prapathi and adhikaaris

[Guest guest]

The recent view points expressed by certain members of this list on the need

for ensuring the state of a mumukshu prior to even mentioning tirumantram,

dvayam or the charama slokam give rise to a valid question: Have our

pooravaacharyas addressed this issue, and if so, what has been said? They

HAVE addressed this issue eloquently, and have unequivocally said that the

only necessary qualifiers for prapathi are essential human qualities of

interest (ruchi) and devotion (bhakti).

 

Sri PiLLai lOkAchaaryar in Sri Vachana BhushaNam, I prakaraNam, sutram 23,

24 says

 

prapathikku desha niyamamum, kAla niyamamum, prakAra niyamamum

adhikaari niyamamum, phala niyamamum illai

vishaya niyamame uLLadu

 

meaning that to qualify to be in the true state of prapathi the only

requirement is that of a sincere interest to comprehend or acquire

knowledge, and nothing else. To be a prapanna, one does not have to conform

to any requirements based on desha, kAla, prakAra or adhikaara. Sri

MaNavaaLa maamunigaL's commentary for this sutram states thus:

 

na jaathi bhedham na kulam na lingam

na guNa kriyaahaa

na desha kAlau naavastham yOgO hi ayam apekshathe

brahma kshatra visha shUdraaha striyaschAntara jAthayaha

sarva Eva prapadyeran sarvathA tharamachutham

 

enru bhAradhwAja samhithaiyilum

 

prapathehe kwachidapi Evam parApekshA na vidyathe

saa hi sarvathra sarveshAm sarva kAma phala pradA

 

enru phala niyamaa bhAvam sanathkumara samhithaiyilum sollappattadire

 

prapathikku innaar adhikaarigaL enRoru niyathi illai

ruchiyudeyaarellaarum adhikaarigaL engai

 

The sole requirement for prapathi is vishayAsakthi or ruchi, there are no

other restrictions. The vyakhyAnam explicitly cuts through all artificially

created criteria (varNA/caste, linga, et al.) and qualifies everyone on the

basis of Aasakthi in acquiring true knowledge. This is a universally

applicable criterion and one that is known only to the prapanna and his/her

Achaarya. Given this background, it is hardly relevant for any one person

or group of persons to state the need to preclude any other interested

person/s from exposure to fundamental aspects of our philosophy. Such

exclusionary statements, I feel, reflect a lack of true comprehension of the

mind lifting principles that form the basis for our philosophy.

 

Aazhwaar Emberumaanaar Jeeyar ThiruvadigaLe SharaNam

 

Sridhar

[Guest guest]

Sridhar writes:

>The sole requirement for prapathi is vishayAsakthi or ruchi, there are no

>other restrictions.

 

I think you are missing the point. The above requirement vishasakthi or

ruchi is the requirement for prapatti. On the network nobody is doing

prapatti to anyone else and nobody is seeking someone to do prapatti to

them. The missing issue on the network is the issue of an acharya-sishya

relationship. Tirumantram is closely associated with prapatti. The

explanation of tirumantram at the time of prapatti should be left to an

acharya and sishya. This relationship is necessary to ascertain if one has

vishayasakti or ruchi. Just interest in knowing what it is, is not enough.

One has to have the vairagya to do prapatti. ruchi or vishayasakti is

common to many issues. Many of us want to know if there is life on mars! we

have vishayasakti (or curiosity to know); but not many of us want to really

really know that if there is life on mars and are willing to do anything to

find it out. Note also that here vairagya is not important. Do you see the

difference. For prapatti such deep vishayasakti and determination to go

ahead with conviction to get it done is needed. For that, a deep moksha

iccha is needed. Sri Ramanuja states : Shraddha is very necessary what is

shraddha (deep interest). when will this deep interest get established?

when the person has "tvara" or deep urgency in finding out or getting the

aspired object and start all actions which could potentially help obtain the

object.

 

The only point here is that since tirumantram is deeply associated with

prapatti a person's interest has to be evaluated not on a network but on a

more one-to-one meeting / telephone call (if face to face is not possible).

Since this network is just a information sharing device deeper issues such

as tirumantram should be left to an acharya to impart it to a sishya.

 

 

The vyakhyAnam explicitly cuts through all artificially

>created criteria (varNA/caste, linga, et al.) and qualifies everyone on the

>basis of Aasakthi in acquiring true knowledge. This is a universally

>applicable criterion and one that is known only to the prapanna and his/her

>Achaarya. Given this background, it is hardly relevant for any one person

>or group of persons to state the need to preclude any other interested

>person/s from exposure to fundamental aspects of our philosophy. Such

>exclusionary statements, I feel, reflect a lack of true comprehension of the

>mind lifting principles that form the basis for our philosophy.

 

 

I know of a non-shrivaishnava brahmin who was born a srivaishnava. He is a

close friend and has a MS degree in vedanta-related subject. He is very

erudite and has published couple of books in the west. He has lot of

interest in this subject. he is very smart and knowledgeable. And guess

what, he did convert himself from shrivaishnava to another vaishnava sect

due to belief. But still, as per the broad classification you have quoted,

he meets the qualification to listen or know about prapatti which

definitely is beyond caste or creed.!!

 

I used to casually talk to him regarding prapatti. He, after understanding

some issues regarding prapatti condemned that as a bogus which was invented

by Sri Ramanuja with no Vedic basis and can be compared to a social security

system to get food stamps. he further said - what is this moksha? is it as

easy as just a registration? In short, he did all he could to wipe out my

mahavishwasa in prapatti. Thanks to our acharyas he did not succeed. In

short, it is better not to get entangled with such folks and it is better

not to discuss issues such as this with such folks. If one talks to these

even the remaining mahavishwasa will escape from our minds. (related Note:

shastra jnanam bahu klistam buddheh chalana karanam. The shastraic jnana is

very hard and it can cause one's mind to wander even though he is a pundit.)

In short, mass publication could make an issue liable for misuse.

 

This is just an instance to let you know that there are some rahasyas. The

system of visistadvaita philosophy is open to everyone and anyone can read

write about it. It hardly matters. Some key issues such as prapatti are

better dealt with via a student-acharya meeting / relationship.

Particularly the tirumantram has to be kept in an esoteric way.

 

Please discuss these issues with your acharyas and find out what should be

done. I am always open to accept correct knowledge. I would like to get

clarification from authoritative sources such as acharyas. The translations

of mumukshuppadi etc. dont apply exactly to the situation we are dealing

here namely : publication of tirumantram on the net.

 

One may ask: there are several books on tirumantram which publish it anyway.

why not on the net?

 

I can only state this : network is free (no cost). books do cost some

money. If anyone has the interest to buy the book for whatever money (note

it is tough to buy them even if one has money as they are difficult to

find), then probably the person has passed the vishayasakti qualification

exam; so it may be ok. Strictly speaking, even this is not ok. That is why

in the olden days rahasya shastras were never written down. Due to decay of

guru shishya parampara publication is a necessity now.

 

Actually even if one has a book, it is always better to learn important

aspects under an acharya. Book studies are only a resort when an acharya is

not easily available or to supplement studies under an acharya.

 

 

>

>Aazhwaar Emberumaanaar Jeeyar ThiruvadigaLe SharaNam

>

>Sridhar

>

 

 

Srivan Satagopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yateendra Maha Desikaya Namaha

 

Sri Ramanuja Dasosmi

 

Krishna Kalale

Krishna Kalale

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