Sravana Samithi, Muscat presents

Arana Desikan
~r]EtSik[f

Swami Desikan, Srirangapattinam,

karnataka

Series of articles collected / published during the holy month of

Purattasi, Sarvadhari by Sravana samithi, Muscat. 17/30
10/3/2008
Acharya Sambhandam is essential for every Prapannan who walks through the ardous
path of spiritual effort. Swamy Desikan has been the Acharyan par excellence. He is like
the "Nadu Nayaka Kal" the centre
padaikam of a haram (garland) of
Acharyas. Our Poorvacharyas took the
jnanam from Our Swamy's tiruvadi
sambhandam and the Acharyans who
were before Our Swamy arrived at this
Bhoolokam got the glory because of the
tirumudi sambhandam of our Thoopul
kula mani.
The importance of adoring
Acharyas has been dwelt with at a great
length in "Guruparampara Saaram" which
the prelude to the magnum opus Sri
Rahasya Trayasaaram.In the prelude our
swamy begins by referring to a Purana
slokam which tells about Kshatrabandhu
and Pundarika. A sinner like
Kshatrabandhu and a righteous man like
Pundarika both attained Moksha only by
obtaining the grace of an Acharya. Hence it is up to everyone to seek Acharya
Sambhandam. Thus Acharya Sambhandam becomes anivaaryam. (essential)
The Acharya himself should have the lakshanam of a teacher. In Nyasa Vimshati
Our Swamy starts the slokam with all the prerequisites that an Acharya should possess.
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The first sloka tells the 14 gunas which an ideal Aacharyan should possess.The next two
slokas tell about the shishya lakshanas .
Sidhham sat sampradaye --- one who firmly
takes the stand of Sat Sampradayam -- the
sampradayam which is elucidated in Saranagathy
Deepika first slokam 'manyam yatiswaramahanas
samprayam'-- the highly revered and glorified
sampradayam which emanated from the kitchen of
Acharyan Ramanuja through Madapalli
Aachaan Kidambi
Acchaan aka Pranatharthiharar (mahanas-- means
kitchen) Our Swamy is the scion of this lineage!
Our poorvacharyas always believed that a good saatvic ahaar (food) can create
the right mind set for a person to become a prapannan.
Stiradhiyam-- One who has a steady knowledge and extends the tradition
imbibed by him to his disciples. Our Swamy like Parama Guru is still doing it !!
Anagham-- one who is blemishless (in manasa vaacha karmana) He is pure and
his purity is such that it can cleanse all who come in
contact with him. The very desire to visit Thoopul
kula mani takes place only when we try to
understand what angham is. We try to visit his
Thiruavatara sthlam and try to get some purity of
thoughts!
Shrotriam-- One who has mastered the
Vedas. Our Swamy Desikan had mastered all the
Vedas and Upanishads before the age of twenty. He
is Param porul, he did not have to learn any thing
but to look real for our mamsya chakshu(eyes) he
had to pose that he had learnt everything by the age

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of twenty. Otherwise we in our wonderment might think that he is some one different
from us and not try to go near him or try to learn what he is trying to teach us.!
Nadadoor Ammal forgot the thread that he was teaching
when he saw Our Swamy coming along with Swamy
Appullar. Our Swamy with Rakudi shining on his
tirumudi (or was the Rakudi borrowing the halo from
Our Swamy's tirumudi!) came and had to retrieve
what Nadadoor Ammal had been preaching.
Brahma Nishtam-- One who is deeply
attached to the Sriman Narayana. He is one who is
absorbed in comtemplation of Brahmam the supreme
being. Our Swamy was only breathing Brahmam. He
lived for hundred and one glorious years in this
bhoolokam and all the years he had been only
contemplating on Brahmam. Otherwise how could he have
simplified the Parattvam for the laity?
Satvastham-- One who takes his stand in Satva gunam to
the total exclusion of Rajogunam and Tamogunam. It is
sattva gunam alone that helps one to achieve what
is good for him. Our Swamy's life history is replete
with incidents that show how with his satva
gunam he calmed his virodhis and corrected
them. Eg snake-charmer, vedantis who hung
slippers in front of his house etc
Satyavaacham-- one who speaks the
truth and truth alone. Our Kavitarkika kesari rides
like a colossus in this aspect.
Samaya niyataya sadhu vrittya sametham -- One
who possesses good conduct as per the pure tenets of the Vedas. The way an Acharyan

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has to conduct himself must be in tune with the times and also with the code adopted
by the righteous. Our Swamy behaviour with everyone was exemplary. His son Swamy
Nainaacharyar celebrates him in the mangalam slokam as pita and guru.
Damba ashooya aadi muktam -- one who
is totally rid of vanity jealousy and other bad
gunams. Humility must be main trait of an
Acharyan .Thoopul kula mani's humility was his
hallmark.
Jita vishaya ganam -- one who keeps
under control all his senses is Jeetadriyan.
Kavitarkika simham with his lifestyle showed his
contemporaries how one can control his
indriyams .Example vidya ranyar trying to tempt
him with a grand lifestyle.
Deerghabandun -- one who regards
the entire human race as his relations. The relationship here is not of body but of soul.
Our Swamy's avatara rahasyam elaborates this quality.
Dayalum-- one who is ever full of compassion and mercy, Had it not been for
been our Swamy's Dayai we would not reading or writing about him.He can penetrate
into aasthikas "punthi" and cleanse him. We should all be his kripa patram.
Shaalistye Shasithaaram-- one who checks and corrects his disciple on seeing
him swerve from the right path. Our Desikan is vishwa vyapyan and He alone can
correct the baddha jivas in this samsara sagaram.
Svapar hita param-- one who prays for the welfare of himself and of others.
Swamy Desikan took this bhooda udal only to redeem us and he proved time and again
that unless we follow the path of paraspara hitam we cannot see any light in the dark
tunnel of samsaram.
Thus Our Swamy is not only ParamPorul but also Parama Guru (Peethaha aadai
Piraanaar, Parama Guru Vai Vandhu)

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Aho bhagyam Aho bhagyam!!
Vaazhi Nam Para Guru
Vaazhi Nin Vadive

Dasan
Nangainallur Venkatesan

Swami Desikan in Ramar Tirukkolam, Toopul

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