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From: Madhavakkannan V (srivaishnavan_at_hotmail.com)
Date: Fri Mar 09 2001 - 03:39:54 PST
SrI:
SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:
Dearest Sisters and Brothers,
Please accept adiyEn’s dhaNdavath praNAmams at your feet.
Following is the list of most benevolent contributors from Singapore. It
reflects their AchArya bhakti and reverence/ abhimaanam towards
AchAryasaarvabhouman His Holiness Srimad Andavan Paravaakkottai Sri
Gopaladesika Mahadesikan Swamy. In spite of adiyEn's disqualification, these
Srivaishnava BhagawathOtthamAs have liberally donated their mite, responding
to even this siRiya jnAnatthan adiyEn's appeal. Though they do not expect
any sort of acknowledgement or thanks due to their magnanimity, it is our
duty to pay our sincere thanks and praNAmams /gratitude for their
contributions. (Sri Muralidhar Rangaswamy joins me in thanking each one of
you and he will send a separate list for US Bhagawathas who have
contributed.)
Sri Sudharsan Parthasarathy
Sri Vijaykumar
Sri Vedantam Ayyangar
Sri Achutharaman
Sri MS Hari
Sri Madhusudhanan
Sri Ravikumar Seshadri
Sri Haresh Balasubramanian
Sri Sridharan
Sri Prof Sundararajan
Sri Kannan
Sri Mukundan
adiyEn
Total: Rs.260, 000.
(Equivalent Indian rupees)
Sri AnanthaKrishnan (from Jakarta) has collected from Srivaishnava
Bhagawathas there and sent Rs 50,000 to India directly last month.
Sri Damal Patthangi Kannan, who has come on short visit to Singapore has
also sent directly.
adiyEn intends to continue with asmadhAchAryan series.
After Srimad Poundarikapuram Andavan Sri Srinivasa desika Mahadesikan, Sri
Ranganthadesika Mahadesikan (RAJAMANNAR KOIL ANDAVAN) took over.
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.
Today, let us be blessed to enjoy reading the life history of Sri Mannargudi
Andavan. (This is from Sri Anbil mama’s article- thanks to Sri Anbil mama
for his permission))
Sri Mannargudi Andavan
(Vikrama- Vaikasi- Mrigaseersham)
(8-6-1880 - 17-11-1954)
There was in Mannargudi one Ramanujacharya Swami, one of the
descendants in the lineage of Nadadur Ammaal, one of the immediate
disciples of Sri Bhashyakara. He belonged to Srivatsa Gotram and was a
well known Vedic scholar. His forefathers were famed for their
proficiency in Vedic recitation which would charm the ears of the
listeners. Sri Ramanujachar Swami organized and led the Veda Parayana
Goshti during the festivals of Sri Rajagopala Swami. He was married to one
Senkamalathammaal. To them was born on 28th Mrigasirsha, Vikrama, Vaikasi
(8th June 1880) a male child who was given the name of
Srinivasagopalan.
After Upanayana Samskara, he started his early studies at the feet of his
father who also administered the Pancha Samskara. Later, he learnt
Vyakarana Sastras under the famous Vyakarana Pandit Uruppattur Sri
Rangachariar Swami (who later became the 39th Pontiff of Sri Ahobila Mutt).
In the beginning he served as Adhyaapaka in the Sastra Patasala at
Orattanad. Sri Srinivasa Gopalan married at the early age of 10 to one
Nachiyar Ammaal who belonged to a very orthodox Sri Vaishnava family. He
arrived at Srirangam with his wife and fell at the feet of Srimad
PoundarikaPuram Andavan and was given a room in the rear of the
Asramam. He studied under the Acharya the Grantha
Chatushtayam. At the end of his studies, he received Bharanyasa from
his Acharya. On hearing about his proficiency in Vyakarana Sastras, the
authorities in Kerala Sanskrit College invited him to serve as Professor
of Vyakarana. Sri Srinivasa Gopalan served in the Sanskrit College at
Pattambi for 20 years.
Then, when he completed his assignment at Pattambi, he visited Srirangam.
Srimad Poundarika Puram Andavan, considering the Vairaghya and
scholarship of Sri Srinivasa Gopala Swami desired that he should succeed him
and accordingly he was given Preksha Mantropadesa and admitted into the
holy order of ascetics and was given the new name of Sri Ranganatha Maha
Desikan. He was just 54. When Srimad
Poundarika Puram Andavan attained the lotus feet of his Acharya on 20th
October 1934 (*Bhava- Vaikasi- Pournami day* ), Sri Ranganatha Maha
Desikan took charge of the Ashramam with all sincerity and seriousness.
Many scholars who had intimately known and moved with the Swami in
his Purvasrama came to study at his feet, notable among them are Sri
Tatachariar Swami of Cuddalore, and Sri Ramaswamy Iyengar of Thanjavur.
Srimad Andavan spent his leisure hours in meditation and Ashtakshara Japa.
At the conclusion of every 10 million japam, a _Thadeeya Aaraadhana_
used to be held. He advised the disciples to celebrate the Tirunakshatra
day of Srimad Poundarika Puram Andavan
in their own homes so that more and more Srivaishnavas could come to
know of Swami's greatness. Srimad Andavan was averse to receiving gifts in
cash or kind. Once, when he was presented an amount of Rs.4,000, he handed
over the amount to Sri V.R. Ramaswamy Iyengar, Advocate, Thanjavur with a
request that the money should be utilized to bring out a new edition
of Rahasya Traya Sara in Devanagari script. The instruction was
complied with and today we have this beautiful edition in our hands with the
superb commentary of Vangeepuram Navaneetham Sri Rama Desikachariar
Swami. It remains a monument to Swami’s vision and generosity and devotion
to Swami Desikan.
Srimad Andavan Ranganatha Maha Desikan attained the lotus feet of his
Acharya on 17th November 1954 ( Jaya/ Kartigai/ Krishna Saptami) when he was
75.
His Tanian reads as follows:-
Aadhya Srinidhi Yogi Labda Manuraat Sri Vaatsya Raamaanujaath
Sampraaptanguna Mantra Jaatham /
Apara Sri Vaasa Yogi Swaraat Gnaanaabdim Suguna Karam
Munivaram Sri Ranganatham Bhaje //
(meaning)
I take refuge at the sacred feet of Sri Ranganatha MahA Desikan, the ocean
of Jn~Anam and the treasure house of all auspicious attributes, who
received his manthrOpadesam from the first SrinivAsa MahA
Desikan, his samAsrayaNam from Sri RaamAnuja MahA desikan of Srivathsa
gOthram and his Bhara SamarpaNam, thuriyAsramam and Ubhaya VedAntha
Isvaryam from the other Srinivasa MahA Desikan .
AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Regards
Narayana Narayana
AdiyEn AchAryan thiruvadi Narayana dAsan madhavakkannan
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