Truth seeking of Origin.
Sribhashyam Applacharya Swami and Srivaishnavite of Andhra Desa.

Article by V. Dhivakar

I had the most fortunate opportunities of having darshan with Srimaan Sribhaashyam Applacharyulu swamy (Vaikuntavaasi) at Visakhapatnam in the year 2002-2003 and we have discussed in topics of caste, religion and language. During one such time swamy told me…

“What is there in the origin of caste? If any one called me as ‘Srivashnavite’ that was the greatest gift and most satisfying in the earth”

Srimaan Sribhaashyam swami, a Telugu and Sanscrit scholar had immense knowledge in Tamil Dhivyaprabhandam and Vaalmiki Ramayana. Especially for Tiruppaavai (sung in Tamil by Godha Devi alias Aandaal during ninth century CE), the swami had done excellent service and he spread Godha Devi’s songs everywhere in Andhra Desa, that too among common people by giving regular discourses. His profound knowledge in Tiruppavai, though he is a telugu and do not speak in Tamil, somewhat incomparable and his writings on Godha Devi’s songs were even today very popular among telugu devotees. Apart from Tiruppaavai his nine days discourse in Ramayana during Sri Raama navami draws very huge crowds in open-air auditorium at Visakhapatnam. His Sanskrit knowledge got him the ‘Mahamahopadhyaya’ from Benarus University. Swamy attained the Lotus feet of Lord in the year 2003 and just before that the swamy had completed his 9 days Annual Ramayana lecture and his devotees also celebrated his 82nd birthday as Aayiram PiRai KaNda Vizhaa (Sahsra Chandra Darshan). Swami was born on Ramanavami day.

His legacy is still continuing through his son Srimaan Sribaashyam Srinivaasacharyulu and his daughter Srimati Triguvengalamma. As a daughter Srimati Tiruvengalamma inherited her father’s wisdom, translated the great Tamil Saint Nammazwar’s Thiruvaaimozhi in Telugu with explanations. She also, like father, explains and propagates Tiruppaavai among Telugu devotees. Her one such explanation on Aandal’s ‘UngaL Puzaikkadai Thottatthu vaaviyuL Sengazuniir vAy negizndu Aambal vaay kuumbina kaaN’ was exceptionally excellent where she compares Andaal eyes to lilli flower and Lord’s eye to lotus flower. It is a marvel on Andal’s crown.

But unlike Karnataka, Andhra desa has history of Srivaishnavites before the arrival of Udaiyavar Sri Ramanuja. According to Historian Prof B.S.L. Hanumantha Rao who wrote ‘ social mobility in medieval Andhra’ mention that a large number of villages had tamil migrated srivaishnavite families such as Satlur, Vangiparru, Karambichedu, Puthur, Urputtur, Viravalli, Kundur, etc. in Karma Raashtra (present Guntur-Vijayawada area) settled during 8th and 9th centuries spreading vedism and Azwaar based Vishnu’s paratatvam. It was also likely that the presence of Sri Ramanuja during 11th century was largely responsible for the emergence of Srivaishnavism in different format that as a rapprochement between vedism and devotionalism of Tamil prabandha’s. One such staunch srivaishnavite legacy Sriman Satluru Gopalakrishnacharya still preaching Tamil Dhivya prabhandham at Simhachalam Lord Varaha Narasimha Swami temple here at Visakhapatnam.

Sri Ramanuja ‘s visit to coastal Andhra desa was very significant. Udaiyavar, as Ramanuja was fondly called in Tamil, was staying at Simhachalam Sri Lakshmi Varaha Narasimha Swamy hill Temple for more than six months and scores of people had come forward to follow the footsteps of Sri Ramanuja.

There was a folklore still famous among rural Andhra people that there was an interesting conflict between Telugu Kavi (Poet) Krishnamachari and the Lord Varaha Narasimha Himself on Sri Ramanuja. Kavi Krishnamachari who did not like the popularity of Sri Ramnuja among people. At the same time, as a staunch devotee of Lord he was blessed to speak directly to Lord as one to one. In one such occasion, Kavi has sung beautiful song on Lord for which the Lord Himself appeared before him and danced to his tunes. On completion of song Kavi had asked the Vishnu Murthi to bless him with MUKTHI. But Lord asked the Kavi to go to Sri Raamanuja who only has the light to show the way towards Mukthi.

But that is another story that Kavi did not like Lord’s response and cursed the God to have a fire on his temple and got back the curse on him instead. Kavi Krishnamachari songs, it was told, highly classical and beautiful, devoted, would have been most famous of future, but due to the curse he attained, did not bring to outside world.

The Simhachalam Tamil srivaishnavites were migrated from Tamilnadu during Sri Ramanuja’s time though they have forgotten the speaking of Tamil language but not Tamil Dhivya Prabhandam. The same thing continued with Srikurmam Temple (in Srikakulam District, the north east corner of Andhra desa) where Sri Ramanuja stayed for many days after returning from Jagannathapuri (the present Puri) and prayed the Lord Sri Kurmanatha Swamy.

Dhivakar.