Dear Vikram swamy, namaskaram. One small clarification. It is not that the upa-deivangal will not leave us; we will get attached to the upa-deivangal. It is our own material desires that get fulfilled through these upa-deivangal make us attach to them strongly.
The upa-deivangal are servants of Perumal. If we sincerely desire to attach to Perumal and willing to give up all our material attachments, then the upa-deivangal will happily let us go towards Perumal (who is their master too).
பற்றுக பற்றற்றான் பற்றினை அப்பற்றைப்
பற்றுக பற்று விடற்கு.
For upa-deivangal we don’t have to give up any பற்று. They will fulfill our பற்று as long as we want. But if we want to give up all பற்று and go to Perumal, they may test us a little if we are genuinely interested; but they will never be a hindrance to our progression towards Perumal. In fact, their main service is to somehow or other help us develop attachment to Perumal and go towards Him. Initially we get attached to them because they fulfill our desires; but soon we realise that these desires do not give actual satisfaction. Then by fortune we come across our acharyan; hear about Perumal and begin to get attached to Him; finally we give up all material attachment and get fully attached to Perumal in full saranagathi. The Upa-deivangal are serving Perumal by helping us make progress in this direction.
In temples where the offering is first done to Perumal and then His prasadam is offered to the upa-deivangal, we can take that prasadam. On the other hand, if the ‘temple’ does offering only to the upa-deivam, or worse to the upa-deivam first and then to Perumal, then we should refrain from taking that.
adiyen dasan.