Acharya & Guru? How to find the real one

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Hello all:

 

I have been browsing all these lists and it seems there are so many

acharyas everywhere. How do i choose

my acharya or guru. Is there anyplace that i can find the qualities of the

perfect guru?

 

How do I differenciate between the real gurus and so many fake sadhus

everywhere.

 

Looking for a response from learned members of this group with some real

ans. (please do not give answers

without any substantiation)

===============

SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

 

Dear SrI Satakopan Ramanujan,

 

Swamy Desikan describes the greatest qualities of AchArya in nyAsavimsati

slOkA 1:

 

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 everyones welfare at all times.

 

Our Greatest Srivaishnava AchArya parampara dovetails into the above

definition and it starts with Sriman

Narayanan

 

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)

Sri rAmAnujar (udayavar- EmperumAnAr- yathirAjar)

 

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.

 

What an excellent sweet prabahndham!

 

Sri Manavala mamunigaL also mentions: (in UpadEsa ratthina mAlai)

 

"jnAnam anuttAnam ivai nanRAgavE udaiya

nAna, guruvai adaindhakkAl - mAnilatthIr!

thEnAr kamalatth thirumAmagaL kozhunan

thAnE vaikuntham tharum."

 

When one takes refuge and performs prapatti at an AchAryan (Guru), who is

the great personification of jnAnam and anshtAnam, oh folks! the Lord

Sriya: Pathi Sriman Narayanan will grant mOksham.

 

He also stresses that if one wishes to get saved, place your mind (and

surrender yourself) at the feet of your AchAryan. (uyyaninaivuNdAgil

u~ngurukkaL thampahatthE vaiyum.. )

 

(Given below is an extract from a post written by Sri N Krishnamachari on

nyAsa vimsati- thanks to Sri Krishnamachari Swamin for his permission)

svAmi deSikan concludes the stotra with a gist of how he was led to

prapatti, and how he lives his life as a prapanna after performing

prapatti.

 

This concluding Slokam is included as part of the nitya-anushandhAnam at

the end of the nyAsa daSakam which is recited during the nitya

bhagavad-ArAdhanam.

 

samSArAvarta vega praSamana Subha-dr*k deSika prekshito'ham

samtyakto'nyairupAyair-anucita cariteshvadya SAntAbhisabshih |

niS-Sankhah tatvat-dr*shtyA niravadhika dayam prArthya samrakshakam

tvAm nysya tat-pAda padme varada nija-bharam nir-bharo nir-bhayo'smi ||

 

"I chose a good AcArya who could instruct me on how to get out of the whirl

of samsAra, and had his divya kaTAksha. Because of the AcArya's teachings,

I obtained the knowledge that could help me analyze and understand the

difficulty of bhakti yoga and the realization that prapatti is the only

recourse open to me, which I could perform easily, and attain the desired

moksham by performing it once and only once. I learnt the facts about

prapatti and so had no doubt whatsoever about its efficacy. I sought

refuge

of peraruLALan with pirATTi as the sole refuge who could protect me. I

surrendered all responsibility for my protection at the feet of peraruLALan

and performed prapatti at His feet. Since I am now living the life of a

prapanna, I feel completely relieved of all responsibility for my self from

that point. Since all my acts from that point on have been directed to

only

kaimkaryam for bhagavAn, there is nothing more to fear about any

accumulation of karma. So I continue to lead a life of nishkAmya

kaimkaryam

to bhagavAn while spending the rest of my life in this world, and deriving

infinite happiness from it".

 

AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo Narayana

adiyEn AchAryan Thiruvadi