Sri Vageesha Priyah eSouvenir | Page 66

It is said that Atmakur Rangacharya’s (later to become the 33rd pattam Acharya) most fervent desire was to study at the feet of Sriman Kasturi Rangacharya. The latter accepted him as his disciple only after testing the former’s determination thoroughly. Sriman Kasturi Rangacharya was much pleased with the intellect of Sriman Atmakur Rangacharya and imparted to him kalakshepams of several shastra granthas. His discourses were often terse and his disciples would often vouch that Atmakur Rangacharya was perhaps the most chosen one in grasping his teachings to the maximum extent. Sriman Atmakur Rangacharya was one of the last disciples of Sriman Kasturi Rangacharya and even while one or two important granthas of tarka shastram remained still to be imbibed, Sriman Kasturi Rangacharya Swamy attained paramapadam. In one of his works, Sriman Tirumalai Krishnamacharya points out a rahasyam and a little known fact that Sriman Atmakur Rangacharya completed the kalakshepams of the remaining works as well in yogasakshatkaram. One of the biggest services of Sri Ranganatha Brahmatantra Parakala Swamy to the sampradayam has been to accept Sriman Kasturi Rangacharya to his fold, train him on all shastras and to have made him as one of the finest scholars in real superlative terms. This brought laurels not only to the Srivaishnava sampradayam at large but distinctively to Sri Parakala Swamy Matham as well. It was seen by one and all that the superlative brilliance of scholarship and merit that was seen in Sri Ranganatha Brahmatantra Parakala Swamy was seen in equal measure in his disciple Sriman Kasturi Rangacharya as well. It was an exemplary pair celebrated by one and all. Sriman Kasturi Rangacharya has around a hundred works to his credit. We pray unto the bhagavathas to bless us to be able to secure all the works and to bring them out in publications. Sriman Kasturi Srinivasarangacharya – Swamy in purvashramam Swamy was born in Jaya samvatsara, Karthika shukla in the asterism of Bharani on a Monday at Mysore as the eldest son of Sriman Kasturi rangacharya. His initial studies were under the guidance of his noble father. After brahmopadesham, Swamy proceeded to perform his basic studies at Sriman Maharaja Samskrta Pathashala and excelled with distinction in the branches of Tarka and Vedanta. He later received initiation into the sacraments of pancha samskaram from Sri Krishna Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Swamy. Swamy also had the fortune of studying a few works under the guidance of Sri Krishna Brahmatantra Swamy and also from Samsthana-dharmadhikari Sriman Karur Sheshacharya. He later sought tutelage from Mahamahopadhyaya Sri Lakshmipuram Srinivasacharya who was a disciple of his noble father Sri Kasturi Rangacharya. He studied the texts of Pancharatra Agama and proceeded to hold the post of Pradhana-upadhyaya at the pathashala and taught several hundred disciples. Both Sri Lakshmipuram Srinivasacharya and Sri Atmakur Rangacharya were disciples of Sri Kasturi Rangacharya. While the former was the pradhyapaka of Vishishtadvaita Vedanta at the pathashala, the latter was the pradhyapaka of Nyayashastra. During their tenure at the pathashala, they kept a close interest in the academic development of Sri Kasturi G-37