aRivin payanE

From the Bhakti List Archives

• October 18, 1995


Question:  Does the Lord instruct you to do Prapatti?
           YES YES YES,  Look at the charama slOkam of
           srimadh bhagavath geethai, "maamEkam charaNam vraja."

Question:  Is prapatti the reason we get saved?
           NO NO NO,  it is due to the Lord's grace we get
           saved.  His grace is such that he gives His all
           for our prapatti which gives Him nothing.  Yet,
           after giving His all, He is undiminished, says
           Swamy Sri DhEsikan, "thamadhu anaiththum avar
           thamakku vazhangiyum thaam miga viLangum."
           Thenkalai sampradaayam believes that human
           effort is not required, not even recommended.
           The Lord will save you no matter what.  Just
           the unwavering faith that the Lord will save
           you is sufficient.  Even this may be unnecessary.

           BTW, the maHaa visvaasam that we must develop
           clearly shows that bhakthi goes hand-in-hand with
           prapatti.  In the adaikkala paththu verse I posted
           Swami Sri DhEsikan was not referring to Bhakthi per se,
           but about Bhakthi yoga, which may be a longer route
           to mOksham than prapatti.

Question:  What about intellectual reasoning?
           The reason we have intellect is to find Him.
           Many a scientist is consumed with finding
           this ultimate truth.  Nammaazhvaar declares
           that the Lord is the fruit of our intellect
           with "aRivin payanE," thiruvaay mozhi 5.8.6.


-- Dileepan