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Life History Of Srimath Mysore Andavan

                                                                       (1909 – 1989)

  Sri:

Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha:

Srimathe SrinivAsa rAmAnuja  Mahadesikaya Namaha:

  Thirunakshatram: Avani - Uthiram

  Thanian:

  Srimath Srivasa yOgeeswara munikarunAlabdha vEdhantha yugmam

Srimath vEdhantha rAmAnuja gurupadhayorarpitha swAthma bhAram

Srimath srudhyantha rAmAnuja yathi nrupathE:prAptha mOkshasramam tham

Srimath SrivAsa rAmanuja munimaparam samsrayE gnanavArthim

 

This article covers the life history of Srimath Mysore Andavan

Parthipa-Avani Uthiram is the 97th thirunakshatram day of Srimath Mysore Andavan Sri SrinivAsa RAmAnuja MahA dEsikan ,who adorned Acharya peetam as the 10th Andavan in the Andavan Periashramam Munithraya Sampradayam AchArya Lineage.

AdiyEn is transmitting the source material provided by:-

Sri. Sunder KidAmbi(of Boston,USA–purvAsrama grand son of Srimath Mysore Andavan and Sri R. Rajagopal ,in his article” Looking back and Looking forward-III in

September  issue of  2004,(Dharana varsusham –Purattasi madham)

 as a life history of Kaviratna, Vedanta Vibhushana, Vedantasara, Pravachana Kalanidhi, Sri U Ve Vidwan Hariharapuram Gopalacharya (in his purvAsramA) and as Srimath Mysore Andavan, Sri Srinivasa Ramanuja Mahadesikan ( in ThuriyAsramA).

  An elderly scholar of vidwat scholarship in Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi, Sri Hariharapuram Gopalacharya was born on 19.08.1909 ( Soumya  Varusham –Avani Madham Uthira Palguni Nakshathram) to Sri Krishnamaachaarya and Smt. Ranganaayakamma (Gowri festival day, Sosale village, T. Narasipura Taluk on the banks of Cauvery near Sangamam of Cauvery and Kapila rivers, Mysore district) who belonged to an orthodox Srivaishnava family which had a scholastic background. Other members of the family included two brothers and two sisters.

  During his childhood, due to epidemic plague that spread widely, swAmi's father passed away, following which, the family's financial position was not sound. He lived in Sosale village and studied in a higher primary school there. Knowing the budding scholar in swAmi, the scholars persuaded him to join Mysore Maharaja Samskruta Paathashaala and continue his studies. Accordingly, swAmi came to Mysore, joined the Sanskrit college, completed his further studies in Saahitya and Vyaakarana and became Vidwan. 

  During the student days, he had to depend for his daily food in Sri Parakaala mutt, where the then Aacharya Sri Abhinava Ranganaatha parakAla mahA dEsikan who adorned the peetam, noticed the brilliant boy and provided him necessary facilities. By the grace of lord Hayagreeva, he also brought his brothers and used to help them by giving good education and food (padi) that he received in the Parakaala mutt and there by facilitated their studies also.

  Having completed matriculation, Sanskrit (vidwat degree), Kannada Pandit and Hindi Pandit exams, he attained proficiency in 'Naalaayira Divyaprabhandam' (Tiruvaymozhi), chanting of vedas, literature and grammar. He passed all higher examinations of philosophy (Vedanta Shastra) and obtained Vidwat Prashasti.  In his 14th year, he had the blessings of Srimath NammAndavan and with Pancha Samskaaras and Bharanyasa. At that juncture, he composed a beautiful collection of 134 poems (Srimad Aandavan Vaibhavam) and visualizing the scholar in him, Srimad Aandavan blessed the boy immensely and he came to be known as Mysore Vidwan Gopu.

  Regarding discharging duties and responsibilities, Sri Gopaalaachar married Smt Jayalakshmi from Talkad who belonged to a respectable family. The couple were blessed with six daughters and two sons. 

  Srimath Mysore Andavan was famous amongst the other scholars from Sosale. He worked hard towards the improvement of the  Sri Venugopalaswamy temple at Sosale. He was an ardent devotee of Srimath Aandavan, all through. He was a beloved disciple of many great scholars and he successfully completed the studies of  and Upanishads and  grantha chathushtya kAlakshEpams under Srimath Akkur Andavan

  In his efforts to invite Srimath  Aakoor Andavan to Karnataka, his journey on cycle to Chamarajanagar, Sathymangalam, Erode and Srirangam to arrange for the stay of Andavan was commendable. With all these devotional services to Sri Aacharya, he obtained the blessings of Srimath  Aakoor Aandavan. Sri  Gopalacharya served in a high school at Sakaleeshpuar (Karnataka) and thereafter he came to Mysore and served as Sanskrit teacher in Mahajana high school (1945 to 1975).

  Srimath Thembarai Andavan became weaker as the days passed by,and  gave upadesam on “Preksha manthram” and “Mokshasrama Ahnika Anushtanam” to three vidwans of the Asramam - U.Ve. Sri. Kannan swami(who later became Thirukkudanthai Andavan), U.Ve. Sri. Mysore GopalachAr swami, and  Mannargudi Ganapadi vidwAn U.Ve. Sri. Narasimhacharya swami , to be ready and take up sanyasam any time when called.

  when the health condition of His holiness Srimad Tembirai Andavan was badly affected, Vidvan sri Gopalachar Swamy  was the  alternate candidate to become ninth peetathipathi to succeed His holiness thebirai Andavan Himself in April 1963,had not sri Kannan swamy turned up for taking up sanyAsam for any reason. Sri kannan swamy entered Thuriyasramam in  5th April 1963 as 9th peetathipathy with the name Srimadh Vedhantha Ramanuja Maha Desikan.(SRP-sep-2004)

  Sri Chitrakoodam Vijayaraghavachariar was the srikaryam till late 60s.Then, Sri Mysore Gopalachar became Srikaaryam of the Srimad Andavan Ashramam , and continued as srikaryam  for almost 2 decades. As srikaryam of Srimath Andavan asramam, He travelled  all along  with the then pontiff  H.H.Thirukkudanthai Aandavan, & undertook paadayatra all over India and specially Badrikasramam. He was respected for his devotion, dedication, commitment to Srivaishnavism (Sri Ramanuja Darshanam) and his wide scholarship in all shastras. He was a good swimmer too.

  Scholarly works : Srimath Andavan has contributed many works of scholarly nature. They include; 

1. Ramanuja Noothandadi (1959) a translatory work (with commentary in Kannada) from Tamil to Kannada.

2. Sri Ramanuja Panchashat in Sanskrit

  His master pieces :

1. A complete translation of 'Sri Paadukaasahasram' with scholarly commentary in Kannada (1969). This work of 465 pages, was published at Sri Parakaala mutt Mysore.

2. A translation of 'Deshika prabandham' from Tamil to Sanskrit and commentry in Kannada.

3. Srimad Aacharya Parampara Prabhavam in Sanskrit.

4. Shaattumurai Kramam and Aacharya Thanian

5. A beautiful work about Vishnusahasranama

6. Sragdharaa Shatakam in Sanskrit

7. Sri Rahasyatraya Saara Sangraha of Vedanta Deshika in poetry (sanskrit version)

8. Sri Mahaalakshmi Stuti, a fine stotram about Goddess Lakshmi of 108 Divyadeesha (at the time when Sri Tirukkudanthai Andavan was ill and bedridden)

9.A commentary to 'Tiruvaimozhi', following the lines of Poorvaachaarya's commentary.

10. Translated works of Sri Vedanta Deeshika to Kannada.

11.Pillai Anthaadi (Sanskritized)
12.Deshika Vaibhava shatakam
13.VenkatanAtha gurustuti

S wAmi was an Aashu Kavi of a very high caliber, and used to compose Padabandhams spontaneously. SwAmi has also written numerous articles about Sri Ramanuja philosophy. Following his contribution to Sanskrit literature, SwAmi  was recognized as an outstanding scholar both by state and center, and was given an honorarium (President's Gold Medal).

  When Srimad Thirukkudanthai Andavan,s health was very much affected ,His holiness gave sanyasam to ,Vidvan Mysore  Gopalachar  on 11.04.1988 (PRABHAVA VARUSHAM-PANGUNI MADHAM –Sravana Nakshathram) and HH became the successor of Thirukkudanthai Andavan and   10 th peetathipathi of Srimadh Srirangam Andavan Ashram at the . age of 79 years.,Since then he was popularly called as Mysore Andavan.

  “The health of His holiness was  also very much affected,in 1988/89 by repeated  debilitating strokes of cerebral thrombosis .Even then, His holiness used to remember and recite fluently the verses that He composed more than six decades earlier.And yet Padukas

Saw to it that HH Srimad Mysore Andavans’s mental faculties & speech were not affected (excepting for a minor loss of recent memories!)When not bedridden, HH could move about freely and perform Perumal and Paduka Aradhanam daily and recite the Seva Kalams fluently (when the senior Acharya Srimad Thirukkudanthai Andavan was too much indisposed to do so.)  HH  srimad Mysore Andavan’s Kalyana Gunas were many .Indeed a rare combination of of Gnanam Santham ,Virakthi, Vairakyam,and Anagam.(blemish less or Faultless)and above all an un shakeable Acharya Bhakthi that had to be seen to be believed) “(SRP. SEP., 2004)

  Both the Acharyas,Srimad Thirukkudanthai Andavan and Srimad Mysore Andavan were

together for a period of exactly one year

His holiness  Srimad Thirukkudanthai Andavan adorned the Thirunadu on 10-04-1989.Within a short period of 42days His holiness Srimad Mysore Andavan also  attained Paramapadam at Srirangam Ashramam -Dwidhiyai on  22 -05-1989 ( @ 3:10 AM on a Monday,  SUKLA VARUSHAM –VAIKASI  MADHAM_-Krishna Paksham thithi ) thus becoming an illustrious ardent devotee of Sri Ramanuja. Words cannot explain the saintly nature of Srimath Mysore Andavan, but it could only be felt by the disciples who loved and adored him with devotion.

  With Obeisance  to His Holiness  Srimath Andavan, Sri SrinivAsa RAmAnuja mahA DEsikan.