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Translated by Sri Vanamamalai Padmanabhan

VII. AchAryan

AchAryan: AchAryan is one, who, out of immense grace imparts true knowledge to the SishyA - educates him with the secrets of Thriumandhram with the specific intent of removing Sishyan from samSAram and make him apt to receive the grace of The Almighty.

Does not Madhurakavi AzhwAr mention "..payan anRAgilum pAngallarAgilum, seyal nanRAgath thiruthip paNi koLvAn".

He also declares in this prabhandham kaNNInun SiruththAmbu: "dhEvu maTTARiyEn kurugUr nambi" proclaiming the faith one has to have in one’s AchAryan and demonstrates this by practice.

While other AzhwAr-s talk of the Lord when He appears to them and fear the samsAram at other times, Sri Madhurakavi is always stable and steady due to his steadfast devotion towards his AchAryan. This is clearly mentioned in SrIvachana BhUshaNam 408: "uNda pOdhu oru vArththaiyum, uNNAdha pOdhu oru vArththaiyum solluvAr paththu pEr uNdiRE; avargaLaik koNdanRu ivvarththam aRudhiyiduvadhu".

The real philosophy has to be determined not based on the fluctuating words of ten AzhwAr-s who talk in a happy tone when the Lord appears and talk grief when He is away.

409: "avargaLaich sirithiruppAr oruvar uNdiRE; avar pAsuram koNdu ivvarththam aRudhiyidak kadavOm".

The real truth to be followed is to be determined from the one who is steadfast and steady in his words. The one who followed swAmy NammAzhwAr as his AchAryan and declared that he has got no other Lord than his Acharyan.

"By his immense causeless mercy, the AchAryan has showered his blessings on me; Put me in the right path. Imparted me The real truth. Taught me the Thirumandhiram and removed me from the SamsAram. Led me to the divine feet of the Lord Almighty and put me into the domain of eternal kainkaryam. What a mammoth upakAram. MaHOpakAram" should be our thoughts regarding AchAryan.

Pillai Lokacharyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam
Azhvar Emperumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam

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