Prathivadhi Bhayankaram Annangaracharya

Prathivadhi Bhayankaram Aṇṇan was a Sri Vaishnava Acharya,Tamil and Sanskrit scholar, the composer of the popular Venkateswara Suprabhatam. He appeared in this world bearing the name Hasthigirinathar Aṇṇan in the year AD 1361. He was one of the prominent disciples of Manavala Mamunigal, belonged to a distinguished line of "Acharya Puruṣas" and had a large number of followers. Aṇṇan composed many hymns, of which the popular Venkateṣa Suprabhātham, Venkateṣa Stotram, Venkateṣa Prapatti and Venkateṣa Mangaļāṣāsanam are recited daily at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple at the wee-hours of the day to wake up the Lord. The rendition of the hymns by Smt. M S Subbulakshmi is played everyday in millions of households in India and abroad.[1][2][3]

Sri Kanchi Prativadibhayankar Jagadguru Anantacharya Gaddi Swamiji

Prathivadhi Bhayankaram Annan
Sri Prathivadhi Bhayankaram Anna Vendanthacharya
Personal
Born	Hasthi giri natha in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
Religion	Hinduism
Children	Annanappa, Ananthacharyar
Sect	Sri Vaishnavism
Philosophy	Vishishtadvaita
Religious career
Guru	Varada Nayanacharya, Manavala Mamunigal
Disciples annanappa, anantacharyar, azhagiya manavala perumal nayanar
Literary works	sri venkatesa suprabhatam, stotram, prapatti, mangala sasanam. short vyakhyas (commentaries) for sri bhashya, sri bhagavatam, subalopanishad. vyakhya for bhattar’s ashta sloki. varavara muni sathakam, varavara muni mangalam, varavara muni suprabhatam.
Honors	"Prathivadhi bhayankar"

Aṇṇan was born in Kanchipuram, and initiated into the Sri Vaishnava Sampradāyam by his father, who was the 10th generation descendant of Mudumbai Nambi one of the 74 simhāsanādipathis appointed by Ramanuja.[4] He later became a disciple of Vedanta Desika's son Nayana-Varadāchārya. Nayana-Varadāchārya him the name "Prathivathi Bhayankaram Aṇṇan". Aṇṇan was acknowledged as an authority on Sanskrit literature and spiritual discourses in those times. He is said to be the most prominent scholar in South India of his time, and was widely respected throughout India. After studying Sribhaṣyam from Nayana-Varadāchārya, Aṇṇan went to Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and did devotional service to Lord Venkateswara.

At the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, Aṇṇan heard the glories of Manavala Mamuni and about his nectarine discourses on the works of the Azhwars and the doctrines of Sri Vaishnava Sampradayam. Following this, Aṇṇan became the disciple of Manavala Mamuni and learnt the entire commentaries of these works from him a Srirangam. At the time Aṇṇan surrendered at the feet of Manavala Mamuni, Manavala Mamuni gave him the dāsya nama "Sri Vaiṣnava Dāsan" seeing his humility towards the devotees of the Lord. Further, Manavala Mamuni, after seeing Annan's prowess in Sribhāṣyam, bestowed him the Sribhāṣya Simhāsanam and the title 'Sribhāṣyāchārya'. Aṇṇan also served as one of the aṣta-dik-gajas of Manavala Mamuni.

People often confuse Prathivadhi Bhayankaram Annan with a 20th-century scholar-Acharya Prathivṣdhi Bhayankaram Annangarāchārya, who was one of the first āchāryās to publish the entire works of Sri Vaishnava āchāryās like Azhwars, Ramanuja, Vedanta Desika, Manavala Mamuni etc., in the first half of the 20th Century.

The twelve divya Saligrama ṣilas and the Śri-Bhu Sametha Ranganatha Swamy idol that were once worshipped by him are now being worshipped by Sri Prativadhi Bhayankaram Raghavacharyulu, a fifteenth generation descendant in his lineage in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Popular Indian Playback Singer P. B. Sreenivas was one of his descendants in his lineage in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.