This Azhagiyasingar was born in Tirukkurunkudi. He was born in the month of AvaNi, mUla tirunakshatram. He belonged to SrIvatsa gotram and of Nadadur vamSam. His pUrvASrama name was SrI VAnamAmalAchAryar. This SvAmi and his younger brother, SrI [[266]] Venkatanaryanacharyar were renowned scholars. They both were living in Tirukkurunkudi. They were capable of recalling passages from SrI BhAshyam, SrutaprakASikA, and EDu 36,000 paDi etc., without looking at the original SrI KoSams. Besides having fantastic retention skills on SrI KoSams, they were also excellent in areas like j~nAna sakti, anushThAna balam and intense vairAgyam (dispassion in acquiring worldly riches).
At the time of the 27th paTTam SrImad Azhagiyasingar’s ascent to SrI VaikuNTham, he requested the ruler of Gadwal samsthAnam to help identify a future AcAryan for SrI maTham as his successor with superior knowledge in sAmAnya and adhyAtmika SAstrams, rigorous anushThAnams and vairAgyam and to entrust such a person to ascend the simhAsanam of SrI maTham. No successor for the AsthAnam could be found even after one year and eleven months. Now, the ruler of Gadwal sent invitations for great scholars to assemble for a vidvad sadas to present debates on the meanings of sampradAyic texts. This Tirukkurunkudi SvAmi (28th paTTam Azhagiyasingar) defeated all the scholars. Responding affirmatively to the prayers from the VidvAns and the King, Tirukkurunkudi SvAmi accepted the position. On Vijaya year, Ani month, Krshna Pancami tithi, SvAmi entered in to sanyAsa Asramam and ascended to the AsthAnam of SrI maTham as 28th paTTam SrImad Azhagiyasingar.
This Azhagiyasingar had the tapo balam (power of penance) to be blessed with the saubhAgyam of SrI Nrusimha sAshAtkAram (to see and talk to Lord Narasimhan). He was well known and revered as a great soul (suprasiddha) like SrI BhAshyakArar, Adi vaN SaThakopa jIyar, SrI shashTa ParAnkuSa yatIndra MahAdeSikan, SrI Srinivasa yatIndra MahadeSikan. With his extraordinary mantra siddhi, he could chase away the sufferings of his SishyAs.
This Azhagiyasingar commenced his sancAram from Gadwal and proceeded to Ahobilam, Tiruvenkadam and Tiruvallur. Here, he stayed for a long time. During the next sancAram, he performed MangaLASAsanams for SrI BhAshyakArar at Sriperumbhudur, PeraruLALan and Perumdevi tAyAr at Hasti Giri. From there, he traveled to Madurantakam to worship Kodandaramar, Karunakara Perumal and Janakavalli tAyAr. He stayed here for a few days. While there, he blessed his SishyAs with kAlakshepams on VedAnta granthams.
[[267]] A Rich man bows his head
At one time, a wealthy man placed at the AcAryan’s sacred feet a plate full of Pomegranate fruits and gold coins and prostrated. During his conversations, the Azhagiyasingar felt that the rich man lacked humility because of his samarpaNam of significant amount of wealth. Immediately Azhagiyasingar had the fruits washed up and got them broken and presented the samarpaNams as nivedanam to Malolan. Next, he had the pomegranate fruit broken up to remove the seeds and had the seeds placed in containers made from dry banana leaves and distributed them along with the gold coins to the sannidhi kaimkaryaparars. The rich man bent his head in shame over his ego that led him to commit this act and sought SrImad Azhagiyasingar’s pardon with tears flowing copiously from his eyes. SrImad Azhagiyasingar forgave him and blessed him.
While at Madurantakam, SrImad Azhagiyasingar was feeling weak and tired. He entrusted the ArAdhana kaimkaryam to Lalapettai Vajram SvAmi. This SvAmi was a great scholar with vairAgyam, a leader in anushThAnams. Since this SvAmi was very old, Azhagiyasingar asked him to entrust the SrI maTham AsthAnam as his successor to Ilanagar GadAdharapuram SrI Chakravartiyacharya SvAmi. SrImad Azhagiyasingar health deteriorated further. He ascended to SrI VaikuNTham in durmukhi year, Marghazhi month, Krshna Paksha saptami tithi, Thursday (29 December 1836).
His AsthAna nirvAka kAlam - 3 years, 5 months
It is well known that the 33rd paTTam, SrI SaThakopa yatIndra MahAdeSikan and the 34th paTTam, SrI SaThakopa Ramanuja yatIndra MahAdeSikan had great reverence for this 28th Azhagiyasingar.
taniyan
श्रीवासरङ्गपतिवीररघूद्वहादिवेदान्तसंयमिवरैर्गुरुसार्वभौमैः। संप्रेक्षितं करुणया परिपूर्णबोधं श्रीरङ्गनाथशठकोपमुनिं भजामः॥
SrIvAsarangapativIraraghUdvahAdi- vedAntasamyamivararaigurusArvabhaumaiH | samprekshitam karuNayA paripUrNabodham SrIranganAthaSaThakopamunim bhajAmaH || [[268]] MangalamAlai
सिंहे मूलावतीर्णाय श्रीनृसिंहकृAपावशात् । रङ्गनाथशठारातियतिवर्याय योगिने॥ विजये मिथुने कृAष्णपञ्चम्याममले मठे। श्लाघनीयगुणाड्याय स्वभिषिक्ताय मङ्गलम् ॥
simhe mUlAvatIrNAya SrInrsimhakrpAvaSAt | ranganAthaSaThArAtiyativaryAya yogine || vijaye mithune krshNapancamyAmamale maThe | SlAghanIyaguNADhyAya svabhishiktAya mangalam ||