In Śrī Vaiṣṇava theology the guru-paramparā is not merely a historical lineage but the very structure through which Bhagavān's grace reaches the individual soul. The paramparā begins in eternity: Bhagavān instructed Śrī Mahālakṣmī, who transmitted the teaching to Viśvaksena (the divine general of Vaikuṇṭha), who in turn bestowed it on Nammāzhvār. From Nammāzhvār the chain descended through Nāthamuni, Uyyakkoṇḍār, Maṇakkāl Nambi, Āḷavandār, Rāmānuja, Embar, Bhaṭṭar, and so on to the present.
Reciting the taniyans (invocatory verses) of the guru-paramparā is a compulsory practice before any Śrī Vaiṣṇava recitation, pūjā, or discourse. This recitation is not a formality; it is understood as an act of surrender to the entire lineage, acknowledging that one's own access to the teaching depends entirely on this chain. Each ācārya in the paramparā is regarded as a transparent medium: the teaching is the same throughout; only the vessel differs.
The paramparā also defines belonging. To receive pañca-samskāra (the five sacraments) from a qualified ācārya is to be formally enrolled in the guru-paramparā — to become part of the living chain. The Śrī Vaiṣṇava insistence on ācārya-niṣṭhā (steadfast loyalty to one's own Āchārya) reflects the understanding that Bhagavān reaches the jīva through the paramparā channel; to sever that channel through disrespect or ingratitude is to cut off the very conduit of His grace.