Mannargudi Raju Sastri
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Raja Mannargudi
Gurukul
Sastri went back to
Students
Many of Sastri's students went on to become famous scholars. The following is a list of some of these students.
- Paiganadu Ganapathy Sastri
- Nadukaveri Srinivasa Sastri
- Pazhavaneri Sundara Sastri
- Goshtipuram Harihara Sastri
- Thirupathy Venkatasubramanya Sastri
- Mallari Ramakrishna Sastri
- Paruthiyur Krishna Sastrigal
- Kasi Brahmananda Swamigal
- Balakrishnananda Swamigal
- Ramakrishannanda Swamigal
- Mahadevasramigal
- Dakshinamurthy Swamigal
- Maharashtra Swamigal
- Satchidananda Swamigal
- Tenaangulam Vaishnavas
- Neelakanda Sastri
- Yegnaswami Sastri
- Sithamalli Sri Subramanya Shastrigal Yateendral
Teachings
Initially Raju Sastri was a very different teacher. He was very particular that all his students followed his instructions and would be very upset if a student made even a small mistake. He would yell at them with anger and the whole neighbourhood could hear him being annoyed. Then after a while he would explain and correct the mistake very elaborately to the whole class so that no student would make the same mistake again ever. He did not encourage arguments and discussion and wanted students to follow very strict class procedures. He would dismiss students who did not follow his strict code of conduct. Early in the morning, Guru Raju Sastri would go north to the river near Kailasanathar temple for his daily bath. While all his students went south to the river Padithurai near Meenakshi Amman temple for their bath. It is even said that Raju Sastri once dismissed and suspended his student Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri mistaking his arguments to be an act of arrogance. Krishna Sastri left the Gurukul to do Ramayana Pravachans, which became very popular. Raju Sastri happened to listen to this pravachan, after hearing about it from his other students. The discourses were on the virtues of Sri Rama. Sastri listened to the discourse on "Patience" as the greatest virtue of all. Raju Sastri was very impressed and said that Krishna Sastri's Pravachan had opened his eyes. 'I have myself learnt a lot from his description of Sri Rama's virtues. Krishna Sastri you are a Mahaanubhavan, you will bring great joy to many people. Raju Sastri recognised Krishna Sastri's scholarship and decided to train and teach him and mould him to become a great scholar. Raju Sastri became a different man after that. Raju Sastri was famed as a teacher known for his simplicity, patience and compassion.
Knowledge
Raju Sastrigal had learned all four
Works
Sri Raju Sastrigal authored more than 30 books. Some of them include:
- Sath Vidya vilasam
- Vedantha Vadhasankragam
- Upathivichara
- Brahma Vidhya Tharangini Vyagyanam
- Niyayethu Sekaram
- Advaitha Siddhi
- Sama Rudra Samhita Bashyam
- Siva Thathuva Viveka Deepika
- Siva Mahima Viveka Deepika
- Siva Mahima Kalikka Sthuthi
- Shiva Mahima Stuti Vyakyanam
- Purushartha Prabodha Sankaraha
- Durjanokthi Nirasam
- Cauvery Navarathnamalika
- Thiyagarajasthwam
- Thamrabharneestvam
- Kaveristhvam
- Dikshithanavaratnamalalika
- Dhikshithvamsaabharanam
In the Malika, Sri Sastrigal had composed songs on the annual rituals and important festivals being celebrated at Sri Tyagaraja Swami Temple
Title
In commemoration of the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1887, Raju Sastrigal was selected from the south for the title Mahamahopadhyaya and was invited to Delhi for the award ceremony. Since Sri Sastrigal refused to go to receive the award, the then Governor General directed the then Collector of Thanjavur to confer the title at his residence. Mannargudi Raju Sastri was the first from the south to receive such a prestigious title. After this title, gifts and felicitations were sent to him from the Thanjavur Collector. Learned scholars came from far away places to meet him every day.
Raju Sastri had formed the "Kumbakonam Advaita Sabha" for propagating the tenets of the
Works on Raju Sastri
Thyagaraja Vijayam in Sanskrit written by Mahamahopadyaya Yegnaswami Sastrigal grandson of Sri Raju Sastri, is an elaborate history of Sri Mannagudi Raju Sastri. The main features of this book were then translated into Tamil in the name "Sri Raju Sastrigalin Mahimai" by great-grandson Sri Ya: Mahalinga Sastri MABL. The book describes Sri Mannargudi Raju Sastri's life, scholarship in Veda Sastras, his faith in daily rituals, his love for his students, his compositions and greatness of some of his popular disciples.
Both
Last days
In 1903 Raju Sastri, at 88 years old, became very weak and he could not even get up or move around without help. His daughter-in-law took very good care of him. Aged Guru Raju Sastri wanted to hear Krishna Sastri's Pravachans and he sent his wish through a student. Considering his old Guru's age and health, Krishna Sastri immediately went to Mannargudi and stayed there for a few months and did Ramayana Pravachans exclusively for guru Raju Sastri and his family, friends and students. Raju Sastri was delighted and was very proud of his student. Sri Sastrigal attained mukthi at the age of 88 on 4 March 1903, with the entire town mourning over his demise.
Raju Sastri Jayanthi celebrations of Mannargudi Periyaval take place in Mannagudi each year, sponsored by the Mannargudi-based Sankara Arogya Seva Trust in 2008 and from 2009 onwards sponsored by Mannargudi periyava Seva Samithi formed by the descendants of Mannargudi periyava, with the blessings of sri sri sri Jeyandra Saraswathi Swamigal Kanchi Kamakoti peetam.
See also
- Sri Vaidhyanatha Dikshitar Sengalipuram Muthanna
- Advaita
References
- Sarvam Rama Mayam
- Balaganessin, M; Muthahar Saqaf, Syed (6 June 2008). "Intellectual giant". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
External links
- Ramayanam Sastrigal
- Paruthiyur Krishna Sastrigal
- Sarvam Rama Mayam
- "Explication of Vedic Laws from the Chapter "Mimamasa". Karmamarga", in Hindu Dharma. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- "The sour pomegranate fruit : Experiences with His Holiness Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi MahaSwamiji". Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- Farquhar, J. N. (2003). Modern Religious Movements in India 1924. Kessinger Publishing. p. 306. ISBN 978-0-7661-4213-8.
- Shashi, Padmashri S. (1996). Encyclopedia Indica. Anmol Publications, Publishers & Distributors. p. 926. ISBN 978-81-7041-859-7.