Sengalipuram Muthanna

Sengalipuram Muthanna

Sengalipuram Muthanna Sastri better known as Muthannaval of Sengalipuram was from the village of Sengalipuram near Paruthiyur, on the northern banks of Kudamuruti River, in Thiruvarur District of Tamil Nadu.

Sengalipuram was "Shivakalipuram" as it is known in Sastras . It is a village where hundreds of Deekshithar families are living for generations up to today and where great saints like Sri Muthannaval and scholars like Sri Anantarama Deekshithar were born.

One of Muthannavals famous disciple was Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri. Sastri came to Muthanavals as a student at the age of seven. “Jayamangala Stothamala” - chapter 8, quoted by Pattabhirama Sastri, the article shows Krishna Sastri remembering his Guru Muthanna in many of the verses he had composed. Sastri’s first lessen with his Guru Muthanna described in the article, was from a Chapter in Raghuvamsa, the great work of Poet Kalidasa, where the King Raghu performs the Vishwajit sacrifice and donates all that he has to a poor student Kaustha for paying fees to his Guru. Muthanna was happy that Sastri started the class that day and said “Like the king Raghu in the lesson, who was able to conquer Kubera, the Lord of wealth and shower upon the poor student the amount of riches he could have never imagined of, You will also amass a lot of wealth and knowledge and help many needy people”. The blessings came true. Within a few years Sastri learnt Prose, Poetry, Grammer, Kavyam, Nadakam, Alankaram and Veda Sastram and Vedantham. Muthanna Sastri encouraged him to conduct discourses in the Ramayana and presented him with a “ Srimad Ramayana” book. It was this Gurus blessings and encouragement Krishna Sastri became the greatest exponent of the Ramayana of his time. His Guru Muthanna Sastri who listened to his Pravachan one day blessed him and said “ those who are blessed to listen to Krishna Sastri’s Pravachans and stories would get rid of all the sadness from attachments and receive all the blessings and good grace ”

Sastri dedicated his “Nandhi Mangala Slokas” on his Guru Muthanna. They were printed in Granta Akshara letters. In 1891, Krishna Sastri took his Guru Muthanna and his wife a few of Muthanna’s disciples to Kashi to perform Agnihotram near the Ganges. . It is said that they all traveled by Pallanquins or Pallaku and took many days to reach the destination. Agnihothram is considered the mother of all Yagas. When Muthanna attained siddi in 1894, Sastri conducted “Sri Muthanna Aradhana” every year in memory of his Guru. He did “Soma Yagam” in Srirangam, “Adhirathram Yagam” in his Paruthiyur Kodandarama Temple along with other disciples of Muthanna

Another famous student of Muthannaval was Sri Anantharama Deekshithar was a Śrauti scholar and also was a great exponent of the art of upanyasas (discourses) on various subjects in Hinduism. He was also the grand son of Muthannaval.

Muthanna maintained great relations with his students throughout his life. He was very proud of their scholarship and achievements and he encouraged them a lot. It should also be mentioned here that both the Guru Sengalipuram Muthanna and Krishna Sastri attained Siddi in the Month of Thai, Krishna Paksham, Dhuvadhasi day.