SrI UpakAra Sangraham Part - 72

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srI:

SrI upakAra sangraham – 72

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adikAram – 1

poorva upakAra paramparai

(The Foremost Series of Favours)

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SECTION – 5 (27)

(27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for

MOKSHAM)

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In the previous sub-section, SwAmi Desikan described

the favour done by the Lord in prompting the sAttvika

jIvas to resort to prapatti either through the AchArya

or directly with the help of the Acharya. What is the

difference between these two types?

In the AchArya-niShta, the Acharya surrenders at the

feet of the Lord on behalf of the disciple, who will

be just present in the scene. The Acharya takes the

responsibility of surrendering the jIva who is his

disciple. In this, the disciple, whose prapatti is

included in the AchArya’s prapatti, has to follow all

the rules strictly in the post-prapatti life. Any

lapse on his part may affect not only the disciple but

also the AchArya who has taken the whole

responsibility on himself out of compassion.

This is not the case with regard to the Ukti-niShta,

in which the disciple is responsible for observing or

non-observing the rules in the post-prapatti life. His

AchArya will not be affected by any lapse on his part.

 

SrI ParAsara Bhattar refers to these two types of

prapatti in a verse in SrIrangarAjastavam:

 

“tava bharOhamakAriShi dhArmikaih sharNamityApi

vAcamudairiram /

iti sasAkShikayannidamadya mAm kuru bharam tava

rangadhurandhar //”

(SrIrangarAjastavam, 2-102)

 

(Oh RanganAta! adiyEn was submitted to You as Your

responsibility by the dhArmika AchAryas. adiyEn also

uttered the word “sharaNam”. Please take me under your

care in recognition of these two actions.)

It may appear from this verse that one has to

practice both the uktis. But it is not so. This is

cleared by the word, “api” in the verse and therefore,

any one of these will suffice. So explains SwAmi

Desikan inSrIrahasyatrayasAram.

SwAmi Desikan speaks about the AchArya-ukti in a

verse in his nyAsatilakam:

 

“andhOnandha grahaNa vashagO yAti rangEsha yadvat

pangurnaikA kuhara nihitO neeyatE nAvikEna /

bhungktE bhOgAnavidita nrupah sEvakasyArbhakAdih

tvatsamprAptau prabhavati tathA dEshikO mE

dayAluh //” (nyAsa-tilakam, 21)

 

(RanganAtha! A blind man holds on to a man who has

good sight and goes about. A lame man is brought and

placed in the centre of a boat and is taken across a

stream by the boatman. The children and other

relations, of a Royal servant, who are unaware of the

king, enjoy pleasures which the servant brings home

from the palace. So, in the matter of my attaining

Thee, my compassionate AchArya has the power.)

 

Prapatti is the final of the means which helps to

attain the goal, that is, the Lord. In order to adopt

this most beneficial practice, the sAttvika jIvas are

helped by the Lord, says SwAmi Desikan:

 

(27) ellaiyAka apavarga-upAyatthilE paryavasippikkiRa

sukruta-vishEShatthai viLaitthathuvm --

anukampaiyinudaiya avasara-upakArangkaL.

 

Among the various means for attaining salvation,

prapatti is the highest. To enable the jIva to adopt

this means is a special favour done by the Lord. With

this, a total of 27 favours have been conferred on the

sAttvika jIvas. All these are intermediate favors done

by the Lord, Who is the compassion incarnate.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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