Swamy Desika Sahasra Naamam : Part XVII , NamAs 881-888

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SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of Swamy Desikan :

 

adiyEn will continue with the 881th to 888th Sahasra

Naamams today, which will cover the 18th chapter of

Srimath Rahasya Thraya Saaram ( AparAdha ParihAra

adhikAram) .

 

881) (PraNavam) PrapannAjn~AthikaramAdhi prAyascchittha

visEsha vidhE nama:

 

(Meaning ) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who had clear

knowledge about the appropriate kinds of PrAyascchittham

for the different kinds of trespasses of the Lord's commands.

 

(Comments) : Even a Prapannan , who is dear to the Lord can not

trespass the Lord's commands. If he does so wilfully , he acquires

sins and has to perform the appropriate PrAyascchittham

for parihAram ( preventing those sins causing any harm ) .

Due to imperfections in their Aathma guNams , PrapannAs might

end up committing apachArams and they should realize

immediately about their mistakes and perform the relevant

acts of repentance prescribed by the Saasthrams .

 

(882) (PraNavam) yEnOnishkruthyudhAseena prapanna laghu-

dhaNDa dhrusE nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who knew that there is

a small punishment for the prapannan , who does not pursue

the prAyaschittham for the sins that he committed willingly.

 

(Comments) : The Lord metes out such small punishments to a Prapannan ,

who consciously committed sins . This punishment ordered by the Lord

tends to be small in scope even if the sins committed may be major in

nature. This is a result of the Lord's affection for one , who had performed

prapatthi at His sacred feet . Even such a small punishment by the Lord

is for protecting the prapannan.

 

883) (PraNavam ) Aj~nAthilanghi kaDina prapanna narakaapriyAya nama:

 

(Meaning ): Salutations to that AchAryan , who rejected the notion

that the prapannAs who make major trespasses of the Lord's

rules will end up in narakam .

 

(Comments): There are two kinds of prapannAs , who transgress

the Lord's commands :

 

(1) Those who feel contrite , regret over their errors and perform

the appropriate prAyascchitthams quickly . They are known as

Mrudhu (soft) Prakruthis among the PrapannAs .

 

(2) Then there are those , who do not repent over their apachArams

and fail to perform the prescribed prAyascchittham .This category of

prapannAs are known as Katina Prakruthis.

 

Even for Katina prakruthis , the Lord orders a small punishment

and saves them from major punishments like residence in narakam .

As the protector of prapannAs , the most merciful Lord makes sure

that they do not land in narakam as a result of their apachArams .

 

884) (PraNavam) Prapanna buddhi poorvaina : prAyascchittha-

visEsha VidhE nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who knew very well

the visEsha PrAyascchittham ( PrAyascchittha Prapatthi) as

a way to banish the paapams acquired by a prapannan as

a result of committing apachArams consciously .

 

(Comments) : A prapannan , who willingly committed apachArams

should perform the appropriate prAyascchittham . Such a Prapannan

may be powerless sometimes to perform such prAyascchitthams .

It is for those , SaashtrAs prescribe a VisEsha PrAyascchittham

known as PrAyascchittha Prapatthi. Through this PrAyascchittham ,

a sinned prapannan performs a visEsha SaraNAgathy for the elimination of

the sins that accrued . This visEsha prAyascchittha prapatthi is not

for mokshArTam but only for the banishment of the sins that resulted

from wilful commitment of aparAdhams to BhagavAn and His BhAgavathAs .

The first prapatthi done for gaining Moksham ( MokshArTa Prapathti)

can be done only once . The second special prapatthi is therefore

allowed for the sole purpose of gaining freedom from the sins

aquired by the Katina Prapannan . Hence , there is no conflict

between these two prapatthis done for different purposes .

 

885) (PraNavam) Mahaapaata prapanna prasidhda nishkruthi

VedithrE Nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to the AchAryan , who knew that

even the noble ones known for their exalted conduct (sishtAs)

should perform the big praayascchitthams prescribed by

the ShAsthrAs for the big sins that they might have acquired .

 

(Comments): SishtAs are those , who follow strictly the Veda

mArgam . These MahAns are exemplary beings and the rest of

the world follow their ways. Therefore , it is appropriate for

them to practise the prAyascchittham proportionate to

the level of sin and set an example for the others . Otherwise ,

the rest of the world will ignore the needed prAyschitthams

(acts of contrition) prescribed by Bhagavath Saasthrams citing

the behavior of the sishtAs . These major sins relate to Bhagavath

and BhAgavatha apachArams . The sishtAs have to publicly practise

the prescribed prAyaschittham for the benefit of the world

( for lOka sangraham ) instead of seeking private redress .

If they are unable to do it , they should perform PrAyascchittha

Prapatthi .Swamy Desikan is saluted here for his knowledge of

these subtle codes of conduct for sishtAs .

 

886) (PraNavam) KaDina aniyatAyu: prapanna aayurvruddhi

sAdhakAya nama :

 

(Meaning): Salutations to that AchAryan , who was aware of

the Lord granting additional years of life to the Katina prapannAs

so that they can gain mOksham at the end of their earthly existence .

 

(Comments) : Even for Katina prapannAs ( who willfully trespassed

and did not practise prAyascchitthams) , our Lord makes sure that

they gain mOksham at the end of their lives . These Katina prapannAs

are of two categories : (1) those with niyatha aayus ( destined to live

here for a specific or set period of time) and (2) anitha aayus

(those life span had not been settled) . For the niyatha aayus

katina prapannAs , the Lord makes sure that they experience

the light punishments and gain the mOksham at the end of their

lives . For the aniyatha katina prapannAs , our Lord grants them

additional years to exhaust their light punishments so that they

can also gain moksham at the end of their lives on earth as long

as they had asked for Moksham at the end of their earthly existence .

 

887) (PraNavam) mOkshArTa nyAsa samhArya dhee-poorvatthOra-

pApagnE nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to that AchAryan , who refuted the view that

the performance of MokshArTa Prapatthi ( Prapatthi done for gaining

Moksham ) will destroy all the paapams acquired knowingly .

 

(Comments): There is a point of view that all paapams acquired

wilfully after Prapatthi are destroyed for the Katina prapannAs .

The supporters of this view cite the section of Charama slOkam

( Sarva PaapEbhyO MokshiyishyAmi) as their pramANam . They

take the position that prAyascchitthams for wilful sins are not

warranted . Swamy Desikan following AchArya RaamAnujA's stand

in Sri BhAshyam refuted this view as erroneous intrepretation

of GithAchAryan's Charama slOkam message .

 

Swamy Desikan's view is : One who wilfully trespassed should

perform the appropriate prAyascchittham or visEsha prAyascchittham.

If not , there will be delay in gaining Moksham as explained in the previous

sahasra naamAs . The SaashtrAs will be rendered meaningless if

one insists that the sins wont stick after prapatthi and that there is no

need for performing the appropriate prAyascchittham to get rid of them.

 

It is the reason why great AchAryAs like Sri RaamAnuja were very

careful in their anushtAnams after prapatthi that paapams do not

result . They held the view that the Lord will forgive only those sins ,

which were acquired without knowledge by MokshArTa PrapannAs .

In Sri BhAshyam , AchArya RaamAnujA intrepreted the Upanishad (Sruthi)

passages to establish that for Bhakthi yOgis seeking Moksham ,

the sins accumulated knowingly will stick and cause delays in

Moksham . A similar situation exists for those observing Prapatthi yOgam .

Buddhi Poorvaka paapam will stick ; refutation of this view that holds

all kinds of paapams acquired by a katina prapannan do not stick

will result in a MahA DhOsham of " SrI BhAshya VirOdham " . Prapatthi

alone without prAyascchittham or VisEsha Prapatthi will not destroy

the wilfully acquired paapams .

 

888) (PraNavam) krutha paathaka nAsArTa saraNAgathy

vEdhithrE nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to that AchAryan , who knew that Prapatthi

is done for the destruction of the sins accumulated during pre-prapatthi

stage of life .

 

(Comments): There is some confusion in intrepreting the Lord's intent

implied in His Charama slOka Vaakyam : "Sarva PaapEyO mOkshayishyAmi".

AchArya RaamAnuja and Swamy Desikan intrepreted this passage

correctly by instructing us that Laghu Sikshai (light punishment)

and performance of the appropriate PrAyscchittham will eliminate

with Lord's grace even the wilfully acquired sins of a (Katina ) prapannan

during the post-prapatthi period . There is no pramANa vachanam

for the elimination of wilfully acquired sins during the post-prapatthi

period through the mere anushtAnam of Prapatthi .

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka

Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama: