The Glory of Prapatthi --Amudha MozhigaL of H.H. the 44th Jeeyar --Part 1

[Guest guest]

Dear Memebers of the prapatthi group :

 

It is my bhagyam to share with you the Amudha

MoazhigaL of Paramapadha Vaasee , SrivaNN

SatakOpa Sri VedAntha Desika Yatheendhrar ,

the Mahaan , who blessed the Achaarya peetam

of the Ahobila Mutt . I hope you enjoyed his truly

insightful summary of the individual verses of

ThiruppAvai . Today , I will translate his moving

essay on the glory of Prapatthi .

 

Bhayam tyajatha bhadram vO dadhAthi karuNArNava : I

prapathyA tyaktha kOpassun pApinAmapi Madhava : II

 

( meaning ) : Please abandon your fear ; He , the ocean of

mercy blesses us with auspiciousness . Our Lord

Maadhavan casts away His anger at those who have

performed Prapatthi and chases away their sins and

confers sarva mangaLam (on them with joy) .

 

The adhikAris (qualified/eligible ones ) who can practise

Bhakthi yOgam in the manner prescribed by the VedAs

are not too many ; indeed it is doubtful that there has been

any since NammAzhwAr attained Moksham through

the practise of Bhakthi yOgam . Prapatthi maargam

taught by our Lord to ArjunA is the most prevalent

maargam for our deliverance form the cycles of

birth and death ( moksham ) .

 

The essence of Swami Desiakn's teaching is that

Sriman NaarAyaNan gives the boon of equal moksham

( sama moksham/no tAra tamyam ) to all , who performed

Prapatthi in the manner prescribed by sAsthrAs

independent of their caste , creed , gender or status in life .

 

SaraNAgathi is of three kinds . One of them is the most

important . The other two come next in significance . The most

important one is called sva nishtai . Here , a mumukshu

performs kalakshEpam with a sadhAchAryan and learns

about the anantha kalyANa guNAs of Sriman NaarAyaNA ,

His svarUpam , subhAsrayam ( divya thirumEni ) ; next

he learns from the AchAryA about the svarUpa , rUpa guNAs

of his own jeevAthmA followed by an understanding

of the nature of SaraNAgathi , its limbs (angAs ) and

gets a clear conception of what is an angi . Afterwards ,

he learns about the appropriate manthram used to perform

one's saraNAgathi and the tight correlations between the different

angAs of saraNAgathi and the corresponding padhams of

the praaptthi manthram . He learns about the particular padham

that is connected with the angi part of saraNAgathi . Driven then

by his virakthi and desire to reach paramapadham ,

he gets clear instruction from his achAryan about

the prescribed and ancient method of performing

saraNAgathi . At a time of his own choice ,

he then places the burden of protection of his athmA

( the Lord's own property ) at the sacred feet of

Sriman NaarAyaNA , the owner of his athmA through

the act of saraNAgathi ( Bhara samarpaNam /Aathma

nivedhanam ) . THIS IS SVA NISHTAI , THE HIGHEST

MODE OF SARANAAGATHI .

 

There are not many , who have the needed qualifications

to perform prapatthi through Svanishtai . It is doubtful ,

whether anyone has performed successfully svanishtai

besides Swami Desikan some six hundred years ago .

There may be some one , somewhere , but it is very

doubtful .

 

The other two modes of saraNAgathi are known as

AchhArya Nishtai and Ukthi Nishtai . People of all

castes , creeds , gender or age are qualified to observe

one or the other of these two modes of saraNAgathi .

 

The first of the two methods is Ukthi Nishtai . One stands

in PrumAL sannnidhi along with the AchAryA and looks

at the PerumAL and repeats after the AchAryA , the words

related to saraNAathi given as upadEsam by the AchAryA

in a saastraic manner .

 

The second of the two methods outside svanishtai is

known as AchArya Nishtai . One approaches the learned

AchAryan , falls at his feet and begs him to intercede with

the Lord on his behalf . Then the AchAryan performs

the saraNAgathi for his sishyan . AchArya Nishtai can

be executed through a direct request or through an

appeal not made in person . Some times , when one is

too ill to travel to the AchAryA's side , then they write a letter

or send a telegram , if it is an emergency , and beg the AchArya

to intercede on his/her behalf through the performance

of AchArya nishtai .

 

The compassionate AchAryAs themselves

might elect to perform AchArya Nishtai

for the children , dumb , blind , dim witted , lame

and others , who are unable to participate in

saraNAgathi fully due to their limitations of body or mind .

The fruits of Moksham however is guaranteed for all of

them . All are adhikAris for AchArya Nishtai and Ukthi Nishtai .

 

Lord Maadhavan controls His anger over the limitless

sins accumulated by us , the Jeevans , and forgives our

trespasses in the present and previous janmAs ,

once we perform saraNAgathi in the prescribed manner

and blesses us with Moksha Sukham . That we have many

janmAs prior to saraNAgathi is clear from His own words ,

" tava cha bahUni janmAni vyathithAni " . The sins accumulated

over these span of many janmAs are beyond counting . Even

the Lord has difficulty taking a measure of them . Even with

all those limitless bundles of sins , the Lord out of His

incomparable and infinite dayA quenches His anger

and fulfills His promise made to ArjunA on the battle field :

 

sarva dharmAn parithyajya mAmEkam saraNm vraja I

Aham tvA sarva pApEpyO mokshaishyAmi maa sucha : II

 

You may still ask the question : Will the Lord give Moksham

to one , who commits so many atrocities in this life and is

recognized as a MahA Paapi ? The Lord will bless that

MahA paapi too , since he has already said , " saraNam vraja ,

sarva pApEpyO mokshayishyAmi " . After this categorical

statement in GithA , there is no reason to doubt Him . It is

foolish to intrepret the meaning of this charama slOkam

aspromise to remove the sins collected in previous janmams

only . It includes all the sins accumulated in this janmam

as well . KUrEsa has said in this context :

 

" Sri Ramachandran out of His infinite mercy forgave

even the KaakAsuran , who committed the unpardonable

offense of hurting Loka mAthA with his beak . Once that

mahAparAdhi fell at Sri Rama"s feet and begged for protection ,

our Lord saved the asuran from the terrible damage of

BrahmAsthram . Therefore , I am hoping that the Lord

will quench His anger at us , MahA paapis , when we

perform SaraNAgathi and bless us with Moksham " .

 

Therefore , there is no doubt that even a MahA paapi

will be protected by the all merciful Lord , if he performs

saraNAgathi in this janmam . Do not be afraid . SaastrAs

state that even if one has committed the heinous crime of

killing one's mother and father , the Lord will forgive even that

person by controlling His anger , if he repents and seeks

the Lord's protection as a saraNAgathA .

 

Even if one has taken to stealing as a profession , even if

one drinks alcohol inspite of his high birth as Brahmin ,

even if he acts like a friend and betrays one behind one's

back , even if he has committed brahmahatthi , even if he

has coveted the wife of his AchAryA , even if he has murdered

others , even if he has committed much worse sins , once he

mutters the name of NaarAyaNA involuntarily or without

intent during his last moments like AjAmiLan , then he is

released of all paapAs according to Sukha Brahmam . If

that is so , the effect of performing saraNAgathi recommended

by the Lord in Bhagavadh GithA is bound to chase away all

the paapams accumulated in this and previous janmAs .

There need be no doubt about this . Therefore , we , the paapis

can cast aside our fears and feel hopeful . Do not be deluded

by the thought that you have to acquire tattva jn~nam through

kalakshEpam and only thereafter qualify ourselves to perform

saraNAgathi . What you have to do is to stand before your

AchAryA in PerumAL sannidhi and repeat after the AchAryA

the saranAgathi vaakyams , which state , " I have given the

object known as " I " to You ; please remove my paapams and

protect me " . You do not even need to know ,what that object

referred to as " I " is .

 

AlavandhAr says in this context :

 

VapurAdhishu yOpi kOpi vaa

guNa dhOshAni yathAtathA vaa I

tadhayam tava paadha padmayO :

ahamathyaiva mayA saamrpitha: II

 

AlavandhAr says that Whatever may be the nature

and attributes of this object known as aathmA ,

I have presented that object to You for protection .

 

Swami Desikan has pointed this tattvam in his

Rahasya Traya Saaram and has said : " The Lord

blesses even those , who do not have a full comprehension

of the TattvAs and gives them Moksham , when they

surrender to Him " .

 

PurANAs state that even a long term enemy of our Lord

escapes damnation and is blessed with Moksham , when

he performs saraNAgathi even during his last moments

in his life due to some fortunate development . The example

of KantAkarNan , an ancient enemy of the Lord is a testament

to Lord's dayA for one , who sought His refuge even after

years of declared enimity .

 

( To be Continued )