svAmi kOyil aNNan.
From the Bhakti List Archives
• October 6, 2001
svAmi kOyil aNNan's asterism (puraTTASi-pUraTTAdi // kanyA-pUrva-prOshTha-padA) occurred on October 1 2001, and there was a ten-day celebration (September 22 - October 1, followed by 'iyarpA' recitation the next day) in the famed Srirangam tiru-mALikai of the AchArya. SRI VARADA-NARAYANA-GURU, DESCENDANT OF SVAMI MUDALI-ANDAN. kOyil aNNan was the later-day honorofic of varada-nArAyana-guru (1389-1448 AD) who was the eighth generation descendant of svAmi mudali-ANDAn (= dASarathi, nephew of Sri Ramanuja). ANDAN'S EMINENT POSITION IN ADMINISTRATION OF SRIRANGAM GREAT TEMPLE. ANDAn was appointed by Ramanuja as the chief administrator of periya kOyil ['Sri-kAryam / sEnApati-dhurandhara'] and, down the generations, this precious responsibility devolved upon aNNan. Accordingly, aNNan is among the 'sthalattAr' of 'periya kOyil' and receives the temple honours as 'vAdhUla-dESikar'. (The full title and name is 'svAmi kOyil kandADai vAdhUla-dESikan aNNan'.) THE NAME 'KANDADAI'. The name 'kand-ADai' genealogically attaches from svAmi ANDAN's son, kandADAi ANDAn (who installed Ramanuja's "tamar-ukanda-tirumEni" at Sri-perum-pudUr and "tAn-Ana-tirumEni" at Srirangam), as the latter was born after uDaiyavar instructed svAmi mudali-ANDAn to partake of the Lord's food-offering received from the periya sannidhi, in the cloth-wrapping 'tiru-p-pAVADai'; when the child was eventually born, uDaiyavar blessed him for a spiritual career as fragrant as the 'tiru-p-pAVADai'. ['gandha' meaning fragrant and 'ADai' for the cloth-wrapping; the name, Tamilised as the hybrid 'kandADai', is among the most pedigreed title among Srivaishnava Acharya households.] KOYIL ANNAN AND MANAVALA-MA-MUNIKAL. aNNan was among the disciples ('ashTa-dig-gajam' or the eight custodians of memory) of 'periya-jeeyar' maNavALa-mA-munikaL. Both aNNan and Sri vAna-mA-malai jeeyar had each received from mA-munikaL a pair of his own (wooden) pAdukA (footwear). Known as the "pon-n-aDiyAm Sen-kamala-p-pOdukaL", these are encased in gold and adored in the 'tiru-ArAdhanam' of both aNNan tiru-mALikai and vAna-mA-malai maTham,and are placed on the devotees' crown at the conclusion of 'divya-prabandham' recital ('SAttu-muRai'). aNNan's adoration of mA-munikaL was complete and he dedicated a 'kaNNi-nuN Siru-t-tAmbu' panegyric of mA-munikaL. aNNan has the unique blessing of receiving a 'taniyan' SlOkam from mA-munikaL ~ "sakala-vEdAnta-sArArtha-pURNASayam vipula-vAdhUla-gOtrOd-bhavAnAm varam ruchira-jAmAtr.-yOGeendra-padASrayam varada-nArAyaNam mad-gurum samSrayE." ANNAN WITH NO WANDERLUST! Renowned for his passionate attachment to living in Srirangam, aNNan was named by appiLLai (author of vAzhi-tiru-nAmanGaL) as the One who never crossed river kAviri flowing by either side of Srirangam, ["kAviri-k-karai kaDavAda kandADai aNNan"]. TIRU-MALIKAI AND SRI AHOBILA MATHAM. aNNan's ninth generation descendant (17th century AD), SingarAchArya (second son of kandADai appan Srinivasacharya) became the 'jeeyar' of Sri ahObila-maTham. With a view to strengthening the bonds between aNNan tiru-mALikai and Sri-maTham, he presented to the maTham the 'periya-perumAL' icon which was in worship at tiru-mALikai, and also the 'daSAvatAra sannidhi' (situated close to the koLLiDam river) which was originally consecrated by tiru-manGai-AzhvAr and later assigned by Sri Ramanuja to svAmi ANDAn. THREE IDENTIFIED 'AZHAKIYA-SINGAR' ARCHA IN ANNAN TIRU-MALIKAI. This personage also gifted to tiru-mALikai an 'azhakiya-SinGar', one of the 'nava-bEra' (nine icons) of ahObilam. This 'archA' forms the central piece of tiru-mALikai shrine, and an identical icon is worshipped in svAmi ANDAn tiru-mAlikai in east Chitra stree and in the Sri maTham situated a furlong from tiru-mALikai. Besides, the tiru-mALikai has an 'azhakiya-SinGar', one presented to ANDAn by Sri Ramanuja, and another to aNNan by mA-munikaL. Sri Pillai Lokam Jeeyar records [in his Ramanujacharya-divya-charitai] that uDaiyavar got 'azhakiya-SinGar' consecrated in the Seats of all the 74 'simhAsan-adhipati' preceptors. ANNAN HISTORICALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR SURVIVAL OF PERIYA KOYIL AND THE HOLY CITY OF SRIRANGAM. The hagiology of svAmi kOyil vAdhUla-dESika aNNan Sri varada-nArAyaNa guru is extensively written into 'yateendra-pravaNa-prabhAvam' and the Temple chronicle 'kOyil-ozhugu'. This, besides numerous stone inscriptions and historical East India Company records testifying to the several instances when the incumbent aNNan of successive times who, as an integrated ecclesiastical-temporal ruler of Srirangam, showed great initiative, at great expense to himself, to ward off marauders' assaults on Srirangam and its wealth, be they iconoclastic foreigner muslims or the English or the French or any of the petty local 'rulers'. A NEW "ashTotra-Sata-nAma stOtram". ASu-kavi kiDAmbi T. Govinda aiyangar of Srivilliputtoor has just composed a Sanskrit lyrical-devotional "Sri-varada-nArAyaNa-guru ashTotra-Sata-nAma stOtram" with Tamil paraphrase. This has been got printed kOyil aNNan (iLaiya svAmy) Sri Venkatacharya, and released on October 1 (aNNan's asterism) at Srirangam tiru-p-pAN AzhvAr sannidhi by Siru-puliyUr tiru-Azhi aNNan svAmy. PRESENT ANNAN FAMILY ~~ THUMB-NAIL SKETCH. The incumbent svAmi kOyil aNNan Sri Srinivasacharya jealously tends the name and glory of the imposing kOyil aNNan tirumALikai in Srirangam east Uttara street. He is supported by his younger brother Sri Venkatacharya svami, besides the junior scions Sri Jagannathan svami for adhyApakam and Sri SinGan svami for daily worship and Temple occasions. PRAYER FOR KOYIL ANNAN TIRU-MALIKAI. The Great Temple and holy city of Srirangam owes so much to this magnificent svAmi kOyil aNNan tirumALikai, and may the Lord 'paravastu' Sriranga and his divine spouse Sriranga-nAyaki be pleased to grace this House with many many years of service and guardianship of the sacred Sri-vaishNava sampradAyam. aDiyEn rAmAnuja-dAsan T.S. Sundara Rajan at Srirangam. -------------------------------------------------------------- - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH - To Post a message, send it to: bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/ Your use of Yahoo! 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