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abhinava dESik-a SrI UttamUr Swamy Divya Charitham- 25

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Madhavakkannan V • February 2, 2002 


SrI:
Sri Padmavathi Sametha Srinivasa Parabrahmane Namaha.
Sri Perundhevi Sametha Devadhiraja Parabrahmane Namaha.
SrimathE Bhagavad Ramanujaya Namaha:
SrimathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya namaha:
Srimate Rangaramanuja Maha Desikaya Namaha.
Srimate Abhinava Desika Vatsya Satchakravarti Uttamur SRI
VIRARAGHAVARYA MAHA DESIKAYA NAMAHA

SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |
vedAntAcArya-varyome sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||

Thanian (Invocatory verse on Sri UttamUr swamy written by
Swamy's AchAryan Sri Kozhiyalam Swamy himself)

adbhutam yasya vikrAntam vEda vIthI ViSOdhanE |
aparam nigamAntAryam prapadyE vIrarAghavam ||

[Article in Tamil by SrI PayyampADi VEnkatavaradAchArya SwAmi; English write 
up (based on Tamil) by SrI R.VenkatAchAri (SohattUr- Vankipuram -Oppiliappan 
Sannidhi), a disciple of SrI UtthamUr SwAmi. Appeared in the souvenir 
released during the SatAbhishEkam (80th birth anniversary) of SrI UtthamUr 
swAmi on 10th Feb, 1977]

SIDHASHRAMA : (25, Nathamuni Street, T.Nagar, Madras.)

Most of the sishyas who attend the Kalakshepa Goshti used to feel that
the Tirumaligai of Our Swami at No.25, Nathamuni Street was too small for 
the fast increasing Kalakshepa Goshti and the ever increasing requests for 
Pancha Samaskara and Bharanyasa.  Instead of purchasing a
different plot for building an Asrama for that purpose, it was decided
to extend the Tirumaligai on the eastern side completely independent from 
the house, with a separate entrance, for carrying on the Acharyaka 
activities.  Eminent persons like Sri Madabhushi Sudarsanam Iyengar Swami, 
Sri V.T.R.Swami, Sri N.R.Srinivasan (Engineer) Sri.K.Sounderarajan 
(Advocate) and others contributed liberally themselves and also collected 
from other Astikas and well-wishers. Sri N.R.Srinivasan undertook to do the 
construction and the Ashrama wing was finished in record time at less than 
the actual cost.  The Ashrama was called “SIDHASHRAMA”.

SRI DESIKA GRANTHA NIRMANA :

Our Swami decided to start the “Pancha Kavyas” of Sri Desika first, 
comprising of Yadavabhyudaya, Paduka Sahasra, Subhashitanivi, Sankalpa
Suryodaya and Hamsa Sandesa under the banner of Ubhaya Vedanta Granthamala 
in a special “Sri Desika Grantha Publication Series”. Membership of Rs.50/- 
paid in advance which would get them all the above (five) books, was 
announced.  The respnse was not very encouraging; but the work was started 
with a Satvika Tyaga Sankalpa. As Our Swami had the necessary types, 
purchased for the printing of Srutaprakasika and some more types in Sanskrit 
and in Tamil were added.  The Composing Section was geared to earnest work 
by adding more Compositors.

Our Swami decided that publishing the Text only will not be sufficient.  A 
Sanskrit commentary for the North Indian scholars and a

Tamil commentary for local Astikas were decided upon for the Pancha Kavyas.  
It was also decided to print, as far as possible, the ancient
commentaries with useful foot noties and if none available worth printing, 
to write a new commentary in addition to the Tamil commentary.

YADAVABHYUDAYA was printed with Sri Appayya DikshitarÂ’s commentary, with 
suitable foot notes.  Sir Dikshitar had a great regard for Sri Desika which 
could be seen from his words “BHAVASSANTI PADE PADE” and his commentary was 
accepted as the best by our Ancient Acharyas.
The foot notes for the above contain some very interesting and useful points 
for a better understanding of the Kavya.  A fluent word by word
meaning in Tamil was added.  The beauty of the Tamil commentary was that if 
one, ignorant of even one word of Sanskrit, read through the Tamil meaning 
in the order in which they were printed, he would get a complete sentence 
and it would be continuous from sloka to sloka. Thus the complete Kavya 
could be easily understood.

A munificent donation of Rs.5000/- from Madabhushi Sudarsanam Iyengar
Swami, and a donation of Rs.2000/- from T.T.Narasimhan of T.T.K. & Co., 
Madras helped Our Swami to complete the book.  Kanchi Kama Koti Peetam 
Sankaracharya Swamigal sent Rs.350/- towards from Sri Neelakanta Iyer under 
instructions from Sri Sankaracharya Swamigal.

OTHER ACTIVITIES of Our Swami while the printing of Yadavabhyudaya were
in progress:

He made a trip to Bombay, by plane, (without detriment to his
Anushtana) at the request from the Bombay Astikas for a series of Upanyasas 
at the newly constructed Desika Bhavanam. He went to Coimbatore, accepting a 
series of Tiruppavai lectures, in the mornings and Srimad Rahasya Traya Sara 
in the evenings.

He also did the usual yearly Upanyasa series of Srimad bhagavata Saptaham 
arranged by Sri Vasudevachar, (grand son of Maharshi Sri Vasudevachar).

He presided over the lectures on Sri Bhashya every Sunday on the basis
of one Adhikarana per day arranged also by Sri Vasudevachar.
He gave a detailed Gita Upanyasa, with Sri DesikaÂ’s Tatparya Chandrika
at the house of Sri.S.N.Dave, which was  attended by Sri 
U.Ve.K.S.Krishnaswamy Iyengar Swami (Judge and Sri Sundarachariar of 
Teralundur (Chrompet) who recorded the lectures on a tape recorder with an 
intention of translation in English.

PADUKA SAHASRA :

A special lecture (during the 700th Tirunakshatra of Sri Desika) on Paduka 
Sahasra was arranged in the house of Sri V.T.Rangaswamy Iyengar  Swami, 
Advocate, Balaji Nagar for limited and invited Desika
Bhaktas.   The short Upanyasa appealed to Sri V.T.R.Swami and it
kindled a desire to hear the entire Kavya.  Whe he heard that the 
publication of the book `Paduka SahasraÂ’ was next in the list after 
Yadavabhyudaya, he immediately announced to bear the entire cost of the 
publication and gave Rs.10,000/- at once.  He suggested that a word by word 
meaning in Tamil would be welcome.  The book was dedicated to the memory of 
his illustrious father, Sri U.Ve.Velangupam Tatacharya and mother Srimat 
V.T.Vedammal.  The Sanskrit commentary of Sri Bharadwaja Srinivasacharya was 
published.  In the foot notes to the commentary of Our Swami for this book 
he had established a SANGATI, a continuity of thought from sloka to sloka 
and from Padhati to Padhati and proved and established the theory that the 
whole grantha was formed in the authorÂ’s mind before writing.  More details 
could be had from the book.  The Tamil commentary and word by word meaning 
was provided as was done in Yadavabhyudaya.

SUBHASHITANIVI was printed with the Sanskrit commentary of Kanchi Koti
Kannikadanam, Sri Pattappa Swami for a part of the grantha and Our Swami 
provided the rest.  Sri Pattappa Swami had given more than 10 to
12 meanings for each sloke.  Sri Rajappa, Advocate, Madras, Son. Of Sri 
U.Ve. K.C.Varadachariar Swami, hereditary Trustee of Lakshmipuram Temple 
(hailing from the family who built the temple) donated
Rs.5000/- for this book and was dedicated to Sri RajappaÂ’s grand father, 
Karumbur Nallan Chakravarti Gopalaswami Iyengar Swami (C.I.D.)

HAMSA SANDESA :

This book was released with a commentary called SANJEEVANA and a Tamil
translation bringing out the essence of Sri DesikaÂ’s super poetic 
intelligence and containing many Adyatmika meanings.  A donation of Rs.3000 
from Sri M.S.Pattabhiraman of M.D.Bros. was received for publishing this 
book in memory of his father Sri Madabhushi Seshadriachar Swami.

SANKALPA SURYODAYA with a Sanskrit and Tamil commentary of Our Swami was 
published with a donation of Rs.2500/- from Sri.K.Srinivasan, Advocate, 
Sripuram, Madras, 14, and was released in memory of his parents Rao Bahadur 
Sri U.Ve.R.Krishnamachariar Swami and Smt.Alamelu Ammal.  A further donation 
of Rs.2000 was made by Sri U.Ve.N.G.Krishna
Iyengar Swami, Adgocate, Triplicane for the same book.

OTHER GRANTHAS OF SRI DESIKA:

On the completion of the Pancha Kavyas of Sri Desika, Our Swami announced 
that all the books of Sri Desika, so far released and to be published would 
he given (almost at less than half the cost) to a person who would become a 
member by paying Rs.200 in advance.  [The offer is still open.  Will Sri 
Desika Bhaktas make use of this generous offer?]

GITABHASHYA-TATPARYACHANDRIKA:

Just before starting the publication of Tatparyachandrika, Our Swami felt 
that a thorough scrutiny of the book would be needed and took up the book 
for the Kalakshepa Goshti.  During the Kalakshepa Our Swami had the chance 
to study the commentary word by word.  The Goshti consisted of mor than 20 
sishyas the prominent among them was
Lt.Col.Dr.V.Srinivasan, Retd. D.M.S. b(Now no more).    He gave a
donation of Rs.10000/- and agreed to bear the entire cost.

SESWARA MIMAMSA AND MIMAMSA PADUKA:

This grantha was published with the Sanskrit commentary of Acharya Kumara, 
Sri Varadacharya called “Mimamsa Paduka Paritrana” and a commentary by Our 
Swami called “SUKSHMARTHA TEEKA” and “SATPATHA SANCHARA”. Sri 
U.Ve.N.R.Srinivasan (Urupattur Nallan Chakravarti, Nattuppattu, 
Rajagopalacharya Srinivasacharya) Engineer, a sishya of Ahobila Mutt and a 
regular member of the Kalakshepa Goshti from 1963 upto this day, donated 
Rs.5000/- for this book, in commemoration of his Sashtiabdapoorti.  Our 
Swami used to call him “ASTIKA SIKHAMANI” as he
never used to miss even one day of Kalakshepa.

RAKSHA GRANTHAS:

(Nikshepa Raksha, Satcharitra Raksha, Pancharatra Raksha, Geetartha Sangraha 
Raksha and Nitya Grantha of Sri Bhashyakara).

Sri Desika Seventh Centenary Trust donated half the cost and received 500 
copies.  This book did not include Rahasya Raksha as the same was published 
earlier by the Trust in their book called Chatusloki and Stotra Ratna 
Bhashya.

TATVA MUKTA KALAPA:

The book was published with a donation of Rs.16,000/- from the North Indian 
Patron of Sri Desika Sampradaya, Sri Mangniram Govinda Bapuji (of Pushkaram) 
from Calcutta.

ADHIKARANA SARAVALI was published with the ancient commentary of Acharya 
Kumara Varadacharya called “Adhikarana Chintamani” and Our
Swami’s SARARTHA RATNA PRABHA”.   A donation of Rs.13,000 to cover the
cost was received from Bombay, Dharmika Sikhamani, Sri.U.Ve.Ramanujachar 
Swami.

TATVA TEEKA is a commentary on Sri Bhashya.  Full grantha is not available.  
The portions available were scrutinized  by Srimad Koliyalam Swami at an 
earlier date.  Our Swami supplied Foot notes for
this grantha. The entire cost of the book, Rs.5000/- was paid by 
Sri.U.Ve.Uruppattur, Nallan Chakravarti, Aviyur Sarangapani Iyengar 
(popularly known as V.S.Rangan of Bombay).  On the occasion of his 
Sashtiabda Poorti celebrations.  He was responsible for the erection of  
“Desika Bhavanam”.

ISAVASYOPANISHAD BHASHYA with the commentary of Our Swami called “ACHARYA 
BHASHYA TATPARYA” was published with a donation of Rs.2500 from 
Sri.B.T.Kuppuswami and Sri B.T.Sampath in memory of their father, Balur, 
Toopil, Seshadriacharya Swami.

NYAYA SIDHANJANA with the commentary of Upanishad Bhashyakara, Sri 
Rangaramanuja Swami and the commentary of Mahamahopadyaya Kanchi Krishna 
Tatarya called, “Ratna Petika” and foot notes from Our Swami was published 
next.
To be continued..
AchAryan ThiruvadigalE SaraNam
Regards
Namo Narayana
aDiyEn


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