RE: Prapatti and Nitya SamsAri

[Guest guest]

Mani,

 

Thank you very much for providing a very detailed analysis of the issues I

brought up.

 

IMHO, if anything, the word "nitya" should either mean "sarva-kAla" -

eternal, as in "the Atma is nitya" - or "ananta" - without an end but may be

with a beginning, as in "the mukta will perform nitya-kaimkaryam in

Vaikuntham," - but not "anAdi-kAla." So, I find SathakOpa being referred to

as a nitya-samsAri in that sense a little strange. I guess I have to

ruminate on that a little more to fully understand the choice of words. But

that apart, I must confess that I am convinced with your analysis of why

SatakOpa is a "nitya-samsAri," if we use your definition for that term.

 

Regarding the prapatti vs bhakti issue: Does the bhakti yogi never perform

prapatti before attaining paramapadam? If the answer to that is yes, then,

yes, prapatti and bhakti are independent sAddhyOpAyas. But doesn't the most

qualified of bhakti yOgis have to perform prapatti of some sort? Consider

the other case: Do we expect the bhakti of a person choosing to perform

prapatti at the lotus feet of the Lord to be perfect? I would suppose the

answer to that is a NO -- testimony -- the thousands who seek the blessings

of an AcArya to perform saraNAgati. So, what do we conclude: prapatti does

not require perfect bhakti, whereas bhakti requires prapatti. Since

prapatti is the common and required ingredient in both why not just say that

prapatti is the only sAddhyOpAya? Now, I do understand that VedAnta Desika

in the rahasya-traya-sAra has said that there is prapatti in bhakti and

bhakti in prapatti. But I believe (and I may be wrong) that the former

bhakti refers to the sAdhana, while the latter refers to the anubhava. In

any case, even at the culmination of bhakti yOga, the aspirant will by

definition transform into an ego-less entity because of the realization that

his/her efforts were after all being treated by the all-mercifull Lord as a

mere vyAja and that no amount of personal effort could and would fetch the

sweetest of purushArthas. This will directly lead the aspirant to perform

prapatti - surrendering everything including the self to the Almighty. So,

I still feel that prapatti is not only an inevitable but also THE ONLY way

out for any aspirant, given (a) the sareera-sareeri sambandham of individual

souls and bhagawAn and (b) His infinite grace. (Just on the side ... I do

not fully know the official tengalai and vadagalai positions on this issue,

but this view of mine ... I have to confess it matters little ... is not the

traditional "tengalai" view since I do not accept that prapatti is not an

act.)

 

Thank you again for your analysis.

Sarvam sree krsNArpaNamastu

 

-- muraLi kaDAmbi