vairagya and godliness. The result was that whenever he

walked into a company, friends- who were themselves great personages even

then-would alert one another with a comment: “Oh there he comes; He is like

Vaisishta and Vamadeva. Better we are cautious in our talk and

behaviour”.Even at that time he was so prepossesive in his personal virtues

that Sri Goshtipuram Swami ( Sri Sowmya Narayanacharya) would respond to his

prostration by a return prostration! This, in spite of an age difference of

40 years. It does credit to the senior Swami’s guna-poorti as well; but it

speaks volumes about the stature of our hero even at age 20.

 

Returning to the village, he studied many advanced works from the

Thillaiyambur Brothers, who were great masters in Sanskrit, Vedanta and

Jyothisha. This is continued for many years during vacations.

 

Our hero had the privilege of Panchasamskara and Bharanyasa sri

Poundarikapuram Andavan. His father, discerningly, advised him to go to

Mysore to receive complete initiation in all our major four granthas, from

the then very famous Abhinava Ranganatha Brahmathantra Parakala Swami.

Batches of kalakshepam at graded levels, with dozens of students drawn from

all parts of South India were receiving instruction. It was a very fruitful

period in his life.

 

Our hero married the daughter of Sri ARu paathi Sinivasacharya, who was

mostly at Kumbakonam. The family was equal to our hero’s in every respect.

ARupaathi Swami was rightly famous for his achara, anushtana, and

scholarship. He was, incidentally related to the Devanarvilagam Swami. His

Udaya Upastana Anushtana was admired by all at Kumbakonam, including

Matadhipathi, who wished to meet him and felicitate him but who was

disappointed in not being able to-for obvious reasons!

 

Our hero was serving as Sanskrit pundit in schools in Tiruchi District.

Fortunately, the Kaveri fertility kept his lifestyle in pristine purity. He

had five sons and one daughter. One son named Desikan, devoted himself to

organizations swearing by the Hindu Dharma and had to face death in a bomb

blast in Madras. The daughter had been given marriage to Swami’s

brother-in-law, Sri Venkatacharya. Her son, Sri Srirama Desikan is learned

in Sanskrit and Vedanta and promises to tow the traditional lines of his

grandfather.

 

While being in service, our hero visited the Asramam regularly. Even in

those times he had greatly impressed Sri Madhurantakam Swami, who respected

him almost as a compeer, though some twenty years younger. True to his

sincerity to our religious discipline, he had once stayed with his devigal

to serve in Madhookara kainkarya at the Asramam. When Sri Vinnatrangarai

Andavan foresaw his end, with accurate prophetic vision, he had engaged Sri

Paravakkottai Swami to take interest in the Asrama parampara, initiated him

esoterics, and conferred him the Tridanda and saffron garment and everything

else smoothly. As desired by his predecessor, our Swami took to the fourth

order at Vinnatrankarai at the Brindavanam of Sri Narayana Mahadesikan(Sri

Veliyanallur Andavan). Note that Veliyanallur Andavan enjoys a special

honour in the hierarchy. He was a Naishtika Bramachary, when he switched

over to the ochre robe. He was the final word in self-denying austerity. He

was called viraktinetram of Sri periya Andavan. What is finally more

interesting is that he could not- and did not- choose any successor, accept

anyone easily as a disciple, and was not interested

in popular propagation of the ochre species just in a light hearted vein.

His exacting demands on Sri Poundarikapuram Swami, whom he had indeed known

long and well enough before conferring the forth Asrama on him would be

reminiscent of Thirukkotiyur Nambi trying to the extreme, Ramanuja and

Azhvan, before revealing the esoteric significance of Charma sloka mantra.

 

Whether Mantra transmission or transfer of Acharyaka, it is not a trifle

to be easily light-heartedly treated to be passed on to a seeker just like

that!

 

From day 1, Sri Gopaladesika Mahadesikan stuck to drastic discipline. It

is there in this Asrama all along. Partaking of Madhookara only from

Vaiswadeva remnant (that is, from dampati-grihasthas) pursuing the highest

grade of sanyasa achara, engaging disciples in Sri Bhashya Kalakshepa, never

conferring Samasrayana – benefit or Bharanyasa indiscriminately, eschewing

the proselytization fervour influencing every visitor to whatever Sampradaya

persuasion he/she belonged; reforming them in a manner that they will order

their lives in a reasonably orthodox fashion, sticking to our ancient

scriptures as much as can be even in this advanced Kali age- these are

worthy of mention.

 

To be continued..

Achharyan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Srimad Andavan Thiruvadi..

 

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