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I sure have been reading a lot of intersting comments and discussions on
Acharays and gurus the past few days and do feel a strong need to get things
straightened up and think that just because its getting too controversial
we should'nt shy away from the discussion. Well I believe everybody so far
has made a statement that they believed was right and they sure are entitled
to that opinion. 
Well I went back to refer to RahasAtrayasAra, an english translation by Prof.
MR Rajagopala Iyyangar, with a preface by Ramanuja Thathachariar, I strongly 
suggest that a reading of the last two chapters 30 and 31 would be the ones
to refer, they might give you all the refernces but if you want to pull me
down, asking me not to quote from some random acharyas works or some translator
you are welcome to it. In that it clearly states that a shishya should adore 
and acharya as he would the bhagavan!! and various other things like instruc-
ting the shishyas to behave towards the acharya just as he would to the bhagavan.
I do agree that some of you might have had some experiences to tell about either
Azhagiya singar, that he was an angry man et al. but well on a lighter side they
used to say he had it all because if Narasimhars aradhana, remember Narasimha and
Parashurama have been the two angered avatharams of the bhagavan.
Let me make a very confident statement and talk of the two matams that I know of
Srirangam Srimad Andavan ashramam and Ahobila mutt, well let me say this Peetadhi
patis of these two mutts are not or have not been mere GODMEN, they do not fake things
its not like many other godmen and they sure are not easy to be attracted to the general
crowd, just like Vaishnavism does'nt attract just about anybody and sure enough they
are much worthy than being reffered to as "mere humans", I am sure know they were humans
but a different kind nad deserve to be called something else, they were'nt like a bunch
of us out here who dabbled reading a few books on Visishtadvaita, they devoted their
entire lifes to visishtadvaita and if they did make a statement in a published work
they sure knew what they were talking and its just my belief that we sure are ignorant
enough to take a look at what they have said. Belive me its surely not very easy to
be a Peetadipati amidst the caustic toungue slinging sleuths of Srirangam!!. They surely
have to different and do deserve some respect.
I am making these statements because my family has been close followers of Thirukudanthai
Andavan, and I have spent a lot of evenings of my boyhood during his sancharam at 
Bangalore and know what a great Acharya he was to everybody. I am positively not
being stupidly sentimental about him or for the matter of fact any acharya.
They are not there merely serving to satisfy our personal devotion to them, man
they are the Flag bearers of Ramanuja and Desika, so do deserve some respect!!
It surely takes them a different metal to leave behind Grihastashrama to get into
sanyasam, well ...... you really need to be associated more closely with one to 
appreciate the acharya system, no amount of words here are going to convince anybody
but what I am trying to convey is that it is a serious matter to look into if one
wants to better his or her Visishtadvaitic ideals (its my personal opinionof course)
and sure is worth discussing even if it means being shouted at or displeasing many 
who might think I am being irrational and emotional.

Thanks

--sriram