SrI UpakAra Sangraham - II (1)

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srI:

 

SrI UpakAra Sangraham - II (1)

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SAdhanAdhikAram

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Section - 6 (1)

(Five Favours for Adopting Practical Means)

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After describing several favours conferred by the

Lord before the jIva got ready to adopt the means for

mOkSha, SwAmi Desikan now speaks about the means in

this Second Chapter. In this section he lists out five

more favours of the Lord in adopting the practical

means, namely, shAdhyOpAya:

 

(1) ippadic cEthananai upAya-vishESha-anuShTAnatthilE

oruppadutthi, nOyellAm peythathOr Akkaiyaic cumanthu

koNdu irukkiRa ivanukku,

“sthitE manasi susvasthE shareerE sati yO narah /

dhAtu-sAMye sthitE smartA vishvaroopam

ca mAmjam //” (VarAhapurAnam)

 

ityAdikaLiR-padiyE,

shAreera-mAnasa-Agantuka-sahjangkaLAna

caturvidha-vyAdhikaLalum kalakkam vArAtapadi, “astu

tE” ennum anugraha-vishEShatthAlE,

dhAtusAmya-shareera-svAsthya-ngkaLaiyum,

manah-sthairyatthaiyum piRappikkumathuvum;

The Lord has helped the jIva to involve himself in a

special means.

 

“ippadic cEthananai upAya-vishESha-anuShTAnatthilE

oruppadutthi,”

But in what condition the jIva is, is also noticed by

SwAmi Desikan:

 

“nOyellAm peythathOr Akkaiyaic cumanthu koNdu

irukkiRa ivanukku” --

 

This jIva is ‘carrying’ a body which is full of

diseases. In this condition, he is not fit to take up

any strenuous method. How will he ensure his mOksha?

In order to give hope to him, the Lord’s assurance

itself provides a guarantee:

“sthitE manasi susvasthE shareerE sati yO narah /

dhAtu-sAMye sthitE smartA vishvaroopam

ca mAmjam //” (VarAhapurAnam)

 

This is one of the two final verses of SrI VarAha

PurANa, known as, ‘VarAha carama slOka’. After giving

the first verse, SwAmi Desikan says:

“ityAdikaLiR-padiyE,” -- that is, ‘et cetera’, as his

intention is to include the second verse also for our

consideration. Hence, we shall study the second verse

also along with this verse.

 

These two carama slOkas are unique and held superior

than the carama slOka of SrImad Bhagavadgita, as these

were spoken to SrI BhoodEvi, the Mother Earth, while

the Gita’s carama slOka was given to ArjunA in the

battlefield. While SrI BhoodEvi requested the Lord to

tell her an easy way for ordinary people to attain

Him, ArjunA sought the Lord’s advice on personal

grounds. Here is the first slOka:

 

“sthitE manasi susvasthE shareerE sati yO narah /

dhAtu-sAMye sthitE smartA vishvaroopam ca mAmajam //

 

tatastam mriyamANam tu kAShTa-pAShANa-sannibham /

aham smarAmi madbhaktam nayAmi paramAm gathim //”

 

(When the mind is in its normal condition, when the

body is not shattered and when the elementary

constituents of the body (dAtu) are in perfect

condition, if a man meditates on me Who have the world

as My body and Who am not subject to births due to

karma, when that man lies like a log of wood or a

piece of stone in his dying moments, I think of my

devotee and lead him to attain the highest state.)

 

The first slOka indicates the time, the qualification

for adopting prapatti and its procedure and towards

whom it has to be performed. These are indicated by

the Lord in response to the request from SrI BhoodEvi

to reveal an easy method for all the beings to attain

the highest benefit. The second slOka clears the doubt

whether the stipulation of keeping the memory of the

Lord at the last moment of life is applicable to a

person who has adopted prappatti. The Lord makes it

clear that it is not necessary, as that responsibility

becomes His own once the person has surrendered at His

Feet.

 

This assurance is another favour done by the Lord.

SwAmi Desikan says:

“shAreera-mAnasa-Agantuka-sahjangkaLAna

caturvidha-vyAdhikaLalum kalakkam vArAtapadi” --

 

The Lord gave this assurance so that the people need

not be worried about the four kinds of diseases

afflicting the body and the mind at the time of the

Atma’s departure from the body.

 

This assurance is endorsed and conveyed the Mother of

all, the Consort of the Lord herself:

 

“astu tE” ennum anugraha-vishEShatthAlE” --

 

The quote is from SrI sharaNAgati Gadhyam. When

SrIbhAshyakAra submitted to SrI RanganAyakI, the

Consort of SrI RanganAtha to grant him permission to

surrender at the Feet of the Lord, The Goddess answers

with these words:

“astu tE / tayaiva sarvam sampatsyatE //” (sharaNAgati

Gadhyam - 3)

 

(Let that be for you [Let you surrender at the Feet of

the Lord.] Because of it, you will attain everything.)

 

“ennum anugraha-vishEShatthAlE” -- By this special

grace,

 

That is, this special grace of the Consort of the

Lord opens the path ahead.

 

“dhAtusAmya-shareerasvAsthya-ngkaLaiyum,

manahsthairyatthaiyum piRappikkumathuvum;” --

 

To keep the body free from diseases, with the three

humours, namely, flatulency, bile and phlegm remaining

in equal proportions, and to keep the mind steady and

firm, the Lord confers a favour to the progressive

jIva.

 

When the body and the mind are healthy, the person

should surrender at the feet of the Lord. Such a

situation is also the Lord’s gift. This is the message

conveyed by Swami Desikan in this sub-section.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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