choose to remember him or not, Âchārya has not forgotten me even for a second. There have
been several occasions when Âchārya himself has called to enquire about my progress, and
my welfare. Such is the greatness of my Âchārya’s compassion that no distance can diminish
it. We have heard that the sincere disciples at Melukote installed an archa of Rāmānuja, not
being able to bear the separation from him. But, so boundless is our Âchārya’s compassion
that no distance is large enough to let even a worthless disciple like me fall off his grace!
Treating us as his own children, Âchārya is always protective about our welfare. Âchārya
inquires of the wellbeing of all our family members as though each and every one of them is
his very own. When we meet with the difficulties and disappointments of the harsh and
merciless world, Âchārya takes us into his fold and protects us with comforting words.
Âchārya’s lotus feet offer shade from the scorching heat of the endless cycle of existence. As
long as our Âchārya’s grace flows towards us, there is nothing here or hereafter that we
cannot accomplish. Âchārya’s one pleading request to the Lord on our behalf has ensured that
the grace of Lord Lakshmi-Nārāyaṇa rushes towards us incessantly. Âchārya’s sripāda Tîrtha
has become the elixir for all our diseases including the disease of mundane life. Our
Âchārya’s affection towards us is a constant protection. One glimpse of our Âchārya’s
smiling countenance is sufficient to soothe all the pains we experience in this mortal world.
The quintessential teaching
Âchārya has been kind enough to enlighten us on various doctrinal tenets, time and again. Of
these, I wish to share one precept that is very relevant to this discussion. On one occasion,
Âchārya narrated the following story:
There lived a poor Brahmin in a kingdom ruled over by a very powerful king. One day, the
king decided to conduct a Yajna for the welfare of his kingdom and to celebrate its
prosperous growth. An invitation was sent to all the villages of the kingdom, requesting
knowers of the Veda to join the performance of this Yajna. It was also announced that every
member attending the Yajna would be bestowed a special reward. The poor Brahmin became
desirous of attending this celebration. However, there were many impediments to this. His
poverty did not allow him to afford the travel, buy new clothes, or arrange for his required
daily expenses. Added to that, he took care of his aged parents and there would be no one to
care for them in his absence. Feeling dejected