PRAKRITAM AZHAGIYASINGHAR (PART 3)

[Guest guest]

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

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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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