Andavan Ashramam Acharya Guru Parampara - 12

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Srimathe Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikaya Namaha

Sri Ranganatha Divya Mani Padhukabhyam Namaha

 

 

 

Acharya parampara of Srimath Andavan Ashramam continues in this posting with

Srimath Srimushnam Andavan - Sri Ranga Ramanuja Mahadesikan. Adiyen has used

some references from the postings of Sri R. Rajagopalan ( in Sri Ranganatha

Paduka in his article Looking Back and Looking forward) and Sri. C.G.Balaji

(reg. our Andavan Swamy's sri sookthis in His purvasramam). This is the first of

the two postings on Prakrutham Andavan. Second part will be published soon.

 

 

 

Srimath Srimushnam Andavan: Thirunakshatram: Vaikasi - Thiruvadhirai

 

 

 

Thanian:

 

VEdhAntha lakshmana muneendra krupAtthabOdham

ThadpAdha yugmasaraseeruha brungha rAjam

Thraiyantha yugma kruthaboori parisramamtham

Sriranga lakshmana munim saranam prapadhyE

 

 

 

 

(Meaning of the Tanian)

 

We prostrate at the holy feet of Sri Ranga Ramanauja Maha Desikan who had

his Bhara samarpanam at the holy feet of Vedhantha Ramanuja Maha Desikan.

Having gained the wealth of Sri sampradayic knowledge/Ubhaya Vedhanthams

from his Acharya, he whirrs as a honeybee at His lotus feet. Salutations to

Srimath Ranga Ramanuja maha Desikan

 

 

 

Prakrutham Srimad Andavan was born in Srimushnam, a swayam vyaktha Kshethra, in

south arcot district, on a Vaikasi –ArudrA day in Yuva varusham 03-06-1935 to U

..Ve. Srinivasachariar and sri Kumudhavalli, belonging to to the illustrious

lineage of swayamAchArya purushAs. His great great grand father Sri Nadu nattu

Narayanachar was the prime disciple of annarya Maha Desikan .The pooravasrama

name of Srimushnam Andavan was Varahan. Varahan’s, UpanayAthi samskAram were

performed at the right age.

 

 

 

His father was a disciple of Sangeetha kalanidhi late Tiger Varadhachar swamy.

Young Varahan used to sit by the side of his father during those music lessons

and assimilated the nuances of Carnatic music to an astonishing degree which

enabled Him to sing ragas with mellifluous voice.

 

 

 

Sri Varahan swamy became well qualified in vEda and divya prabhanda adhyayanams

at an young age. His periappa Sri U.Ve. Srimushnam puranam Narayanachariar

taught him kAvya and nAtaka alankarA granthAs. Swamy went to kAkumAni charity

pAtasAlA(affiliated to Madras University) in Chennai for his initial education

in SastrAs.

 

 

 

In a quest to learn more about sAmAnya sAstrAs swAmy came to sriperumbudur and

learnt fully the nyAya and tharka sAstrAs. The yong Varaha swamy qualified

himself as Tharka sironmani, trained under great teachers in Sriperumbudur

Sanskrit patasala like Sri Krishna Desika Thathachariar (father of great N.S.R.

swamy) and others. Seeing swamy’s remarkable knowledge and extreme brilliance

learned wise men who had interacted with swamy at that time, predicted that

swamy would become a maHa vidwAn and a sampradhAya pravarthakaA.

 

 

 

For some time, swami went to Andhra Pradesh and taught in Sanskrit colleges

located in Jeetical and AlwAl, close to Hydrabad. His lucid and brilliant

teaching earned a lot of accolades and he learnt to speak and read Telugu very

fluently. Swamy came back to Sriperumbudur and passed in Tamil VidwAn exam and

served as Such in Tamilnadu Government educational service for 27 years. He

lived in malayangulam for many years and settled down at Velamur, the Birth

place of Upanishad Bhashyakkarar H.H. Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikan. Sri

Varahachar swamy renovated and maintained the temple and performed nithya

Aradhanam all by himself for the Divya Dampathies.

 

 

 

His Holiness 44th Jeer of Sri Ahobila Mutt once conferred a special sambavanai

appreciating his extra ordinary knowledge, Vidvath and lucid presentation. Sri

srimushanam Varahachar, a tamil pandit in Govt Secondary Education service for

27 years had His Prapatti under His holiness Thirukkudanthai Andavan and

Grantha chathushtya Kalakshepams under His Holiness during the same time.

 

 

 

The divine message from Padukas to revered Acharya Thirukkudanthai Andavan was

that “Srimushnam Varahachariar will be your successor , Rest assured that this

Padukasramam so beautifully nurtured by you, will be safe in his hands and will

reach much greater heights.” The Acharya directed sri Varahachariar swamy that

when the time comes he should come forward to protect and preserve the Andavan

Asrama Paramparai meaning , that he should become his successor probably knowing

in advance that His successor H.H. Mysore Andavan may not live long.

 

 

 

Two Great Acharyas attaining Paramapadam in quick succession in April & May

1989,

 

H.H.Srimadh Thirukkudanthai Andavan adorned ThirunAdu on 10.04.1989

 

His successor H.H.Srimad Mysore Andavan also adorned Thirunadu (within 42

days) on 22.05.1989. Lakhs of disciples were worried, over the continuation of

Andavan Asrama Acharya parampara When the Disciples of the Ashramam approached

Sri Varahachar swamy, He had whole heartedly accepted the call to the

religious order though he had a large family to support.

 

 

 

Exactly on the 10th day, i.e. 01-06-1989, upon the holy command made by H.H.

Thirukkudanthai Andavan earlier, Sri Varahachar Swamy with devotion, took

ascetic order, by taking the ochre ascetic robes of sanyasam from PeriyAndavan

sannadhi on Sukla Varusham- Vaikasi 19th as Sri Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikan, in

memory of his affection towards the illustrious Great Acharya from Velamur “Sri

Upanishad Bhashyakarar”- H.H. Sri Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikan. The disciples of

the Asramam got convinced that H.H.Sri Mushnam Srimad Andavan can not only carry

aloft the banner of Ashramam but also take it to further heights. H.H. is a

versatile exponent in many other sAstras such as sculpture , sangeetham,

alankAra sAstra, Astrology, Jyothisham, politics, construction,Ayurvedha to name

a few. Swamy’s pandithyam in VedhanthA and vyAkaranA is well known. It is also

well known that His Holiness Srimadh Andavan talks with Slesha in appropriate

moments with amazing timing and precision. It could be said

that there are no literatures left out in Tamil that swami is unaware of. It is

swamy’s special quality to quote Thiruvalluvar,Kamban,IlangO and Bharathi in His

anugraha Bashanams as and when required.

 

 

 

Srimad Andavan once beautifully sculpted a sAlagrAma perumal (which was a little

broken) to Lakshmi Hayagreeva Perumal. So many people have wondered about His

Holiness’s amazing knowledge in a wide variety of subjects. Srimadh Andavan is

well versed in Telugu also and gives anugraha bhAshanams in that language to

sishyas and abhimanis whenever an opportunity arises. His holiness is a scholar

of unfathomable depth in many subjects under the sky.

 

 

(to be continued....)

 

In the next posting adiyen will continue with the second part of history of

Srimath Srimushnam Andavan.

 

 

 

Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi

 

P. Sreenivasan (of Besant Nagar)

 

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Adiyen is attaching a rare photo (courtesy- Sri Devanathan,Chennai) of Sri

Varachar Swamy taking a holy dip at the tank of Srimath Andavan Periasramam in

Srirangam just before taking up sanyasam on 1-6-1989.

 

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