| You are here: Sri Vaishnava Home Page : Bhakti List : Archives : February 2002 |
From: Madhavakkannan V (srivaishnavan_at_hotmail.com)
Date: Fri Feb 01 2002 - 15:49:26 PST
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
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.
--------------------------------------------------------------
- SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to: bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/