"prappati" in Ramanuja's "gitA-bhAshya"

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

 

A few days ago, I thought I read on the list a remark by Sri.Mani

Varadarajan in the context of some point of discussion on

Sri.RamanujAchArya's"gita-bhAshya" that Sri.Sadagopan had raised while

announcing details of his CD-Rom project.

 

If I have not completely misread his comment, Sri.Man's point was that

nowhere in the Gita-bhAshyA had Sri.RamanujAchArya dealt with the doctrine

of "prappati".

 

If Sri.Mani means that nowhere in the Gita-bhAshya does "bhAshyakArar" deal

AT LENGTH with the concept or doctrine of "prappati" he might be right. But

if he means that the concept does not feature at all in the "bhAshya" then

he might be in danger giving everyone the rather erroneous impression that

Ramanuja's "gitAbhAshyA" has nothing to say on the concept of "prappati".

 

There are, on the contrary, many points in the "gitAbhAshyA" where

"bhAshyakArar" does indeed explicitly dwell on the doctrine of "prappati".

 

The most notable instance I can recall immediately is the passage on

Chapter15.

 

Commenting on Stanza 4 in that Chapter :

 

"tatha-ha padam tat parimArgitavyam

tasmin gatA na nivartanti bhUya-ha

tam eva chAdyam purusham prapadyE

yata-ha pravrtti-hi prasru-tA purANI" II

 

("One should surrender to and seek refuge from that Primordial Person from

whom streamed forth all this inexorable activity of "samsArA")

 

On the basis of the above Stanza "bhAshyakArar" proceeds to comment quite

profusely on the doctrine of "prappati" and concludes by saying:

 

"tam Eva cha aadhyam purusham prapadya sharaNaupagamya iyataha

agnyAna-nivruttayAdEha-krutsnasya etasya sAdhaBhutA pravrutihi purANI

purAtanI prasrutA I purAtanAnAm mumukshNoonAm pravruttihi purANi-hi purAtana

hi mumookshavO mAm eva sharaNam upagamya nirmuktvabanDhA-ha samjAtA

ithyartha-ha II"

 

("[This stanza of the Gita]…. gives the sense that this discipline of taking

refuge in the Supreme Person for dispelling of ignorance has continued from

a distant past. The tendencies of ancient persons seeking liberation are

also ancient. The purport of [this stanza] is thus this: The ancient

liberation-seekers, taking refuge in Me alone, were released from bondage.")

 

In a very slanted sort of way "bhAshyAkArar" above was also reminding

everyone that the "discipline" of "prappati" had originated from the ancient

sages (the Alwars?) who preceded him by many centuries and that it was not

some newfangled creation of his.

 

Just thought I might add the above to clarify matters.

 

adiyEn dAsAnu-dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

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