abhinava dESika - SrI UttamUr Swamy Divya Charitham- 24

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SrI:

Sri Padmavathi Sametha Srinivasa Parabrahmane Namaha.

Sri Perundhevi Sametha Devadhiraja Parabrahmane Namaha.

SrimathE Bhagavad Ramanujaya Namaha:

SrimathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya namaha:

Srimate Rangaramanuja Maha Desikaya Namaha.

Srimate Abhinava Desika Vatsya Satchakravarti Uttamur SRI

VIRARAGHAVARYA MAHA DESIKAYA NAMAHA

 

SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |

vedAntAcArya-varyome sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||

 

Thanian (Invocatory verse on Sri UttamUr swamy written by

Swamy's AchAryan Sri Kozhiyalam Swamy himself)

 

adbhutam yasya vikrAntam vEda vIthI ViSOdhanE |

aparam nigamAntAryam prapadyE vIrarAghavam ||

 

[Article in Tamil by SrI PayyampADi VEnkatavaradAchArya SwAmi; English write

up (based on Tamil) by SrI R.VenkatAchAri (SohattUr- Vankipuram -Oppiliappan

Sannidhi), a disciple of SrI UtthamUr SwAmi. Appeared in the souvenir

released during the SatAbhishEkam (80th birth anniversary) of SrI UtthamUr

swAmi on 10th Feb, 1977]

PRESIDENT’S AWARD – RECEIVING IN DELHI :

 

The Govt. of India, after they got the report from Brahmasri

K.Balasubramania Iyer, (it seems) made special and secret enquiries about

the worthiness of the only recommendation for the Award, as that

was the First Year of the Award. Reports from local officials at Madras and

also from Sri Anantasayanam Iyengar at Delhi were obtained and finally

decided on Our Swami and the same was announced. Our Swami was invited to

Delhi to receive the Award and the same was presented by His Excellency

Dr.Rajendra Prasad, President of India. At that time, being the First Award,

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sir S.Radhakrishnan were also present and they

also spoke to Our Swami in private and congratulated him. Sri Chakravarti

Rajaji’s son said that he was very happy that the First Award went to a

CHAKRAVARTI and that too a VIDVAT CHAKRAVARTI.

 

Our Swami was staying in the bungalow of Sri Anantasayanam Iyengar Swami

where full facilities were available for observing Achara and Anushtana in

full. Our Swami could not refuse the kindness of the Astikas of Delhi and

their request for giving a series of Upanyasas. He was forced to stay on in

Delhi for about a month and the Upanyasas were well attended, by almost all

the Astikas of Delhi. After the Upanyasa series, Our Swami wanted to

fulfill his long felt desire to visit the Uttara Divya Kshetras His sisters

and their husbands also joined him from Madras and the entire Divya Kshetras

were visited, to his full satisfaction.

 

After Our Swami’s return to Madras, completing the Uttara Divya Desa Yatra,

a meeting was convened in Madras under the Presidentship of His ex Governor

of Madras, to felicitate Our Swami on his getting the President’s Award.

Many learned scholars spoke praising Our Swami. Brahmasri.K.Balasubramania

Iyer, who was also present, explained that the selection of Our Swami for

the First Award was impartial and purely on merit and that he never

considered any other candidate, as he knew the merit of Our Swami and that

he never had any doubt in his mind. He also said that he was not approached

either by Our Swami or by anybody connected with him and in fact Our Swami

knew about that only after the selection was made. All speakers praised not

only Our Swami but also Brahma Sri Iyer for his impartiality and his

straight-forwardness and integrity.

 

ONE MORE SRI BASHYA KALAKSHEPA GOSHTI:

 

Then as usual the Kalakshepa and grantha nirmana were started in full swing

and with added vigour and enthusiasm. The Kalakshepa of Sri Bhashya was

started particularly for Paiyambadi Setlur Srivatsangacharya (who is the

maternal grand son of Srimad Kolialam Swami in his Poorvasramam), Siromani,

and some more Siromani pandits like him, Sri.U.Ve.N.R.Srinivasan Swami

(Engineer) and some more Sishyas who had the capacity to grasp quickly and

progressing well.

 

BHASHYARTHA DARPANA:

 

Sri.K.Sridharacharya, an Acharya attached to Pushkaram Uttara Ahobila

Jalaria Peeta, sent Rs.5,000/- for printing Sri Bashya Text only, for th use

of his Sishyas in North. The publication of Sri Bhashya with Srutaprakasika

was uppermost in Our Swami’s mind. Thinking that he could combine this

present offer with that, he approached the Government of India for a grant.

They refused saying that the book had already been published once. In the

meanwhile many requested Our Swami to write a commentary, more easily

understandable than the tough

Srutaprakasika on Sri Bhashya. To fit into the limited budget available,

Our Swami started the commentary called “Bhashyartha Darpana” along with the

Text. When work was delayed for want of more funds, Sri.N.R.Srinivasan and

Sri.G.Kasturi of “The Hindu” contributed

Rs.1000/- each. The book was released in two volumes, by Srimad

Alagiasingar, the 44th Jeer of Ahobila Mutt, at Sri Desika-Srinivasa

Sannidhi at Mylapore. At the time of release, The Alagiasingar recalled his

acquaintance with Our Swami’s Revered Acharya. He said that the present

author being an Antaranga sishya of Sri Swami, would have been trained by

him well and hence the Grantha Bhashyartha Darpana would be a

BAHUSRUTAPRAKASIKA and a better grantha than Srutaprakasika. He also asked

well-to-do Astikas of Madras to contribute generously and told the lawyers

assembled there that the money invested in such granthas would be more

beneficial to them than the hundred of law books which were not referred to

even once a year. He himself purchased 50 copies for distribution to the

pandits in the Mutt.

 

SRUTAPRAKASIKA : (and the birth of Our Swami’s own Composing Section)

 

The Govt. of India who originally refused the grant came forward and

sanctioned Rs.7000/-. Our Swami was hesitating to start the work as the

grant covered only one third the cost of the book on completion. Sri

U.Ve.Madapusi Sudarsanam Iyengar Swami, a well-known patron of Sri

vaishnava Sampradaya, gave a donation of Rs.5000/-. The work was started,

but the progress was very slow, for want of printing facilities for Sanskrit

granthas in Madras city. In one year, only a few forms could be printed.

Our Swami could not find a way out of this except to purchase types (preess)

and start a Composing Section of his own. Among our Swami’s Kalakshepa

Goshti, Sri.R.Venkatachariar, of Oppiliappan Sannidhi who had his Pancha

Samskara under Our Swami's Revered Acharya, came forward to keep the

Composing Section in his office and to look after the management also. Our

Swami had already located a press, owning Sanskrit Types, suitable for his

work, who wanted to sell it with the cases, ready for composing. After

fixing the price, on an auspicious day, Our Swami and his sishya

Sri.R.Venkatachari went to the press and started weighing the types. After

weighing, Our Swami found out that he did not have enough cash with him.

Sri R.Venkatachari said he had also brought Rs.1000/-, in case it might be

needed, and immediately paid the amount to Our Swami. The types were

purchased and brought in his car to his house at Nungambakkam. Next day

other materials needed to start the composing were purchased and work was

started right in earnest. The book Srutaprakasika was finished in record

time, to the surprise of even the printing press owners. Sri Ramanujam of

Sri Ramakrishna Printing works undertook to do the Striking of the forms at

a concession rate.

 

He even used to remove the form running in the machine and gave priority for

Our Swami’s work. After the finish of the book, Srutaprakasika, the space

allotted for the press was needed by him for further extension and letting

out, to enable him to get a rental income to augment his declining business,

and as Sri.M.S.Varadacharya of Adyar, (Nelvoi) who, as the Joint Secretary

of Ubhaya Vedanta Grantha Mala and a sishya in the Kalakshepa Goshti offered

to keep the press in his house at least for an equal period, if not more.

So, after two years the Composing Section was shifted there. As it was

very difficult for Our Swami to go there for proof correction and for

supervision (as Sri.M.S.V.Swami’s office was located in a different place,

supervision throughout the day was not possible by him), the same section

was shifted to the western wing of Our Swami’s own Tirumaligai, from where a

tenant had just then vacated. This saved a lot of trouble and time for Our

Swami and the work was going on with more speed.

 

In the meanwhile, the Kalakshepa Goshti was also flourshing, with more

are more sishyas joining. Among them was Sri Soundara Rajan, an Advocate

and Legal Advisor for “The Hindu”. He had his Pancha Samaskara under Our

Swami and joined the Kalakshepa Goshti for Isavasyopanishad Bhashya, Srimad

Rahasya Traya Sara and also Sri Bhashya.

 

After the finish of Srutaprakasika, other publishing activities of Our

Swami included the scrutiny and printing of a Sanskrit version of Srimad

Rahasya Traya Sara, written by Koothapakkam Neelameghachar Swami, who was

doing Acharyakam in North India, and a well wisher of Our Swami. The

publication of a Tamil book in essay form, called Upanishad Sara was

published by Visishtadvaita Prachaarini with the finance provided by

Sri.U.Ve.Kootandakuppam, Sidhanta Prachara Chakravarti Rangaramanua

Chakravarti, in memory of his wife Kamalammal, (who at one time had the

privilege of doing Madhukara Kainkarya for Srimad Koliyalam Swami) and was

born in the Vamsa of

Srimad Varadacharya Swami (an Acharya of Srimad Ketandipatti

Swami). The above Sri Rangaramanuja Chakravarti Swami was the first donor

of Rs.2000/- for the starting of Ubhaya Vedanta Granthamala and the printing

of Upanishads. The book UPANISHAD SARAM was released on the day of

Tiruvadyayana Mahotsava or Srimad Rangaramanuja Desikan. Then the books

`Chatusloki’ and `Stotra Ratna’, with tamil commentaries, were published for

V.P.Sabha.

 

THE 71st TIRUNAKSHATRAM OF OUR SWAMI:

 

A meeting was held in Tiruvallikeni National Girls High School at the

Sudarsanam Iyengar Hall, under the Presidentship of Sri.U.Ve.D.T.Tatachar

Swami to felicitate our Swami on his 71st Tirunakshatram.

Sri.K.Soundararajan, Advocate (“The Hindu”) was the secretary of the

celebrations committee, which was formed earlier, to collect funds to be

presented to Our Swami to show our gratitude in recognition of his service

to Sri Desika Sampradaya in general, and for his efforts in publishing books

on our Sampradaya. Sri.D.P.Parthasarathi Iyengar Swami, Sri.V.T.R.Swami and

Sri.D.V.Vasudevan of “The Hindu” also were in the committee and helped in

the collection of funds.

 

Sri.D.T.Swami presiding said that he had acquaintances with Our Swami from

his student days and had been an admirer of Our Swami’s genius. He said that

Our Swami had such a thorough grasp of all the Shastras and possessing an

alert mind, would make quick decisions, almost in a minute, when others like

him would take more than six months. This, he had seen, when they assembled

to make decisions on a particular version of a grantha which had created

doubts in the minds of all pandits. Sri.D.R.Swami spoke in praise of the

Raksha commentary of the Prabhandams and requested Our Swami to undertake

publishing all the works of Sri Desika. Our Swami replied suitably and said

that the

publication of Sri Desika’s works had been uppermost in his mind for quite

some time and that the scrutiny of the orignal Granthas had already been

started. He said that the huge money it would involve, prevented him from

launching on the venture and with the blessings of

his Revered Acharya and Sri Desika along with the good wishes and

co-operation of the Astikas, he hoped to complete the same during his life

time. Then a purse was presented, and also an amount, to be kept

as Reserve Fund for the celebrations of the Tirunakshatrams of Acharyas and

Alwars at SIDHASHRAMA of Our Swami

 

Rest in next...

AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo Narayana

aDiyEn dAsan

 

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