Sri VeNNAtrankarai Andavan Swami Thirunakshathram - Panguni Anusham

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Sri:

SrimathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

Dearest all,

 

Today Panguni anusham is the star of the divine

Acharya - SRIMAD ANDAVAN ( SRI VENNATRANKARAI ANDAVAN

) predecessor to Prakritham Srimad Paravakkottai

Andavan Swami whose TN (88th) is being celebrated on

April 10th at Srirangam.

 

Swami Sri Vennatrankarai Andavan lived in our midst on

this earth and made it holier from 19-3-1882 to

9-4-1980

(from Sri Anbil Ramaswamy Swami's write up]

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 Vennatran Karai 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 Poundarika Puram 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

narayana dAsan madhavakkannan

 

 

 

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