His Holiness Srimad Mysore Andavan Srinivasa Ramanuja Mahadesikan was born as Sri Hariharapuram Gopalacharya on 19th August 1909 (the year of Saumya in the Tamil month of Avani in the star Uttara-phalguni) to Sri Krishnamacharya and Smt Ranganayakamma in Sosale village, T Narasipura Taluk, Mysore district.
Srimad Gopalacharya lived in a village called Sosale and studied in the primary school there. His father passed away after an epidemic of plague during his early childhood, after which the family was placed in an unstable financial position.
When Srimad Gopalacharya was just 14, Srimad Nammandavan benedicted him by awarding him samashrayanam (formal initiation into the Sri Vaishnava fold through five samskaras) and bharanyasam (ritual surrender at the lotus feet of the Lord). Immediately after his samashrayanam, Srimad Gopalacharya Swami composed an exquisite collection of 134 poems called Srimad Andavan Vaibhavam (The glories of Srimad Andavan). Immensely pleased with the pandityam (scholarliness) of Srimad Gopalacharya, Srimad Nammandavan blessed the boy with great affection. After this incident, Srimad Gopalacharya was fondly known as Mysore Vidwan Gopu in the Srivaishnava community.
Recognising the budding scholarly abilities of Srimad Gopalacharya, elderly scholars in the region persuaded him to join the renowned Mysore Maharaja Samskruta Patashala to refine his studies.
Accordingly, Srimad Gopalacharya Swami completed his higher studies in sahitya and vyakarana (Sanskrit literature and grammar) by completing all the higher examinations in philosophy(Vedanta) and obtaining a Vidvat-prashasti degree in Sanskrit. He also completed his Hindi Pandit and Kannada Pandit examinations, and attained proficiency in the Divya-prabandhams and the Vedas, the dual-canonical literature of the Sri Vaishnava tradition.
During his student days, he was not able to sustain his daily needs due to his unstable financial condition. However, the great acharya Sri Abhinava Ranganatha Parakala Swamy, who adorned the seat of the Parakala Matam at that time, noticed the brilliant boy, and provided him with necessary support, including his daily meals.
His brothers joined him in Mysore, where they too were able to complete their higher studies by the grace of Lord Lakshmi Hayagriva, the presiding Deity of the Parakala Matam.
Later, Srimad Gopalacharya Swami married Srimati Jayalakshmi from Talakadu, who belonged to a respectable family. The couple were blessed with six daughters and two sons.
Srimad Gopalacharya worked hard towards the improvement of the Sri Srinivasa Venugopalaswamy temple at Sosale. He successfully completed the studies of the Upanishads and grantha-chatushtaya-kalakshepam (personal tutelage of the four main esoteric texts of Sri Vaishnavism) under Srimad Akkur Andavan.
As an ardent devotee of Srimad Andavan, he wanted to invite Srimad Akkur Andavan to Karnataka. His journey on cycle to Chamarajanagar, Sathyamangalam, Erode and finally to Srirangam to arrange for the stay of Srimad Andavan on his way to Karnataka was commendable. With all these devotional services to the acharya and the sampradayam, he obtained the personal blessings of Srimad Akkur Andavan.
Srimad Gopalacharya served in a high school at Sakleshpura (Karnataka) and thereafter he came to Mysore and served as Sanskrit teacher in Mahajana High School (1945-1975).
When the presiding head of the Andavan Ashramam, Srimad Thenbirai Andavan became indisposed due to his age, he awarded the preksha-mantra (a pre-condition for becoming a renunciate sannyasi) and mokshashrama-ahnika-anushtanam (rules for observing the sannyasa order) to three senior scholars of the Ashramam: Sri U. Ve Kannan Swami (who later became Srimad Thirukkudanthai Andavan); Sri U Ve Gopalacharya Swami (who later became Srimad Mysore Andavan); and Mannargudi Ganapadi Vidvan Sri U. Ve Sri Narasimhacharya Swami. Srimad Thenbirai Andavan impressed upon them to be ready to take the sannyasa order at any time, when called upon.
Srimad Gopalacharya Swami had been nominated as the alternate candidate to become the ninth peetadhipathi to succeed Srimad Thenbirai Andavan in April 1963, in case Srimad Kannan Swami had been prevented by circumstances to accept the order for any any reason.
However, by the sankalpam (divine will) of the Lord, U. Ve.Kannan Swami ascended the acharya-pitam of the Andavan Ashramam and became the ninth pontiff. Sri Gopalacharya Swami was appointed as the Srikaryam (the administrative head, who is second only to Srimad Andavan himself) of the Srimad Andavan Ashramam by Srimad Thirukudanthai Andavan, and continued to serve in that capacity for almost 2 decades.
As Srikaryam of the Srimad Andavan Ashramam, Srimad Gopalacharya Swami accompanied Srimad Thirukkudanthai Andavan in all his travels on foot (pada-yatra) all over India, especially to the holy place of Badrikashram.
Srimad Mysore Andavan composed several scholarly books, including:
