Nature of Prapatti - 1 ; Was: a small clarification

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SrI:

SrI Lakshminrusimha ParabrahmaNE namaha

SrI Lakshminrusimha divya pAdukA sEvaka SrIvaN-

SatakOpa SrI nArAyaNa yateendra mahAdESIkAya namaha

 

Dear devotees,

namO nArAyaNA.

 

----------------

SrI Mani wrote:

So, while according to doctrine, supreme liberation may

not be assured, as it is if one surrenders to Sriman Narayana

as conceived of by our scriptures, I cannot rule out the

merciful Lord from granting liberation to whomever *He*

sees fit. After all, He is 'nirankusa-svatantran', isn't He?

In fact, I believe either a good birth or liberation itself

is assured for the first person.

-------------------------

SrI T.V.VenkatEsh wrote :

As Mani has aptly pointed out, EmberumAn is "Nirankusa Swathanthran".

He is not tied up by any sAdhyOpAyam that we do to grant us mOksham.

As is the case if He has to grant mOksham only for those who does

either Bhakti or Prapatti, then the very title that He is "Nirankusa

Swathanthran" fails.

------------------

 

adiyEn's earlier posting was in particular dealing with

this issue.

 

Quoting the important pramAnam (referred to by SwAmi

dESikan in His Rahasya traya sAram) again ...

 

PerumAL Himself categorically declares :

 

" bhaktyA paramayA vA-pi prapattyA vA mahAmathe

prApyoham na anyathA prApyO mama kainkarya lipsubhihi"

 

PerumAL declares that bhakti and prapatti are the

only means (sAdhyOpAyam, to be adopted by a jIvAtma)

for which He will grant moksham (kainkaryam at Sri

vaikuNTham) and for _no other means_ adopted by the

jIvAtmA, will He grant moksham.

 

Thus, PerumAL will not grant moksham for someone

who hasn't completed either bhakti Or Prapatti, since

they are not fit enough to obtain moksham. His wish as

to who is fit enough for moksham has already been

indicated in the sAstrAs and asserted by His own divine

words. This also doesn't contradict His nirAnkusa

svAtantrayam (unfettered independence), because it is His

own wish. It is to be noted that, no one can question such

a wish of His to grant moksham to only those who complete

either bhakti Or prapatti, since He is NirAnkusa swatantra.

He is independent and the master of everyone.

 

For instance, SrIman nArAyaNa is granting moksham

to even those aakinchanyAs, bereft of any qualification to

develop deep devotion towards Him and adopt bhakti yOgam

as the sAdhyOpAyam ie. PerumAL grants the same mOksham to

a Prapanna, who needn't wait for a very long time

performing the extremly difficult bhakti yOga with

ceaseless memory of PerumAL etc. No one can question

PerumAL, as to why He is doing like this. This is because

of His unfettered independence.

 

It should be understood that, only out of the great

magnanimity of SrIman nArAyaNa that He doesn't behave as

a total dictator / someone who doesn't keep up His promise

to jIvAtmAs etc. He has every right and power to even

destroy all the "jIvAtmAs" and make them extinct !! His

merciful sankalpam (will) is the only reason for even

the jIvAtmAs to exist.

----------------------------

 

SrI Mani wrote :

 

This being the case, we cannot limit what Emberumaan interprets

as a pretext to give moksha. What does He interpret to be

prapatti? Of course, He has systematized it in so many ways

to make it easy for us to follow a particular path, but for

those people who are completely ignorant of the shastras, He

may take some mental or physical act of self-surrender or

devotion on their part as being prapatti. We cannot limit

Him just because it doesn't suit our fancy.

-------------------

 

adiyEn doesn't understand quite well as to what SrI Mani

means by "our fancy".

 

adiyEn would like to add few more words and it is not in

disagreement with what SrI Mani (as adiyEn understands).

But, this will help in addressing the issue in hand.

 

There is no fancy of ours with regard to the nature of

Prapatti. The modus operandi of Prapatti is well defined in

sAstrAs. Anything that violates these conditions will not be

taken as Prapatti by SrIman nArAyaNa. Otherwise, the sAstrAs

will become meaningless. Also, sAstrAs are not "our fancy"

and it is applicable universally to everyone. Infact, vEdAs

are not sectarian as everyone is aware of.

 

Few verses from sAstrAs regarding the nature of Prapatti :

( all the following are quoted in SwAmi dESikan's

utmost outstanding SrImad Rahasya Traya sAram)

 

1. Ahirbudhnya Samhita (37-18) :

" Anukoolyasya saNkalpaha prAtikoolyasya varjanam

rakshishyatIti viSvAsO gOptrutva varaNam tathA

aatma nikshEpa kArpaNyE ShadvidhA SaraNAgatihi "

 

This specifies the angi (prapatti) with its five

angAs. Thus, any general act can't be considered

as Prapatti.

 

2. Lakshmi Tantra (17-74) :

 

nikshEpAparapargrAyO nyAsaha pancAnga samyutaha |

sanyAsaha tyAga ityuktaha SaraNAgatirityapi ||

 

< nyAsa ie. self-surrender/prapatti has five angAs

and is also called as sannyAsa, tyAga and SaraNAgati>.

NyAsa vidya in Upanishads are explained in the

upabrahmanas like pAncarAtra.

 

3. Lakshmi Tantra (17-72) : "aprArthitO na gOpayEt"

 

< No protection would be given, when it is not sought ie.

a prayer is essential >. If one seeks moksham, a

prayer regarding it towards SrIman nArAyaNa is essential.

This is called as the "goptruta varaNam", an angA of

prapatti. The very word "purushArtham" means, "that

which is prayered for/sought after by a Purusha (person)"

( purushanAl prArthikkap paduvadu).

 

4. Lakshmi Tantra (17-78) :

 

" sarvaj~nOpi hi viSvESaha sadA kAruNikOpi san |

samsAratantravAhitvAt rakshApEkshAm pratIkshatE || "

 

< The Lord who controlls everything, though omniscient

and always compassionate, expects a prayer for

protection, since He has to look after the process

of samsAra >.

 

note: The above pramAnams outrightly rejects the theory that

PerumAL on His own will grant moksham, without any prayer

from the side of a jIvAtma. In otherwords, PerumAL doesn't

grant moksham due to His "nirhEtuka krupa" (Causeless

mercy ie. without any pretext from the side of jIvAtma).

If it is so, then He is partial in picking up some

jIvAtma arbitrarily and is also cruel to others. Also,

it is PerumAL who makes a mumukshu perform such a prayer,

due to that jIvAtma's appropriate sukrudams.

 

But, the prayer alone is not the sAdhyOpAyam ie.

prapatti. Prayer is only an anga (accessory) called

"goptrutva varaNam".

 

5. Lakshmi Tantra (17-91,92) :

 

"apAyasamplavE sadyaha prAyaScittam samAcarEt

prAyaScitiriyam sAtra yat punaha SaraNam vrajEt

upAyAnAmupAyatvasvIkArEpyEtadEva hi ... "

 

< If there is an offence, the atonement is that is to

be done is only the performance of prapatti again

(for the specific reason, which is other than moksham).

If after performing prapatti for the sake of moksha,

a man should perform karma yOga and the like (jn~Ana

yOga, bhakti yOga), with the thought that these are upAyAs

ie. means to moksha, it would also constitute an offense.

In order that this offense might disappear, prapatti

alone should be performed again >.

 

It is to be noted that, one who performs prapatti

should never resort to any other upAya ie. means

of attaining PerumAL.

 

6. Ahirbudhnya Samhita (37.36) :

 

" tEshAm tu tapasAm nyAsamatiriktam tapaha Srutam "

 

< Of all the austerities (tapas) prescribed for the

attainment of moksham, the austerity called nyAsa

(prapatti) is the highest >.

 

7. Lakshmi Tantra (17.62) :

 

" satkarmaniratAhA SuddhAhA sAnkyayOgavidastathA |

nArhanti SaraNasthasya kalAm kOtitamImapi "

 

note :

satkarmaniratAhA : One who is in Karma yOga nishta.

sAn~khyavidaha : One who is in jn~Ana yOga nishta.

yOgavidaha : One who is a bhakti yOga nishta.

 

< Those who with their thoughts fixed only on moksha,

are absorbed in the performance of karma yOga,

and those again, who follow jn~Ana yOga and bhakti

yOga, do not deserve to be placed on a par with

even one-ten millionth of the man who has performed

prapatti >.

 

8. SrI Vishnutattvam (quoted by SwAmi dESIkan in the

CaramaslOkAdhikAram of SrImad Rahasya traya sAram) :

 

samtyajya vidhinA niyam ShadvidhAm SaraNAgatim |

aachAryAnuj~nayA kuryAt SAstradrushtEna vartmanA ||

 

< Giving up all object of desire and the karmAs by

which they can be secured, SaraNAgati with its

five angAs should be performed with the permission

of the aachArya, in accordance with the rules

prescribed in the sAstrAs and with renunciation of

the fruits of all actions >.

 

So, the sanction of aachArya is extremly important.

------------

 

Further, SwAmi dESIkan in SrImad Rahasyatraya sAram,

firmly establishes through sAstrAs and logic that, atleast

the following are _not Prapatti_ ( from the above quoted

verses also one can get a good picture about Prapatti) :

 

a. Knowledge of the relationship between the sEsha

(jIvAtmas) and sEshi (SrIman nArAyaNa) is not by itself

the Prapatti.

 

b. Mere knowledge that SrIman nArAyaNa is the siddhOpAya,

the one who mercifully grants moksham, is not Prapatti.

 

c. Non-resistance to PerumAL's grace is not Prapatti by

itself.

 

d. Prapatti is not an attribute of an adhikAri.

 

e. Prapatti is not mere faith in the saving grace of

SrIman nArAyaNa.

 

f. Prayer for moksham is not prapatti by itself.

 

g. Refraining from one's own activity (to attain moksham)

is not prapatti by itself.

 

It is the genius of SwAmi dESikan in assimilating all the

pramAnams regarding Prapatti and systematizing this esoteric

doctrine with brilliant analysis and excellent logic.

It has to be kept in mind that, an interpretation about

Prapatti should not violate any of the pramAnams.

 

SrI Mani is in agreement with the nature of Prapatti etc

as desribed in sAstrAs. But his remark has been discussed

in the next posting, with the help of the pramAnams quoted

in this posting.

 

SwAmi dESikan thiruvadigaLE SaraNam

 

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

ananthapadmanAbha dAsan

krishNArpaNam