Andavan Ashramam Acharya Guru Parampara

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Adiyen is forwarding an article from my father Sri.P. Sreenivasan on

Acharya Paramparai on the occasion of the Thirunakshatram of His

Holiness Srimath Srimushnam Andavan.

Dasan,

Venkat Sreenivasan

_________________________

Srimushnam Andavan's Thanian VEdhAntha lakshmana muneendra

krupAtthabOdham ThadpAdha yugmasaraseeruha brungha rAjam

Thraiyantha yugma kruthaboori parisramamtham Sriranga lakshmana

munim saranam prabhadyE

Today is Srimath Srimushnam Andavan’s 71st Tirunakahtram. The

Sapthathy mahotsavam is being celebrated in Srirangam in a grand

manner as adiyen types this. Srimath Andavan is the 38th Acharyan in

the lineage of Acharya paramparai starting from Nathamunigal till

prakrutham Andavan of Srirangam Srimath Andavan Ashramam. Adiyen

thought it will be a good occasion to write briefly about all the

Acharyas in this paramparai on this great day. Adiyen will cover this

in few part series based on the 301st Thirunakshatra Malar of

Gopalarya Mahadesikan (published by Andavan Ashramam) and Acharya

Vaibhavam published by Sri Vishishtadvaita Research center. In the

first part of series, the AchArya guru parampara

is covered starting from prathamAchAryan of our sampradAyam til

Udayavar Sri Ramanuja. Most of the early part of this Acharya

Paramparai is common to all the Srivaishnava lineage both Vadakalai

and Thenacharya sampradayam.

 

The 'AchArya Vamsa Vruksha' or the lineage of Srimath Andavan

Periasramam starting from Emperuman Sriman Narayanan is given below:

 

EmperumAn Sriman Narayanan and Thaayar Sri Mahalakshmi

|

Sri Vishwaksenar

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Nammazhwar (Sri Satagopan)

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Nathamunigal

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Uyyakkondar

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Manakkal Nambi

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Yamunacharya

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Peria Nambi

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Srimath RamanujA (Udaiyavar)

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PranathArthiharar(Kidambi AcchAn)

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RAmAnujappillAn

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RangarAjappillAn

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vAthi HamsAbudhAchAryar(KidAmbi AppullAr RAmAnujar)

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Sri NigamAntha mahA DEsikan

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Sri Brahmathanthra Swathantra Jeeyar

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GhatikasathammAL(VAthsya varada dEsikar)

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VaradaVishnavAchAryar

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MahadayAdheesar

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Ahobila dEsikan(sirangattur)

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ParAnkusa swAmi(Vankipuram)

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Panchamatha bhanjanam thAtha dEsikan

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vAthsya AnanthAchAryar(Keezhnarkkunnam)

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RAmAnujAchAryar(Ranga RAmAnujAchAryar)

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VEnkatAchAryar(ParAvasthu AnnA)

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VeerarAghavAchAryar(ChittaNNA)

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Sri Rangapathi dEsikan(VElamur)

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KalyAnA vaha Sri RanganAtha dEsikan

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GnAnAthi sEvathisAkshAth swAmi(vEdAntha rAmAnuja mahA dEsikan)

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GOpAlArya mahA dEsikan (Thirukkudanthi dEsikan)

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Sri vEdAntha rAmAnuja mahA dEsikan (Srirangam Andavan -Vazhuthur)

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Srinivasa rAmAnuja mahA dEsikan (Thirutthuraippoondi Andavan -ViLakudi)

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Srinivasa mahA dEsikan Srinivasa mahA dEsikan (PeriAndavan)

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PAdukA sEvaka rAmAnuja mahA dEsikan(Chinnaandavan)

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Srinivasa rAmAnuja mahA dEsikan (KAdanthEthi Andavan)

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Sri VEdhantha rAmAnuja mahA dEsikan (NammAndavan - ThErezhundur)

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Srinivasa mahA dEsikan (EngALAndavan - Akkur)

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Sri RanganAtha mahA dEsikan(Thenbarai Andavan)

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Sri VEdhantha rAmAnuja mahA dEsikan (Thirukkudanthai Andavan)

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Srinivasa rAmAnuja mahA dEsikan (Mysore Andavan)

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Sri Ranga RAmAnuja mahA dEsikan (Srimushnam Andavan) –Prakrutham Andavan

 

1: Sriman Narayana

 

The foremost and first AchArya of our siddhAnta is Sriman NArAyanA. He

gave the upadEsam to our ThAyAr Goddess Sri MahA Lakshmi who is the

second AchArya in the lineage. Sri Lakshmi pirAtti gave upadEsam to

vishwaksEnar who chose NammAzhwAr to continue the lineage at the

start of kaliyugA.

 

 

2. Vishvaksenar

 

Also known as Senapathy Azhvan; He is a Nithya suri. He has dharshan

to Nammazhvar in Yogha dasai and performed pancha samskaram and sarva

vedantha Upadesam to Nammazhvar. He has authored a grantham known as

VishvaksEna samhithai.

 

 

3. Nammazhvar

He was VishvaksEnar’s amsaavadhaaram.

 

Avatharasthalam - Thirukkurugoor.

 

He was born on the 43rd day of the birth of kaliyuga Pramadhi varusham

in the month of vaikasi and Visaka nakshathram . His fathers name was

Kari. He lived for 35 years. Right from the day of birth he ate no

food and he observed Yoganishtai. He taught thiruvaimozhi to

Madurakavi Azhwar when he was alive. After attaining moksham, he

taught Nathamunigal sarva upadesam and performed pancha samskaram in

yoga dasai. He has written the following 4 granthams –

 

Thiruvaasiriyam

Thiruviruttham

Periya Thiruvandhadhi

Thiruvoimozhi

 

4. Nathamuni (824 – 920 CE)

 

Avathara sthalam – Kaattu mannar koil alias Veera narayana puram

Year of Birth – Kali 3985 in the year of Sobhakruth in the month of

Aani and Anusham nakshatram. He belonged to Sadamarshana gothram. His

father’name is Easwara munigal. He visited thirukkurugoor and paid his

obeisance to Nammalwar. Had pancha samskaram peformed by nammalwar. He

learnt veda sastras through yoga dasai. He was giving siddhantha

pravachanam in his gruhastasramam and blessed his sishyas with nyaya

tatvam, yoga rahasyas and many more granthas.

 

5. Uyyakkondar (Pundarikakshar) ( 826 – 931 CE)

 

Avathara sthalam – Thiruvellarai near Srirangam

 

Year of Birth – Kali 3987 in the year of Prabhava, in the month of

Chitthra and Krutthika nakshatram. He was doing siddhanta pravachanam

in Srirangam in his gruhastasramam. He was the prime disciple of

Nathamuni. His foremost sishyas were Manakkal Nambi, pundareeka dasar

and ulaga perumal nangai.

 

6. Manakkal Nambi (Sri Rama Misrar) (832 – 941 CE)

 

Avathara Sthalam – Manakkal agraharam in Chola desam

 

Year of Birth – Kali 4052 in the year of Virodhikruthu in the month of

Masi and Magam nakshatram. He was giving siddhanta pravachanam in his

gruhasthasramam to his disciples – Alavadhar, arasu nimbi, Gomadam

thiruvinnagarappan.

 

7. Alavandhar (Yamuna Muni) ( 916 – 1041 CE)

 

He was the grandson of Sri Nathamuni.

 

Avathara Sthalam – Veera narayana puram

 

Year of Birth – Kali 4077 in the year of Dhathu in the month of Aadi

and Uttarashada nakshatram. He belonged to Shadamarshana gothram. He

was born to Easwara battazhwar. After taking sanyasam in Srirangam,

he was doing sampradaya pravachanam in Srirangam.

 

He has authored the following granthams –

Sthothra Rathnam

Siddhi thrayam

Geethartha Sangraham

Agama Pramanam

Chatusloki

Maha purusha Nirnayam.

 

8. Periya Nambi (Mahapurnar)

 

He was the prime disciple of Alavandhar.

 

Year of Birth – kali 4098 in the year of Hevilambi in the month of

Margazhi and Kettai nakshatram. He belonged to Bharadwaja gothram. He

lived for 105 years. He was doing siddhantha pravachanam to his

disciples in Srirangam. His foremost disciples were Udaiyavar(Sri

Ramanuja), Ani Arangathamudhanar, Thiru kachi nimbi, Satakopa dasar.

 

9. Udaiyavar (Sri Ramanuja) ( 1017 – 1137 CE)

 

He is the darsana sthapakar of Srivaishnava sampradayam and is one of

the most important acharyas of our sampradaya. He was considered the

amsam of Thiru Ananthalwar.

 

Year of Birth – Kali 4117 in the year of Pingala in the month of

Chitthra and Arudhra nakshatram- sukla panchami thithi. He belonged

to Haritha gothram. His father was Asuri kesava somayaji swami. He

took sanyasramam at a very early age and was doing siddhantha

pravachanam in Srirangam and many other places. He nominated 74

simhasanadhipathis and ordained them to do pancha samskaram to

sishyas at their places. From the 74 simhasanadhipathis, he selected

four namely, Nadathur Azhwan, Kidambi Acchaan, Thirukkurugaippiran

Pillan and Mudali Andan, gave them the Sri Bhashya kosam and

instructed them to do Sri Bhashya pravachanam thereby making them Sri

bhashya simhasanadhipathis. He has authored nine granthams in total

namely,

 

Sri Bhashyam

Vedantha Saram

Saranathi Gadyam

Sri ranga Gadyam

Vaikunta Gadyam

Sri Gita Bhashyam

Nithyam

Vedantha Sangraham

Vedantha Deepam

 

Sri Ramanuja became an exponent in all the granthas he learnt from his

acharyas and spread Sri Vishishtadvaitha philosophy and Srivaishnavam

through the 9 granthas He wrote in Sanskrit. After having conquered

those who opposed his philosophic exposition of Vishistadvaitha,

tradition has it that Sri Ramanuja received the benediction of Lord

Sri Hayagreeva through the medium of Saraswathi Devi. Having embraced

the life of an ascetic, Sri Ramanuja travelled far and wide through

out India.

 

(to be continued...)

 

Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi,

Perungadamanur Sreenivasan Parthasarathy (Besant Nagar)

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