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Article from THE HINDU ONLINE : Friday, May 30, 1997 (fwd)

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Cadambi Sriram • June 1, 1997 


> 
>             Great scholar and guru
> 
>             Date: 30-05-1997 :: Pg: 25 :: Col: e
> 
>             Tribute to Navalpakkam Sri Nrisimha Thathayarya
>             Mahadesikan on the occassion of his 120th
>             Thirunakshatram.
> 
>             There is a tiny village by name Srothrium Navalpakkam in
>             Thiruvannamalai Sambuvarayar District. This village was
>             the abode of a number of eminent scholars and sages over
>             the last five centuries, all descendants of the great
>             sage Nathamuni. He was solely responsible for unearthing
>             the treasure of Nalayira Divyaprabandham for the benefit
>             of the humanity at large.
> 
>             The eminence and fame of the village was solely due to
>             the illustrious Acharya Sri Ayya Kumara Thathadesikan
>             who lived during the 16th century A.D. He became the
>             Rajaguru of Sri Achutha Nayak, the Nayak ruler of
>             Thanjavur. In that capacity, he organised kainkaryams in
>             several Vaishnavite temples and also performed 100
>             Yagams at Vennatrankari near Thanjavur. In view of that,
>             himself and all his descendants are conferred with the
>             prefix `Thirumalai Chaturveda Satakaratu' meaning `those
>             who orginated from Thirumalai, mastered the four vedas
>             and performed one hundred Yagams.'
> 
>             The unique distinction of the Acharyas of Navalpakkam
>             was that with only one exception, all others were
>             following Grihastashrama Dharma (the order of
>             householder) meticulously, and also lived as great
>             Acharyas. Even today, this tradition is continued in the
>             village.
> 
>             In this illustrious heritage of Acharyas of Navalpakkam,
>             Sri Nrisimha Thathayarya Mahadesikan occupies a unique
>             place. He was born in 1877 (Tamil year Eswara - month
>             Vaikasi - Star Rohini) in Navalpakkam to Sri
>             Venkataranga Thathachariar and Smt. Lakshmi Ammal. At an
>             early age, he completed learning of Vedas and then
>             started the study of Sastras. He married Smt. Sringaram
>             Ammal. Immediately after the marriage, he proceeded to
>             Mysore to learn Nyaya Sastra from the reputed scholar
>             Sri Kasturi Rangachariar. He also went to Benares for
>             higher studies in Nyaya Sastra and attained thorough
>             mastery of it.
> 
>             Then he went to Valayapettai village near Kumbakonam and
>             studied Vishistadwaitha vedanta from the saint Sri
>             Vedanta Ramanuja Mahadesikan who also hailed from
>             Navalpakkam and later took to sanyasa. He learnt the
>             nuances and various other works on Vishishtadvaita from
>             Sri Thathacharya Swami of Navalpakkam. In addition to
>             his mastery of Nyaya and Vedanta, he went to
>             Thiruvisanallur village near Kumbakonam and studied
>             Mimamsa sastra from Sri Ramasubba Sastri.
> 
>             Having quenched his thirst for knowledge from various
>             sources, the Swami settled down at Navalpakkam and
>             started teaching whatever he learnt to all the
>             aspirants. In that process, he sowed the seeds, which
>             sprouted and flowered in the form of a number of
>             scholars and saints who eminently succeeded him and
>             continued to uphold to this date the highest tradition
>             ordained by the Swami.
> 
>             The most notable of his disciples were Somayaji Sri
>             Narayana Thathayarya Mahadesikan and Sri Ayya Devanatha
>             Thathayarya Mahadisikan both of whom by themselves were
>             great acharyas.
> 
>             Swamy's proficiency of Sastras and Vedanta was
>             extraordinary. He participated at Vidwat Sadas at
>             Mysore, Mannargudi and other places and established his
>             supremacy. It is told that once at Mannargudi, on the
>             request of other scholars, he debated with a scholar
>             from North India and won over him. Similarly, he also
>             engaged in debate with the Maharaja of Kochi on Nyaya
>             Sastra and gained his recognition.
> 
>             Apart from his scholarship, the Swami was very
>             particular in practising the tenets of Vaishnavism in
>             letter and spirit. He religiously performed all the
>             rituals strictly in accordance with the procedures laid
>             down by the sastras. He attended to his ailing mother in
>             her old age with great affection and commitment. He
>             taught Vedas and Sastras to various seekers. After
>             residing at Navalpakkam for more than two decades, lured
>             by his devotion to Varadarajaswami Temple, he shifted to
>             Kancheepuram and lived there till his end. During his
>             stay at Kancheepuram, daily he did Unchavritti (Seeking
>             Biksha). He performed Vedaparayana Kainkaryam to Lord
>             Varadaraja during all festival days. He even used to
>             bear the torch during the procession of the deity to
>             stress that all services to Lord are equal. Thus he
>             lived the life of a true ``Paramaikanti'' (one who
>             prayed Srimannarayana alone and did all acts and deeds
>             only for the sake of Narayana) and thereby set a role
>             model for all his contemporary and succeeding Acharyas.
> 
>             Swami's aversion to wealth and fame was legendary. As
>             long as he was physically fit, he eked his livelihood
>             only through Unchavritti. He shunned those who offered
>             him material things or praised him. At the same time he
>             was compassion personified to those who sought refuge in
>             him. He was very kind and affectionate to vedic scholars
>             and students. He offered solace and peace to those who
>             came to him through ``Panchasamskara'' and
>             ``Saranagati'' and put them on the right path. He used
>             to chide his students and disciples, sometimes even
>             vehemently, if they swerved from the right path. Thus,
>             the Swami displayed and practised during his lifetimes
>             all the qualities of a true Acharya enumerated by Swami
>             Vedanta Desika in the first stanza of ``Sri Nyasa
>             Vimsati''.
> 
>             The greatness of the Swami was hailed during his
>             lifetime and thereafter by equally eminent scholars and
>             Acharyas from all faiths. Hence he is very much
>             ``Acharya Sarvabhauma''. His 120th Thirunakshatram is to
>             be observed on June 5. It is a strange but happy
>             coincidence that the same day happens to be the
>             Thirunakshatram of Sri Thirukkottiyur Nambi (one of the
>             Acharyas of Sri Ramanuja) and Sri Ayya Kumara
>             Thathadesikan referred earlier.
> 
>             The Thirunakshatram celebrations are planned in a grand
>             manner from June 1 onwards at Swami's residence at South
>             Mada Street, Little Kancheepuram and also at his birth
>             place at Srothrium Navalpakkam village.
> 
>             N. S. RAMANUJA THATACHARYA
> 


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