SrI deSika stotra-s - 10. nyAsa vimsatih - Part 3.

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SrI deSika stotra-s - 10. nyAsa vimSatih - Part 3.

 

a~nga-s of prapatti:

 

The five a~nga-s of prapatti which have been referred to several times

before are summarized once more in Slokam 18:

 

1. The realization and thought that I am incapable of following any other

upAya other than SaraNAgati (kArpaNya)

 

2. I will not indulge in any act that is counter to your tiru -uLLam

(prAtikUlya varjanam)

 

3. I will devote my life only in kaimkaryam that will be pleasing to You

(AnukUlya samkalpam)

 

4. I have full and absolute confidence that You will definitely protect me

and no one else can protect me (mahA viSvAsam)

 

5. I pray to you to be the upAya or means to protect me. ( goptr*tva

varaNam)

 

I surrender (SaraNAgati) my self, and the responsibility to protect me, to

You.

 

This surrender, directed to attain moksha, should be done only once for this

purpose, and (by the very nature of mahA viSvAsa) should not be repeated

ever again for this same purpose. Unlike bhakti yoga, which needs to be

observed over a period of time for it to bear fruit, prapatti for moksha

should be done only once.

 

Life of a prapanna (i.e., after prapatti has been done):

 

In Slokam 19, svAmi deSikan deals with the life of a prapanna after the

prapatti has been done.

 

1. No karma or act should be undertaken that has the objective of

attaining anything for one's own benefit.

 

2. No action should be undertaken that is a violation of the SAstra-s

(those that will lead to accruing more sins).

 

3. nitya-naimittika karma-s such as sandhyAvandana, SrAddha, etc., which

do not fall in either category (kAmya karma-s or those forbidden by the

SAstra-s), and which are in the balance between the above two categories,

should continue to be performed.

 

4. For any sins that are accrued in spite of the above conduct,

prAyaScitta-s as prescribed in the SAstra-s should definitely be performed.

If the prescribed prAyaScitta-s cannot be performed, the prAyaScitta

prapatti shuld definitely be performed (i.e., prapatti performed not with

the objective of moksha - since this has already been done once and should

not be repeated, but with the objective of prAyaScitta for the sins accrued

subsequent to the performance of prapatti).

 

5. For one who has done prapatti, the r*Na-s or obligations of the three

kinds - viz. to deva-s, sages, and pitr*-s - have been fulfilled by prapatti

itself. Ordinarily, the obligations to deva-s is removed through

performance of yAga-s, that to sages by learning veda-s, and the one to

pitr*-s by begetting progeny who can perform the obligations like SrAddha

etc. But for a prapanna, the performance of prapatti (a great tapas by

itself as was mentioned earlier) and observing the way of life prescribed

for a prapanna (living a life consistent with SAstra-s, nishkAmya karma,

bhagavad kaimkaryam as the sole objective of all action etc.), already take

care of these three kinds of obligations, and nothing further is required to

be done.

 

6. A prapanna should accept the pleasures and pains that are a part of life

in this world with equal disposition, and should look at these as the

fulfillment of the results of his karma, so that he is free to do kaimkaryam

to Him which will not result in any additional accumulation of fruits.

 

7. The prapanna should not indulge in any actions or prayers with the

desire for any benefit. He should pray only for the continued growth of

his bhakti and j~nAna, and his prayers should be only be directed to

bhagavAn, His retinue of nitya-sUri-s such as vishvaksena, garuDa, ananta,

etc., and to AcArya-s such as AzhvArs, nAthamuni, yAmuna muni, etc. His

prayers can include the well-being of sAdhu-s that are devoted to His

kaimkaryam, prosperity of materials such as the flowers and sandalwood that

are useful for His kaimkaryam, etc. The key is that he should not seek or

pray for something that is not related to or does not contribute to

kaimakryam to bhagavAn.

 

The Importance of Observing varNASrama dharma-s Even Though Not An a~nga of

prapatti (Slokam 20):

 

kaimakryam can be classified into two major categories:

 

1) Those that are ordained to be done by a person who is physically fit to

observe them. These include snAnam, sandhyA, bhagavad-ArAdhanam, sRAddham,

tarpaNam, etc. It is to be noted that even though these are not a~nga-s for

prapatti, these varNASrama dharma-s should never be given up.

 

2) Those that are not ordained to be done, but which are directed to

bhagavAn and will only please Him if done. These are called anu~jnA

kaimkarya-s. This includes acts like offering flowers, sandalwood etc. to

Him, doing pradakshiNam, performing utsavam for bhagavAn, etc. These can be

done as one's abilities permit and as one's interests allow.

 

Humans have two kinds of karma-s. One is called samcita karma - these are

the effects of karma-s or actions that have not yet borne fruit, and so can

be expiated by our current actions such as penance, yAga, etc. The other

group is called prArabdha karma-s - those that are already bearing fruit and

being enjoyed by us now (e.g., our sex, our parentage, etc.), and those

karma-s or actions that we are committing now, which will bear fruit in

future births. Performance of prapatti, which is the best of yAga-s (Slokam

9), clears the prapanna completely of samcita karma-s. Prapatti also clears

the effects of prArabdha karma-s that normally will bear fruit in future

births for actions performed in this birth. Thus, the prapanna is left with

the effects of prArabdha karma-s which he is already enjoying in this birth.

The prapanna enjoys these during this lifetime, and at the end of this, is

left with no more effects of karma to enjoy, and reaches SrIviakunTham at

the end of this life.

 

Conclusion:

 

svAmi deSikan concludes the stotra with a gist of how he was led to

prapatti, and how he lives his life as a prapanna after performing prapatti.

This concluding Slokam is included as part of the nitya-anushandhAnam at the

end of the nyAsa daSakam which is recited during the nitya

bhagavad-ArAdhanam.

 

samSArAvarta vega praSamana Subha-dr*k deSika prekshito'ham

samtyakto'nyairupAyair-anucita cariteshvadya SAntAbhisabshih |

niS-Sankhah tatvat-dr*shtyA niravadhika dayam prArthya samrakshakam

 

tvAm

nysya tat-pAda padme varada nija-bharam nir-bharo nir-bhayo'smi ||

 

"I chose a good AcArya who could instruct me on how to get out of the whirl

of samsAra, and had his divya kaTAksha. Because of the AcArya's teachings,

I obtained the knowledge that could help me analyze and understand the

difficulty of bhakti yoga and the realization that prapatti is the only

recourse open to me, which I could perform easily, and attain the desired

moksham by performing it once and only once. I learned the facts about

prapatti and so had no doubt whatsoever about its efficacy. I sought refuge

of peraruLALan with pirATTi as the sole refuge who could protect me. I

surrendered all responsibility for my protection at the feet of peraruLALan

and performed prapatti at His feet. Since I am now living the life of a

prapanna, I feel completely relieved of all responsibility for my self from

that point. Since all my acts from that point on have been directed to only

kaimkaryam for bhagavAn, there is nothing more to fear about any

accumulation of karma. So I continue to lead a life of nishkAmya kaimkaryam

to bhagavAn while spending the rest of my life in this world, and deriving

infinite happiness from it".

 

-dAsan kr*shNamAcAryan