Prathivadhi Bhayankaram Aṇṇan was a

Sri Vaishnava Sri Vaishnavism, or the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya, is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god Vishnu, who ...

acharya In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a preceptor and expert instructor in matters such as religion, or any other subject. An acharya is a highly learned person with a ...

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

and

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

scholar A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researc ...

, and the composer of the popular Venkateswara Suprabhatam. Born Hasthigirinathar Aṇṇan in the year 1361, he was one of the prominent disciples of Kumara Nayanacharyas, belonged to a distinguished line of "

Acharya In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a preceptor and expert instructor in matters such as religion, or any other subject. An acharya is a highly learned person with a ...

Puruṣas", amassing followers. Aṇṇan composed many hymns, of which the popular Venkateshwara Suprabhatham, Venkateṣa Stotram, Venkateṣa Prapatti and Venkateṣa Mangaļāṣāsanam are recited daily at the

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple Sri Venkateswara Swami Vaari Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The Temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared ...

at the wee-hours of the day to ritually rouse Venkateshvara. The rendition of the hymns by the singer

M S Subbulakshmi Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi (16 September 1916 – 11 December 2004) was an Indian Carnatic singer from Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour. She is ...

is played everyday in millions of households in India and abroad.

Life

Aṇṇan was born in Kanchipuram, and initiated into the

Sampradāyam by his father, who was the 10th generation descendant of Mudumbai Nambi, one of the 74 simhāsanādipathis appointed by

Ramanuja Ramanuja ( Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmanuja; 1017 CE – 1137 CE; ; ), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and a social reformer. He is noted to be one of the most important exponents ...

.http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/oct95/0188.html He later became a disciple of

Vedanta Desika Vedanta Desikan (1268–1369), also rendered Vedanta Desikar, Swami Vedanta Desikan, and Thoopul Nigamaantha Desikan, was an Indian polymath who wrote philosophical as well as religious and poetical works in several languages, including Sans ...

's son, Nayana-Varadāchārya. Nayana-Varadāchārya gave him the name "Prathivathi Bhayankaram Aṇṇan". Aṇṇan was acknowledged as an authority on Sanskrit literature and spiritual discourses in his time. He is said to be the most prominent scholar in South India of his time, and was widely respected throughout India. After studying Sribhaṣyam from Nayana-Varadāchārya, Aṇṇan went to the

, and rendered devotional service to

Venkateswara Venkateswara, also known by various other names, is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. Venkateswara is the presiding deity of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, located in Tirupati, Sri Balaji District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Etymology Venkates ...

. At the

, Aṇṇan heard the glories of Manavala Mamuni and about his discourses on the works of the Alvars, and the doctrines of the Sri Vaishnava Sampradayam. Following this, Aṇṇan became the disciple of Manavala Mamuni, and learnt the entire commentaries of these works from him at

Srirangam Srirangam, is a neighbourhood in the city of Tiruchirappalli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A river island, Srirangam is bounded by the Kaveri River on one side and its distributary Kollidam on the other side. Considered as the first among ...

. Manavala Mamuni gave him the dāsya nama "Sri Vaiṣnava Dāsan", seeing his humility towards the devotees of their deity. Further, Manavala Mamuni, after seeing Annan's prowess in Sribhāṣyam, bestowed him the Sribhāṣya Simhāsanam, and the title 'Sribhāṣyāchārya'. Aṇṇan also served as one of the ashtadiggajas of Manavala Mamuni. Kanchi Prativadibhayankar Annan

Literary works

*''Sri Venkateṣa Suprabhātam'', *''Sri Venkateṣa Stotram'', *''Sri Venkateṣa Prapatti'', *''Sri Venkateṣa Mangaļa Sāsanam'', authored as ordered by Māmunigaļ. *Short Commentary (''Vyākhya'') for ''Sri Bhaṣyam'', *Short Commentary (''Vyākhya'') for ''Srimad Bhāgavatam'', *Short Commentary (''Vyākhya'') for ''Subala Upaniṣada''. *Commentary (''Vyākhya'') for Bhattar's ''Aṣta Shloki''. *Sapthathi Rathnamālika (A 73-verse ode to Swami Vedanta Deṣikan, praising his calibre in Sampradāya and literature) *''Varavara Muni Sathakam'' (100 ṣlokas in

in glorification of Māmunigaļ), *''Varavara Muni Mangalam'', *''Varavara Muni Suprabhātam'', "''Cheyya Thāmarai Thālinai Vāḻiye''…" *''Vāḻi Thirunamam'' Of Māmunigal (recited at the end of ''Arulicheyal Goṣti''), *Other ''Sloka Grantham''s *Other ''Stotra Grantham''s

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Annan Prathivadhi Bhayankaram 1361 births 14th-century composers 15th-century composers Indian Sanskrit scholars Indian Medieval linguists 15th-century deaths 15th-century Indian musicians 15th-century Indian scholars People from Kanchipuram district Musicians from Tamil Nadu Scholars from Tamil Nadu Kanchipuram