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PRAKRITAM AZHAGIYASINGHAR (PART 3)

From the Bhakti List Archives

Ramanbil • December 1, 1998 


PRAKRITAM AZHAGIYA SINGHAR, 
MY ACHARYA, FRIEND, PHILOSOPHER AND GUIDE (PART 3)

Dear Bhagavatas,
Presented below is Part 3 on the above subject being excerpts from my talk
during the 600th Anniversary Celebrations of Ahobila Matam held at New York
during the first week of September 1998.
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
=============================================================
HIS RESPECT FOR ACHARYAS OF OTHER DISCIPLINES

· While taking Kalakshepam classes on Divya Prabhandam, he would teach us with
the volumes published by Puttur Swami and refer to his works with great
respect.

· He would unfailingly express his admiration of the way in which Velukkudi
Swami attained Paramapadam after performing Ghanta Seva at the Sannidhi of
Periya Perumal.

HIS DEVOTION TO SRI NARAYANACHAR SWAMI

· Like Sri Rama's yuvaraja Pattabhishekam could not go on as planned, Sri
Narayanachar's nomination to succeed 44th Jeeyar could not be fulfilled; But,
Sri Narayanachar lives through his fame - true to the saying "Yasah Kaayena
Jeevathi" because his brother assumed his name on acquiring Sannyasa Ashramam.
Right from Arulappaadu, all honors are literally addressed to the name of
Narayana Yateendra !.  Only the problems of administration have fallen to the
lot of our Swami.

· Like Bharata who ruled in the name of Sri Rama, our Swami thinks and acts as
if he were a regent of his brother.

· Bharata and Lakshmana were proud to call themselves as brothers of Sri Rama,
not as princes in their own right. Similarly, our Swami feels proud  of being
the brother of Sri Narayanachar and has never failed to mention this publicly
whenever an occasion arose.

· During the days when he grew up with his brother, he used to place all
Sambhavanas he got at the feet of his brother.

· Sri Narayanachar wrote his commentary on Para Matha Bhangam of Swami Desika
called "Desikaasaya Prakaasam". It is a rare case of Vairaghyam when he
refused to ask anyone for any financial assistance for publishing it. Sri
Purisai Swami and others financed the project of releasing the first Part of
the book. But, the Swami could not live to see the release of the Second Part
. Our Swami, despite several odds, took great pains to get it printed,
including proof reading of galley proof to the final one all by himself. 

· Once an Advaitin (who chanced to peruse the proof that had been proofread by
our Swami) challenged him on the use of the word "Prachanna Bouddhas" with
reference to Advaitins. Our Swami had to convince him how and why the term was
used.

[*  I have with me as a valuable treasure, a copy of this book presented to me
by our Swami ]

WHAT AN ACHARYA !
· If one needs to know how an ideal Acharya would be , one needs to look at
our Acharya. He is a living example of the ideal Acharya as defined in Nyasa
Vimsati and Acharyakritya Adhikaram of Swami Desikan.

· In a sense our Swami is greater than Bhagavan himself. Do you know why?.
Bhagavan knows both Anugraham (Reward)and Nigraham (Punishment). But, our
Acharya (like Thaayaar) is "Agnaatha Nigraha" Like Koorathalwan who
recommended  Moksham for Naaloor Aachan though the latter  was responsible for
the loss of his eyesight, our Swami  knows only Anugraham.

· What qualities differentiate an Acharya from the rest? They are Gnaanam+
Aachaaram+ Anushtanam+ Bhakti + Vairaghyam. Our Swami is a personification of
all these and more.

· Our Swami is special in another sense viz., He takes the 8-lettered
Ashtakshara name of Narayana as the 8th Acharya out of the 45 pontiffs
adorning the Peetam of Azhagiyasinghars so far. He is Lord Narayana Himself.

· I have a photo of Azhagiyasinghar's Mangalasasanam of  Sri Andal taken at
Srivilliputtur. Believe it or not, you can see the image of Lord
Lakshminrisimha where his shadow is expected to fall on the wall at the
Garbagraham. He is indeed Lord Lakshminrisimhar Himself. 

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