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)