Bhakti and Prapatti - 3
From the Bhakti List Archives
• September 27, 1998
Sri :
Srimate Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Para Brahmane Namaha
Srimate ShatakopAya Namaha
Srimate Bhagavad RAmAnujAya Namaha
Srimate NigamAntha MahAdesikAya Namaha
Srimate Sri Adhivan ShatakOpa Yateendra MahAdesikAyA Namaha
Srimate Sri Lakshmi - Nrusimha Divya PAdukA Sevaka -
Srivan Shatakopa Sri NArAyana Yateendra MahAdesikAya Namaha
Dear bhaktAs of Sriman NArAyaNA,
namo nArAyaNA . pranAmams.
---------------------------------------------------------
The second upAyA Prapatti (ie.SaraNAgathi alias Bhara nyAsam) as nyAsa
vidyA is enshrined in upanishads and can infact be performed by anyone
irrespective of age, sex , caste etc. Its modus operandi is explained
in a detailed manner in Ahirbudhnya samhitA, Lakshmi tantrA & other
pramAnams. IthihAsa purAnams also have lot of references to prapatti.
Ofcourse ,AzhwArs advocate Prapatti. Similarly , Sriman nArAyaNA
advocates prapatti especially in His varAha avatAram , RAmA avatAram
and KrishNA avatAram through the respective charama slokams. Not
satisfied , He in His most merciful archAvatAram also advocates
prapatti through His varada hastham , as in Thiruvinnagaram (Than
oppAr illappan alias oppiliappan) and Thirumalai (SrInivAsan).
The greatness of Sri Vaishnava sampradAyam is that , Sriman nArAyaNA in
His archA avatAram as PeraruLALan (kAnchi varadan) also advocated
prapatti by His divine answers to Bhagavad RAmAnujA through Thiruk
kachi NambigaL. Sriman NArAyaNA did not want to merely be a preacher
of prapatti . His mercy is so unbounded that He as MAlolan of Ahobilam
initiated a paramabhAgavathA into sannyAsa AshramA and ordered him
to propagate the most glorious prapattimArgA in each and every village
and He Himself accompanied the AchAryA to all the villages ,
inorder to accept the prapatti of baddha jIvAtmAs . That parama
bhAgavathOthamA was none other than the illustrious Sri Adivan
Shatakopa Yateendra MahAdesikan, the first jeeyar of Sri Ahobila Mutt
the 6th centenary celebrations of which is going to be celebrated in a
very grand manner by adiyEn's AchAryan and the current AzhagiyaSingar
Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Divya pAdukA sevaka Srivan Shatakopa Sri NArAyana
Yateendra mahAdesikan , only because of whose divine katAksham can
adiyEn be even considered as a worthwile object. The forthcoming
celebration at Ahobilam for sure is going to be eulogized by even all
the muktAs and nityasUrIs , as a great event in the history of Sri
Vaishnavam.
SwAmi Desikan explains that Prapatti is neither a mere faith in the
saving grace of Sriman nArAyaNA nor a mere prayer to Him for
protection/moksha . Prapatti doesn't mean merely a surrendered life in
this world, centred around serving Sriman nArAyaNA . Prapatti
encompasses all of this & is much much more. Though "SaraNAgathi" is in
general used for denoting "surrender", what all things that needs to be
fulfilled in that surrender which is performed only once for obtaining
moksham ,is very important .
The greatest burden (Bharam) for a baddha jIvAtmA is "bhakti yogA"
because Sriman nArAyaNA would only grant moksham to a perfectionist of
bhakti yogA .Though the jIvAtmA wishes to meditate continuously on
nArAyaNA , it is not able to do so primarily because of its karmA.
Also , not all are eligible for Bhakti yogA . Only dvijAs can start
performing it . Moreover , one cannot be sure of the number of
future births that is needed to be taken while adopting bhakti
yogA, since the prArabdha karmA (that which has started to yield its
effect ) is not destroyed.
Neverthless , a mumukshu (one desirous of moksham) , who has the burden
of bhakti yOgA seeks moksham. So , during prapatti, Sriman nArAyaNA
Himself is pleaded to be present in the "place"(sthAnA) of bhakti
yOgA and give the fruit of Bhakti YogA ie. Sriman nArAyaNA is
pleaded to attain the level of "pleasing" He will obtain if one
approached Him through "Bhakti yOgA", which will make Him grant moksham
to the mumukshu . Thats why , Prapatti is also known as BharanyAsam.
The main qualifications for a mumukshu to adopt prapatti are
1. Akinchanyam (destituteness) which may result either due to one's
lack of mental and physical strength to adopt bhakti yogA OR lack of
requisite knowledge from sAstrAs OR Prohibition by sAstrAs regarding
the adoption of Bhakti yOgA OR Inability to put up with any delay in
attaining mokshA.
2. Ananyagatitvam ie. Seeking the Supreme Lord Sriman NArAyaNA as the
sole refuge with complete aversion to all fruits other than mokshA.
This implies that one shouldn't resort even in his/her dream to a
demigod like BrahmA , ShivA etc .
Prapatti , which is also called by different names such as (Atma)
nikshEpa , nyAsA , SannyAsA and tyAgA has the following five angAs
(accessories).
1. Anukoolyasya Sankalpam ie. Determination to perform whatever is
pleasing to Sriman NArAyaNA . Since sAstrAs are His divine commands,
one should be firm in one's mind to perform what they are being
ordered to do so (like SandhyAvandanam , Bhagavad ArAdhanam etc),
which will thus be pleasing to the Divya Dampati.
2. Pratikoolyasya Varjanam ie. avoidance of acts that are displeasing
to Sriman NArAyaNA . So , one one should abstain from acts that
are prohibited in sAstrAs . For example , one shouldn't either eat
egg, meat ,onion, garlic etc OR drink alcohol , tea , coffee etc;
one shouldn't eat rice during ekAdasi etc.
3. KArpanyam ie. feeling of utter helplessness. One should cry in front
of Sriman NArAyaNA for his inability to perform Bhakti yOgA and
should be fully aware of the fact that he/she cannot attain moksham
by their own efforts. Utter dependence on the mercy of the Divya
Dampati is needed.
4. MahA VisvAsam ie. Intense faith that Sriman NArAyaNA will certainly
grant moksham for the prapatti performed, eventhough one has
committed countless sins. This complete faith on the saving grace of
the Lord ie. on the efficacy of prapatti is very difficult to obtain
because of various reasons. But inorder to obtain mahA visvAsam ,
one needs to have absolute faith in sAstrAs and the words of Sriman
NArAyaNA and AchAryAs ,which unanimously glorify prapatti as a
supreme upAyA. Extensive knowledge in various fields of sAstrAs
wouldn't neccessarily yield this supreme unshakable faith. Only by
the mercy of a sadAchAryA can one obtain mahA visvAsam , the most
important angA of prapatti.
It is also very important to understand that lack of mahA visvAsam
doesn't mean that one is either doubtful about the authority of
vedAs OR skeptical about the supremacy of NArAyaNA OR skeptical
about the existence of Sri VaikuNTham etc. If one doesn't even
recognize Sriman NArAyaNA as the supreme unparalleled Lord , then
his/her prapatti won't be accepted by the Lord in first hand. The
mahA visvAsam here is regarding the faith in the efficacy of
prapatti which can be strengthened by contemplating upon the
efficacy of purushakAratvam (recommendation) of pirAtti, eternal
sesha-seshi bhAvA existing between jIvAtmA & paramAtmA, Soulabhyam &
Sowseelyam of Sriman NArAyaNA , He being the Sarva Saranyan and
SaranAgata Vatsalan etc.
5. Goptrtva Varanam ie. Begging Sriman NArAyaNA for offering
protection. This is the prayer to the Lord for granting mokshA,
wherein one pleads with Him , the sole refuge , to be present in the
place (sthAnA) of bhakti yogA and grant its fruit of moksham to
an akinchanA like himself/herself.
Performance of prapatti is done with sAthvIka tyAgam, similar to
how one performs sAthvIka tyAgam before and after a kainkaryam. The
three components of the sAthvIka tyAgam are :
1. Kartrutva tyAgA : One should shed the doership attitude and realize
that Sriman NArAyaNA is the actual doer, since it is the ocean of
His dayA that is responsible for one to perform the act of prapatti.
2. MamatA tyAgA : One should give up the thought of "mine" while
performing prapatti.It is also done for the pleasure of Sriman
NArAyaNA.
3. Phala tyAgA : One should give up the thought that the fruit of
performing prapatti belongs to him/her and realize that the
fruit of Prapatti also belongs to Sriman NArAyaNA.
One is completely wrong if he/she thinks that they by themselves
performed prapatti (ie. doership ego is still there). One cannot
say "I performed prapatti to perumAL" , since this defies kartrutva
tyAgam. Actually, it is by the mercy of the Divya Dampati that one
is made to perform prapatti . So, one with proper understanding of
prapatti will say either "Divya Dampati by their mercy has made
adiyEn to perform SaraNAgathi and granted moksham" OR "AchAryA out
of his great compassion made an akinchanan like adiyEn obtain
moksham" etc. This is the essence of kartrutva tyAgam.
The performance of prapatti is for the pleasure of Divya Dampati.
The fruit of prapatti is the eternal kainkaryam to the Divya
Dampati,which is done for their pleasure. So, if Sriman NArAyaNA
tells a mumukshu 'x' that He would grant moksham simply because
'x' wanted it, then also 'x' shouldn't accept it. 'x' accepts
the moksham only if Sriman NArAyaNA awards it out of His own
pleasure and not simply because 'x' wanted moksham. Though a
mumukshu sincerely wishes to be in accordance with his (jIvAtmA's)
svaroopam by performing the kainkaryam eternally to the Divya
Dampati at Sri VaikuNTham, its upto the Divya Dampati to grant it
out of their own pleasure and a mumukshu while performing prapatti
should not have ego in this aspect also. This is the essence of
mamatA tyAgam and phala tyAgam. Ofcourse , Sriman NArAyaNA's
vratam (vow) is to grant moksham to those who perform prapatti
unto Him and the Divya Dampati will be very happy to grant
moksham to such a mumukshu .
-- to be cont --
namo nArAyaNA
adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
anantha PadmanAbha dAsan
sarvam sri KrishnArpanamastu
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