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From: TCA Venkatesan (vtca_at_yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Dec 10 2001 - 13:48:49 PST
Sri:
Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:
Srimathe Vara Vara Munaye Nama:
Srimathe Anantharya Mahagurave Nama:
Acharya Bhakti - 2
Some time agao I posted an article on Sri Tirumalai
Anandazhvar's acharya bhakti and how it led to his
descendants using "madhurakavi dAsan" instead of
"ramanuja dAsan". Continuing on that topic here is
another episode in his life describing his
interaction with Sri Nanjeeyar and his message
about acharya sambandham.
Sri Nanjeeyar after being taken into the Srivaishnava
fold by Sri Parasara Bhattar continued on his
gruhasthasrama life with his two wives. After an
episode when his wives did not feed some hungry
bhAgavatAs, Sri Nanjeeyar split his wealth into
three parts, gave two parts to his two wives and
took the third part to give to Sri Bhattar and
live at his feet at Srirangam. He also took up
sanyAsam before leaving for Srirangam.
On the way to Srirangam, he met Sri Anandazhvar. Sri
Anandazhvar knowing of his wealth and life in the
past, said to him: "Had you taken a cool bath when
warm and ate when hungry and lived while surrendered
at Sri Bhattar's feet, would you have been rejected
from Sri Vaikuntam? What was the need to take up
sanyasa dharma? In any case, now that you have done
it, may you be born in Tirumantram, grow in Dvayam
and recite the Dvayam always and earn kainkrya sri
from it".
The message that Sri Anandazhvar is giving us all is
that it is possible to live a normal life in this
world, but without developing attachments to it,
surrender at an acharya's lotus feet and thence
reach Him. One does not have to go through severe
austerities or follow other means to achieve this
goal.
Later Sri Manavala Mamunigal would express the same
in his Upadesarattinamalai:
gyAnam anuttAnam ivai nanRAgavE udai
yanAna guruvai adainthakkAl - man^ilaththeer!
thEnAr kamalath thirumAmagaL kozhunan
thAnE vaikuntham tharum
O people of this world! If you reach (surrender)
to an acharya who has the true knowledge and
follows the prescribed rituals, He who is the Lord
of Sri who stands on a lotus, will give you
Vaikunta without you having to do anything further.
So, what does it mean that one has to do nothing
further. Does it mean one does nothing at all after
surrendering to an acharya? Not so. Sri Anandazhvar's
life itself continues to be a lesson for us. He did
not give up his duties to his acharya or to the Lord,
even though he had great sambandham with his acharya
Sri Ramanujar. Our pUrvAcharyAs have also indicated
to us that it is the soul's journey that we surrender
to our acharya. The body's journey in this world is
to be surrendered to Him, by way of performing one's
duties, thereby cleansing the karmas gathered by
us.
Anandazhvar, Manavala Mamunigal Tiruvadigale Saranam
adiyEn madhurakavi dAsan
TCA Venkatesan
=====
Email: mailto:vtca@yahoo.com
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