"VILAKSHANA MOKSHADHIKARI NIRNAYAM"-An Introduction

From the Bhakti List Archives

• December 7, 1999


"VILAKSHANA MOKSHADHIKARI NIRNAYAM" OF SRI ERUMBIAPPA

Dear Bhagavatas
I am overwhelmed by the spate of responses to my query whether anyone would 
be interested in a series on the above Grantham. I give below a brief 
Introduction.
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
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An Introduction
This work was written in Sanskrit and MaNipravALam. by Sri Erumbiappa, one of 
the AshTa Dik GajangaL of ManavALa MAmunigal. 

This is in the form of a conversation between Sri DEvarAja Guru and his 
Sishya, SenApathi AzhwAn.

There was a special reason for writing this work. 
It was circa 14c AD  
There surfaced some psuedo-VaishNavas who propagated ideas repugnant to the 
basic tenets of SriVaishNava SampradAyam and encouraged disgusting practices 
in the garb of "AnushTanam". 
Some of their misleading points were-
· To make the statement "Sarva DharmAn Parithyajya" true, one should first 
give up one's prescribed duties!
· To deserve the mercy of EmperumAn, (who they claimed, relished the 
'dOshams' of chEthanas), one can go on committing sins and can even indulge 
in practices like imbibing liquor, ingesting meat and even prostitution etc.!
· Once one secured AchArya Sambandham, the Lord will not deny Moksham based 
on this Sambandham" , even if one commits heinous atrocities.

Sri Erumbiappa composed this work with a view to explode the myths circulated 
by them. In fact, at that time, many of the real SrivaishNavas brought up in 
the traditional Sath sampradAya were trying to disabuse the minds of the 
gullible public. 

"VilakshaNA MOKshAdhikAri NirNayam" means "determining the criteria for 
attaining MOksha". With this in view, Sri Erumbiappa has argued citing 
suitable authority (PramANams), demolishing their allegations (Poorva 
paksham) and firmly establishing SiddhAntham.

His persuasiveness is illuminating and illustrative, interesting and 
educative, convincing and conclusive.
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