MUSIRI SHRI ANANTHANARAYANA VAJAPEYAJI

Musiri Sri Ananthanarayana Vajapeyaji was born on 5.1.1936 (Dhathu year,Margazhi month, Rohini star) at Pudukkottai to the pious couple-Sriman Subrahmanya Aiyar and Smt Meenambal. At his seventh year the Brahmopadesa Upanayana ceremony was performed to him. During that time, Kanchi Sri Maha Periyava came to bless Pudukkottai. At that time, since there were none to chant the Vedic mantras to welcome and pay respects in the form of Poorna kumbham, this little brahmachari child chanted the vedic mantras with eclat and elan which impressed Sri Maha Periyava greatly. Sri Maha Periyava bestowed his benign grace on the child and enquired about him. Sri Maha Periyava also ordained that the child should pursue vedic education. As ordained by Sri Maha Periyava the child was admitted into the ‘Irandankattalai’ Sri Duraiswamy’s patasala and he learnt upto ‘kramam’ under the tutelage of Panangudi Anantharama Ganapatigal. Subsequently, as ordained by Sri Maha Periyava, he learned ‘Jata’ and ‘Ganam’ from Manakkal Sri Mahalinga Ganapatigal. Sri Maha Periyava continued to bestow his grace and further vedic education in ‘Salakshanam’ was guided by Melatur Sri Rajagopala Ganapati, followed by education in various faculties of Sastra like Meemamsa, Nyaya, Vedantam and Vyakaranam at Chennai Sanskrit College. He was awarded ‘gold medal’ in Vedantam and Meemamsa sastras.

As further ordained by Sri Maha Periyava, Musiri Deekshitar learnt Veda Bhashyam from Thiruvaiyaru Sri Balakrishna Sastrigal at Tiruvanaikaval sastra patasala and came out in flying colours-he was awarded with  the title ‘Veda Bhashya Rathnam’. He also served as a teacher in Chennai Sanskrit College and as principal in Thirupathi Vidya Kendra.

He then quit these positions and returned to his native village – Musiri. He started a gurukula veda patasala and took ‘Aadhanam’ and became a nitya agnihotri. He also did ‘gho samrakshanam’ (cow protection) and veda vidya dhaanam.

In the year 1976 at Konerirajapuram, under the leadership of Chimizhi Sri Gopala Vajapeyaji and Sengalipuram Sri Aiyya Deekshitar,Musiri Deekshitar performed “Soma Yagam”. Subsequently with the blessings of Sri Maha Periyava he performed seven “Soma Yagams”.

Soon afterwards with a divine resolution to do veda samrakshanam he made his four sons, four sons-in-law and four grandsons tread the vedic path and through them completed many vedic yagams like Vajapeyam, Garuda Chayanam, Soma Yagams etc. Through them he completed 100 Soma Yagams! He was blessed to be called a ‘Mahatma’ by Sri Kanchi Maha Periyava.

Musiri Deekshitar is very well connected to our satsang too. At Mumbai Matunga Bhajan Samaj, he took leadership in successfully organising a ‘Shrowtha Sadas’.

On behalf of our trust, he was conferred with the title of “Sanatana Dharma Raksha Rathnam”.

In Kumbakonam during the ‘tula’ month, Musiri Deekshitar again took a leadership role in conducting an advaitha sabha with forty vedic scholars. He had successfully prepared hundreds in the field of vedas, kavyam, shastram, shrowtham, jata, ghanam,etc.

Musiri Deekshitar is the very embodiment of tranquility; very soft spoken and his words would be laden with love; all great human qualities shone in him; he had the capability to explain many shastras. He always used to instruct his students to follow the vedic injunction fully, to be people of sterling character and be humble.

In the year 2007, Indian Government conferred “Rashtrapathi” Award through the Honorable President of India.

On 24.1.2011 on behalf of Mumbai Sri Shankara Matam, Sri Kanchi Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal honoured Musiri Deekshitar with an award and a prize.

Through many establishments he was conferred with many titles and awards like Veda Bhashya Rathnam, Veda Nidhi, Shrowtha Smaartha Veda Shastra Sudhanidhi, etc. Mumbai Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan honoured him with “Guru Gnaneswarananda Veda Rathna Puraskar”.

Such a great soul was Sri Musiri Deekshitar, who on 19.2.2019 (Tuesday, Maasi Maham, Pournami) at 11a.m attained the union with Sri Yagneswara. His loss to our divine nation-Bharath is truly irrepairable and such a great soul is truly irreplaceable.

-Brahmasri Sri Kannamani Dikshitar