SrI deSika stotras - 10. nyAsa vimSati - Part 1. Krishnamachari, N (nkrish@lucent.com) Mon, 27 Jul 1998 11:13:35 -0500 SrI deSika stotra-s - 10. nyAsa vimSatih. This is a continuation of the topic of SaraNAgati. There are 20 (vimSati) Sloka-s on nyAsa in this stotra (excluding two Sloka-s in the end which deal with the phala Sruti), and this is the basis for the name. After going through the meanings of the Sloka-s in nyAsa vimSati, I felt that it would have been more approapriate to call it prapatti-rakshA, similar to the pA~ncarAtra-rkshA of svAmi deSikan. After giving a description of how an AcArya should be chosen, how he should be respected, how a Sishya should behave, etc., svAmi deSikan takes up the different arguments that have been advanced by opponents of prapatti as a mkoshopAya, and answers these questions through nyAsa vimSati. Of the 28 stotra-s in samskr*t that we have from svAmi deSikan, nyAsa vimSati is the only one for which he himself has written a vyAkhyAna in prose as well. This shows the importance he attached to the content of this stotra. In this storam, svAmi deSikan gives the qualities of an AcArya, the attributes of a Sishya, the help rendered by an AcArya, the observances that should be followed by a Sishya on a daily basis, the qualifications for bhakti and prapatti, the greatness of prapatti, the prAyaScitta-s for transgressing the requirements of the a~nga-s of prapatti, etc. I considered different formats for presenting the material below - in the form of questions and answers, a high level summary which omits details, and a very detailed write-up which covers everything that is conveyed to us. The last one would have been the most preferable, but because of the length I am compromising. AcArya lakshaNa - AcArya should be treated as bhagavAn: One who is interested in surrendering himself to the Lord should seek a qualified AcArya. A qualified AcArya is an absolute and integral part of SaraNAgati, because getting a detailed understanding of the principle of prapatti is an essential prerequisite for SaraNAgati, and this cannot be attained without the help of the AcArya. The AcArya should be held and worshipped in the same position as bhagavAn by the Sishya, because there is no way to repay the knowledge that the AcArya imparts to the Sishya (Slokam 2). svAmi deSikan has described 14 qualities of an AcArya (AcArya lakshNam) in Slokam 1, and 8 reasons why an AcArya and bhagavAn hold the same position for a Sishya in Slokam 2. Proper Instruction from A Qualified AcArya Absolutely Essential: Not everyone in the ocean of samsAra comes forth with a desire for moksha. This desire arises only in a few (kasyacit) who have had the good fortune to get the upadeSa as described in previous Sloka-s. In turn, it is only when a person has led a life of virtue (puNya) that the desire to seek an AcArya, the desire for moksha, and the opportunity to even get the upadeSa from a qualified AcArya, will arise. This condition itself arises only occasionally (kvApi kAle). SrI D. rAmasvAmi aiye~ngAr refers us to the GitA - bahUnAm janmanAm ante j~nAvAn mAm prapadyate (Slokam 5). One may think that it is much easier to just chant the prapatti mantra once, and not have an AcArya etc. However, this is not what prapatti is all about. It is important to have the guidance of an AcArya who alone can sow the seed of prapatti in the Sishya's mind at an opportune time as prescribed in the SAstra-s. This alone will lead to the long-lasting interest and ability to follow the a~nga-s of prapatti including mahA-viSvAsam, and lead ultimately to moksha (Slokam 8). Sishya lakshaNam: A person who wishes to learn and be instructed by an AcArya should be a sincere Sishya with certain qualifications such as sincere interest in learning, trust in SAstra-s, control of indriya-s, etc. svAmi deSikan has outlined 15 Sishya lakshaNa-s in Slokam 3. The Most Important Instruction The AcArya Should Impart: The most important instruction that the AcArya should give to the Sishsya, which in turn should be meditated upon by the Sishya constantly, is that - bhagavAn SrIman nArAyaNa is the sole owner and controller of everything moving and non-moving, - He is the only objective for all of us in life to attain and there is none other, - He is the only means to attain this objective, and so the Sishya should learn never to deviate from the words of the SAstra-s which are His word. This is the essence of the rahasya-traya-s (Slokam 4). Bhakti and Prapatti Are Two Independent Means for Moksha: bhakti and prapatti are two distinct methods for attaining moksham, each with its own qualifications, requirements, effort, etc. Those that hold that they are identical may be misled by thinking that because the final outcome of both is same viz. moksha, the means are also equal in all respects (Slokam 5). In fact, prapatti happens to be both an a~nga of bhakti yoga as well an independent means for attaining moksha. The fact that prapatti is an altogether independent means for attaining moksha can be seen on the basis of several points. The pre-requisites (A~nga-s) for bhakti yoga include strict observance of varNASrama dharma-s, whereas for praptti the a~nga-s are AnukUlya samkalpa, kArpaNya, mahA viSvAsa, etc. The effort needed is different for the two, the time it takes to attain moksha through bhakti yoga and prapatti yoga are different, and there are other differences as well. (Slokam 10). Prapatti - Supported By Sruti-s as The Greatest tapas, and Within Everyone's Reach: svAmi deSikan gives examples from the Sruti-s supporting that prapatti is considered the greatest of all tapas, one who has done prapatti is considered to be one who has done a good yAga, prapatti is a well-kept secret among deva-s, etc. At the same time, it is the means available to everyone without distinction of varNa etc. The view that it is not suited for those who cannot chant vedic mantra-s is not correct, since Agamic (tantric) procedures are available to the latter (Sloka 9). Several instances of SaraNAgati being an accepted method to achieve one's desired objective even in ordinary life are known in the smr*ti-s. Examples of sugrIva, vibhIshaNa, kAkAsura, etc. are known to everyone. There is nothing in the SAstra-s against SaraNAgati being an effective and accepted method to achieve the objective that one is unable to achieve by one's own efforts. Given this, there is no basis for doubting that surrender to emperumAn who is the Ocean of Mercy and the Ultimate in Sakti etc., can have any other end except fruition. This has been established by pUrvAcArya-s unequivocally in their works (Slokam 6). Importance of mahA-viSvAsam: svAmi deSikan emphasizes that it is not just viSvAsam - ordinary trust - that is a requisite for nyAsa; it is mahA-viSvAsam that is needed - utmost confidence, unshakable, beyond an iota of doubt, that He and He alone will protect us. This the most important of the a~nga-s of prapatti. It is natural for one to question whether it can really be true that we do this relatively effortless surrender, and in return bhagavAn gives us the ultimate that anyone can ever ask for, viz. relief from the cycle of birth and re-birth, moksha. But mahA-viSvAsam will come only as a result of the upadeSa of an AcArya at the appropriate time and circumstance. This is why a proper AcArya is absolutely essential for prapatti (Slokam 7). To be Continued --- -dAsan kr*shNamAcAryan SrI deSika stotra-s - 10. nyAsa vimSatih - Part 2. Responses to Issues Raised Relating to prapatti: 1. It is said that just chanting the prapatti mantra is not sufficient, but prapatti is necessary and the mantra properly instructed by an AcArya will lead a Sishya to develop the proper attitude to prapatti. Then one can argue that performing prapatti may not itself lead to moksha, but instead only cultivate one's interest in bhakti, which alone will lead to moksha. svAmi deSikan points out that this argument is not valid, and that prapatti is the direct means for moksha. In his vyAkhyAna to this stotra, svAmi deSikan has given several examples from Sruti-s. "tasmAt nyAsam eshAm tapasAm atiriktam Ahuh" - nyAsa is superior to tapas of other kinds - taittirIya upanishad. "samit sAdhanakAdhInAm yaj~nAnAm nyAsam Atmanah | namasA yo'karod deve sa svadhvara itIritah" - ahirbudhnya samhitA - Among those that perform yAga, those who perform self-surrender are considered to have performed a good yAga. In taittirIya upanishad we have "etadvai mahopanishadam devAnAm guhyam" - nyAsa is a top secret among deva-s. 2. One may raise the doubt immediately that if nyAsa mantra is so much a secret between deva-s, is supported by the Sruti-s etc., then may be those who cannot chant the vedic mantra-s are not qualified for prapatti. For instance, it is said that one chants the praNava manta while surrendering - om iti AtmAnam yu~njIta. svAmi deSikan points out that for those who cannot chant the vedic mantra-s, Agama provides for the means to perform prapatti. In other words, instead of the mantric procedures, they use the tantric procedures. When the veda declares - satyam vada, dharmam cara etc., it does not mean that these actions are the proprietary domains of only those who can chant veda-s. The Lord is a sarva-loka-SaraNyan, not just only for those who can chant the veda-s etc., He is a friend of anyone who surrenders - sarvasya SaraNam suhr*t. svAmi deSikan thus establishes that prapatti is for everyone, not for only those who are born in a certain class or varNa etc. SrI D. rAmasvAmi aiye~ngAr remarks that this one Sloka alone can justify svAmi deSikan being called "ta~njap para gatiyait tandu aruLvOn". 3. SrI rAmAnuja has given the vyAkhyAna of the carama Sloka (gItA 16-66) where he points that prapatti is an a~nga of bhakti. Based on this, some argue that prapatti is only an a~nga of bhakti, and is not an independent means for moksha. svAmi deSikan points out that SrI rAmAnuja has also clearly indicated that prapatti is a direct means for moksha in his gadya-traya-s. Thus prapatti happens to be both an a~nga for bhakti yoga and an independent means for attaining moksha. The fact that bhakti and prapatti are entirely independent means for moksha is also clear from several other aspects. For instance, observing the varNASrama dharma-s is an essential pre-requisite for bhakti yoga. For prapatti the five a~ngas required are AnukUlya samkalpa, kArpaNya, mahA viSvAsa etc. (Slokam 10). 4. There are some who argue that prapatti is not an independent means for moksha because there is expectation of the five a~nga-s (viz. Atma-nikshepaNa etc.). This is not a valid argument. It is common sense that when we want to entrust something to someone's custody, we make a formal request, we trust that the person will protect it for us, etc. This just as valid when we entrust our AtmA to bhagavAn and seek His protection. These a~nga-s are also laid down clearly in the SAstra-s. When it is said that for prapatti nothing else is needed, what this means is that no other a~nga such as any karma yoga or varNASrama dharma is needed for prapatti, unlike in the case of bhakti yoga. 5. Some advance the argument that there are six parts to SAraNAgati, including AnukUlya-samkalpam, etc., and that it is incorrect to say that SaraNAgati is the principal part (a~ngi). This again is based on misperception. Bhakti yoga, which is well accepted as ashTAnga yoga (yoga consisting of 8 a~nga-s), really consists of seven a~nga-s, plus the principal part called samAdhi which is bhakti yoga fulfilled. No one thinks of the seven a~nga-s only as bhakti yoga. So also, AnukUlya samkalpam etc. are the a~nga-s of prapatti, and the principal part is SaraNAgati itself (Slokam 11). 6. Contrary to some views, all five a~nga-s of prapatti are absolutely necessary at the time of prapatti. Otherwise, prapatti will not be effective. However, any violation of any a~nga of prapatti after prapatti is performed will not negate the prapatti once performed, though it will inevitably lead to bhagavAn's unhappiness. Thus, some prAyaScitta needs to be performed e.g., prAyaScitta prapatti. Once prapatti is performed with the observance of the five a~nga-s, its effect will never be negated by any other act whatsoever after the prapatti. 7. Five a~nga-s have been defined for prapatti. However, some people have expressed the opinion that not all thes a~nga-s are necessary, and that it is sufficient if a person fuflfils some of these, and prapatti will be successful. SrI deSikan points out that all five a~nga-s are absolutely necessary for performing prapatti itself, but once the prapatti has been performed by observing all the five a~nga-s, the effect of the prapatti once performed will never be voided if the person does not continue to observe all the a~nga-s. However, if the prapanna does not continue to observe all the five a~nga-s after prapatti, this will certainly be displeasing to bhagavAn, and it will be necessary to perform some kind of prAyaScitta as a remedy. It is to be clearly borne in mind that for performing prapatti itself, all five a~nga-s are absolutely essential. 8. Some say that once prapatti has been performed, another prapatti should not be done by the same person, and the first prapatti will be voided just as in the case of brahmAstra. svAmi deSikan points out that this true only if the second prapatti is done for the same purpose as the first one. But it is perfectly acceptable to do a second prapatti for a totally different purpose than the first one. For example, as a prAyaScitta to the sins committed after the first prapatti, it is perfectly acceptable, indeed necessary, to do some kind of prAyaScitta, e.g., a prAYascitta prapatti. 9. There is a view that prapatti just consists of mahAviSvAsam, another view that gopr*tva varaNam (the deliberate choice of SrIman nArAyaNa as the sole protector) is itself prapatti, a third view that prapatti has only two or three a~nga-s, etc. Thus there are conflicting statements on what prapatti really is. svAmi deSikan points out that these are just part of the effort to highlight the greatness of the respective a~nga-s at a given time. None of these views deny that there are five a~nga-s to prapatti. 10. Some argue that AnukUlya samkalpam is the DETERMINATION to do only what is pleasing to bhagavAn. If this is an a~nga for prapatti, what happens to the actual execution of this determination? Should this not be an a~nga of prapatti? svAmi deSikan's response is that SAstra-s prescribe AnukUlya samkalpam as an a~nga of prapatti. This determination helps to ensure that we do not do anything contrary to this when we do prapatti. But it is unwarranted to imagine another a~nga (viz. acting according to the AnukUlya samkalpam) as our own creation. The sheer determination is the a~nga. 11. There is a view that any act that is sinful or any act that is done with a clear benefit to self in mind will destroy the effect of prapatti. Responding to this, svAmi deSikan points out that as long as all the a~nga-s are observed at the time of performing prapatti, nothing will take away the effect of this prapatti. A person who has performed prapatti is expected to be in a state where he will not commit any sin, and will not do any act for his self-benefit. But if he does, the effect of the prapatti that has already been done will in no way be compromised. As stated earlier, if he happens to perform anything that is not normal for his status as a prapanna, surely bhagavAn will be displeased, and prAyaScitta prapatti as laid down in the SAstra-s needs to be done. This prapatti is not done for the same purpose for which the first prapatti was done. 12. In response to the question on what the real nature of prapatti or SaraNAgati is, SrI deSikan points out that there are two important aspects of SaraNAgati that are both simultaneously important for the act to be called SaraNAgati. These are: a) a request for protection, and b) entrustment. Neither by itself independently is SaraNAgati. Thus, if one goes and seeks another's help in protecting something that belongs to him, it is not called SaraNAgati. Or, if one pays someone else to take care of something for him and entrusts the full responsibility for its safe-keeping, this does not become SaraNAgati. The word SaraNa also means "house", and Agati means "to come", and someone coming to someone else's house can be considered "SanaNAgati" in this sense, but it is not nyAsa. It is only when one prays to bhagavAn for His protection AND completely entrusts the responsibility for everything to bhagavAn that SaraNAgati comes into existence (Slokam 13). 13. SrI deSikan then addresses the question of whether all of one's belongings (including wife, son etc.)., should be included in prapatti because the recognition of bhagavAn as the sole Owner of all our belongings including our body, soul, wealth, wife, son, etc., and the realization that these are all meant for His service only, is a vital part of all stages of prapatti. It is true that the recognition is an a~nga of prapatti. This recognition is in the form of knowledge when one learns the tattva behind prapatti, it is a necessary mental state for performing prapatti, and it is a natural part of the state of mind when continuing to perform kaimkaryam to bhagavAn after prapatti. However, the main action of prapatti itself, which involves surrendering the responsibility for one's protection to Him, need not include all of one's belongings (such as wife, son, etc.). SrI D. rAmasvAmi aiye~ngAr nicely summarizes this concept thus: "Though in svarUpa samarpaNa everything is included, in bhara and phala samarpaNa only what is desired will form part" (Slokam 14). 14. Some tend to interpret the words "sarva dharmAn parityajya" in the carama Sloka to mean that varNASrama dharma-s such as sandhyAvandana, lighting a lamp in bhagavAn's sannidhi, decorating the Lord with a garland, etc. should all be discontinued as part of prapatti. svAmi deSikan points out that there are many straightforward interpretations for "sarva dharmAn parityajya" that are consistent with SAstra-s, and there is no need to create interpretations like "Stop speaking truth", "stop practicing dharma", etc., which are also part of this poor interpretation of "sarva dharmAn parityajya - give up all dharma-s". svAmi deSikan includes six different interpretations in this stotra that are the right ways to interpret this injunction. One of these as an example is: "Realizing one's inability to follow other means such as bhakti yoga, give up these paths and follow the prapatti mArga". So nothing in sarva dharmAn parityajya says that varNASrama dharmam should be given up (Slokam 15). 15. In the carama Sloka, Lord kr*shNa uses the words "mAm ekam SaraNam vraja". Some people interpret the word "ekam" here to mean that He is the upAya and nothing else is the upAya, and then argue that prapatti cannot be the upAya for moksha, since He is the sole upAya by His own word. The important thing here is to understand correctly the meaning of "ekam" in the carama Sloka. It is important to remember that statements that prapatti is an upAya for moksha are also based on pramANa-s, just as the statement that bhagavAn is the only upAya is based on pramANa. svAmi deSikan then gives six interpretations of "ekam" in the carama Sloka, and points out that there is no conflict between the carama Sloka saying that bhagavAn is the sole upAya for moksha, and the statement that prapatti is an upAya for moksha. This is explained nicely by pointing out that bhagavAn is the siddha upAya, and prapatti is the sAdhya upAya (Slokam 16). This is explained further below. upAya refers to the actions that one can take to achieve one's desired objective. This is of two kinds. siddha upAya is the means that already exists without our having to do anything. sAdhya upAya is the means for which we have to put in our effort, or can put in our effort. For one who wants to attain moksha through prapatti, bhagavAn is the means that already exists. He bestows moksha to the cetana because of His immense dayA, together with periya pirATTi's pleading our case. As a matter of fact, bhagavAn is the only upAya for moksha. However, we have immensely displeased Him through our constant violations of SAstra-s and other sins that we have committed both knowingly and unknowingly. In order to remove this displeasure of His, we have the sAdhya upAya, which is in our control. prapatti and bhakti are the two sAdhya upAya-s that are in our control and that are open to us in order for the siddha upAya to take effect in our case. This is the role of the siddha-upAya in the attainment of moksha through the sAdhya upAya, which is the one and only real upAya for moksha. To be continued.... -dAsan kr*shNamAcAryan SrI deSika stotra-s - 10. nyAsa vimsatih - Part 3. Krishnamachari, N (nkrish@lucent.com) Wed, 29 Jul 1998 15:34:46 -0500 Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ] Next message: Mani Varadarajan: "Re: use of silk etc.," Previous message: Mani Varadarajan: "Re: use of silk etc.," Bhakti List: [ archives ][ about ] Sri Vaishnava Home Page SrI deSika stotra-s - 10. nyAsa vimSatih - Part 3. a~nga-s of prapatti: The five a~nga-s of prapatti which have been referred to several times before are summarized once more in Slokam 18: 1. The realization and thought that I am incapable of following any other upAya other than SaraNAgati (kArpaNya) 2. I will not indulge in any act that is counter to your tiru -uLLam (prAtikUlya varjanam) 3. I will devote my life only in kaimkaryam that will be pleasing to You (AnukUlya samkalpam) 4. I have full and absolute confidence that You will definitely protect me and no one else can protect me (mahA viSvAsam) 5. I pray to you to be the upAya or means to protect me. ( goptr*tva varaNam) I surrender (SaraNAgati) my self, and the responsibility to protect me, to You. This surrender, directed to attain moksha, should be done only once for this purpose, and (by the very nature of mahA viSvAsa) should not be repeated ever again for this same purpose. Unlike bhakti yoga, which needs to be observed over a period of time for it to bear fruit, prapatti for moksha should be done only once. Life of a prapanna (i.e., after prapatti has been done): In Slokam 19, svAmi deSikan deals with the life of a prapanna after the prapatti has been done. 1. No karma or act should be undertaken that has the objective of attaining anything for one's own benefit. 2. No action should be undertaken that is a violation of the SAstra-s (those that will lead to accruing more sins). 3. nitya-naimittika karma-s such as sandhyAvandana, SrAddha, etc., which do not fall in either category (kAmya karma-s or those forbidden by the SAstra-s), and which are in the balance between the above two categories, should continue to be performed. 4. For any sins that are accrued in spite of the above conduct, prAyaScitta-s as prescribed in the SAstra-s should definitely be performed. If the prescribed prAyaScitta-s cannot be performed, the prAyaScitta prapatti shuld definitely be performed (i.e., prapatti performed not with the objective of moksha - since this has already been done once and should not be repeated, but with the objective of prAyaScitta for the sins accrued subsequent to the performance of prapatti). 5. For one who has done prapatti, the r*Na-s or obligations of the three kinds - viz. to deva-s, sages, and pitr*-s - have been fulfilled by prapatti itself. Ordinarily, the obligations to deva-s is removed through performance of yAga-s, that to sages by learning veda-s, and the one to pitr*-s by begetting progeny who can perform the obligations like SrAddha etc. But for a prapanna, the performance of prapatti (a great tapas by itself as was mentioned earlier) and observing the way of life prescribed for a prapanna (living a life consistent with SAstra-s, nishkAmya karma, bhagavad kaimkaryam as the sole objective of all action etc.), already take care of these three kinds of obligations, and nothing further is required to be done. 6. A prapanna should accept the pleasures and pains that are a part of life in this world with equal disposition, and should look at these as the fulfillment of the results of his karma, so that he is free to do kaimkaryam to Him which will not result in any additional accumulation of fruits. 7. The prapanna should not indulge in any actions or prayers with the desire for any benefit. He should pray only for the continued growth of his bhakti and j~nAna, and his prayers should be only be directed to bhagavAn, His retinue of nitya-sUri-s such as vishvaksena, garuDa, ananta, etc., and to AcArya-s such as AzhvArs, nAthamuni, yAmuna muni, etc. His prayers can include the well-being of sAdhu-s that are devoted to His kaimkaryam, prosperity of materials such as the flowers and sandalwood that are useful for His kaimkaryam, etc. The key is that he should not seek or pray for something that is not related to or does not contribute to kaimakryam to bhagavAn. The Importance of Observing varNASrama dharma-s Even Though Not An a~nga of prapatti (Slokam 20): kaimakryam can be classified into two major categories: 1) Those that are ordained to be done by a person who is physically fit to observe them. These include snAnam, sandhyA, bhagavad-ArAdhanam, sRAddham, tarpaNam, etc. It is to be noted that even though these are not a~nga-s for prapatti, these varNASrama dharma-s should never be given up. 2) Those that are not ordained to be done, but which are directed to bhagavAn and will only please Him if done. These are called anu~jnA kaimkarya-s. This includes acts like offering flowers, sandalwood etc. to Him, doing pradakshiNam, performing utsavam for bhagavAn, etc. These can be done as one's abilities permit and as one's interests allow. Humans have two kinds of karma-s. One is called samcita karma - these are the effects of karma-s or actions that have not yet borne fruit, and so can be expiated by our current actions such as penance, yAga, etc. The other group is called prArabdha karma-s - those that are already bearing fruit and being enjoyed by us now (e.g., our sex, our parentage, etc.), and those karma-s or actions that we are committing now, which will bear fruit in future births. Performance of prapatti, which is the best of yAga-s (Slokam 9), clears the prapanna completely of samcita karma-s. Prapatti also clears the effects of prArabdha karma-s that normally will bear fruit in future births for actions performed in this birth. Thus, the prapanna is left with the effects of prArabdha karma-s which he is already enjoying in this birth. The prapanna enjoys these during this lifetime, and at the end of this, is left with no more effects of karma to enjoy, and reaches SrIviakunTham at the end of this life. Conclusion: svAmi deSikan concludes the stotra with a gist of how he was led to prapatti, and how he lives his life as a prapanna after performing prapatti. This concluding Slokam is included as part of the nitya-anushandhAnam at the end of the nyAsa daSakam which is recited during the nitya bhagavad-ArAdhanam. samSArAvarta vega praSamana Subha-dr*k deSika prekshito'ham samtyakto'nyairupAyair-anucita cariteshvadya SAntAbhisabshih | niS-Sankhah tatvat-dr*shtyA niravadhika dayam prArthya samrakshakam tvAm nysya tat-pAda padme varada nija-bharam nir-bharo nir-bhayo'smi || "I chose a good AcArya who could instruct me on how to get out of the whirl of samsAra, and had his divya kaTAksha. Because of the AcArya's teachings, I obtained the knowledge that could help me analyze and understand the difficulty of bhakti yoga and the realization that prapatti is the only recourse open to me, which I could perform easily, and attain the desired moksham by performing it once and only once. I learned the facts about prapatti and so had no doubt whatsoever about its efficacy. I sought refuge of peraruLALan with pirATTi as the sole refuge who could protect me. I surrendered all responsibility for my protection at the feet of peraruLALan and performed prapatti at His feet. Since I am now living the life of a prapanna, I feel completely relieved of all responsibility for my self from that point. Since all my acts from that point on have been directed to only kaimkaryam for bhagavAn, there is nothing more to fear about any accumulation of karma. So I continue to lead a life of nishkAmya kaimkaryam to bhagavAn while spending the rest of my life in this world, and deriving infinite happiness from it". -dAsan kr*shNamAcAryan