SrI UpakAra Sangraham Part - 71

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srI:

SrI upakAra sangraham – 71

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adikAram – 1

poorva upakAra paramparai

(The Foremost Series of Favours)

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SECTION – 5 (26)

(27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for

MOKSHAM)

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In the previous sub-section, it was shown by Swami

Desikan how the Lord helped the sAttvika jIva to stand

firmly on his determination to depend solely on the

Lord Himself for his salvation. He did not yield to

any doubt to arise in this resolve, nor did he turn to

another person other than the Lord. Now what is left

is the action of surrender which is dealt with, in

this sub-section by SwAmi Desikan:

 

(26) “vallaparisu varuvipparEl” enkiRapadiyE,

ayatnamAka AchArya-mukhatthAlEyAthal,

“pAramArthika-bhagavat - caraNAravinda-sharaNAgatih

yathAvasthitA aviratA astu mE” enkiRa

svavyApArat-thAlEyAthal, vasheekaraNa - vishEShatthilE

nammai udyuktar Akkinathuvum;

 

It was highlighted by SrI Thirumazhisai AzhvAr in the

verse quoted in the previous sub-section that even

those who are not of the three higher castes and are

prohibited from the study of the Vedic scriptures and

to perform rites prescribed in the Vedas, can also

attain the Lord, through surrender at His feet.

Prapatti, though prescribed in the Vedas, is open to

all castes. However, one should have special

qualifications to adopt prapatti, which is also known

as “nyAsa vidyA”. The foremost requirement is that he

should not resort to any other means in the quest for

the desired goal.

 

There are two aspects of the qualification: 1) One

should have desire for the goal and 2) the ability to

adopt the means for the desired result. The

distinction comes among the persons who desire to

attain the Lord, pertaining to the type of means

(upAya) to be adopted. Those who are qualified to

study Vedic Scriptures, and those who are not. The

first type is free to choose either the bhakti-yOga or

prapatti. But for adopting prapatti, the aspirant for

mOkSha should have certain special qualifications,

namely, Akinchanya and ananya-gatitva. Akinchanya

means the inability to adopt any upAya; ananya-gatitva

means absence of any other interest than mOkSha and to

any other refuge than BhagavAn. The second

qualification is implicit in the former, namely,

aversion to all other interests.

 

In regard to prapatti, there are two types:

ukti-niShtA and AchArya niShtA. The first one is done

by one who can utter the sentence taught to him by his

AchArya, directly to the Lord in the presence of the

AchArya. The latter type is for one who is solely

dependent on the AchArya, in the execution of prapatti

on his behalf. Here, the dependence on the AchArya is

total. In the former type, the prapatti is

self-performed one, as guided by the AchArya.

 

In this sub-section, SwAmi Desikan shows these two

types of prapatti through two illustrations, one for

the AchArya niShtA and the other for the ukti-niShtA.

 

SwAmi Desikan explains the AchArya niShtA first:

“vallaparisu varuvipparEl” enkiRapadiyE, ayatnamAka

AchArya-mukhatthAlEyAthal --

 

Performing prapatti through the medium of the AchArya

is illustrated with a quote from the NAchiyAr

Thirumozhi of SrI ANdAL, “vallaparisu varuvipparEl”.

We shall consider the entire verse:

 

“nalla en thOzhi! nAkaNaimisai namparar

celvar periyar ciRumAnitavar nAm ceyvathen?

Villi puduvai vittu citthar thangkaL thEvarai

vallaparisu varuvipparEl athu kANdumE.”

(nAchiyaA Thirumozhi, 10-10)

 

(My dear friend! Our Lord Who is reclining on the bed

of shESha is the richest and the Supreme. But we are

small people. What can we do? If ViShNu Chitta of Sri

Villiputthoor does something to bring the Lord before

me, then we can worship Him.)

 

The main thrust of this verse is that, we should get

whatever we desire only through the AchArya. If,

independent of the AchArya, we try, we will not be

able to get the Lord on our own.

Swami Desikan says, one can try to attain the Lord

through the AchArya, without trying directly:

“ayatnamAka AchArya-mukhatthAlEyAthal” . This is the

AchArya-niShtA.

Secondly, SwAmi Desikan indicates the ukti-niShtA:

“pAramArthika-bhagavat - caraNAravinda-sharaNAgatih

yathAvasthitA aviratA astu mE” enkiRa

svavyApArtthAlEyAthal --

The quote is from the sharaNAgati-gadyam of

SrIbhAshyakAra:

“pAramArthika bhagavac-caraNAravinda-yugala aikAntika

Atyantika parabhakti paraj~nAna paramabhakti-kruta

paripoorNa anavarata nityavishadatama ananya-prayOjana

anavadhikA- tishayapriya bhagavad-anubhava-janita

anavadhikAtishaya preetikArita ashEShAvasthOcita

ashESha-shEShataika-ratiroopa nityakaingkarya

prAptyapEkShayA pAramArthikee bhagavac-caraNaravinda

sharaNAgatih ythAvasthitA aviratA astu mE /”

 

 

(sharANAgati-gadyam-2)

(Parabhakti (high-devotion), paraj~nAna

(high-knowledge) and parama-bhakti (highest-devotion)

relate to the lotus feet of the Lord. Through the

faithful devotion, one obtains the continuous, eternal

and extremely pure enjoyment, of BhagavAn, which does

not depend on anything else and which has neither a

parallel nor a superior enjoyment.

That experience leads to the rendering of all forms of

service appropriate to all states and situations and

to eternal service. For attaining it, the only means

is a sincere and faithful saraNAgati at the lotus feet

of BhagavAn. I pray You, Mother, SrI, to grace me with

that kind of continuous and unending saraNAgati.)

“enkiRa svavyApArat-thAlEyAthal” -- Or adopting this

kind of self-made effort,

“vasheekaraNa - vishEShatthilE nammai udyuktar

Akkinathuvum;” --Enabling us to make a special effort

to charm the Lord.

The message is that surrender, that is, saraNAgati is

a kind of vidyA, in adopting which we are being guided

by the Lord Himself. This is another favour, which the

Lord has conferred on the sAttvika jIvas, SwAmi

Desikan has pointed out in this sub-section.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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