Srimath Periandavan (Srimath Srinivasa Mahadesikan)
Thirunakshatram: Masi – Pushyam
Thanian
Sri rangesha padhe samarpitha Bharam sruthyantha ramanuja
Sri yogeendra guruththamena yaminash sruththyantha vidhyathmana:
PrAptha sruthya vathamsa yughma hrudhayam Srivasa ramanujath
Sri Srivasa muneendra desika manim sreyo nidhim samsraye
Thirutthuraipoondi Andavan gave sanyasam to Sri
Srinivasaraghavachariar Swami who went on to become one of
illustrious Acharyas of Munitraya Sampradayam, and unparalled among
His contemporaries. This mahan later came to be known as the famous
Srimath Periandavan.
SrinivasaRaghavan was born on 25.2.1801 in the year Roudri (Masi-
pushyam) in a village called Piliyaranai near Kanchipuram. At a
tender age of 10, he mastered rendering of Sama Veda learnt from his
father, Sri Krishnamachariar which was considered to be an invaluable
wealth in his family traditions.
Sri Krishnamachariar was extremely pleased with his son's progress
and took the young boy back to Kanchi . There, SrinivasaRaghavan
learnt Nyaya – Meemamsa- Vyakarana Sastras under the tutelage of
great scholars. Thereafter he went to Srirangam to see Srirangam
Swami (Srimath Vazhutoor Andavan) and prayed for Saranagathi.
Srimath Andavan , performed Atma samarpanam ( saranagathi) to him in
front of Lord Sri Ranganatha's sannidhi.
He went to Srirangam Swami and prayed to him that Swami perform
kalakshepams to him on sampradayic granthams.. Thirutthuraipoondi
Andavan took Agnya from Swami in carrying out this holy task and
performed kalakshepams to Srinivasaraghavan on Grantha
chatushtayam,Rahasyams and Rahasyarthas.
SrinivasaRaghavan gained exemplary knowledge in all that learnt from
his Acharya. After some time, he prayed to Srimath Thirutthuraipoondi
Andavan for the Dureeyasramam. As his near and dear objected to this,
Srimath Andavan also felt that SrinivasaRaghavan be a gruhasta for
some more time before taking up sanyAs and blessed him to go back to
Kanchi.
In His gruhastasrama, SrinivasaraghavswAmi was blessed with a girl
and He immediately felt that He had fulfilled his duties as a
gruhasta. When Srinivasaraghavan swami went to Srirangam and prayed
with thirutthuraipoondi Andavan for sanyasa, Swami tested Him in
various ways to see whether He was ready to take up sanyasa .
After getting convinced, Swami granted sanyasam to Srimath
Periandavan and he was given the title "Srinivasa maha desikan".
Since this mahan was so popular among his sishyas and admirers alike,
he was fondly called as periandavan. For a long time he was residing
in Srirangam . In a month, He would go to devout and pious
Srivaishnava bhagavathas' thiru maligai on selected seven to eight
days for unccha Vritthi . He would take the grains to the banks of
Coleroon river, wash them in the river water, cook them and eat the
bhagavath prasadham along with thulasi leaves. On other days, he used
to powder the dry leaves fallen from the Holy Fig tree and consume
the same. Such was his Vairaghyam.
Sishya paramapara:- He remained deeply dedicated to the sampradayam
and placed Srimad Andavan sampradayam on a firm footing and as a
beacon light to thirsty aspirants. Upon Lord Ranganatha's command to
take disciples, and disseminate and propagate the Philosophy, several
persons became His Disciples, and became erudite scholars and
preceptors. Some of them were
1) Thirupputkuzhi Appa 2) Mannargudi Gopalanna 3) Vyakaranam
Rangachariar 4) Meemisal Narasimhachariar 5) Chinnamu Rangachariar 6)
Thirunelveli Gopalasamudram Narayanachariar 7) Shamala Chakravarthi
and 8) Purisai Nadathur Rangachariar.
Sri Srinivasa Raghavachariar's (Periandavan's) asrama sweekaram took
place around 1828. He observed Chathurmasyams for 55 years and he
adorned thirunadu in subhanu varusham thai masam - krishna
thrayodhasi thithi(1884-Jan-Feb)
