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A SanyAsi ascends the throne of Ahobila MaTam

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • July 3, 1997 


Dear Divya  MaNi PaadhukhA SevakAs :

Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Divya PaadhukhA Sevaka
SrivaNN SatakOpa  Sri NaarAyaNa Yatheendhra 
MahA Desikan is the 45th and current Jeeyar 
of Ahobila Matam . He completed on November 21 , 1996 
his Seventieth birthday . This special anniversary  
(Sapthathi ) was celebrated by all aasthikAs, Vaidhikha 
SreshtAs  and AchAryAs at Thirupathi . A commemorative
souvenir celeberating the scholarship and Kaimkaryams of 
this  most merciful Aacharya  Saarvabhouman was released
at that Mahothsavam in Thirupathi . 

Sri Krishna Kalale met the Jeeyar recently and brought back
two souvenir issues . H.H , the Jeeyar instructed Sri Krishna Kalale
to make some of the extraordinary infromation assembled in this
souvenir on the internet for the benefit of Sri VaishNavAs of the World .
Sri Kalale wrote to me and asked me to undertake this Kaimkaryam.

The wish of H.H , the Jeeyar is my command and therfore , I have notified 
Sri Kalale that nothing will please me more than fulfilling the wishes
of our most revered Jeeyar . I will begin the postings wiht this note.
What is assembled in the souvenir is of wide interest to all
Sri VaishnavAs rooted in Bhagavadh RaamAnuja SiddhAntham .
Hope you will find these postings useful as valuable source material .
I seek the special blessings of H.H , the Jeeyar at the outset 
to complete this Kaimkaryam that is dear to his heart.
 
In an earlier posting , I included details on 
the peetathipathis of four Acharya paramparais of 
Sri VaishNavism , all of which  are derived from 
Sri Bhagavadh RaamAnujA and his poorvAchAryAs 
going all the way upto Sriman NaarAyanan Himself .
Please add the ParakAla Matam tradition as the fifth 
AchArya parampara that I missed to mention .

The links among these uninterrupted chains of AchAryAs
are profound and  sacred . In each of these AchArya 
paramparAs , by Bhagavadh sankalpam , a great AchArya 
is "found "and he ascends the throne of that 
particular Acharya Paramparai and serves as a beacon 
for SadAchAram , Saddharmam and SanmArgam . Such 
AcharyAs  remind us through their  many daily activities  
that Bhagavadh, Bhagavatha sEvA is the ultimate goal of 
a human being . 

Tirelessly , such  AchAryAs travel to the divya desams 
and homes of the sishyAs , bring their aarAdhana Moorthys 
to these blessed homes , perform pancha samskArAs 
during these Vijaya YaathrAs , give pravachanams , 
initiate scholarly sadas to preserve the fine points related 
to the tattvams and most of all through ManthrOpadesams 
make all of  us become the brides of  Sriman NaarAyaNA 
through their power of tapas . This sacred act of our wedding 
to Sriman NaarAyaNA performed by our most compassionate 
AchAryAs has been celebrated by AzhwArs in their Sri Sookthis 
and by Sri RaamAnujA through his SaraNAgathi Gadhyam and
other AchAryAs of his tradition in many of their granthams and 
sthothrams . 

In this context , Swami Desikan has been prolific 
and has blessed us with many saraNAgathi granthams and
eulogies such as NikshEpa RakshA , NyAsa TilakA , NyAsa 
DasakA , NyAsa Vimsathi , SaraNAgathi Deepikai , AbhayaprAdhAna
saarA , Adaikkala patthu in Tamil ( Praptthi dasakA in Sanskrit ) ,
GithArtha sangrahA , Charama sloka surukku , paramapadha 
sObhAnA , Achyutha SatakA , Rahasya SikhAmaNi and 
finally the magnum opus , Sri Rahasya Traya Saaram . 

In Achyutha Sathakam set in PrAkruthA language , 
Swami Desikan appeals movingly to the Lord of 
Thiruvaheendrapuram for help and succor and begs the Lord 
to accept him as " the bride " at the marriage function of
BharanyAsam( Aathma NikshEpam , SaraNAgathi , Prapatthi ) . 
In the Rahasya grantham , Rahasya SikhAmaNi , Swami
Desikan deals with the greatness of the Prapatthi doctrine 
and reminds us that the PrapannA , who has performed 
Prapatthi under a SadAchAryA need not of his or her  own
accord peform anthimasmrithi at the last moments 
of their lives on this earth. 

I would like to make reference to yet another work 
of Swami Desikan known as the (Sri ) SampradhAya 
Parisuddhi in the context of my postings related to 
the 70th birthday  souvenir of H.H , The Jeeyar of Ahobila 
Matam . In this work , Swami Desikan discusses 
the importance of AchAryAs in our sampradhAyam , 
the tattvAs and AchArya Paramparai from NammAzhwAr 
to Sri RamAnujA and his successors. A paasage quoted often
from(Sri ) SamprAdhAya Parisuddhi that emphasizes the unity of
thought that runs thru the different AchArya ParamparAs that 
are based in Sri Bahgavadh RaamAnuja samprahdAyam is
as follows :

" Sri BhashyakArarudaiya sishya sampradhAyangaLil onrilum
artha-virodham illai ; VakhyayOjanAbhedhamE uLLadhu " 

Swami acknowledges that there is no basic conflict of thought
in substantive tattvAs among the different Sri Vaishnava 
achArya paramparAs and the differences are limited to 
interpretative aspects. This passage is often cited to 
celebrate the significance of the Guru ParamparA and their 
undrlying unitive relationships. 

H.H , the Jeeyar of Ahobila Mutt deeply believes in the above
statement of Swami Desikan and respects " the unity in diversity "
theme that runs through the different sampradhAyAs of Sri VaishNavism 
and works closely with the other AchAryAs to spread the message of
Bhagavadh RaamAnujA SiddhAntham . All the Jeeyars of other
paramparAs were present at the 70 th anniversary of the H.H ,
the Jeeyar of Ahobila Mutt to celebrate his scholarship and 
Kaimkaryam and wish him pallANdu .. 

One of the most moving articles in the Sapthathi malar is 
the one describing his acceptance of SanyAsa Aasramam
from the hands of his AachAryA , H.H , the 44th Jeeyar of 
Ahobila Mutt on October 21, 1991 at the age of 64 . The 44th Jeeyar 
is the great MahAn , who built the south gopuram for 
Sri RanganAthA , which could not be completed even by
kings for hundreds of Years . 

I met H.H , the 45th Jeeyar at Bangalore soon after his initiation 
and he jokingly referred to his acceptance of the Aasramam 
at the time , when people are retiring from active life 
and that he was taking on the full administrative and 
spiritual leadership responsibilities for the 600 year old Matam .
Since that time , he has provided extraordinary leadership and 
has travelled across India to bless His SishyAs many times 
that culminated recently in the opening of the new Ahobila Mutt 
building at Thirupathi , a function presided over by 
the President of India . The illustrious kaimkaryam 
of H.H , the 45th Jeeyar was applauded by 
the President of India as matchless. 

It is not often that we have the opportunity to learn about 
the details of  hte Aasrama SveekaraNam function of a Yathi 
that includes Jeeva Srardham , prEksha manthra upadesam
and the other rigorous rites of pasage into the order of Yathis .
These infromation points would be of interest to many of
you . I will cover this topic and other items covered in
the Sapthathi malar such as Pancha SamskAra ceremonies 
performed by this AachArya Saarvabhouman , the tightly 
orchestrated daily activities of the AchAryA , which were 
described movingly earlier by Sri jagannAthan during 
his travels with his/this AchArya . 

There are many invited scholarly articles by great 
Sri VaishNavAs in this malar . I will include excerpts 
from them as I make progress with my lekhana 
Kaimkaryam .  

I will start with the salutation to the many MangaLa Moorthys 
that are enshrined in the silver mantapam of the Ahobila Matam ,
where Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan (MaalOlan ) presides . 
He is surrounded by many ancient divya mangaLa 
aarAdhana moorthys of  our poorvAchAryAs . 

I am hoping that many of the rare pictures of the Aasrama 
SveekaraNam and ArchA moorthys of the Divya Desams 
could be added to the archives of the Ahobila Matam 
home page and the CD Rom project archives on 
the 108 Divya Desams respectively. Sri ParthasArathy 
Dileepan should be back soon from his archival material
collecting trip to India on the 106 Divya Desams for 
the CD ROM project and can relate to these valuable 
image archives.

ahObilE gArudasaila madhyE 
krupAvasAth kalpitha SannidhAnam I 
LakshmyA samAlingitha vAmabhagam
Lakshminrusimham SaraNam prapathyE II

Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Divya PaadhukhA sevaka 
Sri vaNN satakOPa Sri NaarAyaNa yatheendhra 
MahA DesikAya Nama :

Oppilaippan Kovil VaradAchAri Sadagopan 
Isvara samvathsaram , Mithuna Maasam , 
KrishNa Paksham , Chathurdasi , Mrugaseersham .