Gurupournima Series: Part 2: Caring for Guru's Welfare: Kidaambi Aachaan

Gurupournima will be celebrated on July 24, 2021. This is the special day in the life of all saadhakaas to honour their Guru or Acharyar. To do this in the most effective way, it is critical to develop in ourselves the qualities of a shisya or disciple. As a buildup to that, by the Guru’s grace, I will be putting up one blog post everyday from today till July 24. I pray that the Guru tattva blesses us all to be able to understand, imbibe and practice these qualities in our life to be able to make maximum spiritual progress.

Quality 2: Single-minded caring for the Guru’s welfare

Swami Ramanujar was a sanyasi and as ordained by varnashrama guidelines, every day, he would consume only that food which had been received by Unchavritti, or the act of begging for alms. A few people were unhappy with the order that Swami was trying to bring to the administration of the Srirangam temple. They decided to do away with him by poisoning the alms he received. The wife of the person who hatched this plan was a pious woman who revered Swami Ramanuja but she was threatened into compliance by the husband.

When Swami Ramanujar came that day, with trembling hands and tears streaming down her face, she offered him the bhiksha (alms) by covering the poisoned part with a leaf, indicating that it was not fit for consumption. He got the message and threw the bhiksha into the Kaveri river and decided not to go for Unchavritti from then on.

Hearing about this incident, Swami Ramanujar’s Acharyar Thirukoshtiyur Nambi rushed to meet him. In the scorching midday heat, Swami Ramanujar and his shishyas went to receive him, and seeing his Acharyar, Swami prostrated at once, heedless of the hot sand on the bank of the Kollidam river.

It is the norm for the shishya to offer prostrations until the Acharyar asks him to rise. To everyone’s shock, Thirukoshtiyur Nambi didn’t utter a word, and let Swami Ramanujar continue to lie on the buring sand.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, reprimanding the elderly Acharyar, “Your Holiness, is this the way to treat a shishya? Won’t you ask him to get up? If such a code devoid of humanity is your norm, I don’t care for such absurd rules.”

Before anyone could react, the speaker, a disciple of Swami Ramanujar, rushed to lift his Guru onto his back to cushion it from the hot sand, placing instead his own body on the ground.

Image courtesy: https://kazhiyurvaradanblog.in/2020/05/05/kidaambhi-acchaan-to-madappalli-acchaan/

This fearless disciple who had only his Guru’s welfare in mind to the oblivion of everything else was Pranathaarthiharan. Due to this incident, that showed his fatherly concern for Swami Ramanujar, he came to be called as Kidaambi Aachaan (aachaan means father).

Seeing the Guru nishtha (devotion) of the disciple, Thirokshtiyur Nambi smiled. He proclaimed, “I have found the right person who can take care of our Ramanujar with care and devotion! My son, I hereby appoint you as Ramanuja’s cook and bodyguard.” He then instructed Swami Ramanujar not to go for Unchavritti from that day.

Entrusted with this important task of cooking for his Guru, and being in charge of the kitchen, Kidaambi Aachaan also got the name of Madapalli Aachaan (madapalli means kitchen).

In those days, when anyone was having food in the matham, and wanted water, it would be poured directly into their mouth. Observing Kidaambi Aachaan serving water by standing at the side of the person, Swami Ramanujar ran there, and reprimanded Aachaan by saying, “Pour the water standing in front of the person, so that it is easier to control the water flow in a manner that makes it easy for the devotee to drink!” Kidaambi Aachaan immediately complied, and expressed his joy, saying, “I’m totally unqualified to serve the Srivaishnavaas and yet, Swami Ramanujar is engaging me in kainkaryam (seva) and correcting me. I’m most grateful to my Acharyar!”

Points to ponder

Kidaambi Aachaan was an ideal and obedient shishya and therefore, had great respect for the Guru of his Guru too. Yet, he did not let this respect stop him from questioning Thirukoshtiyur Nambi about what he saw as injustice to his Swami Ramanujar – such was his Guru bhakti!

Another aspect we need to understand is that Kidaambi Aachaan was the nephew of Swami Ramanujar’s maternal uncle’s wife. He was well versed in the scriptures and a great scholar. Yet, by the decree of Thirokoshtiyur Nambi, he spent his entire life after this incident cooking in the matham’s kitchen. A true shisya sees his highest good in caring for his Guru in any and all ways possible; all work done to achieve this goal is no longer a task, no longer high or low, it becomes seva (service) to be rendered with utmost zeal and joy. The water incident also shows his humility and willingness to be corrected.

Often in worldly life, when we show our capability, we get handed over a special responsibility that means extra work for us, or work that we don’t really like doing. Over and above that, when our mistakes in doing such work is pointed out, we feel disgruntled and even angry. Can we, in such situations, cultivate the attitude of seva and a willingness to accept our errors and bear all our responsibilities as an offering to the Guru?

Let us pray for divine grace to develop such a spirit like Kidaambi Aachan!

To know more about Kidaambi Aachaan, read here:

https://guruparamparai.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/kidambi-achan/

https://kazhiyurvaradanblog.in/2019/04/18/kidambi-achan-the-disciple-who-had-fatherly-affection-for-swamy-ramanujar/

https://kazhiyurvaradanblog.in/2020/05/05/kidaambhi-acchaan-to-madappalli-acchaan/

https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/religion/devotion-to-preceptors/article2880349.ece