4

."LEARN OUR TRADITION THE EASY WAY"-
Sampradaya lessons for kids for GRADE 2 ?written in Tamil by Desika
Bhakta Ratnam, U. Ve. Seva Srinivasa Raghavachariar Swami under
his "Jayamangala Paada Thittam" (Translated by Sri M.K.Srinivasan
Swami of Vedanta Desika Research Center, Chennai).
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LESSON 4: "SUCCESSION OF ACHARYAS"
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The original "Guru" in our tradition is Sriman Narayana
Himself. "maamapi akila lokaanaam Guruh Narayana aguruh" meaning "
For me and the entire world the Guru is Narayanan who is without a
Guru". Says Vishnu Purana (.1.14). "kamapi Adhyam Guru" (Yathiraja
Saptadi) is another term used to indicate the Supreme Being.

"The succession of preceptors of our tradition is unique and great"
says Swami Desika in Yathiraja Saptadi "for, we have the Lord Himself
as our Guru".

To reach the Lord, therefore, one should worship as God one's own
Guru, then his Guru and so on thus leading to the Supreme one. "Asan
Asan ithi Adhi Bhagavattah" He, he and he up to the original Lord is
one way of worshipping the succession of Gurus in ascending order
(AarohaNam). The other method is "Aa bhagavantath prathithaam anagham
achaarya santhathim vande" which means, "from the Lord downwards the
line of spotless famous Acharyas which is the descending order
(AvarohaNam). Our learned scholars accepted both these methods in the
past.

In Adhikara Sangraham, a compendium of the Tamil verses appearing in
his magnum opus, Srimad Rahasya Traya Saaram, Sri Desika explains the
former method through a rich and meaningful verse.

After prostrating before my preceptor who implanted real knowledge in
me and gave me `life', I successively pay obeisance to the hierarchy
of earlier preceptors and then to the Great and compassionate master
(Sri Ramanuja) who appeared in Sriperumpudur, to Sri Periya Nambi,
Sri Alavandar, Sri Mankkaal Nambi, then on to Sri Naathamuni, Sri
Nammaazhwaar, Lord Vishwaksenar and then finally, fall at the feet of
ambrosial Goddess Lakshmi and Her Consort, the Supreme Lord, Sriman
Narayana.

This verse is usually chanted everyday at the commencement of daily
worship (Nitya aradhana) and is a `talisman' for all problems.

Swami Desika adopts the descending order method in his Yathiraja
Saptadi, a seventy-four-verse ode to Sri Ramanuja. In the first
verse, he pays obeisance to the Supreme Guru (Aadhyam Vande). In the
second verse, he worships Goddess Lakshmi who is ever with Him
(sahadharmacharee). In the third, he offers worship to Lord
Vishwaksena, the Commander-in-Chief of the divine forces (vande
Vaikunta senaanyam). In the fourth is worshipped Sri Nammaazhwaar who
(by virtue of his appearing in a trance to Naathamuni (through
recitation of Madhurakavi's verses) is declared the Chief of the
Vaishnava family (Sataarim thum Upaasmahe). Then come in succession
Sri Naathamuni, (fifth verse), Sri Pundarikaksha (Uyyakkondar) in
Sixth verse, the illustrious Sri Alavandaar and Sri Mahaapoorna (Sri
Periyanambi) in eighth and ninth verses. In the tenth verse, the
great master Sri Ramanuja who is also known as Sri Bhashyakaara, Sri
Emperumaanaar, Sri Udaiyavar, and Sri Lakshmana Muni etc.

After Sri Ramanuja, the lineage of preceptors divides into two, which
we shall study later on.

To sum up, our preceptor deserves our highest regard and is to be
treated as God, then his preceptor and so on up to God Himself.
Whoever does so, will get all one wants in this world and in the next.
QUESTIONS
1. Who is our first preceptor?
2. Does Goddess Lakshmi figure among Preceptors?
3. In how many methods can we worship our preceptors? Write down
the names of the preceptors in each method?
4. How did Nammaazhwaar become Sri Naathamuni's preceptor?
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4. DESIKAMRUTHAM: "A TRUE SRIVAISHNAVA" by Sri T. Ramaswami Iyengar
Swami, former Principal, Sri Ahobila Mutt Sanskrit College,
Madurantakam
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"I have no paternal property: nor have I earned anything: But, on the
summit of Hastigiri is my ancestral property. I have decided to sing
His glory alone; I shall not engage myself in the childish pranks of
singing about seemingly great men?"

These are the words of our illustrious Acharya, Sri Nigamanta Maha
Desika. Quite appropriately, his son called him the sacred jewel
eagerly desired by every true Srivaishnava. Incidentally, we come to
know of a true Srivaishnava and his qualities.

"Cast aside your desires, cares and anxieties: Surrender unto me: I
shall look after your welfare" are the words gleaned out from the
teachings of the Supreme Lord. These commandments were truly carried
out throughout his life by our Acharya, the greatest of all times.
Hence, he became "Sarvatantra Swatantra" and loved by many Non-
Srivaishnavites too in his own time.

He proved to be a person of attraction not only for his followers but
also for Lord Sri Ranganatha and His Consort Sri Ranga Nachiar, the
Divine couple, as the Acharya addressed them.

Our Acharya combines in himself the great qualities of the teacher
and the taught. A true follower of his Sampradaya should at all times
strive to follow up his teachings throughout his life. Though it is
not possible to raise us to his stature, everyone amongst us in our
own miniature world, should try to attain at least a part of his
perfect life.

Comparing his life, what a great fall we now see in our midst!
We do very many things now merely because they are remunerative to us
or to someone around us. We engage ourselves in very many activities
to get us to limelight of the innocent public, which think us to be
great, perhaps!

Our desire very often is to be published, photographed and praised
very much. "Even a fool does not act without expecting some return"
is the motto of this day. We see this striking contrast between the
life of the great Acharya and our own lives today.
Are we real Sri Vaishnavas?

We are ignorant about the real purpose of the teachings of our great
Acharya: We are lazy to follow up his teachings: We are even
reluctant to give a helping hand to those trying to practice the
teachings of the Acharya. Being so ignorant and unwilling, naturally,
we do not teach our youngsters the greatness of our Acharya and his
teachings. On the other hand, we make our children believe that we
are the real representatives of the Acharya.
Are we really so?

We fail in our duty to educate the youngsters on the right Sastric
lines. Our real service to society is in the uplift of spiritually
downtrodden youngsters of our community.

We must set an example to our children by our simple lives and
devotional behavior. Only then, we can be considered to have done
some service to our community. Our real service starts with the
education of our children in schools, in homes and everywhere,
highlighting the simple living and noble thinking which marked the
life of our Acharya.

May the Acharya give us the courage and necessary help to do our duty
on the right lines!

(Source: Swami Desika's 7th Centenary Commemoration Volume)