SRI: SRJ Celebrations 2007 - Annual Award Announcement #1 Kaimkarya Thilakam

[Guest guest]

Srimathe Sri Ramanujaya Namaha|

SRI RAMANUJA MISSION, INC.

OF SRIRANGAM SRIMATH ANDAVAN ASHRAMAM (SRI)

 

Sri Ramanuja Jayanthi Celebrations 2007

Annual Award Announcement " Kaimkarya Thilakam "

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Dear Bhagavathas:

 

On the most joyous occasion of Sri Ramanuja Jayanthi celebrations

during the month of Chithirai (22 April 2007), we are happy to

recognize a well-known personality in the electronic medium - a

prolific writer, a simple down-to-earth bhagavatha, who hails from a

very traditional family (Navalpakkam lineage), who is deeply immersed

in the bhagavath anubhavams of Azhwars, and who has devoted his life

to the translation of the commentaries on Nalayira Divya Prabhandham.

In the recent past, there has not been a single day in which we could

have missed his postings. A mechanical engineer from BITS, Pilani, he

has worked in the Middle East and is currently stationed in

Singapore – as you all must have guessed by now, this young,

accomplished bhagavatha is none other than Sri V. Madhavakkannan

Swami.

 

The younger generation can draw inspiration from this well-qualified,

well-accomplished, yet humble person and ardent follower of Ramanuja

Siddhantham. He is blessed with the ability to transcend the

anubhavams of Azhwars into his writings that can also be experienced

by the readers themselves. This is evident from the numerous

compliments he receives on his postings. To recognize his tremendous

contribution in sustaining the rich Vedic tradition, Sri Ramanuja

Mission, Inc. of Srirangam Srimath Andavan Ashramam (SRI) is pleased

to confer on him the title of " Kainkarya Thilakam. "

 

This title carries with it an honorary plaque and blessings from HH

Sri Rangaramanuja Mahadesikan and will be presented during Sri

Ramanuja Jayanthi celebrations at SSVT, MD, on Sunday, April 29th in

the presence of Udayavar, Sri Venugopala Perumal, Sri Nrusimha

Sudharshana Chakrath Alwar, Purvacharya Padukas and fellow

bhagavathas with full honor. SRI president Sri Poondi Vijayaraghavan

will be presenting the award.

 

We request fellow bhagavathas to join us in honoring Sri V.

Madhavakkannan Swami and in praying to Sri Ranganatha Divya Dampathi

and Purvacharya Padukas to bestow upon him and his family a long life

and continued service in the years to come.

 

Nadadur Mathavan

Secretary, Sri Ramanuja Mission

Srirangam Srimath Andavan Ashramam

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As we know how much Sri V. Madhavakkannan Swami loves to write, we

persuaded him to present a biography in his own style, which is as

follows:

 

Dearest all,

 

adiyEn's past (though not worth- still as per the request of Sri

Ramanuja Mission, adiyEn attempts to write something for the sake of

getting to know my other life:-)

 

I was born in 1960, at Madras. My grandfather (paternal) was

appointed as an archakA in Srinivasar temple (small one) at Thozhur

(where we stayed) near ThiruvaLLur (not a big sthalam, at all). He

was a sanskrit sironmaNi and used to teach me sanskrit desika slokams

and kALidAsan works like Raghu vamsam, Megha sandesam, etc in

addition to Bhagavad Vishayam during my teens. When I was 10 we moved

to Ambattur in Madras to be closer to my father's office

(ICF,Perambur). My father Sri VS Vasudevachariar (now staying at

Srirangam) was just a typical obedient son and a lowkika (He knew

dEsika sthotrams, upanishads, some pAsurams, vishNu sahasranAmam

Gadhya trayam etc.,).

 

During my secondary school, despite my disinterest, my grandfather

taught me pancha sukthams, vishNu sahasranamam, usual conventional

ones (pallAndu, thiruppaLLIyezhcchi, thiruppAvai, AmalanAdhipirAn,

first 10 NammAzhwAr pAsurams, sArrumurai, desikar mangaLam, taitriya

upanishshads siksha valli, bruhuvalli, Anandha valli etc.).

 

We belong to Oratthi Thaiyaar Acchi Vangheepuram family and we belong

to swamAchAryALs and hence, my thAtthA performed samAsrayaNam to me

before I went to BITS, Pilani. I graduated in Mechanical Engineering

from BITS. My thatha's place is few kilometers from Navalpakkam

village and he learnt from Navalpakkam Swami. My maternal grand

mother hailed from Navalpakkam and even today we have our roots

there.

 

With that back ground, and due to the infinite grace of PerumAL and

Samasraya acharyan (Thatha's) kataaksham it was my Mathematic

professor Dr.V.KrishNamurthy, who gave a small talk on Hinduism

(mainly advaithic philosophy-being an iyer) which IMPRESSED me

greatly and almost left my studies to read only books on Philosophy.

Later, I began to read about Sri Ramanuja, AzhwAs' Biographies which

were nothing BUT a development and matured understanding of AdvaitA.

I was proud of being a SrivaishNavA and was simply flabbergasted at

the sweetness of Tamizh works of AzhwArs.

 

By this time, my grandparents attained acharyan thiruvaDi; I

completed my degree; joined BHEL, Trichy (where my father was deputed

from ICF to BHEL, trichy) and stayed at SRIRANGAM. (See how our lives

are being dragged; Both my grand parents died in SriRangam). At Sri

Rangam, seeing me totally involved in Philospophy, my parents trapped

me with the married life (my wife, Brindha hails from Tirukkoviloor

and is a medico). Alas, samsAgara sAgaram- I am now a father of 18

year old boy, Vijai Srinivas and 12 year old girl, HariNi. I came to

Singapore and joined BECHTEL, Singapore (in search of more MONEY! and

more material pursuits!_What a pity!) in 95. (before that from 90 to

95 I was deputed from BHEL to middle east - Saudi). In the meanwhile

after my grand father's death, my dearest father slowly transformed

himself into a parama vaidheeka and has been doing thiruvArAdhanam at

my residence at srirangam; He slowly learnt more desikar sthothrams;

divyaprapandhams; Rahaya traya saram, yajur vEdAs (7 kAndams), etc,

etc. He is now retired and is full fledged 12 thirumaN, pancha

kaccham, kudumi, does not eat outside any where; very devoted and

very understanding always other person's view. He is still attending

lots of kAlakshEpams at Ahobila Mutt, Andavan Ashram, and other

Navalpakkam swamigals (we belong to Navalpakkam). He and amma

performed bharanyAsam at the lotus feet of Navalpakkam Sri Ubhaya

Vedantha Sri Valayapettai Ramanuja thathachar. He inspired me to

read more and more of our scriptures and more of prapandhams (I even

argue with my father that one enjoys the pAsurams, (since it is in

Tamizh) than Sanskrit verses, which are also good but not

understandable and relished immediately, unless mahAns like Sri VS or

Sri AR or Sri SR help. Sri Mani Varadarajan was sent by Sriman

NarayaNa to thadutthAtkoLLify me and came to my rescue through

internet (which I browsed and caught him) and Archives from which I

learnt REALLY a LOT- thanks to Sri V Satakopan Swami, Sri Anbil

Ramaswamy swami and others.

 

I was working as Project Engineering Manager in a company called

BECHTEL first and later in Halliburton before I joined this company

Jacobs.

 

It has always been my habit to read loud and share with others

whatever I have read, be it a joke, story or a poem. So, when I

started to begin posting and reading articles, it was simply

thrilling and that made me buy a PC immediately at home.

 

Incidentally I used to talk to my son for hours together (rather he

talks) on VishishtAdvaitA. I am always a bit emotional and melt

easily at any moving AzhwArs or adiyArgaLs' stories. That's the

reason I wished to share.

 

With the great encouragements and inspiring pats through emails from

so many persons for my rambling for the last ten years, I am

motivated again and again to post (and torture you all). Sorry for

boring you a lot. It is only to tell you that I am lower than the

lowest adiyAr and have absolutely no pure, sincere, love and bhakti

for the Lord. I belong to hypocrite category. As long as I run amuck

for all these material pursuits and run after satisfying the sense

organs, I am useless and of no worth for me to be considered for any

salvation. It is He who has decided to capture me and has entered

into my heart without my knowledge and refuses to get out.

 

It is He who has arranged for such a Most Merciful Acharya saarva

bhouman His Holiness Srimad ParavakkOttai Andavan Swami Sri

Gopaladesika Mahadesikan who performed Prapatti for me.

 

It is He who speaks through me to let the esteemed members of the

discussion forum to like adiyEn posts and take up AzhwArs' works and

recite them.

 

It is my desire to continue to share and learn in the process all

AzhwArs works, and all acharyas¡ works.

 

Regards

 

Namo Narayana

dAsan