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From: Madhavakkannan V (srivaishnavan_at_hotmail.com)
Date: Sun Mar 04 2001 - 01:36:51 PST
SrI:
SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:
Dearest Sisters and Brothers,
Please accept adiyEn’s dhaNdavath praNAmams at your feet.
We have been enjoying the unparalleled, avicchinna (uninterrupted) AchArya
vamsa vruksham of Srivaishnava Sampradayam.
About one hundred and fifty five years ago, our land witnessed the holy
birth of a mahaan in Poundarikapuram (near Oppiliappan Koil); truly it was
avtaar of Sriman Narayanan Himself who out of bountenous benevolence and
sincere determination, Dhrida Vrata, to save all human beings, comes into
this world. And the Lord chooses this time, the place and the dhampathis to
take His birth from- it is all preordained by Him.
In Sowmya Year, Adi Pooradam, 26th August, 1847, a child was born to Sri
SingaperumAL Ayyangar, an effulgent scholar and a man of unswerving
principles of personal practice and conduct and Smt Sengamalam AmmAL, his
wife. They named the child as Srinivasa after Lord Srinivasa.
Young Srinivasan was given in adoption to his father’s younger brother.
After his upanayanam at 7, he promptly sought to learn Sanskrit from
illustrious Sri Rangachariar Swami, father of the reputed Tharka scholar Sri
Narasimhachariar. Soon followed his higher eductation from mahavidwans like
Ghattam Varadachariar Swami, Sogathur srinivasachariar Swami, Perumal Koil
Thirupputkuzhi Swami, Kuricchi Rangachariar Swami at Mannargudi and in
matter of time, he becamce an accomplished scholar, a mahavidwan himself,
having mastered tharkkam, VyakaraNam, meemaamasam, besides the Vedas and
Divya prabhandhams.
He had pancha samskaram from Ghattam Varadachariar Swami and Vedantha
grantha kaalakshepam and BharasamarpaNam at the feet of srimad Andavan
Veliyanalloor Narayana mahAdEsikan, an act possibly indicating things to
come, as later he succeeded as Srimad Narayana mahadesikan.
In spite of belonging to an affluent family, Sri Srinivasan led his
gruhasthasramam at Pundarikapuram in a manner that was remarkable for its
simplicity and austerity. In good time he heard the call, the divine call
for taking up Sanyasa Asramam and to become a “lighthouse” guiding the
parched souls tossed about in the samsaara saagaram. He went and prostrated
repeatedly at the feet of Srimad Andavan Veliyanalloor Narayana Mahadesikan
at VinnaaRRankarai who after thorough scrutiny of the disciple’s
genuineness, offered him upadesam and prapatti prayoga and admitted him to
Sanyasa Ashramam, more fittingly called thurIyAsramam.
Thereafter he went to live in the Srimad Andavan Ashramam at Srirangam
hallowed by the foot prints of Srimad Periya Andavan and spent years there
offering Samasrayana, Bharanyasam and daily kaalakshepam Goshtis to the
innumerable disciples thirsting spiritually. But, he felt greatly anguished
when obstacles were put in his path of discharging his duties as an
Acharya. He decided to leave Srirangam and go to another place which would
be congenial to him. When the disciples came to know of this, they
prevailed upon him to continue his stay at Srirangam. Through their
efforts, a separate Asrama was set up and it came to be known as the “Sri
Poundarikapuram Andavan Asramam”
>From here, he continued his mission. The Asramam under Sri Srinivasa Maha
Desikan was a center of religious activities and philosophical
discussions. The Acharya was an erudite scholar in Vedaanta Sastras; he
possessed an extraordinary power of mind
by which he could accurately recall any passage, sloka or Sutra with ease.
Many
learned scholars came to study Adhyatma Sastras under his feet.
Thus started a great era, a Saga of monumental service to the Lord. Not a
day passed without a Kaalakshepa Goshti in the Ashramam. It became the
confluence of great minds seeking more and more scholarship in sri Bhashyam,
Bhagavath vishayam, srimad Rahsyathrayasaram and Sri Geetha Bhashyam and all
else with a thirst and enthusiasm as witnessed never before.
Apart from the saamaanya sishyas and countless extraordinary sishyas,
mention many be made of a few outstanding sishyas who distinguished
themselves by their startling mastery of the sampradaya granthas in all
their facets and left an indelible mark in the from of permanent
contributions to the growth and spread of the Munithraya sampradaya. And
thus the two who succeeded Him, Srimad Andavan Mannargudi Ranganatha
Mahadesikan and Srimad Andavan VinnaaRRankarai Srinivasa Mahadesikan, are
manifestation of the Great Acharya himself as they followed his footprints,
offering spiritual succor to the ever-growing disciples.
In 1934, in the month of Vaikasi on Pornami day, the AchArya’s look finally
fell kindly on the great scholar disciple from Mannaargudi as hed had
decided that he should succeed him and carry forward the intellectual and
spiritual service that he had so deftly given a new dimension to. Thus Sri
Mannargudi Anadavan, (followed then by sri ViNNaaRRankarai Andavan)
succeeded Sri Srinivasa Mahadesikan (Poundarikapuram Anadavan). And
Prakritham Andavan is Srimad Andavan ParavaakkOttai Gopaladesika
Mahadesikan, whose 81st Thirunakshathram is being celebrated.
While this was the Great Acharya Srimad Poundarikapuram Andavan Sri
Srinivasadesika mahadesikan’s work to keep the line of succession
continuous, he did not rest content there; he knew the coming days would
demand more than this, that the future upkeep of our sampradaya would need
not merely “ships” and “light houses”, but also, pillars and foundation
Structures. Among the many hundreds of Ashthikas/Sishyas, mention should be
made of Sri A.V Gopalacharyar of Anbil, of Sri Krishna thathachariar Swamy
of Bangalore, and of Sri C.M Vijayaraghavachariar Swamy also of Bangalore,
not because others were less equal, but because these scholar disciples
carved for themselves a unique position.
Sri A.V Gopalacharyar was at the feet of this great Acharya for 42 years of
his life, practically everyday learning the nuances of our sampradayam. A
man of shrewd intellect, a lawyer matchless in his profession at Tiruchi and
affluent, learned in Poorvapaksham forms of Advaita found full enlightenment
from Acharya’s responses and answers to his full load of doubts and
questions. Srimad Anvadav well versed in the intricacies of Advaita
completely and fully satisfied the disciple’s lurking doubts so well that
Sri Anbil Gopalcharyar Swami was enabled to author many books in elucidation
of Advaitha philosophy, - a contribution of very crucial importance for the
very understaiding of Greatness of unparalleled and unambiguous
Visishtadvaita; he also brought out a few other granthas. He perpetuated the
memory of this great mahan thus, in the form of granthas and idealized it by
instituting the “Srinivasa Mahadesikan Vidhwath Sadhas”, munificently
endowing for its conduct. It is an annual feature since then, in this
ashramam that brings in congregation scholars of repute for intellectual and
philosophical discussion, disputation and authoritative assertion of our
sampradaya Gnana.
Kozhiyaalam Raghavachariar Swami came to Srirangam and sought Sannyaasa
Sweekaranam at the feet of Srimad Poundarikapuram Andavan who initiated
him
into the Sannyaasa Asrama in 1920 in the year Roudri- Aani- Pournami day.
The
Aasthaana Vidwan of Tirumalai Tirupati Devasthanam, Kapisthalam
Desikaachaarya
submitted to Swami for approval his Grnatha “Adhikarana Ratna Maalai”. The
Swami
accorded his approval.
Srimad Anvadavn is the one who blessed with his kataaksham and made child of
five years old utter the JnAnandamayamdevam slokam (first slokam of Sri
Hayagriva SthOthram)…, though he was born mute. Today this divine child,
blessed by this Acharya is ashtangayogi and the greatest Acharya His
Holiness Sri Rangapriya Swamy.
This was Srimad Andavan Poundarikapuram Srinivasa Mahadesikan, a creative
genius, a perennial spring who made himself an institution and a legend with
his many sided qualities. He was a great servant, a teacher unsurpassed, an
organizer with an eye for protection, a missionary with a vision and a
visionary with a mission. No wonder that he was known as Gnana Vairagya
Anusntana Sampanna.
"Whenever there were doubts on sri Bhashyam Grantham and its
interpretations, Srimad Andavan was always the Judge to pass his final
judgement as to who is right. - " was the statement of Srimad Azhagiyasingar
(41st Pattam).
In 1928, when the affluent devotees of Poundarikapuram village –
nevertheless not his disciples – had arranged for renovation and
consecration, It was H H Sri Poundarikapuram Andavan who was invited to
lend the ‘holy hand’ for karasparsam (by a great man). With what results!
All can see today how the small shrine of Oppiliappn has grown as Southern
Thiruppathi, with gala and festivity, fund-flow and pomp and fame and
attraction, all after 1928! The event has a precedent in Thirukkudanthai
Desikan lending his ‘kara-sparsam’ to Aravamuthan some 200 years back- says
Sri Dn VN Vedantha Desikan Swami in his article.
This mahaan made it a daily practice to chant praNavam even during brief
leisure hours following the precepts of Upanishads, thereby experiencing the
thrill of the union of JivAthmA with the ParamAthmA. That he was practicing
this was not known to anybody. It was not necessary to inform anyone, it
being the individual communion of Jivan with Sriman Narayanan. How did then
others come to know of? It was the custom to invite four Srivaishnavas and
feed them in the Ashramam on the completion of every one crore (ten
millions) of PraNava japam. Such was his accuracy in keeping count of a
small GREAT mantra. Sri VennaaRRankarai Andavan Swami chanced to notice this
and humbly enquired and got to know the truth.
Does this not testify to the unassuming nature and greatness of the AchArya,
his gnAna, anushtAnam and VairAgyam?
What a wonder – He attained the everlasting Bliss of AchAryan Thiruvadi on
20th October 1934, a day after completion of one of the many Sri Bhashya
Grantha saaRRumuRais, signifying Sri Bhashya Bhakti.
The above article is from the article written in 151st Jayanthi malar.
His Tanian reads as follows:
Sri Narayana Yogindra Varadaarya Kripaasrayam /
Rangesa Paada Vinatham Srinivaasa Munim Bhaje //
(meaning)
_ I hail Srinivasa Muni who obtained the full grace of Sri Narayana
Yogindra
Varadaarya, who always bowed at the feet of Lord Ranganatha.
asmadhAchArya paryanthAm vandhE GuruparamparAm…
adiyEn humbly requests with folded hands to each Bhagawatha of this list, to
contribute your mite for the 81st Jayanthi celebration. Please pay your
obeisance by contributing your mite and donate generously to the cause of
the 81st Tirunakshatram celebrations planned for March 24-31, 2001.
Contributions from the USA are tax exempt. Please mail your checks to:
SMSA Inc,
c/o Smt. Nagu Satyan,
7821 W Alder Drive
Littleton, CO 80128
Please indicate on the memo of your check that your contribution is for
Srimad Poundarikapuram Ashramam.
For those in India, please send the cheque or drafts in favour of "S.P.A.V
Trust a/c- 81st Jayanthi and send to Srikaryam, Srimad Poundarikapuram
Andavan Ashramam, 43- A/13, Asramam Road, Srirangam, TRICHY. PIN 620006,
India.
PLEASE PLEDGE BEFORE this month end so that we can arrange to send by Mar
10th to organizers. Thank you.
AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Narayana Narayana
adiyEn Acharyan Thiruvadi Narayana dAsan madhavakkannan
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