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abhinava desika Sri UtthamUr Swamy Divya Charitham-6

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srivaishnavan • January 7, 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 ||

Let us continue with the divya charitham of Sri UttamUr Swamy.

[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]

While returning to Kargudi, Our Swami heard that his Revered Acharya,
Sri Koliyalam Swami, now a Sanyasi, under the name of Sri 
Rangaramanuja Maha Desikan, was staying in Pudagraharm Village. At 
once Our Swami rushed to him and prostrated before him with tears of 
joy at the sight of his Acharya.
 
While he was paying his homage to him, the people around him which 
included his own Principal and other colleagues, told him that they 
have requested Sri Koiliyalam Swami to stay on in Pudagraharam for 
his Chaturmasya so that Our Swami could complete his Sri Bhashya 
Kalakshepam. The Principal and others had already made all the 
arrrangements for Sri Koiliyalam Swami to stay and the Principal 
asked Our Swami to immediately move into Pudagraharam Village which 
is on the other bank of Kaveri river.

The Principal also gave Our Swami permission to attend the college 
after the Kalakshepam, after 12 noon, every day. Our Swami was so much
thrilled at the kindness of all those people and at once shifted his
residence to Pudagraharam. Sri Koliyalam Swami was very happy to have 
got the chance to continue the Sri Bhashya Kalakshepam to Our Swami.
It so happened that the Chaturmasya Sankalpam extended to three
months, being a Mala Masa. The Kalakshepam got completed without
further delay and at the end, the villagers and Principal thanked Sri
Koliyalam Swami for his kindness to stay on for the sake of Our
Swami's Kalakshepam. Sri Koliyalam Swami also expressed his full
satisfaction and praised the capacity of Our Swami for his Grahana
Sakthi During the Kalakshepam, his capacity for the proper Grantha
Anvayam, and his Inquiring mind for further discussion and also his
capacity to retain all that he learnt and his capacity to reproduce
what he had learnt. He also said all this was because Our Swami had
the blessings of his own Acharya, Sri Tirupathi Swami by whom the
Pancha Samskaram was done to Our swami's father to initiate his
son 
to undergo the Samasrayanam by Sri Tirupathi Swami. After that, Sri
Koliyalam Swami, continued his pilgrimage, promising to continue the
Kalakshepam on other Granthas at appropriate times. Our Swami at
different times followed his Revered Acharya in his Sancharam and
completed his gita Bhashya at Paiyambadi village, the Kalakshepam of
Srimad Rahasyatraya Saram at Mettupalayam village and Bhagavad
Vishayam at Tiruchanur Asramam.

The Study of Sri Bhashya with Srutaprakasika and also the study of 
the other four Shastras under appropriate masters helped him to 
command a great regard and respect, at such an early age, not only at
Pudugraharam village but also at places like Mannargudi where pandits
from South Tamil Nadu assembled, which Our Swami attended on
invitation. Before settling down to a more strict Achara and
Anushtana, he started on his pilgrimage to Divya Kshetras in North
India after obtaining permission from his Revered Acharya, Sri
Koliyalam Swami. On his Acharya's suggestion he also took with
him as 
companion, his Sateertiya, Sri Nilameghacharya, a Brahmachari. They 
used to travel during nights and during daytime stay in wayside
Vaishnavite villages and spent the day doing Upanyasams on Sri Desika
Sampradaya in Sanskrit while the local pandits translated the same in
local languages, to the audience. This took four months for them to
reach Calcutta. There, Our Swami met Sri Brindavan Dharanidharachar
Swami. He came to know about Our Swami's erudition and knowledge
of
Vedanta and the other Shastras, and he took him to Sri Mangniram 
Sait, the Vaishnavite Lakshathipathi and Patron of Vaishnava pandits,
especially from Sri Desika Sampradaya. During discussion on a request 
from Sri Magneeram Sait, Our Swami agreed to stay in Pushkaram for 
some time and propagate Sri vaishnava Sampradaya and do Vedanta 
Pravachana. After a short visit to Madurantakam, as he got repeated 
calls from Pushkaram, Our Swami decided to go to Pushkaram with the 
dual purpose of spreading Sri vaishnava Sampradaya in North India and 
also to get the opportunity to have the holy bath at Purshkara 
Teertam daily which is sacred and difficult to get for 
people from south. At Pushkaram, which is full of Vaishnavites from 
south he could lead a life without detriment to Achara and Anushtana 
and also worship at the temple of Lord Rama Vaikunta, in which Pooja 
is being done by Vaishnavite priests with great care and Achara 
mostly from well known families from Kanchipuram.

During his stay at Pushkaram, Local Vaishnavite pandits, who were 
cent percent qualified to undergo Vedanta Adhyayana, came to Our 
Swami and the Kalakshepa Gosti was conducted with all enthusiasm. 
During his stay, Our Swami agreed to a request from one of his 
disciples to dictate a Kandanam to a local commentary on Muktavali 
grantha. The local pandit took notes and published the same 
afterwards. After sometime, the cold climate did not agree with Our 
Swami and he came back to the South once for all, for good. 
After his return, Our Swami proceeded to Thiruvadhindrapuram to pay 
his homage to his Revered Acharya, Sri Koliyalam Swami. There, he 
found, that his Acharya was in a failing health and he stayed on for 
some more time and helped his Acharya to finalise a Grantha written 
by him and made it fit for printing. Side by side, Our Swami 
finalised his own commentary on Sri Desika's ISAVASYOPANISHAD
BHASHYA 
called ACHAYRA BHASHYA TATPARYAM.

Let us enjoy further in next post...
AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Regards
Namo Narayana
aDiyEn dAsan



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