SrI UpakAra Sangraham - II (3)

[Guest guest]

NOTE: Readers having difficulty in reading the text

may need to change their encoding to UTF-8.

--------

srI:

 

SrI UpakAra Sangraham - II (3)

--

SAdhanAdhikAram

--

Section - 6 (3)

(Five Favours for Adopting Practical Means)

---

 

In the previous sub-section, SwAmi Desikan described

how the Lord helps the jIva determined to perform the

praptti upAya which is based on his inability for

other upAyas, and an aversion to other refuge than the

Lord. Those who are not placed in this situation have

to undertake other methods. In this sub-section, SwAmi

Desikan speaks about the Lord’s conferring favour on

such persons also:

 

(3) itaRku AkincanyAdiyAn kaimmutal illAtArai

AprayANa-anuvartaneeyamAi antima-pratyayAntamAna

upAyAntarattlE moottumatuvum;

 

The Lord is the object of the knowledge which is the

means, upAya. He is also the object of attainment. He

is the means being the giver of the desired fruit.

Similarly, He is the upEya, that is, He Himself is the

object that is to be enjoyed. In the case of mumukshu,

who has adopted prapatti as the sole and independent

means, the Lord takes the place of other upAyas. In

the case of others also, that is, those who adopt

bhakti, the Lord whose favour has been won by prapatti

intervenes and standing in the place of rites and

duties which are too hard for them placed in between

the starting of the karma-yOga and the completion of

the prescribed meditation, brings about the removal of

sins and the manifestation of satva quality which can

result from their performance. The Lord ensures that

the meditation or worship is completed to bear fruit.

 

Karma-yOga is the performance of certain kinds of

karma or rites as a result of knowledge acquired from

the scriptures about the nature of the jIvAtma and the

paramAtma. These have to be performed without any

desire for the fruits. Karma-yOga, either through

j~nAna yOga or without it, becomes the means of having

a vision of one’s own self through yama

(self-restraint), niyama (observance of rites ) and

prANAyama (the control of breath).

 

J~nAn yOga is the constant and uninterrupted

contemplation of his svaroopa or essential nature of

the self as distinct from matter. This can be done

only a person who has conquered his mind by

karma-yOga. If a person has succeeded in attaining the

vision of his self by the practice of yOga preceded by

karma-yOga and j~nAna-yOga, then he begins the

practice of bhaktiyOga which is the direct means of

enjoying the Lord. While practicing bhakti yOga, the

aspirant has to contemplate on the Lord as the

inner-self of his own self.

 

Bhakti yOga is a special form of meditation which is

of the nature of deep love for the Lord. Bhakti is of

the form of a continuous stream of knowledge which is

like oil streaming down continuously without a break.

Such a practice has to be continued by the person till

his last breath. This is what SwAmi Desiakn mentions

as “AprayANa-anuvartaneeyamAi antima-pratyayam” --

The contemplation of the Lord at the moment of the

stoppage of his breath is a must for attaining the

Lord. Otherwise, he may have to continue this exercise

in his next birth, which may be in any yoni, that is,

plant, animal or human. So, he can continue the

contemplation only if gets a human birth, that too, in

a lineage of the first three castes which are entitled

to study Vedic scriptures so that he can continue the

contemplation of the Lord from the point he left in

his previous birth. Again he has to fulfill the

requirement of the contemplation of the Lord at his

last breath so that he attains the Lord.

 

Here too, he can seek the Lord’s grace through very

ardent bhakti, without losing the focus on the Lord

only and nothing else. If he is able to achieve this

practice, the Lord Who is the compassion incarnate,

gives him a helping hand provided the person follows

the rules of the bhakti yoga in totality.

 

This adoption of a means other than prapatti, is

mentioned by SwAmi Desikan as “upAyAntarattlE

moottumatuvum;” -- Here, “upAyAntaram” -- another

means (than prapatti). In this also, the aspirant of

mOkaSha has to seek the help of the Lord through

prapatti. This goal will result in enjoying his own

self, which is known as “kaivalya”, and not the

SrIvaikuntam, the abode of the Lord, where he would be

able to have unending enjoyment of the Lord along with

the nitya-sooris and muktas.

For achieving this “kaivalya”, that is, enjoying

one’s own Atma, the aspirant has to seek the Lord’s

favour to ensure the achievement of the desired goal.

 

 

 

(To conitinue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

-------

 

 

 

 

______________________________\

____

Be a better friend, newshound, and

know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

http://mobile./;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ