Sri Srinivasa Mahadesikan (Srimath Akkur Andavan)
Thirunakshatram: PurattAsi-UtthirattAdi

Thanian

Srimath vEdhaantha Raamaanuja yathi nrupathEr labdha vEdhaantha yugmum

Srimath dEvaadhinEthu ChCharana sarasijE thEna daththaathma Baaram
Srimath Srivaasa yogeeshwara mahitha mahaa sampradaayaika nishtam
VandhE Srivaasa yogeeshwara gurumanagam vathsalam Bhavyasheelam

Akkur Andavan was  born in the year 1880  in the month of Purattasi with Uthirattadhi as his birth star.His poorvasrama name was Rangachariar. He was the immediate successor to Srimad Nammandavan and 7th Peetadhipathy of Srirangam Srimad Andavan Asramam. He had studied sampradhaya granthas at the holy feet of sri Nammandavan along with Sri U.Ve.Thembarai Venkata Raghavachar swami (who became Tembarai Andavan later) Dimmakudi sri U.Ve .Srinivasachar Thirukkudanthai Vairakya Nidhi Sri U.Ve. Rajagopalachar, Rayampettai GanapAdi Vidwan Seemachar  and many others

In 1931,When Nammandavan's health was very much affcted, HH wanted to appoint a successor for the Asramam. His Holiness NammAndavan wanted Sri Akkur Rangachar Swami to be his successor. But having influenced by gnanam, vairaghyam, anushtAnam, spiritual powers, and great capabilities of Srimath NamAndavan, Sri Rangachar swami thought that he may not be a fit person to be the successor of Srimath NamAndavan and adorn this great Acharya lineage of Srimath Andavan Ashramam. Sri Rangachar swami hesitated and respectfully declined to take up thureeyashramam at that time. Srimath Andavan was very upset that Sri Rangachar could not be appointed immediately as His Holiness realized His dehAvasanam (end) was nearing. His Holiness offered prayers to the PAdukAs of PoorvAchAryas, and with tears rolling in his eyes, reciting slokas like "Sriman Abeeshta Varadha Thvaam asmi charanam Gatha:" and with Goddess Thayaar as Purusha kAram, His Holiness offered pranams many times at the lotus feet of Lord Varadharaja of Kanchi, and appealed to HIM ,

"Hey Prabho! you have fulfilled the prayers, of Sri Alavandar by making Sri Ramanuja as the Sampradhaya pravarthakar. Now fulfil my prayer also by making Akkur Rangachar swami, as the sampradhya pravarthakar & my successor, in our Asramam. The responsibility is yours."

Saying so, He surrendered his burden at the lotus feet of the Lord Varadhan of Kanchi. His holiness adorned thirunAdu.

Like AlavandAr's prayer, Srimath NammAndavan's prayer too was granted by Lord Varadha later. Srimath Aakur Rangachar swamy consented to take up sanyasam immediately after Srimath Nammandavan adorned ThirunAdu. Exactly 3 weeks after NammAndavan adorning Thirunadu, Sri Narayana Yatheeswarar, a Disciple of NammAndavan, who had already received Sanyasam from NammAndavan, gave the ochre ascetic robes of sanyasam to Sri Rangachar swami.

 SriRangachar swami became the successor of NammAndavan in Andavan asramam as Srimath Akkur Andavan Sri Srinivasa Maha Desikan, the same name as PeriAndavan and very much like PeriAndavan in Gnaana, vairagya, anushtaanam etc.. His sancharam in the 15 year period from 1931 was all on foot (paadha yathrA). His holiness Srimad Akkur Andavan covered Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Thirupathi through His paadha yatra and spread Munithraya ashrama sampradyaa.

Srimad thembarai Andavan and  Srimath Thirukkudanthai Andavan attended  the Kalakshebam of  various  granthams in their poorvasramam at the holy feet of Srimath Aakkur Andavan. Srimath Akkur Andavan had the blessings of Srimath  Nammandavan in Completing the Vyakyanam for the remaining 208 slokas of Padhuka sahasram (Srimath Nammandavan had already completed vYAkyanam for about 800 slokas of paduka sahasram, but before completing the balance, he adorned ThirunAdu)

Once Akkur Andavan had to undergo a surgery to remove a cyst from his chest. He never took any pain killing medicine or anesthesia for the procedure. Instead, he was deeply immersed, in reciting ramayana slokas mentally for getting himself relieved from the pain. He was one of the greatest exponents of Ramayana discourses at his time. People had a very high regard for him for his simplicity, lucid and profound knowledge in sampradhaya and sastras, humourous discourses, etc, and called him as ""ENGAL ANDAVAN"

Thembarai Venkata Raghavachar Swamy was doing kainkaryam to Srimath Akkur Andavan, continuing to undertake kAlakshEpams under His Holiness. Srimath  Akkur  Andavan. His Holiness  was immensely pleased with Thembarai  swAmi’s GnAna, vairAghyA and AnushtAnams and felt that Thembarai Swamy  was the right person to be adorned as ‘sampradAya pravarthakA’ of periAsramam after His time.  His Holiness  Srimad Akkur Andavan informed Thembarai Swamy about his decision. Thembarai Swamy after long thoughts, decided to take up sanyAsam and  gave his consent to his Holiness. Srimath Andavan was extremely pleased byThembarai  swAmi’s decision and ordained His sishyAs to make arrangements for the Holy ceremony.

On 06.10.1946,   Srimath Akkur Andavan gave the holy sanyAsam to Sri. U.Ve. Brahmaniddhi Thembarai VenkatarAghavAchAriar swami  in presence of several Andavan thiruvadis and named him  as ‘Sri RanganAtha mahA dEsikan’ and  asrama disciples  fondly called  him  as Thembarai Andavan. Both Acharyas, namely Akkur Andavan and his successor Srimath  Thembarai Andavan were together in the Asramam for a period of 5-1/2months till  Srimath Akkur Andavan  adorned ThirunAdu on 19-3-1947 on a krishna paksha dwAdasi day (in the month of Panguni, viya year).

In the next posting adiyen will continue with the history of acharyas beginning with Srimath Thembarai Andavan.

Srimath Andavan Thiruvadi

Perungadambanur Parthasarathy Sreenivasan