SrI:
Dear BhakthAs:
SrI Ramanuja Mission will be celebrating
AchArya
Thirunakshathram at SrI RanganAtha Temple in a
grand manner
tomorrow from 8 A.M to 1.00 P.M with Multiple
PaarAyaNams
and aarAdhanam for the dhivya PaadhukAs of
Prakrutham
AaNDavan .
Here are some thoughts on this occasion on " Why do
we celebrate
the Thirunakshathrams of our AchAryAs?
".
AchArya Vaibhavam & MahOpakAram to
SishyAs
*************************************************************
Gurubhya: tadhgurubhya: cha namOvAkam
adheemahE
vruNeemahE cha tathrAdhyou Dampathee jagathAm
Pathee
Thus starts the thundering statement about the need
for salutations to
our Guru ParamparA starting from our immediate
AchAryAs
all the way up to the dhivya Dampathi as UpAyam and
Phalan.
The key sections of the slokam are:
" Gurubhyasccha Tadh-gurubhyasccha namOvAkam
adheemahE "
To our immediate AchAryAs and their AchAryAs , we
extend
our reverential and grateful salutations for the
immeasurable
upakArams extended to us out of their DayA
Svaroopam
and SvabhAvam .
We invoke the Gurus as the means (uPayam ) as well
as
UpEyam ( Phalan ).
Why do we invoke them as Means and Fruit of Nama:
sabdham ?
***************************************************************************
The skeptic may ask : " What did they do for us ?
Why should
we go out of our way to offer our reverential
salutations at every
available opportunity in general and during their
Thirunakshathrams
atleast in particular ?
The convincing answer is that Moksham is outside
the reach of
those , who do not have AchArya sambhandham
(AchArya
SamAsrayaNam). This way to Moksham shown by
AchAryAs
has been recognized as the " nall vazhi
and thol Vazhi "
by Madhura Kavi
AzhwAr. The "Nall Vazhi " is the path
to Moksham ( Prapatthi and Bhakthi yogams) . "Thol
Vazhi "
is the anAdhi vazhi or mArgam ( ancient , timeless
path)
established by anAdhi Vedams .
The necessity of AchAryAs have been emphasized by
the Upanishads:
" tath Vij~nArTam sa gurumEvAbhigacchEth " ( To
know about the Supreme
Brahman , You must seek an AchAryan). " AchAryavAn
PurushO Veda"
( Only the disciple , who has been blessed
with a SadAcharyan
can know about Brahman). The RahasyAmnAya BrahmaNam
refers to the whole Guru Paramparai that one should
revere :
"sa cha AchAryavamsO jn~EyO: asou asou ithi
Aabhagavattha: "
( This AchArya Paramparai should be
clearly comprehended
in a hierarchical manner all the way up to
BhagavAn).
The durable ( asanchala ) Bhakthi to one's AchAryan
is therefore
a must for our upliftment .The manthra Sampath (
the spiritual
wealth acquired from Manthra
Japam ) and the Jn~Ana sampath
will diminish , when one does not elevate and celebrate one's
AchAryan ( aprakAsa prakAsAbhyAm ksheeyathE sampadhAyushi).
That is why the AchAryans are revered as " Yennuyir tanthu
aLitthavar"
( Those who blessed us with the Seshathva Jn~Anam and saved us from
downward descent in to Samsaric pit).
In the second slOkam of NyAsa Vimsathy , Swamy Desikan gives us
8 Reasons for us to celebrate our AchAryAs and consider them in
status
to Bhagavan Himself : (1) AchAryan thru sadhupadEsams removes
the false knowledge (a j~nAnam and Vipareetha Jn~Anam) of the Sishyan
(2) AchAryans correct the Sishyans from engagement in sins and
cleanses
them of Paapams (Thirutthi PaNi koLvAn), (3) AchAryan labors to
inculcate
Jn~Anam , GuNam and anushtAnam and lifts up the Sishyan to his level
(4) AchAryan blesses the sishyan with Tatthva Thraya Jn~Anam and
creates Jn~Anap-piRavi for the sishyn (5) AchAryans cast their dayA
dhrushti on the Sishyans and thru caring instructions prepare
them for
the Sadhgathi of Moksham (6) AchAryans' mercy extends to one and all
independent of their birth status or wealth (7) AchAryans stay as the
nectar
to be enjoyed in this and the other world (8) AchArya-sishya
relationship
is indivisible and can not be cast aside ( Ozhikka OzhiyAthu).
That is why we celebrate our AchAryans and their AchAryans .
AchArya LakshaNam and Bhagavath LakshaNam are
almost inseperable.
That is why Madhurakavi claimed that he does not
know of any other God
than his AchAryan ( dhEvu maRraRiyEn) . His
AchAryan was Swamy NammAzhwAr
( SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA ).
SrImath AakkUr Andavan's gist of AchArya Vandanam a
la Chithra Paddhathi
********************************************************************************************
There are abundant insights in to the Vaibhavam of
AchAryAs in chithra
Paddhathi ( A picture is worth thousand words) . We
will highlight some of
SrImath Andavan's insights & UpadEsams to
understand
why we celebrate AchArya Thirunakshathrams
:
1. Through their Svaroopam ( inherent nature) ,
Roopam ( ThirumEni & tEjas) ,
GuNam ( auspicous attributes ) , VyApAram (
benovolent activities driven by
DayA for those who seek their protection ) and
their love for the Lord and
their own Prapatthi , the SadAchAryAs have
SarvEswaran under their control;
The influence thay have over the Lord enables
them to chase away the arguments
of scholars with distorted views and establish the
relations between
Sareeram (body) , aathmA ( Jeevan) and Iswaran ( antharyAmi of the Jeevan) .
Through the upadesam on the SarirAthma bhAva sambhandham , they enable
those who seek their protection to gain Parama PurushArTam of Moksham.
Such is the power and Vaibhavam of AchAryAs ! That is why we celebrate
their Thirunakshathrams.
2. SadAchAryAs are like MahA Lakshmi (MangaLa
nidhi) and are PurushakAra
BhUtharhaL like MahA Lakshmi with Her Divine
consort . They succeed in
interceding for us with the Lord and make us
eligible for His anugraham .
That is why we celebrate AchArya Thirunakshathrams
and AchArya Paadhukais.
3. We belong to the category of "ananya SaraNa:" (
with no one else to protect us)
and are " UpAyAnthara-rahitha: " ( with out any
UpAyam to protect ourselves).
For us of this description , there are no recourse
except AchAryAs to get us
across the SamsAra Saagaram. That is the reason for
clinging on to AchAryA's
ThiuvadikaL and celebrating them partcicularly on
their Thirunakshathrams.
4. As SamsAris , we are Aj~nAs , akinchanaas and
AasrithAs . AchAryAs
are very dear to BhagavAn and are adheenam to Him.
They are objects of
endearment to Him. By clinging to the ThiruvadkaL
of AchAryans , we
gain Tatthva Jn~Anam and benefit from their
PurushakAram with the Lord
on behalf of us.That is why we celebrate AchArya
Thirunakshathrams !
5. AchAryAs are incarnations of eternally liberated
jeevans (nithya Sooris)
and as such are DhivyAmsams. They have therefore
the power to remove our
Aathma VyAthis and protect us . They incarnate on
this earth during the Vibhava
and ArchA avathArams of the Lord and help their
Lord in lOka rakshaNam .
That is why we celebrate their Thirunakshathrams
!
6. SadAchAryAs must be meditated upon on UpAya and
Phala
dasais.It is through their anugraham , UpAyam is
realized.PurushArTa
Kaashtai ( the boundary of Bhagavath UpAsanam)
is gained through
the adoration of AchAryAs .That is why we
celebrate the ThiruavathAra
dinams of AchAryAs .
7.AchAryAs are deeply rooted in Para Brahmam (
SthiraPrathishtithAL).
They follow the command of the Lord and protect the
world and its beings.
AarAdhanam of them is UpAya Kaashtai ( the end
boundary of UpAyams
for PurushArTam) . Kaimkaryam to them is PurushArTa Kaashtai.With their
powerful glances alone , they remove the sins of
the world ( Tath dhrushti-
gOcharA: sarvE muchyanthE sarva kilBhishai:).Among
all their auspicious
GuNams , the DayA GuNam towers over all guNams.That
is why we celebrate
their Thirunakshathrams and perform the aarAdhanam
of their PaadhukAs and
partake PaadhukA theertam .
8. AchAryAs generate Jn~Ana PrakAsam in SamsAris
(aj~nAs). They
have soulabhya guNam ( easy of access by one and
all ). With very
little kaimakryam form our part , they rush to our
rescue and become
joyous in protecting us ( KaTamchith upakArENa
kruthEnaikEna
thushyathi ). Their svalpa KatAksham and our
insignificant service
(Svalpa sisrooshai) to them blesses us with parama
srEyas.That is why
we celebrate the Thirunakshathram of such DayALus!
9. AchAryAs have the skills to conduct BhagavAn's
missions
( Bhagavath Kaarya nirvAha SaamarTyam) , Travel
across the land
to perform SamAsrayaNam , BharanyAsam with their
AarAdhana
Moorthys ( LokAnugrahArTa SanchAra seelathvam) ,
freedom from
malice ( asooyAdhi dhOsha-rahithathvam) and
deep freindship with
sishyAs ( Parama Maithrathvam). That is why we
celebrate AchArya
Thirunakshathrams and pray for the development of
Parama Bhakthi
towards them.
10. AchAryAs propagate Bhagavath Saasthrams .
Through their
exemplary anushtAnams , they establish the
auspicious path
(SanmArgam) for their disciples.They seek Bhagavath
BhakthAs ,
bless them and prepare them for samarpaNam of their
AathmAs
( BhagavAn's property ) at the Lord's sacred feet .
The AchAryAs are
NipuNars in this activity . That is why we
celebrate their Thirunakshathrams !
11. SadAchAryAs in their state as Nithya Sooris or
during their incarnations
amidst us or during their presence as ArchA
Moorthys ( consecrated images
at AzhwAr Sannidhis) have blemishless
mahimai . They remove all
anishtams
( inauspiciousness) and bless us with sarva
MangaLams that we desire.
They are in a sense Abheeshta Varadars. They are
fit to be eulogized by
all with Keerthanam and vandhanams . That is why we
celebrate their
Thirunakshathrams !
12. After enchanting the Lord with their
Prapatthi ( KshaNikOpAyam)
and having Him in their control, they make it
possible for all others to gain
Him and perform nithya kaimkaryam to Him
. That is why we celebrate
the AchArya Thirunakshathrams !
13. By mere meditation of the Taniyans of AchAryAs
, they remove all
obstacles that we face . When a sishyan perfroms
Naama Japam of
their AchAryans without let ( GurOrnAma SadhA
JapEth) , they save
him/her even if they are MahA Paapis. They remove
all pApams
through Bhagavath Prapatthi .They show us the
sacred feet of
the Lord and make us attain His sThAnam (BhOga
Saamyam) .
That is why we celebrate their Thirunakshathrams.
14. The AchAryAs have immense mercy for those who
follow
SishtAchAram ( the anushtAnam of our sacred
predecessors).
For those following SishtAchAram , the AchAryAs
confer all
boons desired and remove all obstacles. One of the
SishtAchAram
is the celebration of the Thirunakshathrams of
SadAchAryans
starting from Prakrutham
AchAryan.
15. Through their SanchArams around the nation and
their
KaalakshEpams , the SadAchAryAs banish the fog of
Ajn~Anam
through their Jn~Ana PrakAsam . They chase
away the darkness
in the minds of those who seek their protection .
That is why we
celebrate their Thirunakshathrams.
16. AchAryALs are "sarvathO Bhadra Moorthys"( all
around auspicious
MoorthykaL) . They protect the Mumukshus ( those
who desire Moksham).
They remove the three kinds of Taapams (SamsAric
afflictions). They
perform hithOpadEsam to protect the wealth blesed
by BhagavAn and
to use it for Bhagavath-BhAgavatha-AchArya
Kaimkaryams . Whether
one is a Paapi or PuNyasaali, the AchAryAs come to
their rescue in
an unfailing manner . They travel to the side of
the Lord during the times
of their MahOthsavams ( Kaanchi Garuda Sevai,
Thirumalai BrhmOthsavam ,
Panguni Uttharam at SrIrangam et al) for the
purpose of lOkAnugraham.
That is why we celebrate their
Thirunakshathrams!
17. AchAryAs are avathAra PurusharkaL. They are
free of Sins by
their SvabhAvam. They sanctify those who help their
ThiruvArAdhanam
with their SrI Paadha Theertham . That is why we
celebrate the AchAryA's
Thirunakshathrams !
18. The AchAryAs are Sarva vidha BhandhukkaL for
their sishyAs.
They consider the sukha-dukkhams of their SishyAs
as their own
and through the Phala MantrAkshathai , they remove
our sorows.
Their aasritha Vaathsalyam has no boundaries
.There is nothing that
they need in this world or from their sishyAs
.That is why we celebrate
their Thirunakshathrams !
19. For those sishyAs , who practise the doctrine
of " AachAryAdhiha
DevathAm samadhikaamanyAm na manyAmahE " ( There is
no one
who is equal to or superior to AchAryan/thEvu
MaRRaRiyEn ), the AchAryAs
grant Parama PurushArTa paryantha sukhams ( upto
MokshAnugraham).
That is why we celebrate their Thirunakshathrams !
20. AchAryAs are filled with Bhagavath Bhakthi,
Sarva BhUtha Dayaa ,
SadhanushtAnam nas SrEshta Jn~Anam . They
bless those who
perform AaarAdhanam to the Lord allowed by
SaasthrAs ( SaashtrOktha
AarAdhanam ) and recieve the worship( aarAdhanam )
to them performed by
such PuNyasAlis . That is why we celebrate the
Thirunakshathrams of
Such SadAchAryAs !
21. SadAchAryAs destroy the aathma chathrus of
those , who seek
their protection and help in the perforformance of
Aathma Yaagam,
which the jeevans missed to perform in poorva
Janmams.Only Tatthva-
jn~Anis and avathAra PurushAl like SadAchAryAs can successfully conduct the Aathma Yaagam , where the havis of the
AathmA
in the fire( Agni) of BhagavAn can be
offered as homam.Saasvatha
(Lasting) KshEmam results from that Aathma
SamarpaNam . Only
SadAchAryAs can facilitate this Aathma SamarpaNam
and that is why
we celebrate their Thirunakshathrams !
22. We celebrate the Thirunakshathrams of
SadAchAryAs because of
their many auspicious attributes: (a)
Paavanathvam/Sacredness
(b) AarAdhyathvam/being fit for worship (c)
NigrahAnugraha SamarTathvam
( SaamarTyam in blessing the AasrithAs and
destroying aathma chathrus
(d) tEjOvathvam ( having Brahma tEjas to attract us
and hold us ) and
(e) PurushakAra Vaibhavam ( power to intercede
witht he Lord to forgive our
trespasses ) .
23. AchAryAs
are Lord's PaadhukAs. As such they share many
auspicous attributes:
(a) Sarva-kaalaanuguNa sarvAdhikAri yOgya
sarva Phala pradha sukara
srEshTopAya prakAsakthvam( They highlight
the auspicious and unnatha
upAyam of SaraNAgathy and demonstrate that
people with all backgrounds
and qualiifcations are eligible to
recieve the fruits of
SaraNAgathy
at their Lord's sacred feet
.
b) SarvalOka Maanyathvam: Vaibhavam to be
glorified by all the world
c)( Uthkrushta-Janai: archaneeyathvam/ fit
for worship by the evolved souls ,
dhanyathvam/Modesty, Uthkrushta
SrEyas-Saadhanathvam/Ability to
confer
the highest status among
men
d) Sarva MangaLAvahathvam/ granting of
all MangaLams including
the destruction of the cycles of births &
deaths
e) anantha
klEsApahathvam/ power to remove all samsAric
agitations
f) Sarva PrAyascchittha Roopathvam ( being the
embodiment of all
PrAyscchitthams)
g) BhagavadhanuroopAvathArathvam ( ability to
incarnate in a manner
complimentary to the Lord's avathAram to help
Him fulfil His avathAra Kaaryam) .
24. The AchArya Vaibhavam that propells us to
celebrate them every
moment of our lives for their MahopakArams and
special celebrations
on their Thirunakshathram days is limitless . Here
are some more reasons
why we become sanctified thru such celebrations
:
a) Bhava-peeDitha sEvyathvam( Fitness to be
worshipped by those
afflicted by SamsAric
illness).
b) Bhagavath Sahacharathvam ,
SruthiprathipAdhyathvam ,
aasritha Paalanathvam ,sanchAra
SaamarTyathvam and Saadhu-
sangama seelathvam ( ability to move with the
niyamanam of
Their Lord , celebrants of VedAs , protectors
of those who seek
their refuge , Ability to travel around with
their aarAdhan Moorthys
to bless the sishyAs with SamAsrayaNams and
Bhara NyAsams and
ease in mingling with saadhu janams
).
c) Saashtra Pravarthakathvam ( ability to
intrepret and spread
Bhagavath Saasthrams ) and SanmArga
nishtathvam ( power of
observance of the rigors of righteous ways
prescribed by Bhagavath
Saasthrams).
d) Bhagavath Sadhrusa GuNathvam ( Having
guNAs similar to their Lord).
e) UpAya VirOdhi Paapapahathvam ( power to destroy
the obstacles
standing in the way of observing Bhakthi &
Prapathti yOgams).
Instead of going on further , adiyEn stops here to
make the case for
celebration of the Thirunakshathrams of AchAryAs
and recital of
their Taniyans .
SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE
SaraNam .
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan
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