Thuppul Pillai: 1 – Acharyan Is The Dispeller Of All Sins

SrI:

SrImathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya namah:

SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |

vedAntAcArya-varyo me sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||

May the glorious Venkatanatha, the greatest of teachers of Vedanta, and the lion among poets and debaters, reside forever in my heart.

As the  Thirunakshathram of Vedanthacharyan Swamy Nigamantha Mahadesikan is forthcoming, We will know about  Acharya saarvabhouman Swami Vedanta Desikan. The Thuppul Pillai is  series of article  written by U.Ve Sri Madhavakannan Swami .

The word Guru means one who removes ignorance (agnjAnam) of spiritual knowledge. In Prapanna pArijAtham by SrI NadAdhoor AmmAL Guru is described very beautifully:

Please forgive me for my free translations (from tamil meanings)

A great Guru should be sought after by a person (disciple), immersed in samsaaric afflictions; who is afraid of the transitory life; the sorrows due to internal and external factors (AdhyAthmikam- soul dependent; Adhiboudhikam- external world dependednt; and Adhideivikam- pertaining to Supreme Lord). That Guru will teach and initiate the disciple with the necessary manthrAs and impart jnAnam.

This Guru is the Supreme Highest; he is verily Brahman (Lord); He is the highest of highs; He is the highest desire; He is the Highest God Himself. Guru is the Ultimate wealth; Guru is the knowledge; Guru is our treasure; Guru himself is means; Guru is the end. He needs to be worshipped at all times, under all circumstances; His name shall always be uttered by the disciple at all times.

gururEva parambrahma gururEva param dhanam;

gururEva paraa vidyA gururEva parAyaNam;

gururEva para: kAma: gururEva parAgathi:

tasmAth sathupadEshTasou thasmAth guruthamO guru: (48 Chapyter 4- Guru paddhathi)

Acharyan is the dispeller of all sins. He removes the darkness from our minds and removes ignorance. He gives us new birth (vidya janmam); He is the Father and the manthram (which He initiates us with) is the Mother. This birth places us on the path which leads us to an end to all future births and deaths. He endows us with divine vision. He has infinite amount of compassion towards us. He always is interested in our welfare. On account of all of these, He is always to be worshipped as the Lord Himself. One should never harbour any feeling that he is doing a good return for what Acharya has done by paying few dollars. It is only as a token of our gratitude.

Swamy Desikan himself describes the greatest qualities of AchArya in nyAsavimsati

slOkA 1: siddhaM sat.h saMpradaaye sthira dhiya managhaM shrotriyaM brahma niShThaM
sat.h tvasthaM satya vaachaM samaya niyatayaa saadhu vR^ittyaa sametam.h.
Dambhaasuuyaadi muktaM jita viShayi gaNaM diirgha bandhuM dayaaluM
skhaalitye shaasitaaraM sva para hita paraM deshikaM bhuuShNur.h iipset.h..

1. Sound philosophical jnAnam obtained (learnt) through the greatest lineage of his AchAryAs

2. Having an undisputed clear knowledge on sAsthrAs;

3. Free from any sins and attachments;

4. Complete knowledge of Vedas, its subsidiaries and ithihAsAs

5. Deep unshakable faith in Brahman (Almighty- unsurpassed unparalleled  Sriya: Pathi Sriman Narayanan)

6. Possesses sAtvic guNA;

7. Always speaks truth

8. Lives in accordance with the manner laid down in sAsthrAs;

9. Free from jealousy, show etc..

10. Having control over sense organs

11. Friendly and affectionate towards all;

12.Compassionate towards all;

13. Helps the disciples who err, correct them and make them follow right track as laid down in sAsthrAs

14. Wishes for everyone?s welfare at all times.

Our Greatest AchArya parampara as mentioned earlier starts with Sriman Narayanan Himself.

The lineage is:

• Sriman Narayanan.
• Sri Mahalakshmi
• Sri VishvaksEnar (sEnai nAthan- commander in chief)
• Sri SaTakOpar (nammAzhwAr)
• Sri nAthamuni
• Sri puNdarIkAkshar (uyyakkoNdAr)
• Sri rAmamisrar (maNakkAl nambhi)
• Sri yAmunAchAryar (ALavandhAr)
• Sri mahApUrNar (Periya nambhi)

This AchArya paramparA also is nicely recited by Swamy desikan in the following Tamil prabhandham.

ennuyir thandhaLitthavaraich charaNampukku

yAnadaivE avargurukkaL niraivaNangi

pinaruLAl perumpudhUr vandha vaLLal

periyanambhi ALavandhAr maNakkAl nambhi

nanneRiyai avarkku uraittha uyyakkoNdAr

nAthamuni saTakOpan sEnainAthan

innamudhatth thirumagaL enRu ivarai munnittu

emperumAn thiruvadigaL adaiginREnE.

என்னுயிர் தந்தளித்தவரைச் சரணம் புக்கு *
யான் அடைவே அவர்குருக்கள் நிரை வணங்கிப் *
பின்னருளால் பெரும்பூதூர் வந்த வள்ளல் *
பெரியநம்பி ஆளவந்தார் மணக்கால் ந்ம்பி *
நன்னெறியை அவர்க்குரைத்த உய்யக்கொண்டார் *
நாதமுனி சடகோபன் சேனை நாதன் *
இன்னமுதத் திருமகள் என்றிவரை முன்னிட்டு *
எம்பெருமாள் திருவடிகள் அடைகின்றேனே *

to be Continued

Courtesy : Sri Madhavakannan