Acharya vaibhavam - 61- Vazhutthoor Andavan- Sri Vedantha Ramanuja Muni- under whom even the snake attended kalakshepam and performed BharanyAsam[prapatti]

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika Mahadesikaya namah:

 

Last post we had enjoyed the vaibhavam of

Thirukkudanthai Desikan Sri Gopaalaarya Mahadesikan

Swami. As mentioned, there were three ascetics in

saffron attire (as Great Sishyas) serving this

GrahasthA Acharya, attending on him with implicit

reverence, doing all personal chores- a very unusual

phenomenon.

 

They had been drawn from far and near; one was from

wartrap, who later proved to be on the model of Sri

Nathamuni; the second from Seyyanam (Thirunelveli) a

prototype of Sri Yamunamuni; and the third from

VazhutthUr near Ayyampettai Sri Vedantha Ramanuja

muni, whose prolific propagation service had brought

the school to a preeminent status. At His feet, there

were three sanyaasis (munis) and hence is called

munithraya sampradayam since then.

 

Sri VazhutthUr Swamy, Sri Vedantha Ramanuja muni- He

received the robes of a Sannyasi from the hands of

Paduka Sevaka Sri Ramanuja Maha Desika- came to Sri

Gopalarya Mahadesikan (Thirukkudanthai Desikan) along

with other two sanyaasis as mentioned above and fell

at his feet, quoting from NammazhwAr Thiruvaymozhi:

 

Theeraa vinaigaL theera ennai Andaay! THIRUKKUDANTHAI

OORAA! Unakku Atpattum adiyEn innam uzahlvEnO?

 

You have ruled me dispelling all my sins accrued so

far! Oh Lord of Thirukkudanthai! (Thirukkudanthai

DesikanE!) After being protected by You, will I ever

suffer here (on this earth?) No never! (pl forgive me

for my crude free translation).

 

Thirukkdanthai Desikan was overwhelmed with joy and

blessed our Sri Vedantha Ramanuja Swamy. Here after it

is You- who is going to rule the world being a

glorious Acharya! Here after you will be the ruler

(andavan) of Srivaishnava sishya kOtis! Thenceforth,

that Acharya came to be known as Andavan. Prefixing

the name of his village, he came to be known as

Vazhuthur Andavan.

 

Sri VazhutthUr Andavan was born in the star of

Poorattadi in the month of AvaNi in 1743 CE..

 

He was also known as Srirangam Srimad Andavan, as he

stayed in Srirangam almost permanently. As the

Sampradaya was continued by the successive Acharyas,

and Swamy had Sri Navalpakkam Annayaarya Mahadesikan,

Sri Andikkattu Swamy and Sri ThirutthuRaippooNdi

Andavan as sishyas. Each of them had many sishyas and

Samparadyam grew to a great extent and hence this

Swamy is known as one of huge family (big kudumbam),

also called Kudumbi Swami.

 

The term Andavan- meaning one who came to rule the

hearts of his followers was coined and applied

reverentially not only to him but also to all

Acharyas who came after him. Thereafter, the Parampara

itself came to be called Srimad Andavan Paramparai,

propagating the munithraya sampradayam. Other than Sri

Pakalamutt and Sri Ahobila Mutt, all other AchAryas of

Vadakalai sect today trace back to Sri Vedantha

Ramanuja Muni (Sri VazhutthUr Andavan) . Let us pay

our obeisance to this Great Acharya by reciting the

thaniyan (dedicatory verse) and contemplate its

meaning:

 

Gopala Desika Padaabja Madhu Vratasya Pragnaa Virakti

Karunaa Mukha Sad Gunaabde/

Vedaanta Lakshmana Muneh Srita Bhagadeyam

Paadaaravinda Yugalam Saranam Prapadhye //

 

(Meaning)

 

He who is like bee residing in the (and sucking the

honey from) the lotus feet of Sri Thirukkudanthai

Desikan, who was endowed with an ocean of most

auspicious qualities, knowledge, detachment and mercy,

who showers His grace to those who resort to him.

adiyEn takes refuge at his feet with no other

recourse.

 

Large number of disciples used to attend his

kaalakshepams due to his greatness. Once when a new

series of kaalakshepam was about to start, disciples

recited the thaniyan and were about to start. There

was a king cobra which came out of its hole and had

its hood raised. Immediately one of the sishyas took a

stick to beat and kill. Swamy the most compassionate

as usual took pity of this being and asked the sishya

not to disturb or hurt the snake. They proceeded with

the kaalakshepam (in a tense situation perhaps for

sishyas). The Cobra stood still till the end and

disappeared after kaalakshepam was over.

 

This extraordinary event was happening repeated

everyday. The snake became one of the regular

attendees too. After the grantham was completed, Swamy

was descending the steps of the tank for his

Anushtanam, the Cobra went around him and struck

its hood on the ground three times and appeared to

beg something.

 

The Acharya understood that it was a Mahapurusha in

the previous birth and had become a Cobra by some

curse and that it was seeking relief from Samsara.

Plucking a fruit from a tree nearby, he offered it

to his Aradhana murthi and performed Aartha

Prapatti for the Cobra. Vazhuthur Andavan sprinkled

some holy waters on the Cobra which was waiting for

him to come. Instantly, it passed away. (from Sri

Anbil Ramaswamy Swamy's article and Sri Thirukudanthai

Desikan 300 the Anniversary malar)

 

Sri Vazhutthur Andavan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

 

Regards

Narayana Narayana

aDiyEn Narayana dAsan madhavakkannan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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