Sri VeNNaaRRankarai Andavan Thirunakshathram- Panguni anusham

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

 

Dearest all,

 

Please accept adiyEn’s dhaNdavath praNAmams at your

feet. Today is the Thirunakshathram of Sri

VeNNaaRRankarai Andavan Swami... Panguni Anusham...

 

After Srimad Andavan Sri Ranganatha Mahadesikan (Sri

Mannaargudi Andavan), Sri VeNNaaRRankarai Andavan took

over

(Panguni - Anusham) (19-3-1882 - 9-4-1980)

 

Let us first enjoy the life of this great AchArya

(extracts from Sri Anbil mama’s write up and Sri Dr VN

Vedantha Desikan’s article- Thanks to both of them for

their permission to use their articles)

 

SRIMAD ANDAVAN ( SRI VENNATRANKARAI ANDAVAN )

(Panguni - Anusham) (19-3-1882 - 9-4-1980)

 

Sri Velaamur Varada Krishnamachariar Swami belonged

to Kalyana Puram near Tiruvaiyaaru. He married one

Alarmel Mangai. Both the families were steeped in

Vedic tradition. The family enjoyed the patronage of

Serfoji Raja of Thanjavur on account of their deep

dedication to Vedic tradition.

 

They lived in a house adjacent to Singaperumal Koil

at VennatranKarai whose praise has been sung by

Tirumangai Alwar.

 

The couple was blessed with a son in the cyclic

year “Kara” in the month of Panguni when the star

Anuradha was in the ascendant.19th March 1882. At his

birth, he was named Seshadri. He received Pancha

Samskaram from his father as well as the first lessons

in Sama Veda from his father.

 

He was sent to Tiruvaiyaru Vembu Sastrigal and

(*Nagaraja Sastrigal), noted Sanskrit Pandits to

specialize in Sama Veda, Kavya, and Nataka. Later,

he studied and became proficient both in Yajur Veda

and Divya Prabhandam. Qualified to perform yagnas,

he was an authority in Dharma Sastras and in the

practical application of six Sutras in daily life.

 

He excelled in Goshti Parayana as he was endowed

with a rich mellifluous voice. At the Sama Veda

examination conducted by Pudukkottai Samasthanam, he

was declared to have passed in second class owing to

the partiality of the examiner but when the Swami

refused to accept the award contending the verdict,

the Raja ordered a re-examination and found him to

have passed in Ist class, by which he won the acclaim

of the Raja and other Sanskrit pundits. He married

Janaki, then only 7. (the daughter of Kodavasal

Ramabadrachariar and Ponnu kamalammmal) at the age of

11. Sri Velaamur Srinivasachariar was greatly devoted

to Sri Desika He was chiefly instrumental in enabling

Velliyanur Srimad Andavan to celebrate Sri Desika

Annual festival at Neelamegha Perumal Koil. He

gave to the temple a palanquin, a number of

Vahanas and several jewels. These festivals were

conducted by him with great devotion out of

the family funds.

 

Even after becoming an Acharya, he continued to

evince keen interest in the proper conduct of these

festivals. Today, Srimad Andavan's relations in

Purvasramam still continue to celebrate Swami Desika

Utsava with unabated interest and devotion. (Once,

when participating in a Yaga, the Ritvik in

charge of Atharvyu was indisposed and could not

attend. Within one night, our Swami learned the entire

Atharvyu mantras and acted in the place of the

absentee Ritvik and completed the Yaga successfully.

Such was his capacity to absorb and retain with

razor sharp memory and perform the role with

consummate skill.)

 

Some hostile persons removed the idol of Swami

Desika from the small shrine in Hara Saapa Vimochana

Perumal Koil at Tiruk Kandiyur. The father of

Srimad Srinivasa Maha Desikan took the lead in

making a new idol and installed it in the empty

shrine. Srimad Andavan in his Purvasrama used to lead

the _Adhyapaka Goshti_ during the festival days.

 

Srimad Srinivasa Maha Desikan in his Purvasrama

was quite well known for his philanthropy. He has

helped pious Vaishnavas in times of dire need.

 

Although born in a wealthy family, Sri

Srinivasachariar’s mind and heart

turned to renunciation and to severing Worldly

attachments. He had already sought the feet of Gnana

Vairaghya Anushtana Sampanna Poundarikapuram

Andavan and received from his Grantha Kalakshepam,

Bhara Samarpanam, Prapatti Prayoga Upadesam, Presha

Mantra Upadesam and Sannyaasa Prayogam.

Considering his Poorvasrama financial resources as

trash, he came to Poundarika Puram Andavan Asramam as

his final retreat.

 

After becoming the Acharya, he devoted his full

attention to the administration of the Asramam and

to the celebration, in a grand manner the

Tirunakshatra of the past Srimad Andavans.

 

(He helped Chaturveda Satakratu Navalpakkam Narasimha

Tatachariar, Kozhiyalam Sri Ranga Ramanuja Maha

Desikan and several others and earned their gratitude

and blessings)

 

The daily Aradhanas were performed with great

piety and devotion.

 

The ”SaaRRumuRai” congregation was indeed an

inspiring sight to the devout. On such occasions,

Srimad Andavan himself led the Goshti giving it

both grace and solemnity. He would recite all by

himself the Nighamana Adhikara of Sri Rahasya Traya

Sara of Sri Vedanta Desika. His discourses on such

occasions were listened to with rapt attention.

 

It is relevant to mention that Sri Vinnatrangarai

Swami was accepted as same teacher by Sri Thenbarai

Andavan (of Peria asramam), since the latter had a

feeling of regret that he had not mastered his own

Sakha, same veda! Very interestingly, in the Sannyasa

life too, Sri Vinnatrangarai Andavan exhibited great

concern for the health (that was rapidly declining) of

Sri Thenbarai Andavan (1960's). Everyday he would

walk to and fro. What it means is that he should take

bath every time on return! Once indeed, a moving

event occurred, Sri Vinnatrangarai Andavan walks to

Peria Asramam, meets Sri Kannan Swami on the way,

learnt that the latter was going to Madras on some

urgent work since the Thenbarai Andavan's health would

sustain life for some three days, but Sri

Vinnatrangarai Andavan warns the latter that it was

not so, takes him back to the Asramam and almost

influences him to take to the saffron order. Yes, it

was urgently necessary. Readers would realize the

risk, the confusion, etc. That often results on the

successor not taking over immediately without a gap in

time.

 

Indeed on later occasions, Sri Vinnatrangarai Andavan

used to congratulate Sri Thirukkudanthai Andavan on

the growth, expansion, increasing affluence, etc. of

his Asramam, with a legitimate satisfaction that He

himself had worked for it by forcing Sri Kannan Swami

to accept Sannyasa at the right moment

 

Srimad Andavan seemed to have a premonition of his

impending death. He called to his side the then

Srikaryam, Paravakkottai Sri Rajagopalachariar Swami(

who had come to the Asramam to assist him in the

conduct of Tirunakshatra celebrations) and told him

in confidence that since his earthly life would not go

beyond the next Sravanam day which fell on 5th

April 1980, he should be interred by the side of his

Acharya in the Brindavanam on the bank of Vada

Kaveri. Strangely enough, Srimad Andavan entered his

Jyoti at 2 pm on 9th April 1980,(* which was Siddharti

Panguni 27th, a Krishna Paksha Navami Tithi day) so

close to the last day which Srimad Andavan had himself

fixed.

 

(IT WAS THIS SWAMI WHO INITIATED INTO SANNYASA

ASRAMAM THE MAHAN CELEBRATED AS “INJIMETTU

AZHAGIYASINGHAR”)

 

The Iyal Goshti of Venntran Karai Andavan was a

magnificent sight, the like of which was never seen or

heard of before. The grand procession led by the

Ahobila Mutt elephant, with the idol of Sri

Bhashyakaara at the head, passed through the streets

of Srirangam and impressed all by their colorful

variety- the Poorvaasrama son of Acharya carrying

the worn garlands of several Divya Desas, seven or

eight divisions of Veda Parayana Goshtis, their Vedic

chant piercing the sky above all the surging sea of

Srivaishnavas, devotees and disciples.

 

The procession stood at the Dasavataaran Sannidhi

and after Mangalaasaasana there reached the

Asramam. Ubhaya Vedaanta Vidwan Madhurantakam

Sri Veera Ragahavachariar Swami paid glowing

tributes to Srimad Andavan's many sided virtues in

verse and prose. Another glorious chapter in the

history of Sri Poundarika Puram Asramam came to a

close.

 

His Tanian reads as follows:

 

Naryanaakhya Yathiraja Paadaabja Bringa

Sri Vaasa Yogi Gurunaa Arpitha Bharam Eese/

Bhakthyaaddhi Poorna Varadaarya Kripaatha Sinham

Sri Srinivasa Munivaram Aham Prapadhye //

(meaning)

 

I take refuge at the holy feet of Srinivasa Maha

Desikan who was like a honey bee at the lotus feet of

the yathi- srEshtar , Sri NaarAyaNa MahA Desikan and

performed his prapatthi at the sacred feet of

Poundarikapuram SrinivAsa MahA Desikan after receiving

his pancha samskAram rites from Sri VaradAchArya

Swami known for his Bhakthi-Jn~Ana -VairAghyam.

 

AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

namo Narayana

adiyEn AchAryan Thiruvadi Narayana dAsan

madhavakkannan

 

 

 

 

______________________________\

____

Bored stiff? Loosen up...

Download and play hundreds of games for free on Games.

http://games./games/front