Today (Nov 12th) is Thirunakshatram of Sri Andikkadu swami (sri VangIpuram swami).
(aippasi mrugasheersham). On this auspicious day let us learn a bit about this
acharya.

We are all aware that after Sri Bhagavad Ramanuja our Guru parampara is branched
out widely with numerous acharyas. This is further widened after Swami desika and
we have the beginning of Sri Parakala mutt, Sri Ahobila mutt and Sri Vanamamalai
mutt etc (to name a few). The swayamacharya parampara is also vast and we have lots
and lots of great acharyas and from Sri Thirukkudanthai desikan swami the munitraya
sampradayam is beginning. The guruparampara lineage of Sri Uttamoor swami is given below.
Please note that this is only a partial list and NOT all the acharayas are listed here
for the sake of brevity.

(from the most recent acharya)

SrI Uttamoor swami
 |
 |
SrI Kozhiyalam swami
 |
 |
SrI Thiruppathi Swami  Thiruvahendrapuram srinivasa   Echchampadi satakopa
    ramanuja muni swami           swami
 |                                                        |                                               |
 |------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------         (and others)
 |
SrI KethANdipatti Swami
 |
 |
SrI Andikkaattu swami  EyyuNNi Srinivasa ramanuja  Navalpakkam Annarya maha
(VangIpuram Swami)               swami                                               desikan
 |                                                   |                                                    |
 |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 |
SrI Vazhuththur Vedanta         Srinivasa muni swami Sri Seeyalam rangantha muni swami
 Ramanuja Swami                                   |                                               |
 |                                                              |                                                |
 |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 |
SrI Thirukundhai Desikan
 |
 |
SrI Saaxhaat swami
 |
 |
Sri Upanishat Bhashyakarar
 |
 |
Earlier acharyas

In this lineage let us briefly learn about Sri Andikkadu swami on his Thirunakshatram day
(aippasi mrugasheersham)

SrI ANdikkAttu svami

This swami was born in a village called ANdikkAdu, which is in southern part of Tamil Nadu.
He was born in aippasi tamil month in mrugaseersha nakshatra in the illustrous vangIpuram
bharatwaja gotram. His father's name was Sri Raghurama dIxithar. SrI andikkattu swami is
the disciple of illustrous vazhutthur Sri Vedanta Ramanuja maha desikan (Vazhutthur swami).
There were two other disciples for Vazhutthur swami and they are Srimad Annarya maha
desikan and ViLAkkudi EyuNNi Srinivasa ramanuja swami.

SrI VangIpuram swami was a wealthy person. It seems that he had lots of cows in his
 house and he used to host the yatrikas by providing lots of milk,curd and butter etc.
Once a great mahan came to this village along with his other sishyas enroute their
divya desa yatra to Dhanushkoti, ThiruppullaNi. Our swami was very pleased to conduct
 grand DhathIyaradhanam for the group and when they are about to leave, swami has
provided milk curd and butter in huge mud pots for their usage in their yatra. He
however made one request that the contents of the pots can be used as they like but
the pots must be returned to him. The visiting mahan was indeed surprised at this
request and enquired, " when you are providing so much of milk and curd, why are you
 so particular about the old, used pots?" " Because, unless the pots are used one,
the curd won't be nice" pat came reply.

SrI VangIpuram swami felt that the propagation of the sampradaya should be best
done by his acharya Sri Vazhutthur swami. Due to this reason he did not travel
far and wide but initiated and taught grantas to his disciples from his place only.
Later on, he gave up all the wealth and took up sanyasa. SrI VangIpuram swami is
glorified as apara avatara of Sri Vazhutthur swami and he got the same name as his
acharya ie,"Sri Vedanta Ramanuja swami" after entering into sanyasa ashrama.

SrI VangIpuram swami came to Thiruvahendra puram at the request of another great
mahan Sri Srinivasacharya (who is the elder brother of Echchampadi advocate
Sri T E Shatakopachaiar's grand father). SrI Srinivasacharya swami came to Srirangam,
where our vangipuram swami was giving kalekshpams and he was greatly impressed
at the oratal skills of Vangipuram swami. He became sishya of Vangipuram swami and
persuaded many of his relatives and friends to became his disciples. SrI Vangipuram
swami lived at Thiruvahendrapuram for a long time and this ashramam where he lived
is still being remembered as "Swami ashramam".

It is told that only because of Sri Vangipuram swami the commentries of Sri Sakshaat
 swami and Sri Thirukkudanthai desikan for Bhagavad vishayam and Srimad Rahasya
traya saram respectively came to light and this indeed is a bhagavad sankalpam.
Sri Annarya maha desikan had great respect for this swami. Sri VangIpuram swami's
 disciple was famous KEthandippatti swami.

KEthaandippatti swami and VangIpuram swami:

Sri Lakshmipura chakravarti swami (kethandippatti swami) was learning Srimad Geetha
 bhasyam from Sri Nallan swami at Kethandippatti. At the time of conclusion of this
granta, Sri nallan swami had a dream that Sri Kethandippatti swami should be sent to
Sri Andikkattu swami (vangipuram swami) for further kalekshpams. Sri Kethandippatti
swami took the blessings of Sri Nallan swami and came to Thiruvahendra puram, where
Sri Vangipuram swami was camping and delivering kalekshpams.

Sri VangIpuram swami was also a scholar in astorlogy. He told the goshti one day that,
" many sishyas have learnt from me till now and see one day a bright sishya will come
 from western side and he will learn from me and thru him our sampradayam will grow multifold"

Sri Lakshmipura chakravarthi swami came to Sri Vangipuram swami as per the order of
sri nallan swami and prostrated before Sri Vangipuram swami. On looking this sishya
 every one realisesd that he is the sishya Sri Vangipuram swami was referring to.
Sri Vangipuram swami was impressed at the brilliance of Sri Lakshimipura chakravarti
 swami and taught him all the grantas and sastras. He also did bhara samarpanam for
him. Sri Vangipuram swami in his old age used to instruct Sri Kethandippatti swami to
 do pravachanam on his behalf and used to enjoy the brilliance of Sri Kethandippatti swami.
 

adiyen is indeed blessed to be born in the lineage of Sri Vangipuram swami.
Our ancestors lived in this hamlet which is near Pattukkottai in Thanjavour
district till the year 2000. My father was the last one to leave the andikkadu
village to settle down in Madras.

adiyen will be greatful if anyone can provide taniyan of this acharya and any
additional information including a photo/painting of Sri Andikkattu swami.

(Source: Write up by Sri Uttamoor swamy in an article titled "Guruparampariyil sila
mahAnkaLin chariththira churukkam" in Tamil) adiyen is thankful to
Sri Anand Karalappakkam swami for providing this article.adiyen has freely translated
the tamil article and please pardon for any errors.