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kAnchi svAmi PB Annangaracharya

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Tssundararajan • June 20, 2000 


[The following write-up is offered as a tribute to the kAnchi svAmi,
Sri prativAdi-bhayankaram aNNangar/AchArya of sacred memory
who had passed away on June 21 1983.

Part-1 is a brief account of his ancestor who was adorned with the 
title 'prativAdi-bhayankaram'.

Part-2 is a short memoir of the kAnchi svAmi.  Biographical facts
are as authenticated in the excellent booklet written by 
Dr M.A. Venkata-krishnan, tiruvallikkENi, Chennai.

Part-3 is my sketchy 'in memoriam' account of the kAnchi svAmi.]

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PART-1:   prati-vAdi-bhayankaram aNNA -- the kooTa-stha 
(eponymous ancestor)
~~ (by tirumanjanam S. Sundara Rajan)

aNNA was of Sri-vatsa gOtra and his family name was muDumbai, as was 
another noble preceptor-theologian piLLai lOkA/chArya.   aNNA was the 
grandson of the younger brother of lOkA/chArya's father, 
vaDakku-t-tiru-veethi-p-piLLai.

aNNA's eponymous ancestor muDumbai-nambi was among the convocation of 
preceptors identified by Sri rAmAnuja and revered as the 74 
simhAsanA/dhipati-s.
aNNA's spiritual schooling was owed to the line of preceptors made up of 
piLLai-lOkA/chArya (of Srirangam), Sri-SailESa (=tiru-vAi-mozhi-p-piLLai 
of kuntakai...AzhvAr-tiru-nagari), maNavALa-mAmuni (of AzhvAr-tiru-nagari
....Srirangam).    

aNNA was born in the 'divya-dESam' tiru-t-taN-kA (in kAncheepuram) and was 
named hasti-giri-nAtha after the presiding deity dEva-p-perumAL.   He 
received 
his early instruction from vEdAnta-dESika's son, varada-nAyanA/chArya who 
extolled his disciple's intellectual prowess by calling him 
'prati-vAdi-bhayankaram aNNA' (= formidable in debate), and presented 
to aNNA the 'archA' icon of svAmi-dESikan.

In his later years aNNA came to learn about the outstanding personality of 
kOyil maNavALa-mA-muni and of his great services to the 'sampradAya' in

~~renovating the 'divya-dESam' temples left ravaged on the brute trail 
(1310-1320 AD) of Malik-kafur, 
~~restoring worship and festivals in the 'divya-dESam' temples,
~~organising a dedicated band of amanuenses to make multiple copies of the 
'sampradAya rahasya' (esoteric)  works so as to preserve them for posterity, 
~~writing his own fragrant exegesis on a part of 'periyAzhvAr-tirumozhi', 
'irAmAnuSa-nUR-RantAdi', the prasthAna-traya works Sri-vachana-bhUshaNam, 
mumukshu-p-paDi and AchArya-hrdayam and, most of all,
~~administering the Great Temple of Srirangam with great dedication and 
vigilance.

Having come to know of mA-muni, aNNA forthwith repaired to Srirangam 
seeking to be accepted by the gentle sage.  Their very first meeting was 
marked 
by an outgoing cordiality and expressed admiration for each other's service 
in 
the religion of ancestors.  

The 'taniyan' / muktaka-SlOkam of aNNA is nearly a cryptic record of their 
first meeting.

Acknowledging aNNA's early discipleship of nAyanA/chArya, mA-muni 
introduced him to the assembly as an intellect nurtured in the mores of  
vEdAnta-dESika [vEdAnta-dESika-kaTAksha-vivrddha-bOdham].

aNNA responded by declaring that he had been singularly blessed to receive 
the grace of mA-muni [kAntOpayantr -yamina:-karuNAika-pAtram].

The second line of 'SlOkam' was then completed by the savants in assembly, 
to identify aNNA as of Sri-vatsa descent, and of unblemished character 
[vats-AnvavAyam anavadya-guNai: upEtam
bhaktyA bhajAmi paravAdi-bhayankar-Aryam].

aNNA was among the eight select disciples who were thought of to be the 
support and hoist of the religion ~~ the 'ashTa-dik-gaja'.

aNNA is to-day remembered for his euphonious hymns drawn upon the 
'divya-prabandham' and dedicated to Sri vEnkaTESa, as bidden by mA-muni 
on a joint pilgrimage to tiru-malai/tiru-vEnkaTam.     The 'su-prabhAtam' is 
the AzhvAr's tiru-p-paLLi-ezhucchi;   the 'mangal-ASAsanam' is from the
tiru-p-pallANDu;   the 'prapatti' draws upon the aruLi-c-cheyal "ulakam 
uNDa", 
"Ezhai Etalan", "ArA-amudE" and "taru-tuyaram taDAyEl";   and 'stOtram' 
from diverse hymns of the blessed AzhvAr saints.   In the 'mangalA/SAsanam' 
and 'prapatti', aNNA's spiritual debt to mA-muni is acknowledged:

"Srimat-sundara-jAmAtr-muni-mAnasa-vAsinE, 
SrimatE vEnkaTESAya Sri-nivAsAya mangalam"

(Blessed be the Lord of Sri, and of the vEnkaTam hills, Himself the abode of 
Sri, 
He the one who dwells in the thoughts of Sri azhakiya-maNavALa-mA-muni !)

"sAumyOpayantr-muninA mama darSitau tE, 
Sri-vEnkaTESa-charaNau SaraNam prapadyE"

(I seek refuge in Sri vEnkaTESa's feet as were identified for me 
by azhakiya-maNavALa-mA-muni.)

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

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Remember four years of good friends, bad clothes, explosive chemistry 
experiments.
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