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Anubhandham (appendix) to my postings on Hitham/Saranagathi

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • February 18, 1999 


Dear BhakthAs :

When I summarize the upanyAsams of Srimath
Azhagiya Singar , I am not sure whether these
postings are useful to you or not .These 
postings turn out to be lengthy becuase 
of the enormous range that H.H. The Jeeyar 
covers. I might have taken too much of your 
time on them .

I hesitate to add more reading materials
to your mail boxes . Hence , I am going to take 
a rest from these lengthy postings and concentrate on 
the AchArya RaamAnujA /Swami Desikan CD ROM 
projects and the 108 Divya Desam Web Pages /CD ROM 
Project for the next four to six weeks .Please be assured 
that this CD ROM kaimkaryam is open to every one
and I need all of your particpation in the coming days
on offering our salutaions to our common heritage .  

Prior to that rest , I will respond to an erudite
BhakthA , who read carefully the three postings on
the third UpanyAsam of the revered Jeeyar 
and asked some questions  on important
points on SaraNAgathi , Bhakthi Yogam ,
Karma Yogam and Jn~Ana Yogam and their 
mutual relationships to Parama PurushArtham (Viz)., 
Moksham .I am happy to respond to his queries 
and to summarize the fundamental points to
clear up any confusion arising from jumping
too quickly over a variety of topics 
related to the UpanyAsam .The salient 
points are : 

** Both Bhakthi Yogam and prapatthi Yogam 
yield desired fruits including Moksham .
The sought aftyer fruits can be other than 
Moksham .

** One's bhAgyam to practise Bhakthi or 
Prapathti Yogam is exclusively due to the 
Lord's grace only .  

** The Moksha Phalan obtained by those 
practising Bhakthi Yogam or Praaptthi 
Yogam  is identical (tulya Phalam ).

** Bhakthi Yogam is ardous and takes a long time 
to yield the desired fruits of Moksham in contrast 
to Parapathti Yogam.Some times , it may take more
than one birth to realize the fruits of Bhakthi
Yogam . It has also limits imposed 
by VarNAsrama Dharmams . Hence , by definition ,
Bhakthi Yogam is restricted to special groups .
The practise of Prapatthi yogam has no
such restrictions  and is open to one and all . 

** " PrapannAs " alone gain Moksham .PrapannAs are of 
two kinds . One kind is known as SadhvAraka Prapatthi 
Nishtan ( Bhakthan ) and the other is known as adhvAraka 
prapatthi nishtan ( one who performed SaraNAgathi ). 

** For the Bhakthan ( practioner of Bhakthi Yogam ) ,
Mukti ( BrahmAnubhavam ) is realized with delay . But
the Bhakthan's enjoyment of Bhagavath-anubhavam is
immeasurable . For the Prapannan ( practioner of
Prapatthi Yogam ) , the fruit of Moksham is realized 
in a compartively short time . 

** When one realizes that he or she has no capability
of practising the rigorous Bhakthi Yogam (akinchanan)
that one becomes an adhikAri for prapatthi yOgam . 
For them , the Lord stands in the place (sthAnam )
of Bhakthi Yogam and grants the Prapannan the fruits
asked for including Moksham .

** Karma and Jn~Ana Yogams are angAs of Bhakthi
Yogam , which is  a direct means (Saadhya UpAyam )
like Prapathi Yogam to yield Moksham . For akinchanans 
and ananyagathis ,our Lord ( SiddhOpAyam )stands in place 
of Bhakthi Yogam only and not in the place of its 
angaas like Karma and Jn~Ana Yogams to grsnt Moksham .

** There are different stages in the practise 
of Bhakthi Yogam based on the intensity of 
Bhakthi :Para Bhakthi ,Para Jn~Anam and 
Parama Bhakthi . Latter is the most intense .

** There are four kinds of BhakthAs and 
GeethAchAryan clearly states that among 
the four groups , Jn~Ani is the dearest to Him .

** There are two kinds of PrapannAs , who
have performed their prapatthis.One is 
Dhruptha PrapannA and the other is Aartha
prapannan. Latter can not bear to wait anymore 
to attain MOksham , while the Dhruptha prapannan
waits until the end of his deha yAthrA .

** Among the five angams of prapathti ,
MahA VisvAsam ( Unshakable faith in the Lord
as the one and only protector ) is very important.
That MahA visvAsam will arise only due to 
the grace of a SadAchAryan .

** Those who have performed their Prapatthi
are known as Krutha KrithyALs . The Lord assures them
as he assured AchArya RaamAnujA in the SaraNAgathi
Gadhyam dialog : athasthvam tava tattvathO 
madhjn~Ana -darsana -prApthishu nisamsaya: 
SukhamAsva. Sri RanganAtha commands AchArya 
RaamAnujA here to comprehend His svarUpam and GuNam 
without any confusion and to have His darsanam ,
and free himself of any doubts about attaining
Him and exist in a state of sukham until He calls
the AchAryA home to Sri Vaikuntam .

One can write more and more about the glorious
subject of SaraNAgathi .

I will however conclude this posting here with 
a slOkam from Lakshmi Tanthram , which celebrates the
SaraNya Dampathis as the most merciful and 
ultimate protectors as asserted by VedAnthams
and PaancharAthra SiddhAntham :

LakshmyA Saha Hr*shikEsO DevyA KaaruNya RoopayA
Rakshaka: sarva siddhAnthE VedAnthEpi cha geeyathE

NamO NaarAyaNAya ,NamO NaarAyaNAya , NamO NaarAyaNAya 
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan