Copy of: Prapanna PaarijAtham -- Part 3

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

This posting might be useful to

those , who are not receiving SaraNAgathi

Journal . Prapanna PaarijAtham as a

Sri Vaishnavite source grantham is very important

in my opinion . Hence I am posting the article

on the architectonics of the grantham in the Bhakthi

list as well . It is indeed the take-off point and inspiration

for many works to follow on the subject of SaraNAgathi

by many AchAryAs , who followed after

Sri NadAthUr ammAL .

DasOham ,

V.Sadagopan

 

--------- Forwarded Message ----------

 

V. Sadagopan, 75041,3037

TO: AR, INTERNET:vvijay236

CC: SR, INTERNET:Srengara

vas, INTERNET:vasanthi

DATE: 11/3/97 9:18 AM

 

RE: Copy of: Prapanna PaarijAtham -- Part 3

 

Sree PraNathArthihara Varadha ParabrahmaNE nama:

SrimathE RaamAnujAya nama :

SrimathE Vaatsya VaradhArya mahA guravE nama:

 

In this posting , I will cover the remaining two

introductory verses prior to the first of the ten

paddhathis known as PramANa paddhathi .

I will comment more on the fifth verse inview

of it providing the scope of this grantham .

 

In future postings, I will cover key slokams

from individual chapters . I will connect these

thoughts to the contributions of Swami Desikan

thru his many sthothrams and granthams dealing

with SaraNAgathi in Sanskrit , Tamil

and MaNipravALam .

 

May the PeraruLALan bless these efforts !

 

Slokam 5:

**********

 

prapatthErmAnasowbhAghyam , svarUpam , adhikAryapi I

prapannAnAm gurou vrutthi: sreemsE , surishu ,sathsu cha

vihithEshu vyavasthAnam , varjaneeyam , palam tathA I

yEthE dsArthA : kathyanthE thrayanthAdhya artha sangraha: II

 

This verse is like a table of content for the treatise

revered as Prapanna PaarijAtham . Our AchAryA

equates the content of his grantham to the saaram

of the teachings of VedAnthA ( upanishadhs ) . He is

suggesting that he is not elaborating on some thing new .

 

We have referred in an earlier posting to the ten topics that

are the focus items of this grantham . I will restate them

here for convenience in a different manner . These are :

 

1.The unimpeachable Vedic authorities for Prapatthi

2. The nature of Prapatthi

3. The adhikAris eligible for Prapatthi

4. The duties of a PrapannA towards his/her AchAryA

5. Their duties towards Sriman NaarAyaNA

6. Their duties towards the Muktha JeevAs

7. Their duties towards the BhagavathAs of the Lord

8. The duties to be observed as prescribed by SaasthrAs

9. The activities to be rejected ( prohibited by SaasthrAs)

10. The result of the strict observance of Prapatthi ( Palam )

 

1 .PramANa Paddhathi : The grand and ancient authorities

for Prapatthi or self-surrender is the first item that

this grantham focuses on . Source literature from

Sruthis , Smruthis , AagamAs , IthihAsAs and PurANAs are

quoted to establish the ancient history of Prapatthi .

 

Our Acharya establishes clearly the antiquity of the doctrine

of Prapatthi and traces its roots to the VedAs and Upanishads

in this chapter.

 

2. The nature or SvarUpam of Prapatthi

*****************************************

The five angAs of Prapatthi and the two types

of Prapatthi --Arhta and Tr.uptha -are covered

in the second chapter .

 

3 . The AdhikAris eligible for Prapatthi

**************************************

The nature of one , who is entitled to perform

prapatthi is covered here. Every one is entitled

as long as they are cognizant of the fact that they

are unable to adopt any other means of salvation .

The wise , the dullard , the one of high caste or low

caste , pandithAs , paamarAs , all of them are

prescribed to have the rights to perform prapatthi

and to proounce the words of Prapatthi only once .

 

4 . The Duties of PrapannA towards hi/her AchAryA

*****************************************************

The AchArya is intrepreted as a DesikA or the teacher

of Brahma VidyA and as such needs to be revered ,

praised and worshipped .The proper Guru is defined as

the one , who has learned sAsthrAs from an unbroken

line of AchAryAs . Their age or caste is irrelevant to

the sishyAs . Guru-Sishya relationship is also covered

in this fourth paddhathi .

 

5 . PrapannA's duties towards Sriman NaarAyaNA

****************************************************

The prapannA 's duty is described as wearing Sri VaiashNava

chinnams and doing ArAdhanam for Him with parama bhakthi .

The importance of Mula Manthram in such worship is

covered here .

 

6 . PrapannA's duties towards the Muktha Jeevans(eternals ):

****************************************************************

Muktha and Nithya Jeevans are the blessed attendants

of Sriman NaarAyaNA performing nithya Kaimkaryam .

The importance of the worship of Maha Lakshmi with

co-primacy of status with Her Lord is stressed . The

worship of the other consorts of the Lord , His parivArAs

such as VishvaksEnA , AananthA , GarudA and purvAchAryAs

as Sri Vaikunta Vaasins is covered in detail in this chapter.

 

7. PrapannA's duties towards BhagavathAs of the Lord

*********************************************************

The importance of Bhagavatha sambhandham and

Bhagavatha ArAdhanam is the focus of this chapter.

The Key slOkam associated with the Lord is the proof

positive for the loftines sof Bhagavatha worship and

avoiding BhagavathaapachAram . The Lord says :

" I am the slave of those , who touch the BhagavathAs

withb their limbs ( prostrates ) ,even sit nea rthem ,

see them and even hea rthem " .

 

8. Duties of a PrapannA

*************************

The classification of KarmAs and an identification

of those that need to be performed by PrapannAs

in the Post-Prapatthi period is the subject matter of

this chapter. PrayAschitthAs ( expiatory rites ) for

lapses in prescribed conduct is also covered .

 

9. Activiites to be renounced by PrapannAs

********************************************

Elaborate descriptions of acts that are prohibited

are given in this chapter . The importance of ananya

Bhakthi and Guru SevA are highlighted .

 

10 . The fuits of Prapatthi

***********************

The dearness of the prapannAs to the Lord

are described in His own words : " I out of my own

accord receive on My head all the worship made by

the prapannAs , whose minds are totally devoted to Me" .

Praaptthi is described as yielding Moksha SaamrAjyam

and eternal service to the Lord in Sri Vaikuntam , the greatest

of all boons that one can aspire for in all the worlds .

 

THE SIXTH SLOKAM

**********************

 

Here our AchAryA clarifies the intent behind his efforts

to create Prapanna PaarijAtham . He says :

 

sruthArhta mananasThemnE mama , nEtharathA , srama: I

sODavyam athra skalitham sadhbhir vishaya gouravAth II

 

(meaning ) : " For fixing the mind( by constant meditation) on

the teaching received-this is my endeavour and nothing else.

Any faults herein found should be excused by the good

people in consideration of the gravity of the subject ."

 

This slOkam is not seen in some of the copies of

Prapanna PaarijAtham .

 

With this slOkam , Our revered AchArya requests for

a clear understanding of the purpose behind his efforts

in writing his treatise on SaraNAgathi . He states clearly

that it is not for spreading the information on Prapatthi or

for gaining fame or wealth from the anadhikAris , but for

sharing what he has learned from his achAryAs on this

most serious and lofty subject . He begs for forgivance

about any errors that he might make inview of the grandeur

and intricacy of the subject matter .

 

SrimathE Vaatsa VaradArya Mahaa GuravE nama:

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan