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Sri:
Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

Bhattar once told a srivaishnava "Go to Anandazhvan,
pray at his feet and find out from him what the true 
characteristics of a Srivaishnava are".

The srivaishnava immediately left for Thirumalai
and went to Anandazhvan's home. When he reached there,
he found many srivaishnavas were in the middle of 
eating. Since there was no place for him to sit with
them, he stood by one side and was waiting.

When Anandazhvan saw him, he said "It is long past 
the hour for eating - and you have not yet eaten! 
You look so tired!". So, he quickly had the food
kept for himself and his wife along with the 
srivaishnava.

Then, he queried him "From where are you coming?".

The srivaishnava replied "Bhattar asked adiyEn to
come to devareer and find out the characteristics
of a srivaishnava".

Anandazhvan replied "A srivaishnava would be like a
crane, like a hen, like salt and like you".

That is, a srivaishnava is one who does not push 
himself forward in a crowd of bhAgavatas for 
personal recognition and instead stays behind and
looks to only serving other bhAgavatas.

(Notes on Anandazhvan's reply: 
1. Just as a crane stays near water, a srivaishnava
too would stay in the divyadesas which have divine
waters. A crane is white - so too a srivaishnava 
would be white inside and out; that is, having only
good qualities. A crane would ignore the little 
fish and wait for the large fish. A srivaishnava 
would ignore the simple goals and wait for the 
supreme goal of service to the Lord.

2. A hen would peck around in the dirt looking only
for the food particles and eat them. It would then 
give the same to its chicks. A srivaishnava too 
would search through the Vedas and other works and
look only for the meanings that are in line with 
what the Azhvars and Acharyas have said and set 
them in his mind. In turn, he would also give them
out to others like him.

3. When salt is added in the right amount, it gives
good flavor to the food. If the salt is missing, that
food item becomes inedible. The salt once added to an
item, melts itself and provides taste to that food.
So, even though it is responsible for the food's good
taste, it is never mentioned when the food is praised.
Similarly, a srivaishnava would melt himself in a
bhAgavata crowd and by doing service would bring
greatness to that crowd while himself staying hidden.
Just as the salt will be blamed if added in excess or
added too little, so too a srivaishnava will be blamed
if he does not follow exactly what is prescribed for 
him.

4. Anandazhvan said that a srivaishnava would be like
the bhAgavata who visited him because the bhAgavata
waited patiently without complaining when the food was
being served to everyone except him. That is the 
correct behaviour for one bhAgavata in another's home.)

Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam

A Day in the Life of Our Acharyas:
http://www.acharya.org/articles/aditlooa/index.html


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