SrI UpakAra Sangraham - II (12)

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SrI UpakAra Sangraham - II (12)

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SAdhanAdhikAram

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Section - 7 (4)

(The Favours being done by the Lord to the jIva

who has adopted bhakti-yOga or prapatti)

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It has been known by now that BhaktiyOga and Prapatti

are the two chief upAyas to be adopted for attaining

salvation. There are various categories in BhaktiyOga

which is constant meditation on the Lord, Who is the

Ultimate Reality. The categories of meditation vary

according to the form of the Lord with certain

attributes. These are called vidyas. There about 32

vidyas. Each one has been defined in the Upanishads

and accordingly the aspirant who has controlled his

mind by the yOgic exercises, has to train his mind to

meditate on a particular form of the Lord with

particular attributes only. This has been done only to

help the bhaktiyOgi to concentrate on a very limited

area. Otherwise his mind will not be stable. It has

also been made clear that by limiting the attributes

to one or two does not mean that Brahman has only

those attributes only and not others. The limitation

is only for the purpose of easy practice. Once the

aspirant attains salvation, he is going to enjoy the

Brahman with all the attributes in full measure. A

total devotion or bhakti is an essential part of this

yOga and without it the Ultimate cannot be attained.

Bhakti is the basic aspect for all the vidyAs --

whether one adopts a category of bhakti-yOga. Prapatti

is also a vidya, named as nyAsa vidya in the

Upanishads. While in the bhakti-yOga, prapatti or

surrender forms an intermediary practice to further

progress in the spiritual path for salvation, prapatti

itself forms a direct means for attaining the Lord. It

is known as svatantra prapatti or independent

surrender which does not depend on the injunctions

laid down for bhakti-yOga. Bhakti or devotion is

common to both. In the bhakti-yOga, the aspirant takes

the direct responsibility to perform the yOga strictly

according to the rules, any lapse of which will not

yield the result. Moreover, the aspirant has to

exhaust the past karma by experiencing the fruits

whether good or bad and to continue the bhakti-yOga at

the same time. One interesting and attractive fact in

the case of the practitioner of bhakti-yOga (constant

meditation) is the bliss that he will derive during

the practice.

As per the rule for the adoption of bhakti-yOga,

since the aspirant should be qualified to study Vedas,

it is restricted to only those born in three castes,

namely, brahmana, kShatriya (warrior) and vaisya

(trader). Those born in the fourth caste, namely

sudra, are excluded from the bhakti-yOga practice as

they are not supposed to study Vedas. But, they get

the benefit of bhakti-yOga, by their sincere service

to those belonging to the first three castes. Their

close association with them is itself a form of

prapatti by which they directly attain the Ultimate

without any other formality as of a bhakti-yOga

niShta.

It has been also laid down that even among the people

belonging to three superior castes, those who are

incapable of adopting the bhakti-yOga, because of its

strict rules, can resort to prapatti as an independent

means cutting short the difficult route of

bhakti-yOga. That means prapatti is universal, unlike

the bhakti-yOga.

SrI ALavandar, well known as YAmunAchArya, our

poorvAcharya, has left us a sloka as a guide for

adopting prapatti even by those who have

qualifications for bhakti-yOga:

 

“na dharmaniShTOsmi na cAtmavEdee na bhaktimAn

tvaccarNAravindE /

akincanOnyagatih sharaNyah tvatpAdamoolam sharNam

prpadyE //”

 

(StOtraratna - 22)

(Oh Refuge! I am not established in dharma, nor am I a

knower of self, nor do I have fervent devotion for Thy

lotus-feet; utterly destitute and have none else for

resort. I take refuge under Thy feet.)

 

The direct prapatti is also known as advAraka

praptti. The one, which is performed for the progress

in the bhakti-yoga which is the main means for

salvation, is called sadvAraka or anga prapati. Bhakti

is included in prapatti and prapatti is included in

bhakti. The person who adopts prapatti as the sole and

direct means for salvation is called

“svatantra-prapatti-niShTa”. He leaves everything at

the hands of the Lord who takes care of his mOkSha.

SwAmi Desikan, in this sub-section, speaks about him:

 

 

(4) “svatantra-prapattiniShTanukku apEkShA-anuguNamAka

prArabdhatthaiyum appOthE nishshEShamAkavAthal,

shareerAntharAdhi-hEthukkaLAna amsangkaLaiyAthal,

utthara-kruthyaroopa-shAstreeya

kainkarya-vishEShatthiRku virOdhikaLaiyAthal

kazhitthuk kodukkumathuvum;

 

When a person has adopted the Lord as the means by

this direct prapatti, the first thing the Lord does is

to destroy not only the balance of his past karma but

also ends the karma which has started its results in

the present life to end within this life itself:

 

“prArabdhatthaiyum appOthE nishshEShamAkavAthal

kazhitthuk kodukkumathuvum” --

 

The Lord sees to it that there is no balance left in

the prArbdha karma -- the karma which has started

showing its effects.

He also removes the causes that may arise for

continuing the next birth:

 

“shareerAntharAdhi-hEthukkaLAna amsangkaLaiyAthal

kazhitthuk kodukkumathuvum”

 

The svatantra prapanna is supposed to do all his acts

laid down in the scriptures as a service to the Lord.

He will not do anything that is not approved by the

scripture. Secondly, he will not do even those

approved in the shAstras for his self-benefit in view

of his becoming the Lord’s shESha - servant after the

prapatti. There may, however, be some hindrances to

this service because of his past karma. This also is

being removed by the Lord:

 

“utthara-kruthyaroopa-shAstreeya

kainkarya-vishEShatthiRku virOdhikaLaiyAthal

kazhitthuk kodukkumathuvum”

The man who has adopted prapatti has, from the time

he adopted it, nothing else to do for attaining the

fruit there of. The Lord Who is independent of all

others, Whose will is irresistible and Who is the one

that rewards us with the fruit of actions says, “Do

not grieve” (Charama Sloka). Since the Lord Who has

been accepted as the upAya, as He has said, “Seek

refuge under Me alone”, and also said, “I will release

you from all sins”, and since the Lord can always be

trusted and since He is capable, he would have no

doubts or fears in regard to the realization of his

object, that is, mOkSha.

 

Now, a little of AzhvAr anubhavam: SrI Thirumangai

AzhvAr expresses a great relief:

 

 

“thuRanthEn Arvac ceRRacf cuRRam thuRanthamaiyAl

ciRanthEn ninnadikkE adimai thirumAlE

aRanthAnAit thirivAi unnai enmanatthakatthE

thiRambAmal koNdEn thiruviNNakarAnE.”

(Periya Thirumozhi, 6-3-2)

 

(Oh Lord of ThiruviNNakar! I left both attachment and

enmity with regard to others and so, became eligible

to do service at Your feet. I kept You in my mind

without break in concentration.)

 

“pOnthEn puNNiyanE, unnaiyeithi en theevinaikaL

theernthEn ninnadainthEn thiruviNNakarAnE.”

(-do- , 6-3-4)

(Oh Virtue-incarnate! I came to You, Oh Lord of

ThiruviNNakar! After reaching You, I washed off my

sins.)

 

“maRROr theivam eNNEn unnai en manatthu vaitthup

peRREn, peRRathuvum piRavAmai emperumAn”

( - do -, 6-3-5)

(I will not think of any other deity; I am benefited

by keeping You in my mind; That benefit is the state

of no more births for me.)

 

“aLinthOrntha cinthai ninpAl adiyERku vAnulakam

theLinthE enRu eithuvathu? ThiruviNNakarAnE!”

( - do-, 6-3-8)

(When will the Paramapadam be attained by me, who have

attached my mind to You?)

 

“collAi thirumArvA unakkAkit thoNdupatta

nallEnai vinaikaL naliyAmai nambu nambee!”

(-do-, 6-3-9)

(Oh Lord! You have to tell me. You should prevent sins

from causing harm to me who have become Your servant!)

 

“ANdAi unaik kANpathOr aruLennakku! aruLuthiyEl

vENdEn manaivAzhkkaiyai viNNakar mEyavanE!”

(Periya Thirumozhi, 6-1)

(Oh Lord! Oh Lord of ThiruviNNakar! Please grace me to

see You. If You grace me, I will not desire this

samsAra life any more.)

 

Thus the Lord does another favour by preventing any

more births to the person who has adopted prapatti as

the direct means and refrained from committing sins.

This is the crux of this sub-section referred to by

SwAmi Desikan.

 

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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