Srimath Kadanthethi Andavan(1829– 1909 CE) Birth Place: Kadanthethi                          Birth Date: Avani -Moolam

Thanian

Srimath KAdandhEthi Andavan was born in the Avani month of Virodhi varusham (1829 A.D) in Moolam nakshatram in a village just south of river KAveri called KAdandhEthi to Srimathi Janaki Ammal and Sri RaghunAthAchar. Sri RaghunAthAchar was performing kainkaryam to Srimath Thiruthuraipoondi Andavan, the second Andavan of Srimath Andavan Ashramam. The child was named Sri Varada VedAnthAchAriAr. He was initiated into Brahmacharyam with upanayanam at the prescribed age and was taught vEdAs and upanishads. He learnt Tharka ShAstras in ,RajamannAr Koil under the tutelage of Sri U.Ve. SamiyAchchAr swAmi.

In his young days itself Sri Varada VedAnthAchAriar, with sincere devotion and strong vairAgyam meditated on the sacred Moola manthram, AshtAkshara manthram and gAyathri manthram vigrorously and attained manthra sidhdhi and power. Later he visited Mysore Asthanam and further mastered in tharka shAstrAs from Mysore samasthAna vidwan named Aakki Azhwan. During this period he also received Sri Hayagreeva ManthrOpadEsam from Sri Parakala Jeeyar Swami and Sri Nrusimha ManthrOpaDesam from Sri Ahobila Matam Azhagiyasingar. Thus he attained various manthra sidhdhi and SathAvadAna shakthi at a very young age as a bramhachAri. He mastered the four shAstras and also had poetic prowess as an "Aasu Kavi".

Sri Varada VedAnthAchAriar was married at the age of 35. Immediately after his marriage, he started on a yathra and visited various samasthAnams.

At Nagapattinam ,a request from the town’s Tashildar Sri Rangaswami Nayakkar, Sri Varada Vedanthachariar swami displayed his Satavadhana skills in Vellipalayam Krishna Sannidhi. (Sathavadanam is a skill where the person performing this skill will tackle 100 questions or acts at the same time). The people were awed by this display. At the end, he asked a palanquin to be brought and he got into the palanquin. He asked it to be lifted only in the back of the palanquin. With his manthra sidhdhi he went on a procession in the palanquin, with no one lifting the front side of the palanquin.

At Thirumala, he was gifted an ivory Planquin as a sanmAnam on one occasion. He later donated this palanquin to Swami Desikan Sannidhi at Thirucherai. He stayed in Thirupati till he completed 60 years.

At Thirukkudanthai

After celebrating his sasthiabdapoorthy at Tirumala, he desired to come and live in Thirukkudanthai. He sold his properties at Tirupathi and came to Thirukkudanthai. He purchased a house in Sri Aravamdhan Sannidhi Street and stayed there. He did many kainkaryams and ubhayams at the sannidhi of Sri Aravamudhan. He was very much devoted to Sri Komalavalli Thaayar and donated a Simha Vahanam for Komalavalli ThAyAr.

Swami’s Compositions

Adbudha vAmanam". Aaraat Prabhandham Swapna Sathakam" When his eyesight had weakened considerably due to his old age, he composed a grantham called "Sri Komala Dandakam" on Thirukkudanthai Komalavalli Thayaar. . By reciting this wonderful grantham he regained his vision completely. HH Kadenthethi Andavan had a special attachment to Komalavalli Thayar.He has given a Gold Karai ( Jewel ) and a Silver Simha vahana to Thayar

Srimath Chinnandavan attained Thirunadu at the age of 68 leaving behind grieving disciples in the year Vijaya (1895), on the sukla sapthami thithi in the tamil month of Thai.. In 1905 after 11 years without acharya, Andavan sishyas went to Thirukkudanthai. Having known the greatness and gnana, anushtana and vairagyam of Sri Varada Vedanthachariar, Andavan Ashramam sishyas went to Thirukkudanthai and requested him to become their Acharya , to continue the Andavan Sampradhayam.

Sri Varada Vedanthachariar was already 76 years old then. He decided to accept the sanyasa ashramam with the intent of satisying the longing of Andavan sishyas for an Acharya and also with the intent of appointing Therezundur Varadachariar as the next Andavan at an appropriate time.

38th pattam Thirukkudanthai Azagiyasingar

He approached 38th pattam Azhagiyasingar Srimath Srinivasa Sadagopa yatheendra Mahadesikan (Thirukkudanthai Azagiyasingar) with other Andavan sishyas and requested him to give sanyasa ashramam to him. Sri Varadha Vedanthachariar accepted the Preksha manthram and sanyasa ashramam from Srimath Azhagiyasingar and became the 6th Andavan of Andavan Ashramam in Avani month of 1905 (Tamil year Visvavasu) at Nrusimhapuram in front of hundreds of sishyas of Andavan Ashramam, Ahobila Matam and srivaishnavas of Tirukkudanthai. He was given the name "Srinivasa Ramanuja Mahadesikan" and was called as Thirukkudanthai Andavan and also as Kadandethi Andavan. An Andavan thiruvadi, Tiruvaheendrapuram Ashtavadani Sri Anathachariar composed and offered the tanian "Srimath SrivAsa yOgi.." for Kadandethi Andavan at the sannidhi of Sri Ranganatha Perumal. But due to his old age, Srimath Andavan used to faint and lose conciousness during pravachanam.

Srimath Nammandavan

In 1908, as Srimath Andavan was getting older and weaker day by day, he decided it was time to hand over the Acharya peetam to Therezhundur swami and communicated this to him through his sishyas. On hearing this, Therezhundur swami rushed to Srirangam leaving his family and properties. He gave all the manthra powers of saptha koti (7 crores) Thiruvastaakshara manthram he had earned to Therezhundur swami and said it will help in his winning over everyone to our sath-sampradayam. He gave preksha manthram and sanyasa ashramam to Theruzhundur swami in Aug 1908 (tamil year Keelakam) and made him the 7th Andavan with title Srimath Vedantha Ramanuja Mahadesikan who was also called as Nammandavan and Therezundur Andavan. After having restored the Andavan Ashramam sampradayam to its glory and after appointing a great avathara pursha like Nammandavan as the succeeding Acharya, Srimath Kadandethi Andavan graced His sishyas in leela vibuti for 6 more months and in early 1909 attained Thirunadu (Tamil year Keelaka, Masi month, Krishna paksham, Dwadasi thithi) after 3 chaturmasyams at the age of 79 years.

 

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