Mumuksupatti on dharma

From the Bhakti List Archives

• October 3, 1996


 ------------------begin Varadhan's quote
 
 mmp 200 elaborates on 'giving up' the above:

 mmp 200:
 thyaagamaavadhu - ukthOpaayanGaLai anusandhiththu 'shookthikayilE
rajathabudhdhi
 paNNuvaaraippOlEyum, vipareedhadhishaa gamanam paNNuvaaraippOlEyum, 
 anupaayaNGaLiLE upaayabudhdhi paNNinOm' enkirRa
budhdhivishEshaththOdE 
 thyajikkai

  the thyaagam does not mean just 'giving up' -
  One should realise that one was performing karmaas that are not the
upaaya
  (like those who think that the mother of pearl is silver & those who
wanted
  to follow a particular direction, but followed a different one) and 
  *then* relinquish them.



i.e. even the performance of nityakarmaas as mOkshapalasaadhanaas
takes us
 away from the upaya (i.e. Sriman NaarayaNa) and hence should be
relinquished.

------------------------end quote

It is interesting, and important, to note that even though these
nityakarmas are relinquished as upayas, a higher form of religion,
which Mani so aptly refers to as Prapanna Dharma remains. 

As is stated in MMP 270 - 271 (Mumme's translation)

Sutram 270:  He does not abandon these outright.

Manavalamamunigal's commentary: This same Adhikari, who accepts the
accomplished sadhana (i.e. the Lord as the Upaya) after completely
abandoning other sadhanas, does not actually abandon these things -
karma, jnana, etc.

As to how so he reveals:

Sutram 271 (portions of Manavalamamunigal's comments in parentheses): 
Karma is included in kainkarya, jnana is included in the manifestation
of the soul's true nature, bhakti is included in the desire for the
Goal (to please the Lord), prapatti is included in knowledge of the
souls true nature (as having no other refuge on account of the soul's
extreme dependence on Him).


Daasanu Daasan,

Mohan