[Advaita-l] Passing away of a Mahatma - Sri Rangpriya Mahadesikan

[V Subrahmanian]

Swami Rangapriya Mahadesikan, a sannyAsi of the SrivaishNava sampradaya,
passed away this morning at the Ashtanga Yoga mandiram, Hanumantha nagar,
Bangalore, his abode, this morning.  *He was a scholar in Sanskrit and was
known as Sri Varada Deshikachar in his pUrvAshrama. * He was the Head of
the Department of Sanskrit at the National College, Bangalore. He had a
very large following consisting of both srivaiShNavas and smarta-s.  His
motto was to promote Astikyam among people and under his mArgadarshana a
number of people walk the path of devotion and adhyAtma.  His regard for
Shankaracharya is something unique.  He used to often quote from the
Shankara bhashyas and has popularised a  number of stotras of Shankara
among his disciples/followers.  This website gives more information about
the Swami:

http://www.srirangapriya.net/Biography.htm

It was only yesterday that I was thinking of the Swami and this afternoon I
got to hear about his passing away.  Being a resident of the same locality,
I quickly went to the Mandiram and paid my obeisance to the Mahatma. I
heard from the people there that the end was extremely peaceful.

I recall an incident of just two years ago. Sri Rangapriya  Swamiji was in
the practice of  observing  the Shankara Jayanti every year.  He would
address his devotees/followers and recount several events from Shankara's
life.  An Iyengar neighbour who had gone there brought me prasadam from the
Swamiji.

Such persons leave a great impression in the society by their life, words
and deeds.

subrahmanian.v