Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Sixth day of Dhanur Maasam --Part 1

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • December 21, 1996 


Dear Members of the Bhakthi Group :

Sri AhobilaMatam Jeeyar's appeal
***************************************
It is such  an unexpected dividend to have the 
summary of Srimadh Azhagiya Singhar's UpanyAsam 
on VaikunTa EkAdasi day at Nangai Nallur . Thanks Sri Badri
SeshAdri for this special treat ! 

The unique and important plea of the revered Jeeyar to
 the members of the two important branches of the same tree of  
SrivaishNavism is most heartening to learn about .
There is much that unites the two sampradhAyams .
The appeal  to close ranks and develop  closer relations 
is a poignant and timely one indeed !. 

AndAL and Saint ThyagarajA : Two great VaishNavAs
*********************************************************

The reference to  " Mayanai Mannu Vada Mathurai Maindanai "
section of the fifth PAsuram brought to my mind the prayer of
another BhakthA , Saint Thyagaraja . In one of  his Sriranga Pancharatnam
krthis set appropriately in raga SarangA , our Sadhguru addresses 
Lord RanganathA and appeals to Him to look at him (ThyagaraJa) 
with compassion and listen to him. In the pallavi portion of this
krithi , He endearingly addresses the Kasthuri Rangan this way :
KaruNa Judumaiyaa ! MAAYAIYAA ! Kavedi  RANGAIYAA !

He adresses the MaayOn /Mayan of AndAl's Thiruppavai  as Mayaiyaa 
with great affection . Our Sadhguru salutes Sri Ranganatha 
as Mayan , or the one who performs miracles 
or acts of Adbhutham or acts of alchemy , as it were to transform
the chetanAs , who are like soiled brass into shining Gold . The revered 
Jeeyar referred to Lord KrishNa doing an act of miracle to counter BrahmA's  
ill conceived stealing of the cows at BrindhAvanam . The deeds associated with
the Lord's MayA are many . It is interesting to note the coincidence in the
choice
of the sameword by of two great devotees of Sri RanganathA 
separated.by many centuries.

Our AcharyAs and their service to Us
*****************************************

Our AcharyAs perform the same "miracle " through BaranyAsam and unites 
the JeevAthmA with ParamAthmA , Sriman NarAyaNa . Our Acharya ParamparA 
starts from Sriman NarAyaNA Himself, followed by MahA Lakshmi , VishvaksenA ,
Sri SaTaari Suri , Nathamuni , PundarikAkshA , Ramamisrar  , Yaamunacharya,
MahA purNar , Sri RamAnujA , ------, Pillai LokhAcharyA--
Sri Nigamantha MahA DesikA , ManavALa Maamuni , 
Ahobilam Jeeyars/ Munitraya Jeeyars / Vaanamaamalai
Jeeyars and many SvayamAcharyAs . I will concentrate on 
the Munithraya SampradhAyam  in this posting . 

The Munithraya SampradhAyam and one of their lineages
**************************************************************

In the Munithraya Sampradhayam is  rooted in the adoration of the three
Munis --Nathamuni , Yaamuna Muni and RamAnuja Muni . 
Thirukkudanthai Desikan ( 1700-1782 ) was one of the most 
distinguished Acharya of this SampradhAyam . He had 3 SanyAsins as his 
SishyAs. One of them was Vazhutthur Vedantha RamAnuja MahA Desikan .
His principal disciple was Sri Andikattu Swami , who was blessed to
have Sri Kedandapatti Swamy as his disciple . Latter had 
Sri Thirupathi Swamy as his successor. Thirupathy Swamy's 
well known disciple was the most scholarly 
Sri Ranga RAmAnuja MahA Desikan popularly 
known as Sri KozhiyAlam Swami . He had Uttamur Veeraraghava
SwamigaL as his principal SishyA .

Uttamur Abhinava Desika VeeraraghavAcchAr SwamigaL
***************************************************************

Prior to his passing away , Sri KozhiyAlam swami nominated 
Sri Uttamur Viraraghava Swami as his successor and asked latter to
be in GrahsthAsramam instead of becoming a SanyAsi like himself and 
his PurvAcharyAs . Sri Utthamur Viraraghava Maha Desikan followed 
the command of KozhiyAlam Swami and  performed 
SamAsrayaNam , BaranyAsam and conducted Kaalakshepams on
Sampradhya GranthAs including Grantha ChAthushtyam( Sri Bahshyam,
Srimadh Bhagavadh GitA BhAshyam , Sri Bhagavadh Vishayam and 
Srimadh Rahasya Traya Saaram ) .

Sri Uttamur Swami was a genius in intrepreting 
the VaishNava Granthams and had his own press to print and
release  an enormous number of books , which have helped to keep
our sampradhAyam alive . He published 103 books in Sanskrit and 53 
books in TamiL in his life time. The VishishtAdvaitha PrachariNi SabhA 
has released the Prabhandha RakshA series dealing with his 
erudite commentaries on NaalAiyra Divya Prabhandham. 

His tireless service to the advancement of 
Sri Bhagavth RaamAnuja SiddhAntham
earned him many recognitions including the first of the awards of the 
President of India. In 1960 , Babu Rajendra Prasad conferred on 
Sri Uttamur Swamy the President's medal in recognition of his invaluable
service to intrepret the  VishitAdvaithA VedAnthic literature . 

He was always a prolific writer Like Prathivaadhi Bhayankaram 
ANNangarAcchar Swamy .The  voluminous and valued contributions 
of Uttamur swamigal were recognized during the occasion of 
his 60th birthday at Madras with a title of Abhinava Desikan . 
This title recognizes him as the reincarnated NigamAntha MahA Desikan 
himself. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to Uttamur SwamigaL , which can
never be repaid in money or other material contributions. What he and 
his AcharyA have given us is a everlasting gift , " intellectually
ever-nourishing
and pathfinding for our eventual salvation ." 

Uttamur SwamigaL's Centenary Celebrations ( January 22 to February 5, 1997)
*********************************************************************************
*******

His birth centenary falls on January 31 , 1997 . H.H . Srimadh
Azhagiya Singar , H.H. Jeeyar of ParakAla Mutt , H.H . Jeeyar of 
Andavan Asramam , Srirangam , H.H. Srimadh Andavan of 
Poundarikapuram Asramam , Srirangam will be participating in this
Once -in-a - life time celebration /tribute to honor the memory 
of this great AchaaryA . ParAyaNams of two VedAs , Divya Prabhandham
and other Granthams , UpanyAsams , Vidwth Sadas and 
TadhiyArAdhanams and rerelease of out-of -print books 
of this AcharyA  have been planned for the 15 days at Madras . 
Eminent citizens of India haveagreed to cover the budget of 6 Lakhs 
except for 50,000Rupees ( Approximately $1,400 ) . The 
Centenary committe is NOT  interested in collecting this sum from
one or more willing donors  in India . The President and members of 
the committe have heard about the Bhakthi and Naama group and their
service to all of the people interested   in learning about the great 
Sri Bhagavath RaamAnuja SiddhAntham . They would like very much 
for us to be represented as participating members in this centenary 
celebration for this MAHAAN .

Collectively for us , $1,400 is not a big sum . A donation of $100 by
14 people or better still a contribution of $50 by 28 well wishers or 
the best of all $25 each by 56 members of the two  groups can cover this
need and give us  the opportunity to participate in the  release of 
some of the monographs of Sri Uttamur Swami that are out of print now .

I will contribute my share to this initiative and celebration since 
whatever I know about our Sampradhayam has come from either 
Uttamur SwamigaL or PratrhivAdhi Bhayankaram ANNangaracchAr swamigaL
or form my third guru , Oppiliappan Koil Srirama DesikAcchAr SwamigaL.
If I have been able to contribute anything at all to this private mailing 
list , it has been due to the blessings of the prolific works of these 
three great giants of recent times. May I therefore appeal to You 
one and all to contribute wahtever you can to realize the sum of $1,400 
as OUR contribution to cover either the Veda PaarAyaNam or 
Divya Prabhandham recital or the book release or the creation of the 
souvenir containing the proceedings of the Vidvath Sadas .

I shall be most grateful for your potential support to remember this
great AchAryA's magnanimous and magnificient contribution to our
SampradhAyam through his untring efforts. By copy of this note , I am 
requesting Mrs.Nagu satyan to bring this appeal to the attention
of the members of the NaamA group .

Our  contributions are tax deductible , if they are routed through 
Sri Ahobila Mutt of North America administered by Sri BharadwAj Jagannath 
of Arlington , Virginia. I am sending  my contribution to Sri
Ahobila Mutt of North America today and humbly request You ALL to
join in this unique  celebrations. We will get copies of the souvenirs of the 
Proceedings of the Vidwath Sadas in March ,97 .

Sri VaishNava Daasan,
Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan