Srimad ViNNaaRRankarai Andavan Thirunakshathram- Panguni anusham

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

SrImathE SrInivAsa Mahadesikaya namah:

 

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

 

SRIMAD ANDAVAN - SRI VENNATRANKARAI ANDAVAN SWAMI

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

 

Today is this great Acharyan Thirunakshathram. He is

the Acharya of asmadhAchAryan His Holiness Srimad

PaRavakkOttai Andvan Sri Gopaladesika Mahadesikan

Swami in Srimad Poundarikapuram Andavan Ashramam.

 

Let us enjoy the glories of this Swami on his

Thirunakshathram. [Given below is from Sri Anbil

mAmA’s Acharya vamsa vruksham write up]. Also I have

added few relevant anecdotes from this Acharyan’s life

extracted from Thirukkudanthai Desikan 300th

anniversary souvenir article written by Sri VN

Vedantha Desikan swami.

 

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 _Sathumurai_ 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.

 

Till about 1890's there was only one Andavan Asramam,

situated somewhat near further up-stream the coleroon.

Sri Andavan, particularly called Peria Andavan had

many disciples, among whom two were Tatacharya

cousins; Sri Valianallur Andavan is the one finding a

place in the hierarchy of Sri Poundarikapuram Asramam.

The other pontiff, Sri Chinnandavan headed the Mela

(or Peria) Asramam. The two were naturally intense

friends. Certain circumstances might have necessitated

the setting up of this new Asramam for Sri

Poundarikapuram Andavan but we - the modern educated

disciples -ought to bear in mind that the more there

are Acharyas, the more they serve the religious cause

in a broad canvas.

 

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.

 

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.

 

How I wish disciples of both the Asramams bear this in

mind and help the cordial spirit to grow ever and

ever. There is - and there can be - no reason for any

other feeling between two such parallel and allied

streams of spiritual propagation, working for the same

goals of spiritual uplift of society according to the

great, common, heritage both inherit- be it two

Andavan Ashramams; or two kalais in Sri Ramanuja

Darsanam. United we stand; divided we do not stand; we

fall. Bhagavd Ramanuja would not be pleased.

Raamaanujaarya dhivya AgnyA vardhathAm apivardhathAm

would be meaningless.

 

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 colourful

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.

Acharyan ThiruvadgaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo Narayana

dAsan

 

 

 

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