Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Kandaadai Family

From the Bhakti List Archives

Satyan, Nagu (MSMAIL) • January 8, 1997 


From: Satyan, Nagu on Wed, Jan 8, 1997 10:48 AM
Subject: Kandaadai Family
To: bhakti digest

Mohan Sagar covered most of the facts.    Last April on Sri 
Dasarathy's (Sri Ramanujacharya's nephew) Thirunakshatthiram, I had 
posted an article on Dasarathy and his son Kandaadai Aandan.  I am 
providing additional info extracted from that posting on the origin of 
this name.

Dasarathy (AKA Mudaleeaandan) was deeply engrossed in the temple 
activities at SriRangam.  One day he approached his Acharya (and 
maternal uncle) Sri Ramanujacharya and expressed his sorrow that he 
was getting old and did not have a son to continue with the service 
(kainkaryam) to God.  Unexpectedly at that time, Sri Ramanujacharya 
recd the koil prasaadam.  When he noticed the cloth used to cover the 
sacred prasadam, he became very happy.  He removed the cloth which had 
been earlier used to drape over Perumaal during Thirumanjanam. The 
cloth had the inherant sacred fragrance.  Sri Ramanujacharya informed 
Sri Dasarathy that Sriman Narayana had heard Dasarathy's wish.  Sri 
Ramanujacharya gave the cloth to Dasarathy's wife who accepted it with 
great devotion and placed the cloth on her head with reverence.  Sri 
Ramanujacharya took some prasadam and gave the left over to her.  Soon 
after that she gave birth to a son.  Dasarathy named him Ramanujam 
since he was born with the blessings of Sri Ramanujacharya.   However, 
Sri Ramanujacharya named the child "Kandaadai Aandan" (one who wore 
kandaadai) since the child was born with the blessings recd from 
Perumaal's fragrant (kandham) cloth (aadai).  The second meaning is 
torn (kanda) cloth (aadai).  The followers of Kandaadai Aandaan have 
to be known as Kandaadai Aandaan.  As Mohan indicated, Kandaadai 
Aandan is one of the 74 Simhasanadhipathis.  I believe these families 
belong to Vaadhulasa Gothram.

Over a period of time name Kandaadai has taken different spellings, 
influenced by regional languages and scripts.  Regarding the ancestral 
place, I believe the old Madras state was much bigger than the current 
Tamil Naadu and many towns part of AP and Karnataka were under the old 
domain.   In fact many Sri Vaishnava families have roots to Chittoor, 
Kuppam (Lakshmipuram), Guntur etc.

Nagu Satyan