Five angas of prapatti

[Guest guest]

In adaikkala patthu, a tamizh prabhandam, Swami Desikan

performs prapatti to Lord Varadaraja (aruL varadar) of Kanchi.

With these ten pasurams we can learn everything about prapatti. I

want to discuss the fifth pasuram here that describes the five

angaas of prapatti. Following is a transliteration of the verse.

 

\bt

ugakkum avai uganNthu ugavaa vanaitthum ozhinNthu uRavu guNa

miga thuNivu peRa uNarnNthu viyan kaavalena varitthu

jagatthil oru pugal illaath thavam aRiyEn mathiL kacchi

nagar karuNai naathanai nal adaikkalamaay adainNthEnE

\et

 

 

1. The first angam is anukoolya sangalpam

 

ugakkum avai = that which is pleasing to the Lord

uganNthu = performing the above

 

 

A prapanna is determined to act only in ways that will please the

Lord.

 

 

2. The second angam is praathi koolya varjanam

 

ugavaa vanaitthum = all that displeases the Lord

ozhinNthu = spurn the above

 

 

Equally, the prapanna is determined not to act in ways that will

displease the Lord.

 

 

3. The third angam is maha visvaasam

 

uRavu guNam

uNarnNthu = realizing the nature of the relationship

between jiva and paramaathma

 

miga thuNivu peRa = determined to receive His grace

 

 

The prapanna is sure, without a trace of doubt, of the fact that the

lord will grant salvation. (Drowpathi let go of her hold on her

vasthram and the Lord immediately came to her rescue.)

 

 

4. The fourth angam is gOpthruthva varaNam

 

viyan kaaval ena varitthu = Pleading to the Lord that prapatti is as

the only course for our salvation

 

 

Prapanna is convinced that the other upaayams (karma, bhakti,

etc.) are beyond his capacity and prapatti is the only way.

 

 

5. The fifth anga is kaarppaNyam

 

jagatthil oru

pugal illa = not knowing any way to reach His Lotus

feet

thavam aRiyEn = unable to perform any other penance

(viz. karma, gyana, bhakti yoga etc.)

 

 

The prapanna pleads to the Lord with utmost humility to grant

salvation.

 

 

 

The remainder of the verse is Swami Desikan s act of surrender to

karuNai naathan, i.e. the Lord of KaaruNyam.

 

 

The above is based on Sri Desika Prabhandam by vangeepuram Sri

Rama Desikaacharyar Swamy. Published by LIFCO. My

translation skills are really inadequate, but I have given it my best

shot. Thanks

 

 

Dileepan

[Guest guest]

first of all,

 

prapatti has its basis in Bhakti tradition and the Vedas. there is

no need to change or introduce a new alias. We can freely discuss

prapatti issues and bhakti issues. The issue of phala bhakti - ie. the

one attained in moksha is a result of either bhakti or prapatti.

 

I have no vote on this. either way is fine as long as people know how

to correspond.

 

dileepan's translation of the angas of prapatti from adaikkala patthu

is interesting. If anyone has the 50 page article on prapatti from

my guru Dr. N.S. Anantha Rangachar's phD thesis - "The philosophy of

Sadhana" in visistadvaita, they can see the arguments and analysis of

these angas of prapatti. REcently another guru of mine - Dr. SMS Chari

who visited me in NY has written a book - "Vaishnavism" is an excellent

book. The beauty of this book is that it ties up vaishnavism and prapatti

doctrines to the oldest scipture - Rig Veda. This book is a must for

any vaishnavite. The chapter on prapatti in this book is supposed to

be very thorough. I suggest you and your friends to read this. I got

a copy of this book through motilal banarsidas.

 

What bothers me is not the lack of sastraic knowledge of prapatti, but the

amount of taboos and misconceptions people have about this. Let me

introduce you to some of the misconceptions. believe me these are not

explicitly answered in even Rahasyatrayasara of Vedanta desika !!!

 

1) I dont want to do prapatti because I cannot stop eating onions and garlic.

people say one has to observe strict rules regarding even vegetarian food

which I may not be able to keep it up. So I would rather wait for a long

time and then after getting retired probably at 65, I will do prapatti.....

 

This is the perfect example of pennywise and pound foolish!!! I have ever

come across. Yes, some rules are necessary. this is to protect the

clause 2 = (praatikoolyasya varjanam) - ie. dont do that displeases

Lord Sri hari. Tell me how many of you? can follow any one of these

properly?

 

a ) doing sandhyavandanam at exactly the sandhi kaalam morning, midday and

evening. For women, there is Sthree dharmas - how many women can

do sthree dharmas regularly? So people will not be prepared to do these

things regularly even when they are 96 years old!! so does it mean that

they can never take up prapatti??

 

b) one should not entertain bad thoughts - in fact if you quote vedanta

desika - he would say - One should live like a Sthitha prajna after prapatti

 

How many can even dream about being a 1/100000 th part of a sthitha

prajna who has no desires at all? does this mean that unless one can

become a stitha prajna one cannot do prapatti?

 

c) one should not even cross the ocean and stay in India. one should

not be too keen on worldly acquisitions like houses, wealth etc. and

spend ones's time thinking about the vivid descriptions of kainkaryam

as explained in Vaikunta gadya of Sri Ramanuja.

 

I dont think there exists a handful of people who can be like that

does that mean that prapatti is only for them ??

and ordinary people like us should not take up prapatti early in life??

 

Let me assure you... IF PRAPATTI BECOMES FUTILE JUST BECAUSE OF ONIONS, GARLIC

AND OTHER POSSIBLE ERRORS......PRAPATTI IS NOT WORTH ITS GLORY!!!!

 

IF ONE HAS PROBLEMS WITH HIS DUTIES, FOOD HABITS ETC. AFTER PRAPATTI,

PRAPATTI DOES NOT BECOME INEFFECTIVE. PRAPATTI, ONCE DONE UNDER AN ACHARYA

WILL NOT FAIL. THERE IS NO MUHURTHAM TO PERFORM PRAPATTI. ONCE A PERSON IS

SURE ABOUT THE GRACE OF LORD LAKSHMI NARAYANA, ONE SHOULD PERFORM PRAPATTI

AT THE FEET OF LORD. BEING SURE IS THE KEY. IF ONE IS NOT SURE THERE IS NO USE

WHAT I AM POINTING OUT IS THAT EVEN IF SOME ONE DOES NOT HAVE ALL THE

5 ACCESSORIES FOR PRAPATTI COMPLETELY, ONE CAN DO PRAPATTI. THAT WILL WORK.

 

note: I am not supporting the idea that one should eat whatever one wants

and one can do whatever one wants and still perform prapatti. All I mean

is that even after serious effort, if one cannot live by the books , it is

still ok . prapatti can be performed.

 

 

DESIKA SAYS - THIRUTTHI PANIKOLVAN.... LORD WILL CORRECT THE PRAPANNA'S MISTAKES

AND THEN ACCEPT HIM. ONE MAY BE PUNISHED HERE IN THIS LIFE - EVEN THIS

PUNISHMENT WILL BE NOT SO SEVERE SINCE GOD IS SO MERCIFUL TOWARDS THE

PEOPLE WHO HAVE FALLEN AT HIS DIVINE FEET. SO, ONE WILL BE PENNY WISE AND

POUND FOOLISH IF ONE DOES NOT DO PRAPATTI FEARING FOOD HABITS AND OTHER

NISHTA - PROBLEMS. PLEASE NOTE THIS AND TELL OTHERS WHO MAY HAVE THIS

MISCONCEPTION.

 

Friends, please do understand. do not wait till you read through all

the prabandhams, vedas , bramhasutras etc. have trust in Lord

srimannarayana and resort to your traditional acharya and do "prapatti" IF

YOU STRONGLY BELIEVE IN IT..

 

Recently, when I requested - 45th jeer of Ahobila mutt to do prapatti

for my young son - only 3 years old, Jeer was very happy. He quoted

a verse from vedanta desika and said - prapatti can be done even at

this early age of 3 even though that child does not have knowledge of

who acharya is what is life and what is bondage and what is prapatti?

 

all the kid knows is " I want my mommy!!". Our acharya gave a lecture

on prapatti before performing prapatti to my son - in nov 1993.

 

IF ONE WAITS A LONG TIME THERE IS NO GAURANTEE THAT WE WILL EXIST TILL THEN.

WE ARE NOT SURE WE WILL BE ALIVE TOMMOROW.

 

LIKE HOW PERIAZHWAR SAYS IN HIS VERSE - PIN MUNNAAAHA IZHUPPADAN MUNNAM -

 

" LET ME REMEMBER THE MOOLA MANTHRA - BEFORE I AM DRAGGED OUT MY HOUSE

LEG FIRST AND HEAD LATER, OH NARAYANA, LET ME ASK YOUR PROTECTION... HELP.

 

...... (INCIDENTALLY, THE DRAGGING OUT LEG FIRST, IS WHEN ONE HAS DECEASED)..

 

THESE ARE OUR OWN PERI AZHWAR'S WORDS. SOME PEOPLE MAY SAY ... SO

PESSIMISTIC AND MURKY THOUGHTS..... BUT IS'NT IT TRUE???

 

 

ANY WAY..... I HAVE UNLOADED MY THOUGHTS....

 

 

 

THIS WAS BECAUSE ... SOME PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT PRAPATTI WITH A HALF

COOKED PERCEPTION OF IT YESTERDAY DURING THE "NRISIMHA JAYANTHI" CELEBRATIONS

IN NEW YORK. AND I SAW DILEEPAN'S ARTICLE IN THE MORNING.... AND MY

FEW THOUGHTS..SPURTED OUT

 

 

PLEASE TAKE THIS IN THE RIGHT SENSE. IF WE CAN'T SHARE INFORMATION

EASILY WITHOUT KNOWING WHO WE ARE CLEARLY HOW IN THIS DAMN GURU LESS

LAND WILL BE FIND INFORMATION REGARDING PRAPATTI?

 

by the way, I havent introduced myself clearly. I have been in this country

since 1981. I, my wife, Krishna Priya and kids Hrisheekesh(3) and Yashoda (6)

live in Spring Valley New York. I lived in Wash D.C(VA and MD), Naperville

IL (chicago), michigan and Iowa City before we moved to NY.

 

 

KRISHNA