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Re: FACE TO FACE WITH YATHIVARAS

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Krishna Kalale • July 17, 1997 


Dear Bhagavatas,

I think this article is excellent and punishingly cruel at the same time!.
When we are looking for what happened then ..... I get this request :  more
on this later , please which punishes my curiousity.  I would like to talk
to Sri Anbil Ramaswamy on this. Before he can write on the net (if
possible).  

I envy him to have the bhagyam of meeting so many acharyas.  It is an honor
more than what we can achieve in this material world to have access and
friendship with our acharyas.  Many can say, that I know those acharyas.
Here is one example of those acharyas knowing Sri Anbil Ramaswamy.  

Adiyen
Krishna Kalale




At 10:51 AM 7/17/97 -0400, VVijay236@aol.com wrote:
>FACE TO FACE WITH YATHIVARAS
>
>Dear Bhagavatas,
>
>NOTE : I had the opportunity of having intimate discussions with almost all
>Yathivaras  as well as several Acharyas, Scholars and  Friends belonging to
>our  Siddhantam during my sojourn in India.
>The subjects discussed and the range of breadth and depth of the insights
>gained are too staggering to be included in a short write- up like this.
>I will present them  in due course and   in the appropriate contexts.
>
>THIS WRITE UP IS ON THE YATHIVARAS WHOM I WAS PRIVELEGED TO MEET DURING MY
>SOJOURN IN INDIA :
>(1)  HIS HOLINESS SRIMAD ANDAVAN OF POUNDARIKAPURAM ASRAMAM:,SRIRANGAM: THIS
>ACHARYA IS THE ONE WHO  ' SAVED MY SOUL ' THROUGH ' BHARANYASAM '. 
>I met with him 3 times:
>
>(i) 17/3/97: I had a  long discussion on a variety of matters. He handed over
>his copy of "Kanchi Perarulalan"- MASI Issue containing a write up about our
>activities here
>
>(ii)  24/3/97: When I went to Srirangam for the famous  Panguni Uthram
>festival.He gave me an essay of about 30 pages of foolscape size paper
>WRITTEN IN HIS OWN HANDWRITING  as also the VEDA MALAR Souvenir issued during
>the Centenary of  Vennatrankarai Swami (his  immediate Acharya) detailing the
>glorious Guru Parampara of Sri Poundarikapuram Asramam, with permission to
>flash it on the internet for the info. of our members. 
>I shall do this in a separate series of postings later.
>
>(iii) 10/4/97: Tirunakshatram of this Swami (Panguni Rohini). A Sadas was
>held in which several scholars took part. Sri V.S,Karunakaran gave a
>brilliant talk. (About this also, later please) 
>
>(2) HIS HOLINESS THE AZHAGIYASINGAR OF AHOBILA MUTT:
>
>BEFORE COMING TO USA, I HAD THE PRIVELEGE OF LEARNING AT THE FEET OF THIS
>ACHARYA (IN HIS POORVASRAMAM)- THROUGH HIS KALAKSHEPAMS THE ENTIRE GAMUT OF
>SRIMAD BHAGAVAD GITA, BHAGAVAD VISHAYAM AND RAHASYA TRAYA SARAM OF SWAMI
>DESIKA. 
>
>LATER ON, I SHALL WRITE A SERIES ABOUT MY INTERACTION AND THE INNUMERABLE BUT
>MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES WITH THIS YATHIVARA WITH WHOM I MOVED PERSONALLY FOR
>OVER A DECADE - 
>BEFORE DURING AND AFTER HIS SANNYASA SWEEKARANAM.
>I met with him also  3 times:
>
>(i) 3/4/97: The Jeeyar was camping at Tirumalai for the Annamacharya
>Vardhanti celbrations. He was so kind as to spare me audience for a
>considerable time in spite of his busy schedule and we had some very personal
>and intimate discussions. Sri K.Devanathan, Editor and Publisher of the
>Telugu edition of Nrisimhapriya, Hyderabad  was with me during the
>discussions.(More about these later, please)
>
>(ii) 30/4/97: The Jeeyar was camping at Tiruvaheendrapuram and we continued
>our discussions. Sri Devanathan had come again and took part in the
>discussions.
>
>(iii) 28/5/97: Sri K.G.Krishnan ( Son-in-law of Uthamur Swami) and myself
>took my sister for her Bharanyasam to Tirukkallam, where the  Jeeyar was
>camping. The Jeeyar explained why no charge was specified  for Bharanyasam
>while charges were required  for Dolai and other events.
>
>In the evening, we proceeded to Tiruvallur with the Jeeyar where he released
>an Audio Cassette on Sri Veeraraghava Suprabatham. He beckoned me and ordered
>that I should receive the first Cassette along with Sri K.G.Krishnan.
>
>(3)  HIS HOLINESS ABHINAVA VAGEESA BRAHMATANTRA SWATANTRA SWAMI OF PARAKALA
>MUTT:
>I met with  him on two occasions.
>
>(i) 19/3/97: When I visited the Mutt at Mysore, the Swami heartily received
>me and spent nearly the whole day discussing various matters.(More about
>these later, please). He was sorry that our letter seeking his Srimukham for
>our  Conference was not submitted to him and promised to send his blessings
>for our efforts here. I understand that this has since been received by Sri
>Jagannath Bharadwaj.
>
>THE SWAMI DESIRED THAT I SHOULD ACCOMPANY THE VAIRAMUDI IN THE MUTT VAN AND
>AFTER THE SEVA AT MELKOTE TO RETURN BY THE SAME VAN FOR HANDING OVER THE
>VAIRAMUDI AT THE DISTRICT TREASURY AT MANDYA.  I DEEM IT A GREAT HONOR TO
>HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO ESCORT THE HOLY VAIRAMUDI  TO ADORN THE LORD AND BACK
>TO THE TREASURY FOR SAFE CUSTODY.
>
>(ii) 2/6/97: I met with the  Swami again at the reception accorded to him at
>Srimad Andavan Asramam, Mylapore  and again he spent quite a while with
>continuing the earlier discussions.
>
>(4) HIS HOLINESS SRIRANGAM SRIMAD ANDAVAN (SRIMUSHNAM SWAMI): I met with him
>also twice:
>
>(i) 13/3/97: The Sadas for the Tirunakshatram of Tirukkudanthai Swami was
>about to begin when I barged in to offer my Dendasamarpanam. In spite of his
>hurry, he gave me audience for a while and told me that he was sorry he could
>not spend more time and enquired whether I could come to Bangalore, where he
>was due to camp in the 3rd week of March. He was also sorry that due to his
>constant Sancharam, he missed out our letter seeking his Srimukham and
>ordered his assistants to see that details of our efforts be incorporated in
>the "SRI RANGANATHA PADUKA" monthly journal  of the Asramam, without fail.
>The article appeared in the VAIKASI issue and will be repeated again.
>
>(ii)  23/3/97: As desired by the Swami, I met him again at Andal Koil in
>Jayanagar, Bangalore. He spent a good part of the day discussing various
>matters bearing on our Siddhantam.(Again, more about these later, please)
>
>(5) HIS HOLINESS SRI RANGAPRIYA SWAMI OF ASHTANGA YOGA KENDRAM, JAYANAGAR,
>BANGALORE:
>
>22/3/97: I took the opportunity of meeting with this Yogi at his Kendra at
>Jayanagar, Bangalore. He gave a talk in Tamil interspersed with a sprinkling
>of brilliant expressions in English. He explained how we, Jeevas sought to
>match our  6 evil tendencies of Kaama, Krodha, Moha, Lobha, Madha and
>Maatsarya with the 6 auspicious qualities of the Lord viz., Gnana, Sakti,
>Bhala, Aiswarya, Veerya and Tejas and how we could sublimate even our evil
>tenencies in the service of the Lord and cited several examples. Truly an eye
>opener! (Details, later please)
>
>(6) HIS HOLINESS YADHUGIRI YATHIRAJA JEEYAR, MELKOTE : 
>
>28/3/97: This Swami inaugurated the seminar on Srivaishnava Aagamas 
>(both Pancharatra and Vaikhanasa) in the Madras University premises. I met
>with the Organizers viz., Sri M.A.VENKATAKRISHNAN, EDITOR "GEETHACHARYAN"
>MONTHLY JOURNAL and READER and SRI M. NARASIMHACHARI AND SRI
>V.K.S.N.RAGHAVAN, both Professors of Department of Vaishnava studies,
>University of Madras. 
>
>Several scholars specializing in the Aagama Saastras and Sthapathis of repute
>spoke on the different aspects  like Aalaya Prathishta, Silaa Sthaapana,
>Netra Unmeelana, Samprokshanam, Pooja Vidhaanam etc. 
>
>I had occasion to put forth a few questions (e.g) whether the Srivaishnava
>Agamas approved of  the modern trend of constructing ' Siva -Vishnu ' temples
>and installation of Devatantaras in Sri Vaishnava temples. Such searching
>questions were provided suitable answers.(More about this later, please)
>
>(7) HIS HOLINESS VANAMAAMALAI JEEYAR SWAMI:
>
>29/3/97: This Swami delivered the valedictory address at the close of the
>Seminar. He explained a few aspects relating to Srivaishnava Aagama Sastras
>and cleared several doubts raised by the audience and thanked the organisers 
>===========================================================================
===
>=======
>FACE TO FACE WITH ACHARYAS will follow
>===========================================================================
===
>=======
>Dasoham
>Anbil Ramaswamy
>
>