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Re: worship of Srivaishnava purvArcharyas

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Shreyas Sarangan • November 25, 2002 


Sri:
SrimatE Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha

Dear Sri Narasimhan:

After going through your message carefully, I get the 
impression you have used "worship" as an equivalent term 
for "saraNAgathi".  More often,  the term "worship" is used
by texts to connote "ArAdhanam". 

-- Either way, it is my understanding that both (i) "saraNAgathi" 
i.e. Total Surrender at the feet of  Acharyas/Azhwars and 
(ii) offering "ArAdhanam" to them is well-established and 
strongly encouraged practice in the Srivaishnava tradition 
and teachings.

Please bear with adiyen's rambling on both these issues-

(i) Let us first examine the validity of performing
"sharaNAgathi" at the feet of  Acharyas/Azhwars --

In your message, you stated that 
        " we don't do sharanagathi to acharyas." 
and that
       "... they teach us how to do sharanagathi to the ultimate." 

The first thing that comes to mind is our Sri Ramanuja's 
thanian that is recited everyday by all Srivaishnavas:

	"yo nityam acyuta-padAmbuja-yugma-rukma
	vyAmohatas tad itarANi tRNAya mene 
	asmad guror bhagavato 'sya dayaika-sindho: 
	rAmAnujasya caraNau SARANAM  prapadye "

Further, Sri Alavandhar,  in his stOtra-ratnam, does 
"saraNAgathi", in this world as well as parama-padam, 
to his purvacharya - Sri Nathamuni.

	"nAthaAya nAthamunaetra paratra chapi
	nityam yadIyacharaNau saraNam madIyam ||
			
-->Are these not examples of a "saraNAgathi" at the feet 
of an Acharya ? 

In fact, this is type of sharanagathi is commonly found in the 
tanians of many of our Acharyas.

But then, I could be misinterpreting the the "saraNAgathi"
in the above cases.

----------------

So perhaps let us should turn to Swami Desikan, whose 
works always seem to have answer for every subtle query :)

  "bhaktih prapattiratha vA bhagavan taduktih
   tannishta samsreya itIva vikalpyAmanam 
   yam kimchit ekam upapaadhayataa tvaiyeva
   trAtastarantyavasare bhavino bhavAbdhim "
		--- Saranagathi-Deepika (16) 

Here, Swami Desikan states that Bhakthi yoga and prapatti 
yoga are the two paths to attain moksham. The different ways 
in which Prapatti ( i.e. saraNAgathi for moksham) can be 
done are : (i)Svanishte, (ii) Ukthi Nishte, (iii) Acharya Nishte 
and (iv) Bhagavatha Nishte. 

Svanishtai: Only one who has the complete knowledge 
of the requirements for Saranagathi and has had 
God-realization can hope to successfully perform 
saraNAgathi to the Sarveswaran directly. Probably 
Azhwaars and Sri Ramanuja come in this category.

Ukthi Nishtai: One who cannot do Svanishte, approaches
his Acharya. The saraNAgathi is accomplished by 
repeating the words as instructed by the Acharya.

In Acharya Nishtai, the disciple SURRENDERS TO
THE ACHARYA HIMSELF. Out of his compassion,
the Acharya takes the entire burden (bhAra-samarpanam)
of the individual's Prapatti. The Acharya requests the 
Lord to accept  this disciple as His Prapanna.

Bhagavatha Nishtai:  the saraNAgathi is performed 
by a qualified Bhagavatha who is not the Acharya .
---------------

Of these 4 categories, my understanding is that 
saraNAgathi through Ukthi Nishtai and through 
Acharya  Nishtai are really the only two possibilities 
that are feasible.

But, then, for an ignorant person like adiyen, who is not 
even capable of repeating his Acharya's words correctly, 
perhaps saraNAgathi through "Acharya Nishte"- seems 
to be the only option left. (This is also the only option
when the saraNAgathi is performed for babies, the fetus,
animals and birds.)

Thus, the aspirant who is seeking moksham through 
Acharya Nishte (since he is probably not qualified for 
any other method), does an unconditional saraNAgathi,
 i.e. total surrender, at the feet of his Acharya ! 

The best example of Acharya Nishtai is that of 
Madhurakavi Azwaar's saraNAgathi to his 
Acharyan - thEvu maRRaRiyEn kurukoor nampi. 

------------------------

(ii) "aradhanam"  of  Acharyas/Azhwars --

  "ArAdhanAnAm sarvEshAm VishnO: ArAdhanam param
   tasmAt parataram prOktam tadIya ArAdhanam param"
                                    -- pAdmOttara purAna

-->Worship of Vishnu is indeed the Greatest forms of all 
possible worship, however, even greater than that is the 
Worship of  His devotees.

And don't you agree that Azhwaars and Acharyas are His 
greatest devotees?

As I had mentioned in my previous message, Swami 
Desikan states in Nyasa Vimshati, that one is obliged to 
worship his Acharya in the same way as one worship 
Sarveswaran Himself.

The worship can be through nAma-samkIrtanam, achArya 
stuthI, argyam-pAdyam-ityAdi, naivEdyam, etc. 

But, the greatest form of  worship, is that offered to the 
sadAcharya's padukA. 

All these modes are certainly in practice, today, by some 
of the most traditional and parama-ekantin followers of  
EmperumAnAr Darsanam.

Let us not forget that the worship of thamar-ugandha-mEni 
and thamar-ugandha-mEni, was fully sanctioned by Ethirajar
Himself during His avatAram. 

------------------------------------------

Further you wrote, 

> Ramanujar had disregarded and burnt the first Ramanuja 
> Nootrandhadhi that was written by 
> Thiruarangatthamudhanar. The reason being, it was 
> completely in praise of Shri Ramanujar. Shri Ramanujar 
> was totally against the
> nara-sthuthi and that included himself too. 

The very first pasuram of Ramanuja Nootrandhadhi 
(as 'approved' by Sri Ramanujar) runs thus:

   "poomannu maathu porunthiya maarpan pukazmalintha
    paamannu MAARAN ADI PANINNTHUYNTHAVAN- palkalaiyOr
    thaammanna vantha iraamaNnuchan charaNaaravindham
    Naammanni vaazha neNchE! CHOLLUVOM AVAN NAAMANGALE."

(Please refer Sri KV Narayanan's excellent on-going series on 
Ramanuja Nootrandhadhi based on Sri U. Ve Velukkudi 
Swamy's upanyasam)

Is this not an example of Azhwar sthuthi and Acharya-sthuthi ?

Further in paasuram 7, Sri Tiruvarangat-tamudhanar offers
saraNAgathi to Sri Ramanuja's disciple, Sri Kooratazhwan. 

Or consider paasuram 45:
 
  "pERonRu maRRillai nin charaN anRi, ap pERaLiththaR
   kaaRonRu millaimaR RachcharaN anRi,en RipporuLaith
   thERum avarkkum enakkum unaiththantha chemmaichollaal
   kooRum paramanRu iraamaa Nnuchameymmai kooRitilE."

Here Sri Ramanuja's thiruvadi are described as both the 
Ultimate upAyam and the upEyam!

-------------------
In summary, both saraNAgathi at the achArya'a tiruvadi  and 
sadAcharya-arAdanam are essential concepts of the 
Srivaishnava tradition.

If you are not convinced about this,  I request you share your 
thoughts giving references, from the Srivaishnava literature or 
an Acharya's upanyasam, that supports your opinion.

There were some other issues about comparing worship of 
Srivaishnava acharyas with anya-devata aradanam which I will 
address later in a separate mail.

Please note that all errors here are mine alone. 
If anything here is accurate, it is only due to Acharya and 
bhagavatha sathsangam .

EmberumAnAr tiruvadigaLE SaraNam. 
adiyen ramanuja dasan,
-Shreyas




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