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Svayam Acharya - Chari

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K. Srinivasan • October 28, 1996 


>From: Mani Varadarajan 
>Subject: Re: Svayamacharyas
>Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 10:46:58 -0700

>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.
....[More information ...]
>Mani

My father's lineage has 'mudumbai nambi/ammaaL' and
mother's side has 'kidaambi aacchaan/perumaaL'. They
are all part of the 74. However, both had told us that
they are 'madaththu kaara" not svayam aacharya.
Ahobila Matam is supposed to be our traditional maTam.
So this does not seem to fit the descendance theory.

Another thing I have noticed is that most "svayam aacharya"s
carry the name "chari". (Char/Charlu).

Srinivasan K