You are here: SriPedia - Oppiliappan - Archives - Aug 2006

Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00049 Aug 2006

 
Aug 2006 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


SrI:
SrImathE Yamuna munayE namah:
Dearest all
Today is Sri Alavandhar- Sri YamunAchArya
Thirunakshathram [Birthday]. Hence adiyEn thought it
is more apt to contemplate on this GLORIOUS Acharya
lineage for which [as can be seen below] Swami
Alavandhar is the Key? in his vailakshaNya kataksham
on Ramanuja? [when Ramanuja was young and was walking
with his former Guru Yadava prakasa].
Let us read end enjoy the qualities and greatness of
our acharyas. 

Swamy Desikan describes the greatest qualities of
AchArya in nyAsavimsati 
slOkA 1:

1.Sound philosophical jnAnam obtained (learnt) through
the greatest lineage  of his AchAryAs
2.Having an undisputed clear knowledge on sAsthrAs;
3.Free from any sins and attachments;
4.Complete knowledge of Vedas, its subsidiaries and
ithihAsAs
5.Deep unshakable faith in Brahman (Almighty-
unsurpassed unparalleled Sriya: Pathi Sriman
Narayanan)
6.possesses sAtvic guNA;
7.Always speaks truth
8.lives in accordance with the manner laid down in
sAsthrAs;
9.free from jealousy, show etc..
10. having control over sense organs
11.friendly and affectionate towards all;
12.Compassionate towards all;
13.helps the disciples who err, correct them and make
them follow right track as laid down in sAsthrAs
14.wishes for everyone?s welfare at all times.

Our Greatest AchArya parampara as mentioned earlier
starts with Sriman Narayanan.
The lineage is:
Sriman Narayanan.
Sri Mahalakshmi
Sri VishvaksEnar (sEnai nAthan- commander in chief)
Sri SaTakOpar (nammAzhwAr)
Sri nAthamuni
Sri puNdarIkAkshar (uyyakkoNdAr)
Sri rAmamisrar (maNakkAl nambhi)
Sri yAmunAchAryar (ALavandhAr)
Sri mahApUrNar (Periya nambhi)
Sri rAmAnujar (udayavar- EmperumAnAr- yathirAjar)

This AchArya paramparA also is nicely recited by Swamy
desikan in the following Tamil prabhandham.

ennuyir thandhaLitthavaraich charaNampukku
yAnadaivE avargurukkaL niraivaNangi
pinaruLAl perumpudhUr vandha vaLLal
periyanambhi ALavandhAr maNakkAl nambhi
nanneRiyai avarkku uraittha uyyakkoNdAr
nAthamuni saTakOpan sEnainAthan
innamudhatth thirumagaL enRu ivarai munnittu
emperumAn thiruvadigaL adaiginREnE.

What an excellent sweet prabahndham!

asmadhguru paramagurUn yathivarapUrNau sayAmunam rAmam
padmAksha nAtha saTajith sEnEcha ramA ramApathIn
vandhE.

(Given below is an extract from a post written by Sri
N Krishnamachari on nyAsa vimsati- thanks to Sri
Krishnamachari for his permission)svAmi deSikan
concludes the stotra with a gist of how he was led to
prapatti, and how he lives his life as a prapanna
after performing prapatti. This concluding Slokam is
included as part of the nitya-anushandhAnam at the 
end of the nyAsa daSakam which is recited during the
nitya bhagavad-ArAdhanam.

samSArAvarta vega praSamana Subha-dr*k deSika
prekshito'ham
samtyakto'nyairupAyair-anucita cariteshvadya
SAntAbhisabshih     |
niS-Sankhah tatvat-dr*shtyA niravadhika dayam prArthya
samrakshakam
tvAm nysya tat-pAda padme varada nija-bharam nir-bharo
nir-bhayo'smi  ||

"I chose a good AcArya who could instruct me on how to
get out of the whirl of samsAra, and had his divya
kaTAksha.  Because of the AcArya's teachings, 
I obtained the knowledge that could help me analyze
and understand the difficulty of bhakti yoga and the
realization that prapatti is the only recourse open to
me, which I could perform easily, and attain the
desired moksham by performing it once and only once. 
I learnt the facts about prapatti and so had no doubt
whatsoever about its efficacy.  I sought refuge 
of peraruLALan with pirATTi as the sole refuge who
could protect me.  I surrendered all responsibility
for my protection at the feet of peraruLALan 
and performed prapatti at His feet.  Since I am now
living the life of a prapanna, I feel completely
relieved of all responsibility for my self from 
that point.  Since all my acts from that point on have
been directed to only kaimkaryam for bhagavAn, there
is nothing more to fear about any accumulation of
karma.  So I continue to lead a life of nishkAmya
kaimkaryam to bhagavAn while spending the rest of my
life in this world, and deriving infinite happiness
from it".

The greatness of our Srivaishnavam is that we not only
show respect and pay obeisance to our prakritam
(present) AchArya, also to the entire lineage of 
AchAryas, right upto the Lord. The thaniyan
(dedicatory verse) of our AchArya and thaose of his
predecessors, are to be recited by every srivaishnava.
It is not only in paying respect to the glory of these
AchAryAs, also to show our gratitude for what GREAT
service rendered by them to our srivaishnava
sampradAyam, by way of disseminating through granthas
and kAlakshEbams.

Swamy Desikan describes this very movingly:

yERRi manatthu yezhil jnAna viLakkai iruLanaitthum-
mARRinavarkku oru kaimmARu mAyanum kANagillAn
pORRiugappathum pundhiyiR koLvadhum, pongupugazh-
sARRivaLarppathum saRRallavOmunnam peRRadhaRkkE.

To the One who has lit the lamp of jnAnam (knowledge)
(in us) and dispelled the darkness from our minds,
there is nothing (no way ) even the Lord can do 
to repay (for what the AChArya has done). Praising
such AchAryan and telling about his greatness to
others, spreading his name, glories, continuously 
will be like an infinitesimal portion for what He has
done. (saRRu - iota) 

Sri maNavALa mAmunigaL in his upadEsaratthinamAlai
says

"jnAnam anuttAnam ivai nanRAgavE udaiya
nAna, guruvai adaindhakkAl - mAnilatthIr!
thEnAr kamalatth thirumAmagaL kozhunan
thAnE vaikuntham tharum."

When one takes refuge at an AchAryan (Guru), who is
the great personification of jnAnam and anshtAnam, oh
folks! the Lord Sriya: Pathi Sriman Narayanan will
grant mOksham.

He also stresses that if one wishes to get saved,
place your mind (and yourself) at the feet of your
AchAryan. (uyyaninaivuNdAgil u~ngurukkaL 
thampahatthE vaiyum.. anbuthannai.. )

Our Srivaishnava AchArya lineage- upto (our AchArya)
asmadhAchAryan, it is 
of the highest order; blemishless; faultless; with
absolutely no interruption (avicchinnam); continuous.
Folly, mistake, falling in character, a black mark in
their qualities, - no way! It is due to our 
limitless puNyam, grace of Sriya: Pathi Sriman
Narayanan, we have been blessed to have such Greatest
AchArya paramparA. There can be no doubt at 
all on this in any of our minds.

We should recite our AchAryan?s thaniyan everyday and
also of PoorvAchAryAs. There can not be a better one
than the dedicatory verses of (y)our AchAryas to grant
you what you wish for. GuruparamparAdhyAnam,
GuruparamparAsmaraNam, anusanthAnam, - when one does,
there will be showering of sarva ma~ngaLam! 
There can be fullest blessing of Divya Dampathi on
him.

Swamy Desikan has said AchAryAdhiha dEvathAm
samadhikAm anyAm na manyAmahE! Is there a God more
than AchArya? We will never ever consider 
so.- says thUppul PiLLai. In every one of our
Srivaishnava AchAryAs, Sriya: Pathi Sriman Narayanan
has entered into and been blessing the Humanity.

GuruparamparA smaraNam is the most important and
essential one. It is the most necessary deed, which is
nithya karma; naimittika karma, as well as 
kAmyam too. This can also be for prAyaschittham for
one?s pApam. It grants everything that we wish for.

Those who feel that they cannot recite Vedas, recite
Divya prabandham, etc., at least should recite
thaniyan, mediate on the Greatest AchArya paramparA.

let us sEvicchufy our AchArya lineage. Let 
us pay our obeisance to the greatest Guru paramapara.

Given below is an extract from Sri Nrusimhapriya of
1997 issues on Swamy Desikan's YathirAja sapthathi
(first 12 verses)- translated to English by 
Sri U.Ve. V.N Vedanta Desikan SwAmy  (from Tamil
Commentary by Paramapadhavaasi Villivalam Sri U. Ve.
Narayanacharya SwAmy)

1. I pay obeisance to the First and foremost AchArya,
the Consort of MahAlakshmi. He is the Head of the
Family, which the whole Universe constitutes. He is a
singular AchAryA, who is Himself, the first reciter of
Vedas, and also the author of Paancharaathra Saasthra.

2. I now pay obeisance to the Spouse of the Lord,
MahAlakshmi, who is never ever separated from the
Lord; who is incapable and also unaware of any 
punitive action / treatment whatsoever and who is the
embodiment of gracious benediction, and who always
exchanges plans with the Lord for the good of 
the Universe and beings.

3. I pay my respects to VishvaksEnar, the Consort of
Soothravathi. He is the Commander-in-chief of the
Lord. At the tip of His disciplining ward (whip) 
the whole universe stays put in proper place and is
rightly led on.

4. We mediate on ShaTaari, (NammAzhwAr) whose garland
of VakuLa flowers gets its fragrance exuded into the
fluent flow of poetry - a work of literature 
at which the Vedas, having been tired of imparting
codes of life, even ineffectively, can safely rest and
relax now, since AzhwAr's works will suffice and do
the same job more effectively!

5. I hold as my Naatha (master) the seer Naathamuni,
in whose hands the essential crux of the Vedas
acquired a clarity of understanding - to call it 
HasthAmalaka, as one would say with this Natha
available for me, I can not be "anaatha" (forlorn).

6. I obey PuNdareekaakshar (UyyakkoNdaar), who ever
stands on the mental contour described by Nathamuni,
our master at all times, and who is of unalloyed
Saathvika Character, even like avataars of the Lord.

7. We meditate on Raamamisrar (MaNakkaal Nambhi), who
is forbearing, who is dangerous to unholy persons, who
had forsaken taste for lust and anger, - who thus was
the fourth Rama (i.e- unlike: (1) Parasuraama- who was
not forbearing, (2) Ramabhadra -who was dangerous to
PuNyajanas (euphemism for Raakshasaas), and (3)
Balaraama, - who was used to drinking liquor.)

8. We shall bathe in the holy waters of Yamuna
(Alavandhaar), who has severed all connections with
mean passions and attachment, who stood steadfast in
safeguarding the Saadhus, and in whom the things
emphasised by Krishna were present perfectly. (A
second meaning: We shall bathe in the holy waters of
Yamuna river, form which poisonous snake had been
removed, which is close to Brindhavanam, and in which
Krishna was interested.)

9. I place myself at MahapoorNar (Periya Nambhi) whose
extreme daya enslaves him to itself (daya) (he
becoming an abject servant of Daya quality) who 
gave us the Great Ramanuja, thereby making the hope of
the Prime creator realised.

10. May Sri Ramanuja-muni, accept my humble
prostration - he whose works performed the service as
the woman- attendant for the Veda- lady (who has 
captivated the Lord and is His consort), this Veda-
lady holding the Lord under her spell, in a dependent
manner- so to say.

11. I praise Yathiraja, who shines with a Yajna
Upaveetham, on His chest and with the OordhavapuNram
who is really the fruit of the Good deeds of all 
worlds, who has a thridaNda, in His hand, and finally
has a tuft of hair on the Head. He is the saviour of
the Vaishnavites, surrendered unto Him, guaranteeing
for their salvation.

12. The Lord's five weapons (Chakkra, Sankhu, Gadha,
Khadga, and Saarngha) have unitedly taken the
incarnation of Sri Ramanuja. He is therefore harsh 
on the enemies (say of our religion). That AchArya is
sure to protect us.

After Sri Ramanuja, the most important disciples
(descendents) of Ramanuja are: 
PiLLAn, VishNuchitthar, NadAdhUr ammAL, AppuLLAr and
Swamy Vedanta Desika

AND

Sri embAr, Parasara bhattar, Numjeeyar, NampiLLai,
Vadakku thiruveedhipiLLai, PeriyavAcchAnPillai,
PillailOkAryar, SrIsailar (ThiruvAymozhipiLLai), Sri
Manavala mamunigaL.

Let us place our heads at the lotus feet of this most
illustrious acharya parampara and pray to them for
their continued benign glances on us for ?correcting?
us at the right moments [thirutthi paNikoLLal] and
grant us eternal service [kaimkarya ruchi] at their
Feet. 
Acharyan ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam
Regards
Namo Narayana
dAsan


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 


 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    Oppiliappan-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 




[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
oppiliappan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list