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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00108 Mar 2009

 
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SrI:
SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:
Dearest all

All beings eat, sleep, mate and co-exist, live with their fellow beings. Only 
human beings have the power of discrimination to distinguish what is wrong and 
what is right. To get to know this power of discrimination, we need to learn 
and be educated. We need to learn the Atma jnAnam. How to learn? Where to 
learn? From whom should one learn? 

The teacher must have learnt in his youth all saasthras and other relevant 
subjects and also practice what he preaches. 

The role of an AchArya in guiding a human being towards salvation can hardly be 
exaggerated. Chandogya Upanishad, Kashyapa samhitha and many other works 
emphasize AchAryaâs part in shaping a disciple and his future.

The term AchArya implies: one who acquires philosophic knowledge (jnAnam) by 
the proper study of saashthrAs; by imparting such jnAnam that He had acquired 
to His disciples makes them adopt the religious life fully in accordance with 
or as laid down by saashthrAs; and one who follows the saasthrAs himself. 

Yaangnyavalkya smruthi says:

AchinOthi cha saasthrArthAn AchArE sthApayathyapi;
Swayam AcharathE yasmAth thasmAth AchArya uchyathE

AchAryan should not only practice what he preaches; He also makes sure that his 
sishyas too practice what he teaches.

One should approach such an acharya with utter humility and with token of 
offering. One should go and beg the Acharya for accepting as his student and 
disciple.

AchArya should be treated as bhagavAn:

One who is interested in surrendering himself to the Lord should seek a 
qualified AchArya. A qualified AchArya is an absolute and integral part of 
SaraNAgati, because getting a detailed understanding of the principle of 
prapatti is an essential prerequisite for SaraNAgati, and this cannot be 
attained without the help of the AchArya. The AchArya should be held and 
worshipped in the same position as bhagavAn by the Sishya, because there is no 
way to repay the knowledge that the AchArya imparts to the Sishya.ÂÂÂ

thapa: svADhyAya niratham thapasvee vaagvidhAm varam|
nAradam paripapraCCha valmeeki munipungavam ||
 
This wonderful first verse of Ramayana introduces to us the great Guru Sishya 
pair. 

The great saint Sage Narada, one who wanders all three lokas uttering the 
divine Narayana name always, enjoying His divya leelas, kalyANa guNAs and 
teaches to people whom he meet up with on the way with unlimited mercy on them. 
By adhering to sakala veda vedantha saasthras and practising the same, He leads 
the group of vedanthic scholars. He is saama gaana lolar;

Whatever one learns, or however educated he is; unless he is keen to learn and 
enjoy Bhagavath kalyANa guNAs, and contemplate and enjoy meditating on His 
lotus feet, the knowledge that he has is like dog having its tail. Dogâs tail 
is useless and it does not even cover what it should; not it can chase away the 
flies, mosquitoes (as other animals can with their tails). Similarly the 
knowledge that one has, if unused for learning and enjoying Bhagavad vishaym, 
it is equivalent to the dogâs tail. 

Thus Sage Valmeeki was thus blessed with this bhagavad jnAnam from Sage Narada 
as his teacher. He was blessed to have such a learned teacher. 

Sage Valmeeki himself was a great saint; thapasvee; He had learnt Purva 
meemaamsaa, (in order to get to know the Truth from Upanishads), vyAkaraNam 
etc., completely. After having learnt and done enromus research on Karma 
khANdam completely, he was not able to comprehend and get the way to get 
ultimate Absolute Bliss of never retiunring to this earth and attain salvation. 
He longed to learn more about Paravathvam, His divya Athma swaroopam, His divya 
mangaLa vigraham, His anantha kalyANa guNas, His most wonderful leelas etc. and 
He wondered as to how long it would take and from whom he would learn. When 
will I ever be blessed to get a merciful glance of SadAcharyan?- He longed for. 

When he was having such an intense quest for Parathva jnAnam, vaibhavam, Sage 
Narada was there in front of him.

GithAchAryan Sri Krishna tells Arjuna:

tadhviddhi praNipAthEna pariprashnEna sEvyayA |
upadEshyanthi thE jnAnam jnAninasthatha dharshina: (Bhagavad Gita Ch. 4.34) 

Learn by prostrating and questioning and by service to jnAnis (who have seen- 
realizedÂÂÂthe truth) who will teach you this jnAnam. One of the most 
essential requirements for us, thus, in order to lead a religious life is to 
have a well qualified AchArya or Guru (a spiritual preceptor).

Acharyan ThiruvaDigalE SaraNam
Regards
namo narayana
dAsan


      


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