A Day in the Life of our Acharyas - 29

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Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

 

Bhattar once told a srivaishnava "Go to Anandazhvan,

pray at his feet and find out from him what the true

characteristics of a Srivaishnava are".

 

The srivaishnava immediately left for Thirumalai

and went to Anandazhvan's home. When he reached there,

he found many srivaishnavas were in the middle of

eating. Since there was no place for him to sit with

them, he stood by one side and was waiting.

 

When Anandazhvan saw him, he said "It is long past

the hour for eating - and you have not yet eaten!

You look so tired!". So, he quickly had the food

kept for himself and his wife along with the

srivaishnava.

 

Then, he queried him "From where are you coming?".

 

The srivaishnava replied "Bhattar asked adiyEn to

come to devareer and find out the characteristics

of a srivaishnava".

 

Anandazhvan replied "A srivaishnava would be like a

crane, like a hen, like salt and like you".

 

That is, a srivaishnava is one who does not push

himself forward in a crowd of bhAgavatas for

personal recognition and instead stays behind and

looks to only serving other bhAgavatas.

 

(Notes on Anandazhvan's reply:

1. Just as a crane stays near water, a srivaishnava

too would stay in the divyadesas which have divine

waters. A crane is white - so too a srivaishnava

would be white inside and out; that is, having only

good qualities. A crane would ignore the little

fish and wait for the large fish. A srivaishnava

would ignore the simple goals and wait for the

supreme goal of service to the Lord.

 

2. A hen would peck around in the dirt looking only

for the food particles and eat them. It would then

give the same to its chicks. A srivaishnava too

would search through the Vedas and other works and

look only for the meanings that are in line with

what the Azhvars and Acharyas have said and set

them in his mind. In turn, he would also give them

out to others like him.

 

3. When salt is added in the right amount, it gives

good flavor to the food. If the salt is missing, that

food item becomes inedible. The salt once added to an

item, melts itself and provides taste to that food.

So, even though it is responsible for the food's good

taste, it is never mentioned when the food is praised.

Similarly, a srivaishnava would melt himself in a

bhAgavata crowd and by doing service would bring

greatness to that crowd while himself staying hidden.

Just as the salt will be blamed if added in excess or

added too little, so too a srivaishnava will be blamed

if he does not follow exactly what is prescribed for

him.

 

4. Anandazhvan said that a srivaishnava would be like

the bhAgavata who visited him because the bhAgavata

waited patiently without complaining when the food was

being served to everyone except him. That is the

correct behaviour for one bhAgavata in another's home.)

 

Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam

 

A Day in the Life of Our Acharyas:

http://www.acharya.org/articles/aditlooa/index.html