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Acharya Paramparai

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • June 27, 1997 


Dear Members of the Bhakthi list :

I promised to write about Acharya Paramparai in my
previous posting . Acharya AbhimAnam , Acharya 
Vandanam and Acharya DhyAnam is central to Vaidhika
MathAs in general and Sri VaishNava Darsanam in particular.

Besides the SvayamAcahrya paramparai , there are four main
AchArya paramparai for us . We belong to one or the other of 
the above paramparAs . Sri ParthasArathy Dileepan has included
in the Ahobila Matam Home Page the lineage of Jeeyars of that 
paramparai . I refer Sri Ahobila  mutt home page for that detailed 
information . The current Jeeyar Sri NaarAyaNa 
Yatheendra MahA Desikan is 45th in the line of 
succession of Ahobila Mutt YatheeswarALs . 

The rest of the ParamparAs are as follows :

1. Sri TodAdri or Sri VanamAmalai Mutt 
     ****************************************
     This Matam is 500 years old today and 30 Jeeyars
      upto  now starting from PonnadikkAl Jeeyar , who was 
      ordained by the great MaNavALa Maamuni himself in
      the year 1447 . The present occupant of the VaanamAmalai 
      Mutt is His Holiness Sri Kaliyan VaanamAmalai 
      RamAnuja Jeeyar . He started his reign on 
      November 23, 1994. Disciples of this Mutt from this 
      group are more knowledgable than myself about 
      the other peetAthipathis of this paramparA and are
      requested to provide details of VaanamAmalai Mutt 
      for the benefit of the rest of us.

      The present Jeeyar of the VaanamAmalai Mutt is
      initiating a major project to establish a Veda PaatasAlA
      at NaangunEri . Any one wishing to contribute to this laudable
      Kaimkaryam are requested to send their contributions 
      to H.H , The Jeeyar at the following address ;
      VaanamAmalai Mutt , Nanguneri, 627 108 , Tamil Nadu.
      May the Blessings of the Jeeyar and Srivaramangai 
      Sametha Sri DaivanAyakA's blessings shower on all
      the contributors to this noble cause !   

2. Srirangam Srimadh Aandavan AchArya Paramparai

     VarthamAna ( Present ) AchAryA : SrimushNam Aandavan,
      Sriranga RaamAnuja MahA Desikan , VaikAsi ThiruvAdhirai
      Janma Nakshthram . The reprint of the Sri RanganAtha
      PaadhukhA Sahasram commentary  was released by this 
      Aandavan on June 1 , 1995 after being out of print for 
      many years . The original work was completed by 
      Therezhandoor and Aakkoor Andavans .   

The AcharyAs , who adorned this PeetA in succession prior 
to the present jeeyar are listed below with their Janma 
Nakshthrams in the chronological order :

     Mysore Aandavan, SrinivAsa RaamAnuja MahA Desikan,
     AavaNi Utthiram .

     Thirukkudanthai Aandavan , Sri VedAntha RaamAnuja 
      MahA Desikan , Panguni Pushyam .

      Tenpirai ( Temparai ) Aandavan , Sri RanganAtha MahA
       Desikan , AavaNi Revathi . 

       Aakkoor Aandavan , Sri SrinivAsa MahA Desikan , 
       PurattAsi UtthirattAthi .

       TErazhundoor Aandavan , Sri Vedantha RaamAnuja 
        MahA Desikan , AavaNi PoorattAthi . NammAndavan ,
        who translated 860 of the 1008 Verses of Sri RanganAtha
        PaadhukhA Sahasram and his disciple , Aaakkor 
        Aandavan completed the rest of the work , when 
        his AachAryA fell ill .  

       KaadanthEtthi Aandavan , SrinivAsa RaamAnuja 
       MahA Desikan , AavaNi Moolam .

       VELiya Nalloor SinnANdavan, Sri PaadhukhA 
       Sevaka RaamAnuja MahA Desikan , Kaarthigai Maham .

       Srirangam PeriyANdavan , SrinivAsa MahA Desikan,
       Maasi Pushyam .

       Thrutthuraipoondi Aandavan , Srinivasa RaamAnuja 
        MahA Desikan , Iyppasi UtthirattAthi .

       Vazutthur Aandavan , Sri VedAntha RaamAnuja MahA
       Desikan , AavaNi PoorattAthi .

       Thirukkudanthai Desikan , Sri GopAlArya MahA
        Desikan , PurattAsi PoorAdam . 

(3 ) Poundareekapuram Aandavan AchArya Paramparai

       VarthamAna ( Present ) Jeeyar : ParavAkkotai 
       Sri GopAla MahA Desikan , Panguni RohiNi .

       Sri ViNNArAnkarai SrinivAsa MahA Desikan ,
       Panguni Anusham .

       MannArgudi Sri RanganAtha MahA Desikan,
       VaikAsi Mrugaseersham .

      Poundarikapuram SrinivAsa MahA Desikan ,
      Aadi PoorAdam .

      VeLiyanalloor Sri NaarAyaNa MahA Desikan ,
      PurattAsi ThiruvAdhirai . 

      Sri SrinivAsa MahA Desikan , Maasi Pushyam.

      Thirutthuraipoondi SrinivAsa RaamAnuja MahA
      Desikan , Iyppasi UtirattAthi .

      Vazhutthoor Sri VedAntha RaamAnuja MahA Desikan,
       AavaNi Poorattaathi .

      Thirukkudanthai Sri Gopala MahA Desikan , PurattAsi
       poorAdam .

As you see from the above review , there was only one 
Srirangam SrimadhANdavan at the beginning and then it 
branched off into two Aasramams . 

There are number of members of our group , who belong
to these two Matams and they can add more information 
about their AachArya paramparais . 

May  the Acharya ParamparAs of Sri Bhagavadh RaamAnuja
Siddhantham thrive and  prosper with the blessings of our
AchAryAs !

Sri NammAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam .
Oppiliappan Kovil VaradAchAri Sadagopan