Narasimha Kshetras - M S Rajajee

Part IV

He was succeeded by Sri Ranganatha Yatindra Mahaadesika who was looking after the daily rituals at the Sannidhi during the time of the Athipattu Jeeyar. He was very well versed in Tarka, Saastra and in delivering lectures on various Vedantic texts. It was during this Jeeyar’s time that Samprokshana was done to the Lord Veeraraghava Temple at Thiruvallur.

The 35th Jeeyar did not nominate anyone to the Pontificate. As per the wishes of the majority of his disciples, Paranthur Vangipuram Rangachariar, who was the younger brother of the 33rd Jeeyar in his Poorvashrama ascended the Pontificate. This was challenged by some other disciples, perhaps, for the first time in the history of the Matha. The Judgment was in favor of the Paranthur Svami. He was greatly respected for his knowledge of Tarka Saastra, Vedanta Saastra and Sribhashya, so much so, when he passed away, a great scholar of the day, Svarnam Krishnamaa-charya remarked that the world has lost Sribhashya itself.

The Athipattu Azhagiyasingar (34th Jeeyar), Kalathur Azhagiyasingar (35th Jeeyar) the Paranthur Svami (36th Jeeyar) used to utilize the services of one Pillaipakkam Gopalacharya who was better known by his title, Sapta Tantra Vaachaspati – the master of the seven Tantras. Recognizing his merits, he was appointed as the Srikaryam of the Matha by the 34th Jeeyar which post he continued to hold even during the 35th Jeeyar’s reign. During this period, he developed intense vairaagya and assumed Sanyasa asrama, taking the name Veeraraghava Satakopa Svami. He used to visit many temples and take up the renovation of the same. He had a divine vision in which Lord Veeraraghava pointed out certain defects in the idol at Thiruvallur and this was rectified by this Svami. When the 36th Jeeyar died without nominating his successor, the Sishyas of Ahobila Matha requested and prevailed upon him to ascend the Peetaa. With great reluctance he assumed the position of the Peetaathipati and became Sri Veeraraghava Sathakopa Yatindra Mahaadesika. Thereafter, he considered it as his special duty to enhance the glory of the Matha. Parallely, his bhakti for Vedanta Desika was immense and he restored the Utsavas at Thiruvaheen-drapuram after settling the disputes among the Srivaishnavas there. He himself supervised the Brahmotsavam there and documented his experiences in a remarkably beautiful record titled "Vedanta Desikotsava Vaibhavam". This Jeeyar ruled only for about eleven months and unfortunately, he did not nominate a successor. There was an interregnum of five and a half years from 1899 to 1905 when there was no nominated Mathaathipati. (Though there was no Jeeyar, the daily rituals of the Matha were carried out by the Srikaryam Svami). The Sishyas appealed to the Government to nominate someone and restore the Matha to its pivotal position. The then British Government prepared a roll (list) of all the disciples to decide by a process of selection, the Mathaathipati. The disciples selected Gadadarapuram Chakravarthi Venkatachariar, a very learned person from the Gadadarapuram family, which had earlier contributed five Jeeyars to the Matha. During the reign of this Jeeyar, the Matha rose once again to become the centre of religious influence. He was responsible for the establishment of Uttara Ahobilam at Pushkaram.

© "Sri Narasimha Avatara" by M S Rajajee, published by Sri Ahobila Matha, Hyderabad 500 013. Part IV of this article appeared in Splendour, July, 2006 issue. Reprinted with permission.

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