Why is Sri Sri Anna so adored? , a Vaishnavaite scholar asked. “Because of His pravachanams”, said one devotee. “No, because He has composed so much", said another. “ Not at all, because He lives a pure life" said the third. “ Perhaps because he keeps giving so much without even opening covers" said the fourth. But the Ultimate truth is: For those who have seen Him ,moved with him, associated even slightly with him it is easy to understand why He is almost worshipped, not just adored. The reason is simple, “ He radiates immense prema (love), through His loving, compassionate glances, through His smile, laughter, through his noble thoughts, words and deeds. His most important teaching :”Love is Supreme, It is beyond words. It unites the world irrespective of caste, creed, religion, nation.” Hence His sampradaya is called “ THE PREMIKA SAMPRADAYA”.
His mudra ( insignia) in his compositions is “Premika" and though born as Ramakrishna Sastrigal he came to be called Sri Krishnapremi. He is a Premi, lover of God and hence all beings around him. I have seen Him keeping a cup of milk to even snakes in his room “ The Bhavuka Aranam". He never hits even snakes. I remember, once when I complained to him that there was a huge living snake in our house at Srirangam, he smilingly said “ Onnum pannadu, Benchla Eri paduthukko", ( It will not hurt, You sleep on the bench). It was my first experience with huge snake as I had just then migrated to Srirangam from being a Chennaivasi. It was probably one of my first lessons learnt. “ Never hurt nature. You probably restrict your space.”
This Loving perception in Him is the reason why he has devotees of all sampradayas, Advaitha, Dwaitha, Vishishtadwaitha and even atheists who love just Him. A strict follower of the concept : “Dwaithamu Sukhama, Adwaithamu sukhama" ( A composition of Thyagaraja Swami clarifying the purpose of one’s life). Hence he established “ The Prema Samrajya”. This samrajya has no thrones, helicopters, jet private planes. Infact he doesn’t even sport a watch or a golden chain, prefers to travel by train, has only his hand bag as a luggage even for a 15 day North India trip. This Samrajya has the Basis, the Strongest Foundation of unconditional love. In love mistakes are forgiven, infact mistakes are unnoticed, arguements end in hugs and life becomes a celebration ( Nithyothsava).
This is the path paved by Him, the most important Avathara Karya as a Premaavathar.
Belonging to the lineage of Sri Periyavachan Pillai, vyakyana chakravarti who wrote Vyakhyana (commentaries) on 4000 Divya Prabhandam Sri Anna felt it was his duty to bring out the glory of his predecessor. Sri Anna gave detailed pravachanams for several years at Coimbatore on the vyakyanams of Periyavachan Pillai covering all 4000 pasurams of Divya prabandam. A herculean task indeed – considered as His Avathara karya by His devotees.
Incidentally Periyavachan Pillai and Sri Anna were both born on the same day as Lord Krishna, Aavani Rohini. Both were born in the same village, Senganoor. Both are vyakyana chakravarthy and pravachana chakravarthy respectively.
Sri Anna celebrates Periyavachan Pillai's thirunakshatram at Senganoor every year. His most loving Srinivasa Perumal at Senganoor is to be seen to be believed that He is as beautiful as Lord Srinivasa of Thirupathi. Sri Anna used to spend hours, days and nights at this temple, I believe. Years later Sri Anna did Sahasra brahmana bhojana, Laksharchanai, Koti archanai and many many more festivities for this Perumal. Even today Chathurveda parayana is conducted annually during Aug-Sept.
At Senganoor Sri Anna conducts the annual Sri Rama Navami festival that was being conducted by his father Sri Venkatrama Sastrigal and his forefathers. The family deity worshipped since several hundred years is Sri Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana. The moorthy is a very small deity but his keerthi ( fame) is boundless. Many bhagavathars perform Ashtapadi bhajan, Seetha kalyanothsava and Pavvalimpu uthsavam throughout the night. During the Pavvalimpu Sri Anna does neivedyam to a picture of Lord Srinivasa in the Periyavachan pillai madam constructed by him opposite His ancestral home.
Sri Anna is synonymous with Srimad Bhagavatham. Many in the South of Bharatha Desha were not familiar with Bhagavatham. Srimad Ramayanam and Vishnu Puranam were famous besides the Narayaneeyam. Sri Anna brought to the forefront Srimad Bhagavatham. He would usually recall “Naa Bhagavathaththa pudichikala, adu daan enna pudichindudu". “ I did not choose Bhagavatham, it possessed me rather". It seems he used to sleep in his early childhood days hugging his mother (Senganoor Patti as she is called by the devotees). Above his head on a wooden plank lay Srimad Bhagavatham which was read by not his father, but maternal forefathers. It had somehow reached his house at Senganoor. “ I used to get dreams of Dhruva, Gajendra, Prahlada, Ambarisha again and again. I wondered who these characters were. I got an intuitive feeling that the book above me had something to do with my dreams. Finally one day I managed to push the book on top with a wooden stick. It fell right into my hands. When I opened the book I was fascinated to read all the charitram (stories) I saw in my dream. It was all in difficult Sanskrit but I understood it all. My father was surprised that I had underlined a few slokas in red ink, He questioned me angrily “ What is all this” and I replied that these slokas were so full of depth and truth.
He took it to Aiyyaswami Sastrigal who lived in the next street. He was a Sanskrit scholar who taught Appa and me kavya paadams said Sri Anna. The Pandit said He is bound to achieve great things in life.
So did He. Sri Anna expounded the Bhagavatham as sapthahams ( 7 day series) more than a 200 times in His life. Each sapthaham would be totally different. He breathed Bhagavatham and gave it the Highest glory and regard. This is considered as His important Avathara Karyam.
( The Avathar will continue)
Continued in CHAPTER 5 : THE VISION AND MISSION - THE AVATHARA KARYA CONTINUES...
