Sri Mannargudi Andavan- Sri Ranganatha Mahadesikan Thirunakshathram- VaikAsi Mrigaseersham

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

SrImathE Srinivasa Mahadesikaya namah:

SrImathE Ranganatha mahadesikaya namah:

 

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

 

Today (VaikAsi mruiaseersham) is The Thirunakshathram

of Sri Mannaargudi Andavan Sri Ranganatha Mahadesikan

Swami - who adorned Srimad Poundarikapuram Andavan

Asramam before Sri VennaaRRankarai Andavan [who is the

Acharya of Present (Prakritham Andavan) Sri

ParavaakkOTTai Andavan Sri Gopaladesika Mahadesikan

Swami]

 

Let us dwell upon the glorious life history of this

Acharya on his TN, and place our heads at the feet of

this Acharyan.

 

let us be blessed to enjoy reading the life history of

Sri Mannargudi Andavan. (This is from Sri Anbil

mamas article- thanks to Sri Anbil mama for his

permission)

 

Sri Mannargudi Andavan- Sri Ranganatha Mahadesikan

(Vikrama- Vaikasi- Mrigaseersham)

(8-6-1880 - 17-11-1954)

 

His Tanian reads as follows:-

 

Aadhya Srinidhi Yogi Labda Manuraat Sri Vaatsya

Raamaanujaath

Sampraaptanguna Mantra Jaatham /

Apara Sri Vaasa Yogi Swaraat Gnaanaabdim Suguna Karam

Munivaram Sri Ranganatham Bhaje //

 

(meaning)

I take refuge at the sacred feet of Sri Ranganatha

MahA Desikan, the ocean of Jn~Anam and the treasure

house of all auspicious attributes, who received

his manthrOpadesam from the first SrinivAsa MahA

Desikan, his samAsrayaNam from Sri RaamAnuja MahA

desikan of Srivathsa gOthram and his Bhara

SamarpaNam, thuriyAsramam and Ubhaya VedAntha

Isvaryam from the other Srinivasa MahA Desikan .

 

Life history:

There was in Mannargudi one Ramanujacharya

Swami, one of the descendants in the lineage of

Nadadur Ammaal, one of the immediate disciples of Sri

Bhashyakara. He belonged to Srivatsa Gotram and

was a well known Vedic scholar. His forefathers

were famed for their proficiency in Vedic recitation

which would charm the ears of the

listeners. Sri Ramanujachar Swami organized and led

the Veda Parayana Goshti during the festivals of Sri

Rajagopala Swami. He was married to one

Senkamalathammaal. To them was born on 28th

Mrigasirsha, Vikrama, Vaikasi (8th June 1880) a

male child who was given the name of

Srinivasagopalan.

 

After Upanayana Samskara, he started his early studies

at the feet of his father who also administered the

Pancha Samskara. Later, he learnt

Vyakarana Sastras under the famous Vyakarana Pandit

Uruppattur Sri Rangachariar Swami (who later became

the 39th Pontiff of Sri Ahobila Mutt).

 

In the beginning he served as Adhyaapaka in the Sastra

Patasala at Orattanad. Sri Srinivasa Gopalan married

at the early age of 10 to one Nachiyar Ammaal who

belonged to a very orthodox Sri Vaishnava family. He

arrived at Srirangam with his wife and fell at the

feet of Srimad PoundarikaPuram Andavan and was given a

room in the rear of the asramam. He studied

under the Acharya the Grantha

Chatushtayam. At the end of his studies, he

received Bharanyasa from his Acharya. On hearing

about his proficiency in Vyakarana Sastras, the

authorities in Kerala Sanskrit College invited him

to serve as Professor of Vyakarana. Sri Srinivasa

Gopalan served in the Sanskrit College at Pattambi for

20 years.

 

Then, when he completed his assignment at Pattambi, he

visited Srirangam. Srimad Poundarika Puram Andavan,

considering the Vairaghya and

scholarship of Sri Srinivasa Gopala Swami desired that

he should succeed him and accordingly he was given

Preksha Mantropadesa and admitted into the

holy order of ascetics and was given the new name of

Sri Ranganatha Maha Desikan. He was just 54. Both

adorned the Asramam for almost five years. When Srimad

Poundarika Puram Andavan attained the lotus feet of

his Acharya on 20th October 1934 (*Bhava- Vaikasi-

Pournami day* ), Sri Ranganatha Maha Desikan took

charge of the Ashramam with all sincerity and

seriousness.

 

Many scholars who had intimately known and

moved with the Swami in his Purvasrama came to

study at his feet, notable among them are Sri

Tatachariar Swami of Cuddalore, and Sri Ramaswamy

Iyengar of Thanjavur. Srimad Andavan spent his leisure

hours in meditation and Ashtakshara Japa.

At the conclusion of every 10 million japam, a

_Thadeeya Aaraadhana_ used to be held. He advised

the disciples to celebrate the Tirunakshatra day of

Srimad Poundarika Puram Andavan in their own homes

so that more and more Srivaishnavas could come to know

of Swami's greatness. Srimad Andavan was averse to

receiving gifts in cash or kind. Once, when he was

presented an amount of Rs.4,000, he handed

over the amount to Sri V.R. Ramaswamy Iyengar,

Advocate, Thanjavur with a request that the money

should be utilized to bring out a new edition

of Rahasya Traya Sara in Devanagari script. The

instruction was complied with and today we have this

beautiful edition in our hands with the

superb commentary of Vangeepuram Navaneetham Sri

Rama Desikachariar Swami. It remains a monument to

Swamis vision and generosity and devotion

to Swami Desikan. what a paramOpAkAram (greatest help)

to our sampradayam!

 

Srimad Andavan Ranganatha Maha Desikan attained the

lotus feet of his Acharya on 17th November 1954 (

Jaya/ Kartigai/ Krishna Saptami) when he was

75.

AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

 

Regards

namo narayana

dAsAnu dAsan

 

 

 

 

 

 

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