Srimathae Nigamantha Mahadesikaya nama:
Srimathae SriLakshminrusimha Divya Padhuka Sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatheendhra Mahadesikaya Nama:
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Ubhayakuchalam,
Here is the article which appeared on Hindu, Friday Review.
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Scholarship and humility are his hallmarks
G. SRINIVASAN
Sri Rangarajachariyar the new head of Ahobila Math is well-versed in the Vedas and Vedanta.
Photos:S.R. Raghunathan and M. Srinath
Dedication: Agnihotram Ganapadi Sri Rangarajachariyar, 46th Jeer of Ahobila Math; (right) with his family members.
Rig Veda exhorts people to remain united, to be single-minded in their endeavour and to work together for the welfare of the world, according to Sri Rangarajachariyar, who will soon take charge as Jeer of Ahobila Math. He succeeds Sri Narayana Yatin dra Desikar, who is stepping down on health grounds. “If the essence of the Veda is followed by everyone, peace will not be elusive,” he says sitting at home on Kalyanaraman Street in Kumbakonam.
The Rig Veda consists of 10,000 mantras, ten mandalams and eight Ashtagams. “Some of the verses used to be chanted in Parliament daily before the session started. I heard this when I visited Parliament in 1970 when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister. I attended the All India Veda Sammelan held at Ram Lila Maidan in Delhi and the participants were taken to Parliament at that time,” Rangarajachariyar recollects.
Credit to Sankara Math
Announcement about Sri Rangarajachariyar’s appointment as the 46th Jeer of Ahobila Math has trickled down and a steady stream of visitors come to get his blessings. Even as he is preparing to don the mantle, Rangarajachariyar recalls his association with Sankara Math which shaped him, helped him to eke out his livelihood for the past 30 years and has elevated him to a divine position.
“It was Paramacharya’s wish that I should teach the Vedas at their patasala. Two hundred of my students are now Vedic teachers, thanks to Sankara Math. The house in which I live is Sankara Math’s property and I owe all my elevation to Sankara Math and my Guru Azhagiya Singar, 45th Jeer of Ahobila Math,” Sri Rangarajachariyar says in all humility. He was honoured by Sankara Math during its golden jubilee celebrations.
“I know my guru, Azhagiya Singar from his Poorvasram days,” says Rangarajachariyar. His grandfather Paruthichery Venkatachariyar was associated with Ahobila Math. Born to Bhaktavatsala Iyengar and Rajalakshmi at Thillaivilagam in Tiruvarur district, Rangarajachariyar learnt his ‘Kiramanam’ at Rajah Veda Patasala at Ammal Agraharam near Tiruvaiyaru. He mastered various aspects of Vaishnavism and philosophy from illustrious gurus, who included Subramanya Ganapadigal, Krishnamoorthy Ganapadigal, Sivaramakrishna Sastrigal, Ramachandra Sastrigal, Paruthichery Aravamudachariyar, Masulipattinam Ragunatha Ganapadigal, Mukkur Azhagiya Singar and Agnihotram Ramanuja Thathachariyar.
Sri Rangarajachariyar has been an Agnihotri — one who nurtures ‘fire’ continuously by performing yagna every day before sunrise and after sunset. “I have been doing agnihotram for the past ten years. This calls for a strict regimen and places a lot of restrictions on my wife, Kausalya, also. She has been a pillar of support, not only in my performing agnihotram, but generally in my spiritual journey all these years,” says Swami.
“Agnihotram is done for world peace and welfare. I wholeheartedly helped him in this. Now I wholeheartedly accept his sanyas,” responds the spouse.
The Ahobila Math tradition permits family life that culminates in sanyasam. “In fact it insists on being a grahasthan,” explains Swami. “First Brahmacharyam and then Grahastham. Vanaprastham (husband and wife moving to the forests), the third stage, is not practical these days and hence not observed and finally comes sanyas.”
Sri Rangarajachariyar has three daughters — two of them going to school and the eldest in college — and a son. Young Ramji wants to emulate his father and become a Vedic scholar. Govindarajan Ganapadigal, Andavan Veda Patasala teacher from Vaduvur, observes that the new Jeer is a model ‘Sthithapragnan’ (strong willed and singleminded) as the Gita puts it.
Ashrama Sweegaram (installation of Sri Rangarajachariyar as the new Jeer) will take place on May 8 at Dasavathara Sannidhi, Sri Rangam temple.
The auspicious date has been fixed by Veeravalli Ganapadi Desikachariyar of Vaduvur, principal of Sriman Andavan Vedapatasala.
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Adiyen,
Nrusimha dasan
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