Bhakti List Archives

Life's journey to SadAchAryan's feet :Part 3 (Continued) Feb 7, 2000

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • Wed Feb 23 2000 - 18:45:40 PST 


Dear BhakthAs :

After the sankalpam , the two of us receiving 
our SadAchAryan's grace were invited to an upanyAsam 
by Him on the glories of Prapatthi .Those , who had performed
Prapatthi were allowed to listen as well . HH the Jeeyar 
invited questions and cleared my doubts on 
the doctrine of Svathanthra Prapatthi
and the angam of Prapatthi known as KaarpaNyam .
With this upanyAsam, the sadasyam portion of 
the BharanyAsam rites were over .

The dialog of  a sishyan with his/her AchAryAn is
described either as as sadhasyam or Rahasyam . 
The word , Sadhasyam is derived from the root sadhas 
or general assembly .This type of discussion is for one
and all and is thus held in public . The second kind of 
upadesam is for the ear of the sishyan alone and is 
performed privately ( rahasyam )by the AchAryan . 

After the sadasyam , the two fortunate ones readied 
for BharanyAsam were invited by HH to stand in front 
of the illustrious ArchA Murthy , MalOlan from the ancient
hills of AhObilam surrounded by all the VisEsha Murthys
and the precious SaaLigramams belonging to our great
AchArya paramparai . AdiyEn had the darsana soubhAgyam 
of DhOlai KaNNan, Sri Ranganathan worshipped before by
KanthAdai Sri Annan Swamy , Atthigiri Varadhan who 
rceived AaarAdhanam from NadathUr AmmAl and his grandson 
KatikAsatham ammAl , the teacher of AdhivaNN SatakOpa Jeeyar,
Lord SrinivAsan , Sri Yadhugiri NaacchiyAr sametha
Sri Sampath Kumaaran , AarAvamudhan , Andal and RangamannAr , 
Sri SeethA LakshmaNa sametha Ramachandran , Sri HayagrIvan
and other deities .AdiyEn's eyes became focussed on
the most auspicious Archai of MalOlan now , who
instructed the first jeeyar through His niyamanam:

" grAmE grAme cha gathvA padha kamala nathAn 
  Maam gruheethvA abhiraksha " 

The overwhelming thought of the Lord travelling
for 600 plus years with our Azhagiya Singars for 
the ujjevanam of those , who bowed before His 
lotus feet persisted ( Aaasritha samrakshaNArtham 
desa sanchAram ) .

A curtain was now drawn so that our SadAchAryan 
and the two of us alone performing  BharanyAsam 
were present in front of MaalOlan .

The most merciful AchAryan performed then the moving
Ukthi Nishtai , when we repeated the prayers uttered 
by our SadAchAryan on our behalf , which was an elaborate
appeal to Malolan with the five angams of prapatthi
woven in step by step .The most exhilirating 
experience was when our SadAchAryan asked us to 
look at MahA Lakshmi seated on the left thigh of the Lord 
and asked us to plead for Her intercession 
(Purushakaara prapatthi) . With Her benovolent
sipArsu , Her Lord accepted Her recommendation 
to save this soul from the unending cycles of births 
and deaths . 

The MokshOpAya SaraNAgathi through ukthi nishtai
was thus completed for enjoying ParipUrNa BrahmAnubhava
roopa Parama PurushArtham through the mahOpakAram
of our most merciful AchAryan . Our AchAryan declared that 
MalOlan had accepted the Bhara samarpaNam . We prostrated
before our AchAryan in deep gratitude and Joy over 
the adhrushtam that befell on us . The sense of
exhilaration and contentment is hard to describe
after Bhara samarpaNam . 

The anantha kalyANa guNams of asmath AchAryan ,
HH Sri VaNN SatakOpa Sri NaarAyana YathIndhra 
MahA Desikan can not be described adequately 
in thousands of years ( VarshAyuthai: asya 
guNaa: na sakyA :). HH is nadamAdum dhaivam
for us , his sishya vargams. Our svarUpa prAptham
is to have Bhakthi towards Him at all times and
places .

The main doctrine for us to follow regarding 
our reverence and visvAsam for our AchAryan is 
the age  old saying:

yathA manthrE YathA VaidhyE yathA dEvE Yathaa Gurou
YaadhrusI BhavanA yasya Siddhir bhavathi thAdhrusI 

(Meaning ): In the case of Doctors , Dhaivams and
AchAryALs , One attains the level of siddhi equivalent
to the intensity level of their faith (nampikkai) .
AdiyEn's prayer to our AchArya Saarvabhoumar 
and karuNAmbhOdhi (Ocean of dayA ) is to enhance 
the kruthanjathi (indebtedness) and reverence 
for Him unitl the last moment of adiyEn's life. 

After receiving manthrAkshathai and particpating
in the Sannadhi TadhiyAraadhanam , adiyEn departed
on this momentous day for Srirangam .

AdiyEn would like to conclude this posting with 
the moving prayer to our SadAchAryan by U.Ve.VidwAn 
Melmaa Lakshmi NrusimhAcchAr Swamy :

nathvA Naarayana Munim , kruthvA tath guNa keerthanam
SruthvA tath upadEsOkthee: , SthuthvA thamm Nruharim BhajE 

KaarthikE Siva NakshathrE SambhUthAya tarAtalE 
NaarAyaNa yathIndhrAya GURAVE MAMA MANGALAM 

Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE saraNam ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan