This scholar tutored more than 50 wards and turned them into bright scholars of Divya Prabandham. His disciples, in turn, have moulded more than 50 such products.
On his 100th birth anniversary observed on Sunday, T. Kambarajapuram Seshadri Ayyangar was revered by many for creating a vibrant religious ecosystem in the temple town of Tirumala-Tirupati. Divya Prabandham, the set of 4,000 Tamil verses collectively authored by the 12 Alwars, is recited in all Sri Vaishnavite temples across the country. It is revered on a par with the Vedas and is called ‘Dravida Veda’.
Born in Kambarajapuram village near Kanchipuram, Seshadri Ayyangar migrated to Tirupati in his early teens to learn Divya Prabandham. On finding the absence of sufficient number of Prabandha scholars in Tirumala-Tirupati to recite it during temple festivals, he sacrificed his plan to return to his home town and settled down here. During the early seventies, he identified 25 aspiring boys and taught them the set of 4,000 verses, followed by successive batches, though in smaller numbers. He took enough care to ensure that the tuition in ‘Gurukula’ style did not clash with the students’ academic schedules. He even sold his property to feed and support the young boys and provide them stipends.
Ayyangar’s centenary celebrations (1917-2017) concluded here on Sunday, where nearly 100 pundits from Tirupati, Chennai and Kanchipuram recited all the 4,000 verses during the three days as a befitting tribute to their ‘Guru’. The first batch of his disciples, in their seventies, is leading a blissful retired life, while those in the successive batches are settled as spiritual orators, religious commentators, government employees, engineers, bankers, chartered accountants and even journalists in India and abroad.
For his disciples, their Guru was a ‘fatherly figure’ who mentored them to excel in their chosen field. “As second standard students, we left home and spent nine full days at Tirumala, reciting Prabandham during Brahmotsavams. We never felt homesick as our Guru used to take care of all our needs,” recalls C. Ranganathan, who teaches at the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha.
Legacy continues
Donning the mantle, the scholar's son K. Murali, who works in a public sector bank, continues the legacy by teaching the Prabandha to the next generation. His disciples, ranging from seven year old boys to septuagenarian men and women, are learning the Tamil hymns with great zeal.
