Bhagavad Ramanuja Vaibhavam- 1.16- Neccessity of Acharya

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

Dearest all

 

All beings eat, sleep, mate and co-exist, live with their fellow beings. Only

human beings have the power of discrimination to distinguish what is wrong and

what is right. To get to know this power of discrimination, we need to learn and

be educated. We need to learn the Atma jnAnam. How to learn? Where to learn?

From whom should one learn?

 

The teacher must have learnt in his youth all saasthras and other relevant

subjects and also practice what he preaches.

 

The role of an AchArya in guiding a human being towards salvation can hardly be

exaggerated. Chandogya Upanishad, Kashyapa samhitha and many other works

emphasize AchArya’s part in shaping a disciple and his future.

 

The term AchArya implies: one who acquires philosophic knowledge (jnAnam) by the

proper study of saashthrAs; by imparting such jnAnam that He had acquired to His

disciples makes them adopt the religious life fully in accordance with or as

laid down by saashthrAs; and one who follows the saasthrAs himself.

 

Yaangnyavalkya smruthi says:

 

AchinOthi cha saasthrArthAn AchArE sthApayathyapi;

Swayam AcharathE yasmAth thasmAth AchArya uchyathE

 

AchAryan should not only practice what he preaches; He also makes sure that his

sishyas too practice what he teaches.

 

One should approach such an acharya with utter humility and with token of

offering. One should go and beg the Acharya for accepting as his student and

disciple.

 

AchArya should be treated as bhagavAn:

 

One who is interested in surrendering himself to the Lord should seek a

qualified AchArya. A qualified AchArya is an absolute and integral part of

SaraNAgati, because getting a detailed understanding of the principle of

prapatti is an essential prerequisite for SaraNAgati, and this cannot be

attained without the help of the AchArya. The AchArya should be held and

worshipped in the same position as bhagavAn by the Sishya, because there is no

way to repay the knowledge that the AchArya imparts to the Sishya.   

 

thapa: svADhyAya niratham thapasvee vaagvidhAm varam|

nAradam paripapraCCha valmeeki munipungavam ||

 

This wonderful first verse of Ramayana introduces to us the great Guru Sishya

pair.

 

The great saint Sage Narada, one who wanders all three lokas uttering the divine

Narayana name always, enjoying His divya leelas, kalyANa guNAs and teaches to

people whom he meet up with on the way with unlimited mercy on them. By adhering

to sakala veda vedantha saasthras and practising the same, He leads the group of

vedanthic scholars. He is saama gaana lolar;

 

Whatever one learns, or however educated he is; unless he is keen to learn and

enjoy Bhagavath kalyANa guNAs, and contemplate and enjoy meditating on His lotus

feet, the knowledge that he has is like dog having its tail. Dog’s tail is

useless and it does not even cover what it should; not it can chase away the

flies, mosquitoes (as other animals can with their tails). Similarly the

knowledge that one has, if unused for learning and enjoying Bhagavad vishaym, it

is equivalent to the dog’s tail.

 

Thus Sage Valmeeki was thus blessed with this bhagavad jnAnam from Sage Narada

as his teacher. He was blessed to have such a learned teacher.

 

Sage Valmeeki himself was a great saint; thapasvee; He had learnt Purva

meemaamsaa, (in order to get to know the Truth from Upanishads), vyAkaraNam

etc., completely. After having learnt and done enromus research on Karma khANdam

completely, he was not able to comprehend and get the way to get ultimate

Absolute Bliss of never retiunring to this earth and attain salvation. He longed

to learn more about Paravathvam, His divya Athma swaroopam, His divya mangaLa

vigraham, His anantha kalyANa guNas, His most wonderful leelas etc. and He

wondered as to how long it would take and from whom he would learn. When will I

ever be blessed to get a merciful glance of SadAcharyan?- He longed for.

 

When he was having such an intense quest for Parathva jnAnam, vaibhavam, Sage

Narada was there in front of him.

 

GithAchAryan Sri Krishna tells Arjuna:

 

tadhviddhi praNipAthEna pariprashnEna sEvyayA |

upadEshyanthi thE jnAnam jnAninasthatha dharshina: (Bhagavad Gita Ch. 4.34)

 

Learn by prostrating and questioning and by service to jnAnis (who have seen-

realized   the truth) who will teach you this jnAnam. One of the most

essential requirements for us, thus, in order to lead a religious life is to

have a well qualified AchArya or Guru (a spiritual preceptor).

 

Acharyan ThiruvaDigalE SaraNam

Regards

namo narayana

dAsan