Bhagavad Ramanuja Vaibhavam -Acharya devO bhava!

bhadra.m karNebhiH shRRiNuyAma devA bhadra.m pashyemAkShabhiryajatrAH |
sthiraira~NgaiHstuShTavA.msastanUbhirvyashema devahita.m yadAyuH ||
-Rg Vedam I.89.8

Let us (always) hear, Oh Lord and learned people, with our ears, what is Bhadra (auspicious); let us see with our eyes, what is good and auspicious.

Our AchaaryAs out of their limitless compassion for us and Jn~Anam took upon themselves the responsibility touplift us (the suffering jeevans) from the  dangerous ocean of SamsAram . They instructed us on the deep meanings of Tatthvams so that our minds will no longer be agitated by any thing .They helped us to perform Prapatthi , which delights the heart of  the Lord and thereby banished rebirth for us in SamsAric world.We have become now fortunate through the links to our SampradhAyam established by AchAryAs at the behest of SrIman NaarAyaNan and are blessed to enjoy the bliss of MokshAnandham.We thus have recieved the loftiest of blessings of the Lord (Moksha Sukham) by observing an easy to perform upAyam (SaraNAgathy) that takes very little time (KshaNa Karthavyam) to practise .

“As the fire priests with (their) fingers produce fire from two sticks by the (deft) motion of their hands, in the same way with the coordinated efforts of their deep thinking and noble actions, WISE MEN manifest and extend the glory of the effulgent Lord, who is excellent, and to be realized at depth with subtle eyes, ever vigilant and sovereign Lord of Creation”. [Rg Veda 7.1]

An AchAryan and his unique help to His sishyan is outlined here brilliantly. Before the start of a Yagn~am, the Vedic priest churns the araNi Kattai with another stick to generate fire for the Yagn~am. The fire is latent in the stick. By the deft movement of his fingers, the priest brings out the fire. Similarly a SadhAchAryan through manthrOpadesam generates the fire of Jn~Ana Sampath in his sishyan and grows it further through visEsha UpadEsams on:

Tatthva Thrayam: chEthanam, achEthanam and Isavaran and their lakshaNams
artha panchakam /Five meanings:
Svaroopam of the Lord as Sarva Seshi and Praapyan (One to be attained) by the jeevAthmA.

That Praapya svaroopam of the Lord is taught as:
1. One who is never ever separated from MahA Lakshmi
2. Having the form of limitless Jn~Anam and Aanandham
3. As Sakala KalyANa GuNa PoorNan
4. free of any hEyam/DhOsham (hEya Prathyaneekam)
5. with dhivya managaLa Vigraham
6. Having the two Isvaryams of LeelA & Nithya VibhUthi
7. performing the leelais of creating, sustaining and destroying the Universes.

A SadhAchAryan gives further upadeshams on:
Svaroopam of the JeevAthma as a Seshan/Servant of the Lord and PraapthA seeking to attain  the Lord; the three kinds of Jeevans are : Bhaddhan (bonded), Mukthan (liberated thru the anushtAnam of Bhakthi or Prapatthi) and Nithyan (eternally liberated).
The Means/UpAyam to attain the Lord The Svaroopam of the fruit to be attained; Phala Svaroopam
The obstacles to attain the Phalan: VirOdhi svaroopam.
Asmath AchAryan teaches us about the importance of performing SaraNAgathi

upasadyAya mILahuSha Asye juhutA haviH|
yo no nediShThamApyam || –Rg.7.15.1

“Offer homage to the ever present adorable Lord, the One who showers His blessings. Offer it to Him directly (thru’ nithyArAdhanam and dhyAnam), as He is available (accessible) in our close proximity (HrudhyAkAsam and Archai)”.

That One’s AchAryan is the Supreme Brahman is attested by a pramANam given to us by
Sri SrivathsAngAcchAr Swamy:

GururEva Param Brahma GururEva Paraa Gathi
GururEva Paraa VidhyA GururEva ParAyaNam
GururEva Para: kaamO GururEva Param Dhanam
YasmAth SadhupadhEshtAsou tasmAth GurutamO Guru:

Meaning:
AchAryan is Para Brahman; He is the highest to be attained as education, wealth, the means for purushArtham and the essence of VedAs.AchAryan is the One, who instructed us on SadAchAram and anushtAnam. Therefore, He has to be worshipped by us with reverence at all times out of gratefulness (kruthaj~nathai) for His MahOpakAram. The noblest instruction given to us is: SarIram arTam prANAmsccha SadhgurubhyO NivEdayEth -Every thing, our body, wealth and even life should be placed at the sacred feet of one’s AchAryan, who saves us from the terrors of SamsAram and helps us most gracefully to reach the Supreme Goal.

Our prayers to AchAryan with the Sapthama MaNdala Rg Veda Rk (VII.89.3):

“Oh Opulent and Bright One radiant with tapas (TapasA Jwalantham)! Bless me, Oh Lord (AchAryan) and have mercy on adiyEn if I have erred and gone astray from Your instructions and UpadEsams”. [From Sri Satakopan Swami’s wonderful write up]

By Sri Madhava Kannan Swami
Source:Oppiliappan Yahoo Groups