SrI UpakAra Sangraham Part - 65

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srI:

SrI upakAra sangraham – 65

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adikAram – 1

poorva upakAra paramparai

(The Foremost Series of Favours)

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SECTION – 5 (20) [continued]

(27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for

MOKSHAM)

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When the Highest Goal to be attained has been made

clear, it is for us to decide about the means to

attain it. It is also revealed by the compassionate

Lord, as indicated by SwAmi Desikan in this

sub-section:

 

(20) ivaRRilE pothintha

paratattva-paramahita-parama-puruShArthangkaLAkiRa

mahAnidhikaLaith thiRanthu kAttinathuvum;

 

Parama-hita – Highly Beneficial Means

 

After knowing the three Tattvas, particularly the

Para-tattva, that is, the Lord, the next item of

knowledge is being revealed by the Lord Himself. It is

related to the most beneficial action to be undertaken

by the jIva. This is also dealt with in the three

mantras which are taught by the AchAryas to their

disciples.

 

The first step towards undertaking the means for

Moksha is to realize that SrImaN nArAyaNa, Who is ever

with His Consort Sri, is the ParamAtmA. He is the

Master (ShEshi) and the jIvAtma is unconditionally

subordinate (shESha) to the Divine Couple alone and to

none else. As he belongs to Him, he is ever protected

by Him. The best means to attain Him is to develop

devotion towards Him and to seek refuge in Him through

sharaNAgati (surrender). He must pray to Him for the

removal of all hindrances in the way of adopting the

means.

 

The jIvAtma must realize that nothing belongs to him;

He himself does not belong to him, that is he is not

independent of the Lord. As he is the servant of the

Lord, whatever he does is, on His behalf only, for His

sake and the fruits of the action are also not for

himself, but for the Lord. Whatever benefits he enjoys

are His gifts to him and is enjoying them with His

permission only.

 

It is mentioned as “Parama-Hita”, Highly Beneficial

Means. The means or upAya to be adopted by the seekers

of mukti, is a special kind of expansion of knowledge,

“j~nAna-vikAsa-vishESham”. Not only the means but the

goal also is a special kind of knowledge, as after

attaining the Abode of the Lord, the mukta jIva

(freed-soul) is to experience the deep devotion

directly in His presence.

 

Of these, the means of bhakti requires the help of

the instrument of knowledge (j~nAnEndriyas), as has

been prescribed in the scriptures. Its object is the

Brahman, the Lord, Who is endowed with the essential

attributes, satyam, j~nAnam, anantam, Anandam and

amalatvam. The Brahman has to be meditated upon along

with the qualities associated the particular form of

meditation, which is known as vidya. A total of 32

vidyas, forms of meditation (a special kind of

expansion of knowledge) have been prescribed in the

scriptures.

 

This bhati-yOga has the karma-yOga and the j~nAna-yOga

as its auxiliary parts.

Karma-yOga is the performance of certain kinds of

karma or rites and duties as the result of knowledge

acquired from the scriptures in regard to the true

nature of the jIvAtma and the ParamAtmA. These rites

and duties consist of: 1) nitya karma, regular duties

to be performed compulsorily, like the daily sandhyA

vandana; 2) naimittika karma, rites to be performed on

specific occasions, like the eclipse of the sun or the

moon; 3) kAmya karmas, that is, optional rites to be

chosen as per one’s ability.

 

The karma-yOga, either directly or through j~nAna

–yOga, leads one to have a vision of one’s own self,

with the help of yogic auxiliaries like yama

(self-control), niyama (observance of rites), Asana

(position of the body during meditation), prANAyama

(control of the breath), etc.

 

The j~nAna-yOga is the means practiced by one who has

conquered his mind by karama-yOga. It is the constant

and uninterrupted contemplation of the essential

nature of the self as being distinct from matter, the

body, the senses and the like. The svarupa of the soul

is the mode or prakAra of Ishwara; the self is the

body of the Lord as it is supported and controlled by

Him and serves His purposes.

 

While one, practicing bhakti –yOga, contemplates on

BhagavAn as the inner-self, antaryAmin, of his self,

which is His body. The vision of his own pure self is

useful for meditating on the Lord as its Inner Self.

 

Bhakti yOga is the special form of meditation, which

is of the nature of unsurpassed love and which has,

for its object, the essential nature of the Lord Who

is not dependent on any one else, Who is not subject

to any one else’s authority; Who does not exist for

the fulfillment of the purpose of any one else. Bhakti

is meditaion as defined by SrI rAmAnuja in his

SrIbhAshya:

 

“dhyAnam ca tailadhArAvat avicchinnasmruti

santAnarooam” -- the form of a continuous stream of

knowledge which is of the nature of uninterrupted

memory like oil streaming down continuously. It has

clearness similar to that of visual perception; it

grows from strength to strength by being practiced

every day until the day of journey to Parampada and

terminates in the remembrance at the last moment of

the last breath, before death. This last remembrance

is compulsory in the case of the one who has adopted

the bhakti-yoga as the means for attaining Him. Until

this special condition is achieved, the final goal is

not possible. The practice will continue in the

forthcoming births, till the person is able to fulfill

the special condition of remembrance at the last

moment of life. That is the reason why, this

bhakti-yoga is not recommended to all, as it can be

practice only by a qualified person like VyAsa and

others, who are supposed to be still practicing the

bhakti yoga.

 

Bhakti yoga, prescribed as the means of obtaining

mOksha, is called para-bhakti. It generates an eager

desire to know the Lord with perfect clearness and

makes the person to cry out, as did, Arjuna:

 

“manyasE yadi tacchakyam mayA draShTumiti prabhO /

yOgEshvara tatO mE tvam darshayAtmAnamavyayam //”

(Bhagavadgita, 11-4)

 

(Oh Lord, You are the abode of attributes like j~nAn,

be pleased to show Thy whole Self !)

 

Sri NammAzhvAr cries:

 

“kANumARu aruLAi” (ThioruvAimozhio, 8-1-1)

 

(Grant me Thy grace so that adiyEn may see Thee.)

 

“kiLarnthu piraman sivan indiran viNNavar coozha

viLangka oRu nAL kANavArAi viNmeethE.”

(ThiruvAimozhi, 6-9-4)

 

(Come in the sky, surrounded by Brahma, Shiva, Indra

and all the devas, so that adiyEn may see Thee.)

 

This visual perception is called para-j~nAna

(superior knowledge). From this perfect perception of

the Lord, is born an excessive and unsurpassed love

for the Lord similar to the yearning felt by a person

suffering from great thirst at the sight of a water

pond. This love is called parama-bhakti (superior most

love). Parama bhakti produces an eager desire and

determination to enjoy the Lord without any

limitations, as the bhakta feels that it is impossible

to live any longer without this experience of the

Lorda as described by the AzhvAr, in ten verses in the

ThiruvAimozhi (10-10), where the AzhvAr cries out that

he will not hereafter allow the Lord to leave him and

that he must become one with the Lord and declares all

this with an oath that cannot be ignored by the Lord.

It causes likewise an excessive eagerness in the Lord

to give him mOksha immediately and makes him attain

mOksha after quenching his great thirst for union.

 

Prapatti and its Accessories

 

Prapatti stands in the place of para-bhakti to the

person, who adopts it as the direct and independent

means. Since bhati yOga is not suitable for those who

do not belong to the three higher castes, and likewise

also for those in these three castes who are wanting

in j~nAna or ability or both and since it will not

suit those who cannot endure any delay in the

attainment of its fruit, namely, mOksha, and are

therefore extremely impatient, prapatti is prescribed

as the sole and independent means of mOksha for them.

As it will be the means of securing all desired

objects, it has been prescribed in the place of para

bhakti for those who know their limitations.

The five accessories of this vidya (nyAsavidyA or

prapatti) are: “Anukoolya sangkalpam” (the intention

or will to do whatever agreeable to the Lord);

“prAtikoolya-varjanam” (the avoidance of whatever is

displeasing to Him); “kArpaNyam” (helplessness),

“mahAvishvAsam” (supreme faith) and

“gOptrutvavaraNam” (seeking His protection). It is

Sometimes, it has been said that sharaNAgati is of six

including the act of surrendering the self.

 

In the case of prapatti for mOksha, the absence of

any desire for ulterior results or fruit is essential.

The giving up of all attachment to the fruit and also

of the thought of ‘I am the doer’ is common to all

forms of renunciation such as karma yOga. This is also

essential for a person desirous of mOksha at the time

of his surrender of his self to the Lord with all the

accessories (angas).

There are two forms of prapatti: “uktiniShTai” --

by means of one’s utterance; and “AchArya niShTai” --

that done by the AchArya on one‘s behalf.

 

“uktiniShTai” -- One who is following the accessories

to prapatti, pronounces, before the Lord, the Saviour,

the sentence taught to him by his AchArya, which will

be considered by the Lord as equivalent to perfect

prapatti. The person will say, “May my salvation be

Thy burden or responsibility.”

 

“AchArya niShTai” – This form of prapatti is done by

one who is solely depends on his AchArya. He is

included in the AchArya’s own prapatti as part of it.

It has been laid down in shANdilya-smriti and other

treatises:

 

“putrah prEShyastathA shiShya ityEvam ca nivEdyEt /”

– The AchArya should say thus: “This is my son, my

servant, my disciple(who is to be saved)”.

 

It has been said also in shANdilya-smriti: “There may

be doubts concerning the redemption of those who serve

AchArya, but there is absolutely no doubt about the

redemption of those who delight in the service of His

devotees” (1-95). So, in the case of those who depend

solely on the AchArya, there is no doubt at all

concerning the fruition of prapatti, by the principle

of “kaimutika nyAya”. [Will not the Lord, who saves

those who take refuge in His devotees, save those who

take refuge in their AchAryas? Will not a benefit,

which is got by one who is not qualified, be obtained

by one who is qualified?]

 

It is thus established that SarvEshvara, the Lord of

all, will not grant us the supreme goal of existence,

unless prapatti is performed in any of these two

forms, and by some one or other.

Thus the Lord has done another favour by revealing

these important messages inbuilt in these mantras,

said SwAmi Desikan, in this sub-section.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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