Acharya vaibhavam - 39- nAma samskAram

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all,

 

nAma samskAram- Every Jeevathma is subservient to the

Lord Sriya: Pathi Sriman Narayanan by its very

inherent nature. In token of this subordination, to

the Lord and Sri Ramanujacharya [as the Key Acharya as

Acharya Rathnam], the disciple gets the name dAsa to

be added at the end of his name… Thus, he will be

constantly reminded of his subordination of the Lord

always.

 

Every jeevathma is thus nithya niroopaadhika

ananyaarha sEshan to the Lord. It is athyantha

pArathanthryam.

 

Nama or giving a name to the disciple is thus the

third part- Sri SMS Chari observes. Thus one calls

himself as Vishnu dAsa or Ramanuja dasa to emphasise

that he is the follower of Sri Ramanuja darsanam.

Another justification for naming the initiate as

Vishnu Dasa is not to address him by his family place

or birth place or surname and to be addressed as

Vishnu dAsa. That’s why Srivaishnavas address

themselves as Vishnu dAsa or Ramanuja dAsa or dAsoham…

and not by his real name..

 

Sri Anand Karalapakkam Swami adds very beautifully in

his article:

 

The AchAryA adds the name 'DAsA'at the end of the

disciples name, to indicate that he is forever the

servant of Lord Sriman NArAyanA and Bhagavad RAmAnujA.

He becomes a 'RAmAnuja dAsan'. This is highly

important.

 

Eventhough Sri Vaishnavam is eternal, it was Bhagavad

RAmAnujA who propagated it with intensity and fervour,

out of his great compassion for all the living

entities. He was a supreme devotee of Sriman NArAyanA

and an intellectual genius. He gave the true imports

of Brahma SUtrAs and established the eternal truth

vouchsafed in the Upanishads. He made everyone

understand that NArAyanA, the consort of 'Sri' is the

Supreme Lord, who has all the sentient beings and

insentient things as His body (ie. NArAyanA is

supporter & controller of everything and everything

exists for His pleasure).

 

Ramanuja blessed us with the secret doctrine of

'prapatti' (self-surrender) to the whole world.

Saranagati is the only way in this Kali Yuga by which

one can reach Sri Vaikuntam (mOksham). Thus, it was

Bhagavad RAmAnujA who opened the gates of Sri

Vaikuntam for anyone, irrespective of caste, creed or

sex. The greatness of Bhagavad RAmAnujA cannot be

expressed at all in mere words.

 

Since he was the one who redeemed the whole suffering

humanity by propagating the eternal truth and the

ultimate good to everyone, Lord RanganAthA residing at

SriRangam became so moved that, the Supreme Lord

placed at the disposal of RAmAnujAchAryA , all His

possessions - lIlAvibhUti (Material World) and

Nitya-VibhUti (Spiritual World ie. Sri Vaikuntam) -

including Himself. In commemoration of that act, Lord

RanganAthA conferred upon Bhagavad RAmAnujA the name

of 'Udayavar' (Possessor or Master), to signify that

he was thenceforth the Master of all. Thus, to enter

the Spiritual Abode of Sriman NArAyanA, the link with

'Udayavar '(Sri RAmAnujA) becomes a vital and

important criterion.

 

The sishyA should always identify himself through this

'dAsa 'nAmA. Whenever he speaks to other bhAgavathAs

he should have the servitude attitude which in one way

can be cultivated by remembering his 'dAsa 'nAmA

 

asmadhAchArya paryanthAm vandhE GuruparamparAm

Regards

Namo Narayana

dasan