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abhinava desika Sri UttamUr Swamy Divya Charitham-2

From the Bhakti List Archives

Madhavakkannan V • December 30, 2001 


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

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

adbhutham-yasya-vikrAntham vEda-vIthi-viSOdanE |
aparam-nigamAnthAryam prapadyE vIrarAghavam ||

Let us continue with the divya charitham of Sri UttamUr Swamy.
Article in Tamil by SrI PayyampADi VEnkatavaradAchArya SwAmi ; English
Translation 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

Swamy's ANCESTORS:

Our Swami's ancestors were the hereditary owners of the villages,
Uttamanallur (Uttamur) and Tirumalpuram (Timmavaram).  Our Swami's
Great grandfather, Sri U.Ve.Krishnamacharya Swami was well known in those 
days.  It seems that he used to perform Nityakarmanushtana and Abhigamana 
Aradhana to his family Deity and only after obtaining permission from the 
Deity he used to go to the villagers to redress their grievances. The 
British government knowing his greatness, appointed him to administer
justice to the villagers belonging to ten villages around him.  He was
generous, kind, learned, wealthy and at the same time a very strict follower
of Sri Desika Sampradaya, observing to the maximum, the AchAra and
Anushtana.  So he commanded the greatest regard from one and all.  Once when
he was going on horseback to Chingleput, he was met by the Collect, a
Britisher, who was also coming on horseback.  The Collect was very hungry
and he jokingly said to Our Swami's great grandfather to produce food for
him. Swamy had the bundle on his shoulder and from it gave him Curd-Rice and
pickles, and the collect was very much pleased and praised him.

Sri Krishnamacharya's eldest son was Sri.U.Ve.Varadacharya, our Swami's
Grandfather and his grandmother's name was Perundevi. Sri
Varadacharya was also very strict in observing Acharya and Anushtana, but
was not very much interested in either Agriculture or other worldly matters
like his father.  He spent most of his time in worship and in pursuit of
knowledge in the company of Bhavagatas.  Sri Varadacharya had four sons and
the eldest, Sri U.Ve. Chakravartiachar was the father of Our Swami.  Like
his grand father, Our Swami's father was also well versed in Agriculture and
in the various administrative work of the village and took an active part
along with his grandfather.

It is authentically told that once when his grandfather went to a village
near Pondicherry for attending a marriage of one of his relatives, he took
his grandson also with him.  On the way, the grandson saw a cat crossing the
path and when he brought this to the notice of his grandfather, the
grandfather jokingly told him that "All is well.  Who knows, you may also be
married like your relative at the
marriage pandal!" ? it so happened that the marriage of the gold could not
be proceeded with (fir some unexpected reason) the bridegroom already
selected.  All the relatives, of course, with the consent of the
grandfather gave the girl in marriage to the grandson, Our Swami's father.

His name was Srinivasaraghavacharya and the bride's name was Alarmelmangai.
What a rare coincidence!  All the elders present blessed the couple saying
that "Sri Mahalakshmi: herself has come to the family, voluntarily.  The
blessings of the elders were not wasted and the couple, our Swami's father
and mother, lived a very happy life.

Our Swami's father Sri Chakravarthiachar Swami was well-versed in Sahitya
and Shastra granthas and spent his spare time teaching to
his disciples in the village.  He was also very proficient in English and
Tamil and in spite of that, preferred to stay in the village, so as to
enable him to lead the life without sacrificing his Anushtana. He was known
to be an adept in making the toughest granthas, easily understandable, even
by the dull disciple.  He was utilizing his knowledge in English in managing
the village affiars very efficiently and to look after his lands properly.
His wife, Our Swami's mother was also equally religious and gave her
unstinted support to her husband in all his activities and thus provided an
ideal atmosphere FOR THE BIRTH OF A GREAT ACHARYA.  (Once, as the authentic
story goes, that when there was a fire accident in our Swami's parents'
house, our Swami's mother ran into the house, without minding her personal
safety, and retrieved the family KoyilAzhwAr out of the house from fire, to
a safe place.  Such is the devotion of Our Swami's mother to her family
deity.  It is no wonder that the Saligramam, which is to be worshipped by no
less than the Abhinava Desika, was preserved and handed down to our Swami by 
such illustrious fore-fathers).

We will enjoy the greatness of Swamy's BIRTH in the next post.

SRIMATE VIRARAGHAVARYA MAHA DESIKAYA NAMAHA
SRIMATE RANGARAMANUJA MAHA DESIKAYA NAMAHA
SRI BHOOMI DEVI SAMETA SRINIVASA PRARABRAHMANE NAMAHA
AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Regards
Namo Narayana
adiyEn dAsan



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