Today -Sep 15th is the thirunakshatram of Srimath Mysore Andavan

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Sri:

Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha:

Srimathe SrinivAsa rAmAnuja Mahadesikaya Namaha:

 

Thirunakshatram: Avani - Uthiram

 

 

Thanian:

 

Srimath Srivasa yOgeeswara munikarunAlabdha vEdhantha yugmam

Srimath vEdhantha rAmAnuja gurupadhayorarpitha swAthma bhAram

Srimath srudhyantha rAmAnuja yathi nrupathE:prAptha mOkshasramam tham

Srimath SrivAsa rAmanuja munimaparam samsrayE gnanavArthim

 

 

 

Today (Sept 15th ), Avani Uthiram is the 95rd Thirunakshatram of Srimath Mysore

Andavan Sri SrinivAsa RAmAnuja MahA dEsikan who adorned Acharya peetam as the

10th Andavan in the Andavan Periashramam Munithraya Sampradayam AchArya

Lineage.adiyEn is transmitting the source material provided by Sri. Sunder

KidAmbi ( of Boston, USA) as a life history of Kaviratna, Vedanta Vibhushana,

Vedantasara, Pravachana Kalanidhi, Sri U Ve Vidwan Hariharapuram Gopalacharya

(in his purvAsramA) and as Srimath Mysore Andavan., Sri Srinivasa Ramanuja

Mahadesikan ( in ThuriyAsramA).

 

An elderly scholar of vidwat scholarship in Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi,

Sri Hariharapuram Gopalacharya was born on 19.08.1909 to Sri Krishnamaachaarya

and Smt. Ranganaayakamma (Avani Uthiram, Gowri festival day, Sosale village, T.

Narasipura Taluk on the banks of Cauvery near Sangamam of Cauvery and Kapila

rivers, Mysore district) who belonged to an orthodox Srivaishnava family which

had a scholastic background. Other members of the family included two brothers

and two sisters.

 

During his childhood, due to epidemic plague that spread widely, swAmi's father

passed away, following which, the family's financial position was not sound. He

lived in Sosale village and studied in a higher primary school there. Knowing

the budding scholar in swAmi, the scholars persuaded him to join Mysore Maharaja

Samskruta Paathashaala and to continue his studies. Accordingly, swAmi came to

Mysore, joined the Sanskrit college, completed his further studies in Saahitya

and Vyaakarana and became Vidwan.

 

During the student days, he had to depend for his daily food in Sri Parakaala

mutt, where the then Aacharya Sri Abhinava Ranganaatha parakAla mahA dEsikan who

adorned the peetam, noticed the brilliant boy and provided him necessary

facilities. By the grace of lord Hayagreva, he also brought his brothers and

used to help them by giving good education and food (padi) that received in the

Parakaala mutt and there by facilitated their studies also.

 

Having completed matriculation, Sanskrit (vidwat degree), Kannada Pandit and

Hindi Pandit exams, he attained proficiency in 'Naalaayira Divyaprabhandam'

(Tiruvaymozhi), chanting of vedas, literature and grammar. He passed all higher

examinations of philosophy (Vedanta Shastra) and obtained Vidwat Prashasti.

 

In his 14th year, he had the blessings of Srimath NammAndavan and with Pancha

Samskaaras and Bharanyasa. At that juncture, he composed a beautiful collection

of 134 poems (Srimad Aandavan Vaibhavam) and visualizing the scholar in him,

Srimad Aandavan blessed the boy immensely and he came to be known as Mysore

Vidwan Gopu.

 

Regarding discharging duties and responsibilities, Sri Gopaalaachar married Smt

Jayalakshmi from Talkad who belonged to a respectable family. The couple were

blessed with six daughters and two sons.

 

Srimath Mysore Andavan was famous amongst the other scholars from Sosale. He

worked hard towards the improvement of the Venugopalaswamy temple at Sosale. He

was an ardent devotee of Srimad Aandavan, all through. He was a beloved disciple

of many great scholars and he successfully completed the studies of Bhaashya and

Upanishads. swAmi underwent grantha chathushtya kAlakshEpams under Srimath Akkur

Andavan. He was the Aasthaana Vidwan and Srikaaryam of the Srimad Andavan

Ashramam for more than three decades. With the then pontiff Thirukkudanthai

Aandavan, he undertook paadayatra all over India and specially Badari. He was

respected for his devotion, dedication, commitment to Srivaishnavism (Sri

Ramanuja Darshanam) and his wide scholarship in all shastras. He was a good

swimmer too.

 

In his efforts to invite Srimad Aakoor Andavan to Karnataka, his journey on

cycle to Chamarajanagar, Sathymangalam, Erode and Srirangam to arrange for the

stay of Andavan was commendable. With all these devotional services to Sri

Aacharya, he obtained the blessings of Srimad Aakoor Aandavan. Sri Aacharya

served in a high school at Sakaleeshpuar (Karnataka) and thereafter he came to

Mysore and served as Sanskrit teacher in Mahajana high school (1945 to 1975).

 

Scholarly works :

 

 

Srimath Andavan has contributed many works of scholarly nature. They include;

 

1. Ramanuja Noothandadi (1959) a translatory work (with commentary in Kannada)

from Tamil to Kannada.

2. Sri Ramanuja Panchashat in Sanskrit

 

His master pieces :

 

1. A complete translation of 'Sri Paadukaasahasram' with scholarly commentary in

Kannada (1969). This work of 465 pages, was published at Sri Parakaala mutt

Mysore.

2. A translation of 'Deshika prabandham' from Tamil to Sanskrit and commentry in

Kannada.

3. Srimad Aacharya Parampara Prabhavam in Sanskrit.

4. Shaattumurai Kramam and Aachrya Taniya

5. A beautiful work about Vishnusahasranama

6. Sragdharaa Shatakam in Sanskrit

7. Sri Rahasyatraya Saara Sangraha of Vedanta Deshika in poetry (sanskrit

version)

8. Sri Mahaalakshmi Stuti, a fine stotram about Goddess Lakshmi of 108

Divyadeesha (at the time when Sri Tirukkudanthai Andavan was ill and bedridden)

9.A commentary to 'Tiruvaimozhi', following the lines of Poorvaachaarya's

commentary.

10. Translated works of Sri Vedanta Deeshika to Kannada.

 

swAmi was an Aashu Kavi of a very high caliber, and used to compose Padabandhams

spontaneously. SwAmi has also written numerous articles about Sri Ramanuja

philosophy. Following his contribution to Sanskrit literature, SwAmi was

recognized as an outstanding scholar both by state and center, and was given an

honorarium (President's Gold Medal).

 

Srimath Thirukkudanthai Andavan gave Sanyaasam 11-04-1988 and since then he was

popularly called Mysore Andavan. Having lead a meaningful life, Srimath Andavan

attained Paramapadam at Srirangam Ashramam on 22 -05-1989 ( @ 3:10 AM on a

Monday), thus becoming an illustrious ardent devotee of Sri Ramanuja. Words

cannot explain the saintly nature of Srimath Mysore Andavan but it could only be

felt by the disciples who loved and adored him with devotion.

 

With Obeisances to Srimath Andavan, Sri SrinivAsa rAmAnuja mahA dEsikan.

 

 

 

 

Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi,

dAsan,

Venkat Sreenivasan

 

Some of the rare pictures taken during the thureesyasramam of Srimath Mysore

Andavan are attached below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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