Abhinava DESIka and UttamUr Uttama SwAmi mAhAtmyam - By MadhurAntakam SwAmi
From the Bhakti List Archives
• May 14, 2000
SrI:
SrI PadmAvati SamEta SrInivAsa Para BrahmaNE namaha
SrImad abhinava dESika UttamUr VAtsya VeerarAghavArya -
mahAdESIkAya namaha
SrI Lakshminrusimha divya pAdukA sEvaka SrIvaN SatakOpa SrI -
nArAyaNa yateendra mahAdESIkAya namaha
Dear devotees,
namO nArAyaNa.
The following is the translated excerpts from two articles in
tamil by the famous SrI U.Ve. MadhurAntakam VeerarAghavAchArya
swAmi, who was one of the greatest vidvAns of the last century.
Recently the centenary of MadhurAntakam swAmi was celebrated
in a very grand manner at SrIrangam under the presidentship
of H.H. SrImad Poundarikapuram Andavan. H.H. Jeeyar of SrI -
ParakAla Mutt also graced the celebrations. The star event
was the 5 day Vidwat Sadas and pArAyana (recitations) of
all branches of vEdAs, Divya Prabandhas, SrI SUktIs of
AchAryas, IthihAsa - PurANas etc. adiyEn had the fortune of
being present there for all the five days and obtain the
blessings of all AchAryas including MadhurAntakam SwAmi,
apart from the Divya Dampatis at SrIrangam. The street
procession of SwAmi DESikan (arcA mUrti) and MadhurAntakam
SwAmi's photo was a great treat. It was an excellent
experience indeed, well attended by many devotees and adiyEn
has many new acquaintances now.
Kindly refer to the archives for the information about
the illustrious Life and Works of SrI MadhurAntakam SwAmi.
He was a classmate of SrI UttamUr swAmi in their younger
days. They didn't loose their contact and were good friends
when they later became accomplished scholars and addressed
each other as "brother" in their correspondence.
Article #1 "abhinava dESikar" :
----------------------------------
This article in tamil by SrI MadhurAntakam SwAmi was published
in the souvenir released in commemoration of the SatAbhishEkam
(80th thirunakshatram ie. birthday) of SrI UttamUr swAmi on
10th Feb 1977.
Some excerpts :
ABHINAVA DESIKA
*********************
The article starts with a Sloka composed by SrI MadhurAntakam
SWami :
"abhinavadESika birudAnuguNa guNaSrENi bhUshNO bhAti |
sacchakravarti kulavidhurakalankO veerarAghavAcAryaha || "
" Being Uttama (noble) similar to the place (UttamUr ie.Noble
place) in which he took the avatAra, Being nallAn (good) to
us similar to his kulam (nallAn chakravarti lineage), Being
PaNdita Cakravarti (Emperor of PaNditas ie. Scholars), Being
vatsa (SrIvatsa gOtra) and Being vatsala (very affectionate)
-- These are the things which we experience from abhinava
dESika, for whom is the SatAbhishEkam being performed. There
are many special features of earlier DESika, that are present
in abhinava DESika ......."
MadhurAntakam SwAmi in his own anubhava, then contrasts the
lineage of AchAryas for SwAmi DESikan and Abhinava DESikan and
draws some parallels < Please refer to an earlier posting on
KOzhiyAlam swAmi viz. Nine Gems.... for the details on these
lines>. MadhurAntakam Swami then continues ....
" Moreover, earlier DESika was glorified as
'SAmskruteebihi drAmidIbhihi bahvIbhihi krutibhirjanAn |
yassamujjIvayAmAsa tasmai sEvyAya mangalam ||'
(ie. May Mangala attain SwAmi
DESikan, who protected the world by his hundreds of works
in Sanskrit and Tamil -- 10th Verse of SrI VEdAnta DESika
Mangalam, composed by SrI KumAra VaradAchArya, foremost
disciple and son of SrI VEdAnta DESika).
We can also glorify abhinava dESIka like this, is it not ?
In accordance with 'sahasrEshu ca paNditaha', only one from
several thousands of people can attain the scholarship of
being a paNdita. Even then, the wealth of 'exposition'
(pravachana / delivering discourses) will be poor. 'vaktA
SatasahasrEshu' is the saying. Even if one is skilled in
both of these (ie.scholarship and ability to deliver
discourses), one will not have the skill in writing
extraordinary works. Also, in the war of debate, it will
happen for them to run by showing their back ; They will
only be in destitution of sAhitya ie. literary composition.
Even if all these exists, they will not have vinaya
(modesty/humility), AchAram (good conduct / observance of
dharmaSAstras etc, esp. rites of nitya and naimittika karmas
in accordance with VarNAshrama dharma), devotion to bhagavAn,
bhAgavatAs and AchAryas, kshamA (patience) and cAturyam
(amiableless). SrI VEnkatAdvari in VisvaguNAdarSana says
that, the earlier DESika had all of these viz. vEda-SAstra-
SAhitya-vinaya-AcAra-bhakti-kshamA-cAturya. Similarly are so
for abhinava dESika. ".
Article #2 "UttamUr Uttama SwAmi MAhAtmyam" :
---------------------------------------------------
This article in tamil by SrI MadhurAntakam SwAmi was published
in the souvenir released in commemoration of the 88th
thirunakshatram of SrI UttamUr swAmi on 25th Jan 1984. This was
the immediete thirunAkshatram after SrI UttamUr SwAmi attained
AchArya thiruvadi ie. Paramapadam.
Some excerpts :
-----------------
UTTAMUR UTTAMA SWAMI MAHATMYAM
********************************************************************
"In SubhAshita NIvI, SwAmi DESikan starts with the following
verse for the MahApurusha-paddati :
'satAmEva khapushpatvam yEshAm yatsadasatvayOhO |
na jAtu tasya tattAbhyAmiti tEshAm sa viSvadruk || '.
Sun is an analogy for MahApurushAs (Great Men). When Sun is
there, the presence of stars will not be seen. The lustre
of stars will be very small. Even when the Sun is not there
during the nights, the stars will be present all over the
sky, like a scattered flower. Whether the stars are either
present Or absent, there is no loss(in lustre/superiority)
to the Sun. The lustre of Sun always reigns supreme.
Similarly, in the presence of mahApurushAs (greatest of men),
the presence of other Sat(s) will
not be seen. Even when that mahApurusha is absent, it will be
felt that, no other Sat is present. The import is that, even when other Sats are either present or
absent, there will be no decrease in the prakASatvam (lustre
Or greatness Or superiority) of mahApurushAs. (satAm - For
Sats - Stars ; khapushpatvam - diminishment of lustre,
present as a flower in sky) -> UpamAna alankAra in SlEsha
is employed in the verse.
SrI UttamUr SwAmi was present as the best example to this
(as a mahApurusha). Even when swAmi graced the earth, the
greatness of other mahAns didn't get highlighted. Even when
the swAmi attained nitya-vibhUti (SrI VaikuNTham), it gives
the feeling as though there is no mahAn present in this
world now ! ".
------------------
When one of the stalwart AchAryas of the last century has
paid such laurel tributes, it goes without saying as to
what all other vidvAns would have felt about SrI UttamUr
swAmi.
SrI MadhurAntakam SwAmi, recalls the days of his youth with
SrI UttamUr SwAmi :
"For around 8 to 10 years , we both
were classmates in the MadhurAntakam school. We studied
the fundamental texts of NyAya Philosophy under Swacchandam
swAmi (One of the greatest authorities in NyAya SAstra, of
those times). We studied kAvya-nAtaka-alankAra-campu etc
literary fields in sanskrit, starting from naishadam, under
SrI Garudapuram SwAmi (A great mahAn who later became a
sannyAsi; SrI MadhurAntakam swAmi's AchArya and underwhom
he studied the rest of NyAya and VEdAnta SAstra). We
studied VyAkaraNa (Sanskrit Grammar) texts like Kaumudi
and ashtadyAyi (4000 sUtras for grammar by PAnini) under
ThirukkaLLam VyAkaraNa MahAvidvAn, who was a classmate of
SrI KOzhiyAlam swAmi. We performed the vEda adhyayanam for
first khAndam together.
In the meantime, by the invitation of KuppuswAmy SAstri -
the principal of ThiruvaiyARu Sanskrit College, Swacchandam
swAmi had to go to that college. He wanted to take both of
us along with him. But, my father didn't allow for that.
UttamUr SwAmi alone got the permission of his father and
went there.
In those times, NyAya and mImAmsa (ie.pUrva mImAmsa) together
constituted one SirOmaNi degree. So, UttamUr swAmi had the
fortune of learning the whole of mImAmsa SAstra under the
Srauti-GanapAti-mImAmsa vallabha ChinnaswAmi SAstri (a great
authority in mImAmsa of those times). Since the two degrees
(SirOmaNi in NyAya and mImAmsa) got separated during the
time when UttamUr swAmi gave the examination, swAmi wrote
the exam for NyAya SirOmaNi and obtained the degree. In
PudukkOttai samsthAnam also, he passed the examination in
first class. I learnt the pancavAdAs in NyAya under my
AchArya (SrI Garudapuram SwAmi) at MadhurAntakam. After
three years, I went to ThiruvaiyARu and joined the (NyAya)
SirOmaNi class ; Obtained the degree by giving the exams.
In PudukkOttai exam also I passed in first class. ".
-----------------------------------------
Please go through the following chart to have an idea
of the KEtANDipaTTi SwAmi AchArya parampara, which belongs
to the Munitraya AchArya Parampara.
note : The (S) mark means that, the AchArya was a sannyAsi
and the (G) mark means that, the AchArya was a
gruhasta.
SAkshAt SwAmi(S)
|
|
Thirukkudanthai DESkan(G)
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
| | |
SrInivAsa Muni(S) VazhuttUr SwAmi(S) SeeyAlam
RanganAtamuni(S)
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------
| | |
|
LAdapuram aaNDikkADu SwAmi(S) | |
SwAmi (S) | NAvalpAkkam |
| | ANNayArya MahAdESikan(G)
EyuNNi
| | SrInivAsa
| KEtANDipaTTi SwAmi(S) | RAmAnujaMuni(S)
| | |
|
Kapistalam SwAmi(G) | {NAvalpAkkam |
| AchArya Parampara} |
| |
| Peria
ANdavan
|
SrInivAsaMuni(S)
| |
| |
| ----------------------
| . .
| . .
| {PounDarIkapuram {PeriAshramam
| ANdavan Parampara} ANdavan Parampara}
|
--------------------------------------------------------
| | | |
| DengaNikOttai swAmi(S) | Kapistalam
| | swAmi(G)
Tirupati SwAmi(S) ThiruvahIndrapuram
| SrI Chinna SwAmi(S)
| |
| |
| ---------------------------------
KOzhiyAlam SwAmi(S) | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| Navaneetam SwAmi(G) Garudapuram SwAmi(S) |
| | | |
| | | ChEttalUr
UttamUr SwAmi(G) | | SwAmi(G)
| |
SrIrAmadESikAchArya(G) MadhurAntakam SwAmi(G)
Three SannyAsis viz. (1) SrInivAsa Muni, (2) VazhuttUr SwAmi
(VEdanta RAmAnuja Muni alias "VazhuttUr Andavan" alias
"SrIrangam SwAmi") and (3) SrI SeeyAlam RanganAtamuni
were disciples of SrI Thirukkudanthai GOpAladESikan, who
was a gruhasta. Because of these three Munis, the AchArya
Parampara that followed them came to be known as Munitraya
AchArya Parampara.
SrI Navaneetam KrishnamAchArya, SrI Garudapuram swAmi
(who later became a sannyAsi) and SrI ChEttalUr NrusimhachArya
(another very famous AchArya) were classmates while learning
under SrI ThiruvahIndrapuram (Chinna) swAmi .
SrI Kapistalam DESikAchArya was another great scholar of the
past. He learnt SrI BhAshyam under SrI KEtANDipaTTi SwAmi.
SrI Kapistalam swAmi, who was a Professor in the Tirupati
College, was instrumental in making UttamUr SwAmi join that
college as his (junior) colleague.
Since both UttamUr SwAmi and MadhurAntakam swami belongs to
the AchArya parampara of SrI KEtANDipaTTi swAmi, they
addressed themselves as brothers. Also, SrI UttamUr SwAmi
with MadhurAntakam SwAmi as a classmate, learnt Sanskrit
literature from SrI Garudapuram SwAmi.
------------------------------
Now, we have a good background in general regarding the
Life and Works of SrI UttamUr SwAmi. Lets get into the
quite detailed account on his Biography. adiyEn will post
them as a series. After this series, we shall again enjoy
the articles by other scholars on UttamUr SwAmi. Again,
adiyEn requests you all not to miss the previous postings
on UttamUr SwAmi. Please do go through them in your leisure.
Thanks.
adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,
anantapadmanAbhan.
krishNArpaNam.
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