A TRIBUTE TO ASMAD ACHARYAN

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A TRIBUTE TO ASMAD ACHARYAN

It used to be said that unable to enumerate the auspicious qualities

of Bhagavaan, the Vedas returned crestfallen.

"Yatho vaachaa nivartantE apraapya manasaa saha"

 

The same can be said of the qualities of head and heart of Asmad

Acharyan. However much we may extol his `GuNas", they fit him like

a "T" and yet fall far short of describing him fully. I was

therefore, scared to write about him lest it should give an

impression that this was all that could be said about him. However,

his very qualities compel me to venture to say a few words of

obeisance to him.

 

As LakshmaNa put it, I became a slave to his GuNas.

"guNair daasyam upaagata:"

 

As Swami Desika puts it in his "GOdha Sthuti", his guNas embolden

even a dumb person like me to venture to write a few lines about him.

"mounaan mukharayanti guNaas tvadeeyaa:

 

As all of you know, he is hailed by all other Acharyas of our

Sampradayam as verily the "VasishTa" among them and as "NaDamaaDum

Deivam" (God walking on earth)

 

WHAT MAKES HIM QUALIFIED FOR THESE EPITHETS?

Asmad Acharyan belongs to a long line of "Munis" who are

absolute "Viraktas" to name fame and material gains but remain silent

to the point of being almost incognito shunning publicity and pomp,

doing their duties with incredible rigor and intense self discipline.

 

MUNI IN ALL TANIANS

If you look at the Tanians (Stand alone dedicatory verses) of

successive Achaaryas of Poundarikapuram Swami Asramam, you will find

the word "MUNI" repeated in each one of them (For example)

Paravakkottai Andavan: "gOpaala Desika MUNIM gurum assrayaama:"

Vinnatrankarai Andavan: "Sri Srinivasa MUNIVARYAM aham prapadhyE"

Mannargudi Andavan: "Jnaabdim suguNaakaram MUNIVARAM Sriranganaatham

bhajE"

Poundarikapuram Andavan: "rangEsa paada vinatam Srinivaasa MUNIM

bhajE"

Narayana Maha Desikan: "naaraayanaakhyam MUNIM aasrayaama:"

PeriyaaNdavan: "Sri Srivaasa MUNEENDRA dEsika maNim sreyOnidhim

samsrayE"

TirutturaipooNDi Andavan: "Srimad Srivaasa Ramaanuja MUNIM anagham

tam bhajE DesikEndram"

Vazhuttur Andavan: "vEdaanta LakshmaNa MUNEH srita bhaagadEyam

paadaara vinda yugaLam saraNam prapadhyE"

Tirukkudantai Desikan: "vEdaanta LakshmaNa MUNEENDRA krupaata bOdam…"

Sri Saakshaat Swami: vEdaanta LakshmaNa MUNIM saraNam prapadhyE"

 

This repetition of the term "Muni" is not by any accident nor because

the composers could not find alternative expressions! I feel it was

by way of conscious recognition of the "Virakti" of these Acharyas in

not indulging in vain talk but keeping "mum" in silent contemplation

and meditation on the Lord. This does not mean that they never speak

out at all. Speak they will, but only while expounding the nuances

of our Siddhantam in KaalakshEpamas or while advising on AnushTaanams

to their Sishyas in private.

 

TIRUTHIP PANI KOLLAL

H.H. is strict on himself and strict on others who come to him. He

would never spare anyone committing any indiscretions like coming

into the Asramam without washing their feet, without wearing Oordva

puNdram and the traditional Pancha Katcham (grihastas) and MaDisaar

(for Sumangalis). But, his advice would always be polite "hitam" so

that we would be made to feel ashamed of ourselves for the

indiscretions.

 

SANDHYAVANDANAM - A JUSTIFIED HARSHNESS

In the matter of doing Nitya karmas like Sandhyaavandanam, he is

uncompromising. Sometimes, he may look a bit harsh but it would

always be for our good.

 

DID YOU WASH YOUR HAND?

Once, I was attending the "Abhigamanam" and Pongal prasaadam was

offered and we had to take it with a leaf in our cupped up palms. I

had unwittingly kept it on the floor because I was called for some

urgent call. This had not escaped the watchful eye of H.H. When I

returned and was about to take the prasaadam back, he asked me

whether I had washed my hands.

 

ACCEPTING SISHYAS AND ADMINISTERING RAHASYA MANTRAS

H.H. follows the traditional method of testing the would-be- Sishyas

before accepting. He is not the one to consider "Anything is fish

that comes to the net". This is because his only concern is the

spiritual welfare of the would-be-Sishya and he is never motivated by

monetary considerations that might come with accepting Sishyas

indiscriminately.

 

In my case, when I went to him for BharaNyaasam some 23 years ago, he

asked me to go back and listen to KaalakshEpams of the then

Villivalam Swami (Present Jeeyar of AhObila Mutt) before coming back

to him for the purpose. He asked me to have a bath in the sea at

TiruppullaaNi for receiving the mantras. He insists on what Swami

Desikan says as "Ashad-karNam" method in administering Rahasya

mantras and does not initiate Sishyas en masse.

 

MOSQUITOES NOT DRIVEN

There were several occasions when we were given to realize that the

Sareeram of Achaarya like that of the Lord is made of Suddha Sattvam

and not like us.

 

While describing Rama to Sita in the AshOka vana, Hanumaan says:

 

"naiva damsaan na masakaan na keeataan na saree srupaan/

raaghavO apanayEt gaatraat tvad gatEnaanantaraatmanaa//" (VR-6-36-42)

 

I could see this once when I visited the Asramam in the evening.

Swarms of mosquitoes were invading everywhere. One cannot open one's

mouth lest a bunch of mosquitoes should get into the mouth. We were

fidgety all the time. H.H also went through the same torture. But,

not once did he venture to chase away the tormentors, not because he

was not bothered but because his concentration was on Bhagavaan.

 

Is it not said "Paramaatmani yO raktah viraktah aparamaatmani"

 

Another occasion we were reminded of this was when he had a fall and

fractured his leg. The Sishyas offered a wheel chair for him to sit

but he refused saying that he was not supposed to touch metal. With

excruciating pain, he slowly got up and moved to the Asramam. Anyone

of us in similar circumstances would have raised a hell of noise

renting cries of suffering.

 

Here is an Achaarya who proved his mettle in the face of grave pain.

 

Yet another occasion arose at the time of his SathaabhishEkam in

2001. H.H. used to get up early in the morning before dawn and climb

down the steps of the tank that had dried up but with some water in a

deep well dug at the center of the tank. Seeing how he was struggling

to climb up and down, we suggested that we would put up railings on

the side walls of the tank and well so that he could hold them for

steadying himself, especially as there was lot of moss and algae all

over making the surface slippery. He declined the offer saying again

that he cannot touch an iron railing.

 

To this day, he has been adhering to this difficult exercise!

 

ONLY WALKS – NO PALLAKKU

He is the only Achaarya who does not travel by car or palanquin till

this day. He normally does not go out of Srirangam but when he does

on Sanchaaram, he always goes by foot as ordained by the Saastras.

This is not a reflection on others who may use vehicles. H.H. used to

say that he would not comment on them but this is the norm that he

had been following ever since he took up the ascetic order 25 years

ago and there was no reason for him to change it now.

 

Indeed, he is literally and allegorically a "NaDamaaDum Deivam"!

 

NO TELEPHONE

When we suggested that he should have a Telephone in the Asramam, he

resisted the idea saying that it would be a nuisance interfering with

his AnushTaanams. We had to convince him that it was in the interests

of his Sishyas who were like his children that there should be a

phone installed in the Asramam for our sake. I even suggested that we

would install an Answering machine with caller id so that he need not

have to answer the calls right away but could choose to call back if

he felt later that it was necessary for him to respond. Only after

much persuasion did he agree to our request to install a telephone...

And, this has been a boon to us because we are now blessed to hear

his voice through Tele-discourses.

 

SAPTADI, SATABHISHEKAM AND RAJAT JAYANTI OF HIS SANNYAASA SWEEKARANAM

H.H. would have none of the "Celebrations part" on the occasions of

his Saptadi, Sathaabhishekam and Rajat Jayanti of his Sannyaasa

Sweekaranam and wanted to keep them at a low key without pomp and

paraphernalia. It was almost impossible task for us to make him agree

to it. It was because these functions gave opportunities to be in the

midst of Veda Vidwaans whose company was dear to his heart, that he

accepted our requests.

 

SAMARPANAI

H.H. never asks for any assistance especially financial assistance

from anyone, whether it is for any function or for any Kainkaryams or

for even running of the day-to-day administration of the Asramam. He

is not the one to accept any Samarpanai unless he made sure that it

was tendered without any ulterior motives. Once, he contributed an

article to one of the Souvenirs. The publishers published it in the

name of another author. H.H. had noticed this but did not object.

When the publishers came to offer some honorarium for the article, he

politely declined.

 

COMPASSION INCARNATE

His extraordinary compassion to Sishyas and Abhimaanis should be seen

to be believed.

 

During my last visit in 2006, I could do the "SaashTaanga

namaskaaram" only with great difficulty, due to knee pain. H.H.

noticed this and immediately motioned to me saying that I did not

need to prostrate and that an Anjali was enough. He suggested that I

should apply some Ayurvedic Thailams to the knee and even took pains

to explain how to apply and how long too apply to get full relief.

 

TIRU ANBIL DWAJASTHAMBA KAINKARYAM

I will be failing in my duty if I do not mention the immense help and

guidance he gave in completing the Dwajasthamba Kainkaryam last year.

>From the inception to the conclusion, H.H. took personal interest in

obtaining estimates from various Sthapatis, arranging for the

approval by Temple and HR & CE authorities and instructing on even the minutest details in executing the project.

 

READY ANSWERS

Every time I go to India, I used to collect a long list of doubts

bearing on our Siddhaantam and AnushTaanams for securing

clarifications from the H.H. He himself would ask me "Have you

brought any list this time?" For every question, he would give a

ready and convincing reply and for every doubt he would give

startling clarifications with appropriate PramaaNams.

 

GUEST HOUSE

Noticing that Sishyas and Abhimanis coming from outstations and

overseas were experiencing difficulty in getting suitable lodging

facilities, he had constructed a beautiful guest house very near the

Asramam. Anyone who goes to pay respects to H.H. can book a room at

moderate rent (just enough for maintaining it). This is a great boon

for people like me.

 

ACHCHIDRA ASWAMEDA PAARAAYANAM

During my SathabhishEkam in 2005, H.H. suggested that the

famous "Achchidra- AswamEdaha PaaraayaNam" may be arranged. I could

not find anyone to do it in U.S.A. H.H kindly arranged to have it

performed on my behalf at the Asramam itself under his immediate

supervision and the Veda Vidwaans were sumptuously rewarded and a

grand Tadeeya Aaraadanai was also done at the Asramam.

 

BOOKS GALORE

H.H. has brought out several publications like Srimad Rahasya Traya

Saaram, Chillarai RahasyangaL, Raampiraanai KarpOm etc and almost all

Desika StOtras with commentaries of Poorva Achaaryas. This is a

yeoman service to the SrivaishNava world that will be eternally

indebted to him.

 

We have the sacred duty of praying to Divya Dhampatis to grant

him "PoorNaayus" with pink of health.

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