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From: Mani Varadarajan (mani_at_be.com)
Date: Fri Oct 25 1996 - 10:46:58 PDT
Dear Bhaktas, One more addendum to the informative notes on svayam acharya purushas. Acharya purushas are those people who administer samASrayaNam and teach the rahasyas to their disciples. As Jaganath pointed out, these people are descended from the 74 people (known as simhAsanAdhipatis) appointed by Ramanuja for this purpose. The names of these original 74 are still apparent from the present titles of these acharyas, i.e., mudaliyANDAn svAmi, kOyil kandADai svAmi, etc. Those Sri Vaishnavas who are born into a acharya purusha lineage traditionally have an elder who gives them samASrayaNam, etc. Such Sri Vaishnavas who were born in such a family describe themselves as svayam acharya purushas, since they need not go outside their family for an acharya. In the old days, there was always one person in the family who maintained the discipline and learning necessary to be an acharya. This situation is naturally currently in decline, and most people even from svayam acharya purusha families go to an outside swami (from a maTha or otherwise) for samASrayaNam. It should be pointed out that even maTha swamis must be from svayam acharya purusha families. By tradition, only these people are authorized to have samASrayaNam done for people. Mani