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Saturday, May 15, 2021

Tributes to Sri U Ve Lakshmi Thathachar @ Melukote Thirunarayanapuram

Tribute to doyen of Srivaishnava sampradhayam 


The flame of knowledge is kept burning through sadhana ~  disciplined and dedicated practice.  There have been great illustrious men who by their wisdom went beyond limitations of time, distance, inaccessibility and differences ensured spread of knowledge to humanity.

சரித்திரம் பலப்பல சாம்ராஜ்யங்களையும், நதிகளின் தீரத்திலே நாகரகங்களையும் கண்டுள்ளது. நம் போன்ற ஸ்ரீவைணவர்களுக்கு பல்வேறு க்ஷேத்திரங்களுக்கு சென்று ஸ்ரீமன் நாராயணனை சேவித்து, கைங்கர்யங்கள் செய்து, அவன் புகழ் பாடி திளைப்பதே பேரின்பம்


Miles away is  the abhimana kshetram - Melukote (Thirunarayana Puram) known by number of other names such as Vedadri, Yadavagiri, Yatisaila, Daksina Badarikasrama…. ~ and Jnanamantapa – a pavilion of knowledge.

Our greatest Sri Ramanujacharyar lived here for a while and there have been many who have worked for the dissemination of knowledge of Sanskrit language mingled with Sri Vaishnava philosophy.   It was Sri Udayavar’s last advice to his disciples before leaving the mortal coil – if one were incapable of reading and understanding ‘Sri Bashya’ or even the Divyaprabandhas, the least one can do to get the grace of the Emperuman the Lord of Universe is to build an abode and live in the Yadavagiri – the Thirunarayanapuram. So all Sri Vaishnavaites yearn to live in this great temple town.  It is stated that when Sri Ramanujar came to Melukote he was 82 years and when he returned back to Thiruvarangam he was 94 !

The strength of tradition lies in its antiquity. Melukote has the distinction of reviving the reverred Divyaprabandham, the spontaneous outpourings of  powerful feelings of devotion of the Azhwargal.   There are so many scholars residing at this place and doing great kainkaryam at the Temple and to Ramanujacharya.  A stay in Melukote Thirunarayanapuram is not only divine but offers great mental solace due to its tranquil settings, its people and the fact that Swami Emperumanar Ramanujar stayed here for a long while.  Melukote flourished under the patronage of Mysore Maharajas and continues to thrive with its glorious kainkaryaparars who are extremely committed, deeply imbued with knowledge in literature, Sanskrit, Kannada and Tamil language skills and have kept abreast with the technological developments too.

Our Srivaishnavaite sampradhayam has lost a great scholar, man of great wisdom, who did yeoman kainkaryam Sri U.Ve. Mandayam Ananthanpillai Lakshmi Thathachar swami. 

ஸ்ரீ உவே மண்டயம் அனந்தான்பிள்ளை லக்ஷ்மி தாத்தாச்சாரியர் ஸ்வாமி இன்று ஆசார்யன் திருவடி அடைந்தார். ஸ்ரீவைஷ்ணவ ஸம்ப்ரதாயத்திற்கும் சனாதன தர்மத்திற்கும் ஏற்பட்ட பேரிழப்பு!  இந்திய அரசின் சார்பில் பல விருதுகளை பெற்று நமது தர்மத்தின் அடையாளமாய் திகழ்ந்தவர்.  ஆடித்திருமூலத்தில் எம்பெருமானார் சிஷ்யர் திருமலை அனந்தாழ்வான் திருவம்சத்தில் அவதரித்து திருவாதிரை அன்று ஆசார்யன் திருவடி அடைந்தார்......

Prof MA Lakshmi thathachar was born in 1936 to Sri Alvar Thirumalai Iyengar.  He was a renowned scholar in Nyaya and Vedantha. He was an accomplished teacher on Vedanta (viz., Purvamimamsa, Nyaya and Sankhya),  Vyakarana and Alankara.  He has written many books in different languages.  He translated Apastambha dharma sutra into Kannada and Sristava of Kuresa into English. He served as a reader in Sanskrit in Bangalore University.  He did yeoman service to Sanskrit literature as Director of Academy of Sanskrit Research, Melukote where critical editions of Sri Ramanuja’s works, Upanishads and other rare Sanskrit works are being published.  He did immense kainkaryan at Sri Cheluvanarayanan temple at Thirunarayanapuram.  His works in English include : parallel Ideas is Asitrotle’s Poetics & Bharata’s Natyasastra; The Critic; The contribution of Appayya dikshita in the field of Alankara

 

He was a master in Manuscriptology – besides Vedantha, he was well qualified in Sanskrit Literature and Indian Philosophical Systems; adept in Computers and study of Scientific subjects including :   Phonetics, Aeronautics, Encryption  

In his career – he was : Lecturer in Sanskrit, Government College, Chitradurga; Lecturer in Sanskrit, Government Arts & Science College, Bangalore;  Founder Joint Secretary, Academy of Sanskrit Research, Melkote, Mandya Distirct, Karnataka; Registrar, Academy of Sanskrit Research  & later Director of the facility. He made scholarly contributions in manuscripts and was Editor of scholarly publications in English, Sanskrit & Kannada.

Academically – he completed BA in Sanskrit & Philosophy; MA Sankrit (with 2 gold medals) Navya Nyaya Vidwan – gold medal of the President of India from Govt of Karnataka.   He had many titles and recognitions conferred on him including  Presidential award for outstanding scholarship in Sanskrit and contribution in building bridge between ancient knowledge systems and modern Science; Citizen of  the Age of Enlightenment by Maharshi Mahesh Yogi International Academy of Science; Ramanuja Paduka Sevaka by Sri Kumara Venkatachariar Sadhabhisekha Mahotsavam 2001, Sri Mudali Andavan Swami Thirumaligai, Singaperumal Koil, Chennai.



His interesting personality represented multifaceted genius of his – besides authoring more than 50 research papers; he acted in lead role in ‘Ramanujacharya’ movie of GV Iyer.  Reared a traditional aromatic garden having more than 200 different spiritually significant flowers and plants of medicinal qualities; was engaged in the preservation and conservation of traditional breeds of cows; was an expert in Carnatic music (vocal & flute)  

In his passing away, our Sampradhayam has lost a great scholar, an elderly kainkaryaparar, a person who was fountainhead of knowledge and more – a person who actively encouraged youngsters to learn our sampradhayam and do kainkaryam.

During our previous visits to Thirunarayanapuram organized by Sri UVe MA Venkatakrishnan Swami for Thirumalai Ananthazhwan uthsavam at his avathara sthalam at Hale Kiranguru, we have had the fortune of visiting the thirumaligai of Sri Lakshmi Thathachar swami and gratefully remember their hospitality. Here are some photos taken at his Thirumaligai in 2016, when Swami had just turned 80 years of age.

With grief and praying Emperuman for giving strength to his family to our Thennacharya sampradhaya in bearing this loss.

 
~adiyen Srinivasa dhasan
S. Sampathkumar from Thiruvallikkeni
15.5.2021.

 











1 comment:

  1. இவ்வளவு ஞானம் பெற்ற, விருதுகள் பெற்ற, உயர்ந்த சம்பரதாய பெரியவரை காண்பது அரிது. அவரை நெறிக்க தரிசிக்க வாய்ப்பு கிடைத்ததே பெரும் சிறப்பு. வைணவ உலகத்துக்கு ஈடு செய்ய முடியாத இழப்பு


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