This article is being published here on the occasion of 107th Thirunakshatram of Srimath Thirukkudanthai Aandavan (Panguni - Pushyam) which falls on 22nd March 13,
HIS vailbhavam will be published in 5 parts starting from today
Srimath Thirukkudanthai Andavan – Sri Vedantha Ramanuja Maha Desikan,who took Srirangam Srimath Andavan periAsramam to glorious heights of growth spreading it literally across length and breadth of the country.
Avataram
Srimath Thirukkudanthai Andavan was in the born in a small village called “ karukudi” (situated next to Thirukkandiyur in Tanjore district) in the banks of river Kaveri in the Parabhava year - Panguni month –with pushyam as his birth star -( 1907) to Sri. U.Ve. Padmanabhachariar and Komalavalli devi. He was named as “Srinivasaraghavan” He was fondly called by everybody as ‘Kannan”.
Kannan swami was taken to Srirangam periAsramam many a times by his father during His childhood days. He used to observe the paduka Aradhanam being performed there and when he came back to kudanthai, he will play with friends of his age posing himself as an acharya, wearing a cloth up to knee height and will have a dhandam in his hand and proclaim himself as Andavan. He will carry the water in “kottankacchi” – a dried coconut shell ( Srirangam periAsramam is also called kottankacchi Asramam) and distribute the “theertham” in the same way Srimath thErezhundur Andavan used to do ( focusing both His eyes in one direction). He will do all this with out the knowledge of his father.
ri Padmanabhachar swami taught him the arulicheyalgals of Alwars – Nalayira divya prabhandham at a tender age and swami mastered the tamil vedham , before he completed 14 years. He also learnt sAstras in Kottaiyur , under the tutelage of Sri. Seshasayee. Sri padmanabhachAr swami sent his son to Raja patasala in Kamakshi josyar street for some time to learn more on sastras. Later swami learnt tharka,and meemamsa,vyakarana sastras under shri devanagar vilagam swami . He stood as a paragon, gaining extensive knowledge in all the sastras . He also qualified for Sanskrit Sironmani fromThiruvaiyaru Sanskrit college. Whenever Nammandavan and Engalandavan visited Thirukkudanthai in their respective times, Sri Kannan swami performed kalakshepams on adhyatma sastras under their lotus feet. One of those times, Srimath Engalandavan performed “Bhara samarpanam” to Sri Kannan swami in Amudhan sannidhi. Swami had been performing kainkaryam to divya desam perumals even much before becoming Andavan.
Acharyan Thiruvadigale Charanam.