Andavan Ashramam Acharya Guru Parampara - 7

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Srimathe Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikaya namaha:

 

Acharya parampara of Srimath Andavan Ashramam continues in this posting with

Srimath Nammandavan - Vedantha Ramanuja Mahadesikan

 

Srimath Nammandavan

 

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

 

 

 

Avani poorattadhi is the thirunakshatram of Srimath ThErazhundur Andavan Sri

Vedhantha Ramanuja Mahadesikan. His poorvashrama Name was Sri Varadhachar. Sri

Varadhachar Swami was born in the year Prajothpathi (1871) in the month of AvaNi

in ThErazhundur village in Tanjore district in Tamilnadu. He belonged to Eyunni

vamsam and Bharadwaja Gothram. At very early age, 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. 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 Sowbhagyavathi Sengamala Ammal,

daughter of Sri Annasami Ayyangar of Thirukkudanthai Ayyangar street. 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, 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 of

Varadhachar swamy. HH adorned thirunadu in Vijaya varusham (1894) in the month

of thai 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. . Accordingly Srimath Srinivasa

SatakOpa Yatheendra Maha Desikan (38th Jeer of Sri Ahoibila Mutt) who was

camping at Nrusimhapuram gave thureeyAsramam to Kadanthethi swAmi in presence of

a large Srivaishvaite gathering. Thus 76 year old KAdanthethi swami became the

Asrama Head of Srimath Andavan periAsramam as Srinivasa RAmAnuja MahA DEsikan.

 

 

 

The health of KAdanthEthi Andavan deteriorated during 1905 and all asramam

sishyas immediately rushed to Sri VaradAchar swami and requested to take up

sanyasam from KAdanthEthi Andavan. Sri VaradAchAr swAmi readily acceded to

their request by leaving the family to take up ascetic orders. He received

thureeyAsramam from the holy hands of KadanthEthi Andavan Srinivasa Ramanuja

Maha Desikan in the year KEELAKA VARUSHAM- AVANI MADHAM (sep-oct ,1908 ) and was

named Sri VEdAntha RAmAnuja MahA dEsikan- also known as & ThErazhundur Andavan.

And NammAndavan. Both AchAryAs were together for a period of 6 months. Srimath

KadanthEthi Andavan attained thirunAdu in 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. Good personality, majestic look, pleasing

voice, convincing talk etc were his great traits. His discourses were full of

humor , 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:-

 

 

 

Sri U.Ve. Rangachar swami (who became Akkur Andavan-Srinivasa Maha Desikan

later)

 

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

RanganAtha Maha Desikan later)

 

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

 

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

Yatheeswar)

 

Rayampettai GanapAdi Vidwan Seemachar ( Sri Srinivasa Ramanuja Maha Desikan )

and many others.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

In the next posting adiyen will continue with the history of acharyas beginning

with Srimath Akkoor Andavan.

 

Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi

 

Perungadambanur Parthasarathy Sreenivasan

 

(of Besant Nagar)