SrI UpakAra Sangraham - II (5)

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srI:

 

SrI UpakAra Sangraham - II (5)

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SAdhanAdhikAram

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Section - 6 (5)

(Five Favours for Adopting Practical Means)

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SwAmi Desikan has been describing the favours being

done by the Lord to the sAttvika jIva to adopt a

suitable means to attain mOkSha. These means are known

as sAdhyOpAya-s, that is, bhakti-yOga and prapatti,

which help securing the Lord’s favour. The Lord

Himself is also a means called “siddhOpAya”, a means

already existent. He has been doing favours to the

jIva who has turned out to be a sAttvika. Having

realized the help extended by the Lord, the jIva has

also to develop devotion for Him but for Whom the

final goal cannot be attained. The Lord’s another

favour in making the jIva to develop towards Himself

is explained in this sub-section:

 

(5) “dadAmi buddhiyOgam tam yEna mAm upayAnti tE”

enkiRapadiyE prAptikku vyvadhAnamillAtha

paramabhakti-dasai uNdAkkumathuvum ---

siddhOpaya-bhootha-nAna sharaNya-nudaiya

sva--prasAda--sampAdana--roopa-mAna sAdhyOpAya

upakAram.

 

The goal to be attained is the Lord Himself. The

means, both bhakti-yOga and prapatti, so far described

reached the final stage, that is, the Lord, with whose

own words in quotes, Swami Desikan begins this

sub-section:

“dadAmi buddhiyOgam tam yEna mAm upayAnti tE” -- This

is part of a verse from the Bhagavdgita and we shall

see the full verse now:

 

“tEShAm satatayuktAnAm bhajtAm preetipoorvakam /

dadAmi buddhiyOgam tam yEna mAm upayAnti tE //”

(Bhagavadgita,10-10)

 

(To them who are worshipping Me with a desire to be

with Me constantly, I give with love the particular

mental stature by which they attain Me.)

The mental stature is buddhi-yOgam, which helps in

constant meditation on the Lord. It further develops

in to parama-bhati, which is a state where the jIva

feels very miserable during even a small bit

separation from the Lord. It is just like a fish which

cannot survive even a bit of a moment out of water.

That kind of meditation on the Lord without a break is

being developed in the mind of the jIva with the grace

of the Lord. This is the fifth favour that the Lord

confers upon the worthy jIva.

 

This is described by SwAmi Desikan:

 

“siddhOpaya-bhootha-nAna sharaNya-nudaiya

sva--prasAda--sampAdana--roopa-mAna sAdhyOpAya

upakAram.” --

 

The Lord is the siddhOpaya. He is the refuge. The

means to be practiced, that is, sAdhyOpaya, are meant

to get His grace. The Lord favours the jIva to

practice the means to attain Himself.

SwAmi Desikan summarizes this in a verse:

 

“yugapadakhilam pratyakShEN svatah satatam vidan

nirvadhi-dayA-divyOdanavAn ashakya-vivarjitah /

jaladhi-sutayA sArdham dEvO jagatparipAlayan

paramapuruShah siddhOpAyah prateeShTabharassatAm //”

 

 

(SrImad-rahasya-trayasAram)

 

(The Supreme Lord Who knows all things, at the same

time, by direct perception and without any aid or

instrument, Who is the boundless and divine ocean of

mercy, protects the world, with His Consort, LakShmee,

the daughter of the ocean, being omnipotent. Having

accepted the responsibility of saving those who follow

the right path, He is the upAya that is already

existent [siddhOpAya].)

 

The practical means being adopted by the sAttvika

jIva are the Lord’s graceful gift.

The bhakti-yOga upAsaka also can proceed only with His

grace for which he has to surrender to Him. Those who

are not qualified to undertake bhakti-yOga can adopt

sharaNAgati as the direct upAya for mOkSha. It is

called advAraka prApti. The goal attained through

bhakti-yoga which in turn through prapatti is known as

sadvAraka prApti. It must be kept in mind both

require an immense devotion to the Lord and

performance of karmas pertaining to one’s varNa and

AShrama -- caste and state of brahmacharya and

grihasta AShrama.

The Lord confers favours accordingly to persons who

sincerely undertake either of these two means.

This is the message of this section, says

SwAmi Desikan.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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