Doctrine of Prapatti as per ANdAL

[Guest guest]

Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya nama:

 

Dear bhAgavathAs,

A delayed post(couldn't make it on TiruAdipUram!)on

ANdAL and kindly pardon me for any errors present in this article.

Also devotees are most welcome to correct the errors.

 

The very name "ANdAL,the eternal bride of Lord RanganaThA"

electrifies the minds of SriViaSNvaites with GeV(giga electron volts)

of joy. ANdAL has given everything to us(hasn't missed out anything)

in Her TiruppAvai(T) and NAchchiAr Tirumozhi(NT).

 

Doctrine of Prapatti/Surrender is also known by names such

as saraNAgaTi(seeking refuge),BaranyAsa(transfer of burden of

protection),AtmanikshEpa(self-surrender). VEdAs,the scriptural

authority,describe the fourfold goals(Dharma,arTha,kAma,mOksha) and

also the means for the realisation of the same by men as per their

taste and equipment. But it is the upaniSad which teaches the nature

of Parabrahman and brahmavidyA,ie.,the supreme goal and the highest

means. Brahma vidyAs are 32 in number and although Praptti/nyAsa is

one of the thirty two,it is not dealt with details and only implied

references are given. You find the references in Lakshmi tantra,

SvEtAsvatAra upaniSad,Taittiriya upaniSad. It is nyAsa vidyA which

excels all these kinds of tapas.

 

Prapatti was kept as a secret by all earlier AchAryAs and it

was Sri RAmAnujA who proclaimed it to the world and then wrote gaDhya

trayam on it and subsequent AchAryAs have written several works on

the same. The compassionate,all-merciful bhagavAn didn't want to

leave the erring souls in lurch and so He propounded the pAncharAtra

sAstra(like ahirbudhnya)and Lakshmi tantra wherein elaborate and

systematic treatment of Prapatti is found.

 

Prapatti is sixfold:(1)intention to do whatever is pleasing

to the Lord,(2)avoidance of whatever is displeasing to Him,(3)faith

that He will afford protection,(4)begging His protection,(5)surrender

of the self and (6)feeling of helplessness. Out of the six,one is

angi and the others are its angAs. NyAsa/nikshEpa(self-surrender)has

five angAs. Prapatti can be adopted for the attainment of material

benefits or for the attainment(and service) of ParamAtma. But in the

latter case,it has to be preceded by the CORRECT knowledge of

ParamAtmA,one's own self and also that one is without any other means

of protecting oneself.

 

ANdAL does not dilate but directly adopts prapatti. In the

very opening verse(TiruppAvai:1)she declares:"nArAyaNanE namakkE

paRai TaruvAn". His grace is the only means for the realization of

our goal(Him). In T:2,she describes the attitude of a religious

minded person approachin God and the proper manner of worshipping Him

is explained in the third verse. This right attitude will lead to

KrSNA thirst which will destroy all the past and future sins

(T:5 "mAyanai mannu"). Godloving person always seeks the company of

like minded devotees to share his anuBavams of God. So ANdAL does the

same thing in T:6-15 and then make pledge to the gatekeeper(T:16)to

admit them. This signifies the guidance of AchAryAs to the domain of

God. Then in "ambaramE TaNNIrE" (T:17),she prays for

nandagOpan,yasOda and balarAma who are all dear to KrSNA.

 

Now comes the important verses(T:18-20) which are of great

significance in SriVaiSNavism which reveal the three special features

with reference to the Mother(Lakshmi) andFather(NArAyaNA) of the

universe. Lakshmi,the kind and loving mother,overlooks the faults of

the erring children(us) and pleads on their behalf with the Father,

who is the epitome of justice,law and order and requests Him to

forgive and protect them. Nappinnai is none other than Lakshmi and

the request is made to her(T:18) to intercede with the Lrd. This is

known as the "PuruSakAra" quality of Lakshmi. Only in two verses in

the entire TiruppAvai "kuththu viLakkeriya"(T:19) and "muppaththu

mUvar"(T:20),the Divine couple(Lakshmi and NArAyaNA) being mentioned.

Nappinnai and KrSNA are mentioned and the prayer is made to them.

Both of Them are upAya and upEya and Lakshmi has the additional

quality of being the "puruSakAra". ANdAL very beautifully weaves the

three features in the three verses. She says:

 

"ethathanaiyElum pirivARRagillAyAl*

thaththuvamanRu thagavElO rempAvAy"

(You can't be away from the Lord for even infinitesimal second).

NammAzhwAr says the same in "agalagillEn iRaiyum enRu alarmEl

mangaiuRaimArba"

 

She had laid down the pre-requisites for observance of

prapatti. Now she gives the accessories(angAs)of prapatti.

 

(1)mahAvisvAsa(supreme faith that God is the protector)in verse

T:21"URRamudaiyAy! periyAy!* ulaginil thORRamAyninRa sudarE!"

This makes one realize that one is helpless in every way and one

approaches God bereft of all pride and I-ness(ahankAra) and My-ness

(mamakAra). This is the qualification for adopting prapatti.

 

(2)AnukUlyasya sankalpa(determination to do what is pleasing to Him)

This angA explained is T:24 "anRivvulagam aLanthAY adipORRi". She

uses the word "pORRi" six times in this verse like her father

in "paLLANdu"

 

(3)prATikUlyasya varjanam(avoidance of whatever is displeasing to

Him). This is said in T:25 "oruTTi maganAy piRandhu". This basically

suggests that great calamity will over take those who go against Him

 

(4)gOpTrTvaraNa(begging for His protection). In T:26,ANdAL prays that

krSNA should confer on them His protection by giving all things that

will be useful to worship Him(conch,drum,lamp etc),and thus being

protected by Him,they will become the object of eulogy for all,they

feel happy,well dressed and adorned with all ornaments T:27 "kUdArai

vellum sIr gOvindA"

 

(5)kAryaNya(helplessness). ANdAL says in T:28 "kaRavaigaL

pinsenRu",that having taken birth amongst them,HE is their puNya.

this relationship between them is something that can not be wiped out

by Him or by gOpis or by anyone or all joined together!

 

(6)PRAPATTI(angi)

ANdAL has disclosed the rahasya traya in T:29 "siRRam siRukAlE". She

says very clearly thta this prayer is not only in this birth but all

forthcoming births too. She(like kOil aNNan) prays for unintermittent

and permanent relationship between themselves(gOpis)and Him and

unabated kainkaryam to Him and Him alone(unakkE nAmatseivOm).

 

ANdAL concludes in T:30 "vanga kadal kadaindha", on behalf of the

Divine couple(Lakshmi-NArAyaNA),that whoever sings thses hymns in the

same manner as she has done,will be the recipients of bliss and

perfect happiness here(ingu-in this world)and hereafter(engum) by the

Grace of Nappinnai and SriKrSNA

 

I request all to forgive my shortcomings/faults.

ANdAL compressed the scripture in just 30 hymns so

concisely,precisely yet clearly that it only makes me WONDER,WONDER

and WONDER

 

ANdAL TiruvadigaLE saraNam;TiruppAvai Jeeyar TiruvadigaLE saraNam

AzhwAr EmperumAnAr Jeeyar TiruvadigaLE saraNam

nappinnai