Andavan Ashramam Acharya Guru Parampara - 11

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Srimathe Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikaya NamahaSri Ranganatha Divya Mani Padhukabhyam Namaha

Acharya parampara of Srimath Andavan Ashramam continues in this posting with Srimath Mysore Andavan - Sri Srinivasa Ramanuja Mahadesikan

 

Srimath Mysore Andavan: 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

 

Parthipa-Avani Uthiram is the 97th thirunakshatram day 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–purvAsrama grand son of Srimath Mysore Andavan and Sri R. Rajagopal in his article ”Looking back and Looking forward-III” in the September issue of 2004,(Dharana varsusham –Purattasi madham) 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 ( Soumya Varusham –Avani Madham Uthira Palguni Nakshathram) to Sri Krishnamaachaarya and Smt. Ranganaayakamma (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 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 Hayagreeva, he also brought his brothers and used to help them by giving good education and food (padi) that he 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 Sri Venugopalaswamy temple at Sosale. He was an ardent devotee of Srimath Aandavan, all through. He was a beloved disciple of many great scholars and he successfully completed the studies of and Upanishads and grantha chathushtya kAlakshEpams under Srimath Akkur Andavan

 

In his efforts to invite Srimath 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 Srimath Aakoor Aandavan. Sri Gopalacharya 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).

 

Srimath Thembarai Andavan became weaker as the days passed by and gave upadesam on “Preksha manthram” and “Mokshasrama Ahnika Anushtanam” to three vidwans of the Asramam - U.Ve. Sri. Kannan swami (who later became Thirukkudanthai Andavan), U.Ve. Sri. Mysore GopalachAr swami and Mannargudi Ganapadi vidwAn U.Ve. Sri. Narasimhacharya swami to be ready and take up sanyasam any time when called.

 

when the health condition of His holiness Srimad Tembirai Andavan was badly affected, Vidvan sri Gopalachar Swamy was the alternate candidate to become ninth peetathipathi to succeed His holiness thebirai Andavan Himself in April 1963,had not sri Kannan swamy turned up for taking up sanyAsam for any reason. Sri kannan swamy entered Thuriyasramam on 5th of April 1963 as 9th peetadhipathy with the name Srimath Vedhantha Ramanuja Maha Desikan.(SRP-sep-2004)

 

Sri Chitrakoodam Vijayaraghavachariar was the srikaryam till late 60s.Then, Sri Mysore Gopalachar became Srikaaryam of the Srimad Andavan Ashramam , and continued as srikaryam for almost 2 decades. As srikaryam of Srimath Andavan asramam, He travelled all along with the then pontiff H.H.Thirukkudanthai Aandavan and undertook paadayatra all over India and specially Badrikasramam. 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.

 

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 Aacharya Thanian

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).

When Srimad Thirukkudanthai Andavan’s health was very much affected, His holiness gave sanyasam to Vidwan Mysore Gopalachar on 11.04.1988 (PRABHAVA VARUSHAM-PANGUNI MADHAM –Sravana Nakshathram) and HH became the successor of Thirukkudanthai Andavan and 10 th peetathipathi of Srimadh Srirangam Andavan Ashram at the age of 79 years. Since then he was popularly called as Mysore Andavan.

 

The health of His holiness was also very much affected in 1988/89 by repeated debilitating strokes of cerebral thrombosis .Even then, His holiness used to remember and recite fluently the verses that He composed more than six decades earlier. And yet Padukas Saw to it that HH Srimad Mysore Andavan’s mental faculties and speech was not affected (excepting for a minor loss of recent memories!)When not bedridden, HH could move about freely and perform Perumal and Paduka Aradhanam daily and recite the Seva Kalams fluently (when the senior Acharya Srimad Thirukkudanthai Andavan was too much indisposed to do so.) HH srimad Mysore Andavan’s Kalyana Gunas were many .Indeed a

rare combination of of Gnanam Santham ,Virakthi, Vairakyam,and Anagam (blemishless or Faultless) and above all an unshakeable Acharya Bhakthi that had to be seen to be believed).

 

Both the Acharyas,Srimad Thirukkudanthai Andavan and Srimad Mysore Andavan were

together for a period of exactly one year. His holiness Srimad Thirukkudanthai Andavan adorned the Thirunadu on 10-04-1989.Within a short period of 42days His holiness Srimad Mysore Andavan also attained Paramapadam at Srirangam Ashramam -Dwidhiyai on 22 -05-1989 ( @ 3:10 AM on a Monday, SUKLA VARUSHAM –VAIKASI MADHAM_-Krishna Paksham thithi ) 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 Obeisance to His Holiness Srimath Andavan, Sri SrinivAsa RAmAnuja mahA DEsikan.

 

In the next posting adiyen will continue with the history of acharyas covering the history of Current Pontiff of Srimath Andavan Periashramam, Srimath Srimushnam Andavan.

Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi

Perungadambanur Parthasarathy Sreenivasan

(of Besant Nagar)

 

Adiyen has attached a photo of Srimath Mysore Andavan taken just before His Holiness took sanyasashramam in Srirangam (Courtesy- www.prapatti.com)

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