Bhakthi and Prapatti contrasted

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Dear devotees

 

We observe an interesting discussion on Bhakthi

and Prapatti. So we like to post article no. 180

from the work "Divine Wisdom of Dravida Saints" by

Sri Alkondavilli Govindacharyar

 

The article aptly titled "Bhakthi and Prapatti

contrasted"

 

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The best means to salvation is God himself. Even

this is two-fold. One is by Bhakthi or loving him

with all the energy of one's own will; the other

by Prapatti or loving him with all the force

derived from God Himself when the aspirant has

resigned his own will and dispensations of

Providence. In the former case, incessant training

and turning of the will to devotional meditation

on God - demanding much individual effort - and

which has to be performed strictly in accordance

with prescribed models, and modes demanding

qualification such as birth in holy families,

rigid preliminaries and careful watching against

the slightest omissions in observance etc are

required; whereas in the latter neither individual

effort nor conditions of birth are requisites

where a soul in whole-hearted devotion

unreservedly throws itself into the loving and

caring hand of God. The former(Bhakthi) is

attended with danger in as much as when lacking

any of the conditions imposed upon one, who would

thus rise to his own strength of will, he renders

himself liable not to be accepted by God, whereas

in the latter case(Prapatti), the aspirant so

unconditionally surrenders himself to God and so

confidently seeks shelter under His protecting

wings that even God, after giving him such

protection, cannot cast him away. In the former

case(Bhakthi), God does not bind Himself to save,

whereas in the latter case (Prapatti) He binds

Himself to save. Conditions for the

former(Bhakti) are untiring devotion and unceasing

worship etc on the part of the creature-the use of

self will; whereas conditions for the latter

(Prapatti) are implicit trust and effacement of

self will and proneness to the complete operation

of God's will alone. The former (Bhakti) is a

slender stream of love proceeding from puny

efforts, a creature is capable of producing in his

heart; and this is necessarily subject to many

accidents; but the latter (Prapatti) is the mighty

flood of Grace pouring down from God the Creator,

nothing withstanding the rush of the torrent.

Bhakti requires pumping up with exertion. whereas

Prapatti brings down His Grace in all natural

downpour.

 

Alanvandar according to Tirumalai Andan's

exposition - interpreted St. NamAzhwar's Hymn

"Vidumin" [Thiruvaimozhi - 1-2nd Dec] as teaching

the doctrine of Prapatti. Ramanuja their disciple,

followed this teaching until he wrote Sri Bhasya

or the commentaries on Badarayana's Bramha-Sutras;

after which he put the construction that the Hymn

taught Bhakthi or sustained exertion of man's will

directed to loving devotion on the Lord. Asked the

reason for changing the attitude , Ramanuja said

that the Doctrine of Grace was too holy to be

exposed to the profane gaze of all mankind without

the reference to their preparedness to receive the

same. that it could be effective only when

imparted to those who were in heart sufficiently

mature to be inclined to receive assimilate and

act upon the Doctrine; as otherwise it would be a

case of pearls thrown before the swine'. Hence he

saw reasons to carefully screen the doctrine from

the eyes of the undeserving. Therefore it was that

Ramanuja saw fit to construe the particular Hymn

of our Nammazhwar (alluded to above) as

revelational of Bhakthi, or as that means of

reaching God which lays on the soul incessant self

strife, or assiduous application of its own mental

energy to meditation. Ramanuja's object in the

interpreting the said Hymnal as not intending the

Doctrine of Prapatti( or the entire surrender of

the soul of God; and faith and trust in Him, as

against the weakness and inadequacy of

self-effort) but as intending the Doctrine of

Bhakthi only was that without the change of heart

leading it to entirely sacrifice itself for God,

Prapatti would but land the soul in moral

turpitude and spiritual bewilderment. Either one

must sedulously strive to advance towards God in

Bhakthi or by the holocaust of this heart - than

which no greater price cab be demanded - and leave

full scope for the operation of God's free grace.

A misunderstanding of the nature of either of

these modes of reaching God must retard the soul

in its rapid prosecution of the end of its high

divine destiny. What Ramanuja hid from the profane

in this work, he divulged in his work named

Saranagati - Gadya.

 

 

********** end of article 180

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This book contains 183 articles based on

Thiruvaimozhi of Saint Namazhwar in English.

"What is true Renuniciation ? " ;

"Sweet Agony of Separation from God";

"Our incapacity to enjoy the omnipresent God";

"Two arm and Four Arm controversy"

"Efficacy of God's Holy Name alone - Sovereign

Remedy for all ills";

"The dust of feet of God's Holy Saints even more

efficacious"

"Salvation sure through our Universal Mother"

 

are a few of the article titles to mention

 

It will definitely serve as a treasure house of

information about SriVaishnavam. This book is

published by

 

Archish Publications

MS/RB/II/10/11 Railway Quarters

G. T. B. Nager

Mumbai - 400 037

 

Copies can also be had from

 

No - 112 Sannidhi St.

Nanguneri

Thirunelvelli Dist.

Pin 627 108

 

[OR]

 

Jaya Lakshmi Indological Book House

6, Appar Swami Koil Street( Upstairs)

(Opp. Sanskrit College )

Mylapore Chennai 600 004

Tel : Off : 4990539

 

Adiyen

Aravinda Lochanana Ramanuja dasan

 

Azhwar Emperumanar JIyer Thiruvadighalae charanam