Guest guest Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 NOTE: Readers having difficulty in reading the text may need to change their encoding to UTF-8. ------------- srI: SrI UpakAra Sangraham - II (20) -- SAdhanAdhikAram -- Section - 8 (3) --- (The Favours being done by the Lord to the mumukShu when he leaves the body) ---- In the precious sub-section, SwAmi Desikan showed how the Lord confers favour to a bhakti-yOgi, who has to have the last thought by his own effort at the time of leaving his body. A mumukShu who has adopted the means of bhakti-yOga for mOkSha, has to keep his last thought fixed on the Lord on his own if he desires to attain His abode. In this sub-section, SwAmi Desikan shows the unique position of the prapanna for whom no self-effort is required for the last thought as he has surrendered everything at the feet of the Lord, Who takes this responsibility on Himself: (3) nishshESha-bharanyAsam paNNi cAtakavrutti-yAnavanukku apEkShA-anuguNamAka “shareera-pAta-samayE tu kEvalam madeeyayaiva dayayE atiprabuddhah” ityAdikaLiRpadiyE than krupAmAtratthAlE sva-viShaya-antima-pratyayatthaip piRapikkumathuvum; We shall now study this in detail: “nishshESha-bharanyAsam paNNi cAtakavrutti-yAnavanukku” -- A person who has surrendered totally at the feet of the Lord, will live like the cAtaka bird, which survives only on rain drops. CAtaka, a cuckoo-like bird, does not sip water available in ponds or rivers even when it feels thirsty. It waits for the rain-drops falling from the cloud. Like this bird, the prapanna is supposed not to seek benefit from any other source other than the Lord. He will wait for His grace however long it takes. Such a person would have done the total prapatti without leaving any of the angas or accessories of prapatti. The angas are: 1) “Anukoolya-sankalpam” - The intention to do whatever is agreeable to the Lord; 2) “prAtikoolya-varjanam” - The avoidance of whatever is displeasing to Him; The essential condition for the will to do what is pleasing to the Lord and the avoidance of what would be displeasing to Him is the knowledge that the prapanna exists solely for the Lord, the Consort of LakShmee, for whom alone all things and all beings exist. He should, therefore, do whatever would please Him by performance and abstain from performing whatever displeasing to Him. 3) “kArpaNyam” - The feeling of helplessness; If one observes the first two conditions, he will be free from self-pride (garvam). This will generate the feeling of helplessness. It will serve to heighten the compassion of the sharaNya (the Saviour) and will be useful later on for the promotion of the knowledge that there is no other upAya (means). 4) “mahAvishvAsam” - The maintenance of supreme faith in the Lord; Supreme faith is necessary for the performance of prapatti free from all doubts as it leads later on to freedom from anxiety. As it has been stated: “rakShiShayateeti vishvAsAt abheeShTOpAya-kalpanam” (LakShmee Tantra, 17-77) (From the faith that He will protect arises the adoption of the Lord as the means for the desired object.) 5) “gOptrutva-varaNam” - The supplication of His protection. Though mOkSha is the appropriate goal of our essential nature (svaroopa), yet when it is sought as the desired end (puruShArtha), it has to be asked for. Supplication for protection is necessary since mOkSha would be given only to the one who asks for it. It is seen in the world that no good thing is given without its being asked for. Therefore, mOkSha will not be prusShArtha, (that which is yearned by a man), unless it is asked for by the puruSha. It has been stated: “aprArthitO na gOpAyEditi tatprArthanAmatih” (LakShmee Tantra, 17- 72) (No protection will be given when it is not sought.) “gOptrutva-varaNam nAma svAbhiprAya-nivEdanam” (LakShmee Tantra, 17 - 78) (Seeking the Lord as the Saviour is to make our mind known to Him.) Since these five accessories are of use at the time the performance of prapatti, they are essential for the surrender of one’s self, Atma-nikShEpa, as these cannot be left out. Such prapatti is, therefore, mentioned here by SwAni Desikan as “nishshESha-bharanyAsam”. He is the perfect prapanna. He will live like a cAtaka bird, depending totally on the Lord. How such a prapanna will live is described by SrI Poigai AzhvAr in a pAsuram: “thOL avanaiyallAl thozhA enecviyiraNdum kELavanathu inmozhiyE kEttirukkum -- nAnALum kONAkaNaiyAn kuraikazhalE kooRuvathE nANAmai naLLEn nayam.” (Muthal ThiruvanthAthi - 63) (My arms will not fold before anyone except the Lord Who is reclining on the bed of AdishESha; both the ears of mine survive listening only to the sweet words about Him Who is the friend of all; my tongue is singing only about His feet; I am not tempted by the sensuous objects, unlike those who go after them shamelessly.) “apEkShA-anuguNamAka” -- As such a prapanna lives like the cAthaka bird, he gets the position favourable to his desire, because of the Lord’s grace. The Lord Himself has stated this: “sthitE manasi susvastE shareerE sati yO narah / dhAtusAmyE sthitE smartA vishvaroopam ca mAmajam // tatastam mriyamANam tu kAshTha-pAshANa-shannibham / aham smarAmi madbhaktam nayAmi paramAm gatim //” (VarAha Carama SlOka) (My devotee, who, when his mind is in normal condition, when the body is not shattered, and when the elementary continents of the body are in perfectly equal proportions, meditates on Me -- Who have the world as My body and Who am not subject to births due to karma. When that devotee lies like a log of wood or a piece of stone in his dying moments, I think of him and lead him to attain the highest state.) With the same idea in mind, SrI PeriyAzhvAr has sung this verse: “thuppudayArai adaivathellAm cOrvidatthut thuNaiyAvarenRE oppilEnAkilum ninnadainthEn Anaikku nee aruLceithamaiyAl eippu ennai vanthu naliyumpOthu ankEthum nAnunnai ninaikkamAttEn appOthaikku ippOthE collivaithEn arankattharavaNaip paLLiyAnE!” (PeriyAzhvAr Thirumozhi, 4-10-1) (Oh Lord Who is reclining on the bed of Adi shESha in Srirangam! A person seeks refuge under strong persons in order that he will obtain their support when he is in distress; though I am not like Thy devotees who know how to seek Thy help, yet I approach Thee, since Thou were gracious even to an elephant; when the dying moment comes, I may not be able to think of Thee. Therefore, I entreat Thee, even now, that at that time, Thou should come to my rescue.) As stated in the above verses, the prapanna need not seek the remembrance of the Lord in his last moments by his own effort. Here, SwAmi Desikan recalls what stated by the Lord to SrI-BhAShyakAra: “shareera-pAta-samayE tu kEvalam madeeyayaiva dayayA atiprabuddhah” (sharaNAgati Gadyam) We shall consider this quote along with the remaining words of this clause, as indicated by SwAmi Desikan, “ityAdikaLiRpadiyE” -- ‘etc.’ “shareera-pAta-samayE tu kEvalam madeeyayaiva dayayE atiprabuddhah mAmEva-avalOkayan apracyuta-poorva-samskAra-manOrathah” (At the time of leaving the body, you will be in full possession of your intelligence owing to my grace; you will have a vision of Me and will have all your previous memories and desires for mOkSha.) This was stated by Lord RanganAtha to SrI RAmAnuja, when the AchArya adopted prapatti at the feet of the Lord in the presence of His Consort, Sri RanganAyakee. In the light of the VarAha Carama SlOka and SrI PeriyAzhvAr’s verse, this may give a conflicting idea. But, our poorvAchAryas have interpreted this SharaNAgati Gadyam sentence in the spirit of the verses quoted above. In the case of the prapanna, the remembrance at the last moment comes out of the Lord’s grace. That is why, in the Gadyam, the Lord is quoted as saying, “madeeyayaiva dayayA” -- ‘by My grace alone’. The same idea is stated by SwAmi Desikan in this sub-section: “than krupAmAtratthAlE sva-viShaya-antima-pratyayatthaip piRapikkumathuvum” -- The Lord generates the last thought about Himself only by His compassion. The subtle point, here, is that the requirement of last remembrance is essential for all. But in the case of the person who has adopted prapatti as an independent means with all its accessories in tact, the Lord takes the responsibility on Himself. He will ensure that the prapanna gets this last thought without fail. At the time of death, the prapanna may be appear to be lying unconscious; his speech and other activities would have become still; the condition of his mind will not be known to others. At that moment he has to have the last remembrance. Whether he has or not can not be known to others who have gathered around him. Only the concerned person and the Lord will be aware of it and no one else. SrI RAmAnuja makes a point in his SrI-bhAShya, which is worth considering here. That is in the context of the Brahma Sutra, 4-2-1, “vAngmanasi darshanAcchabdAcca //” (Speech rests in the mind at the time of death, because it is so seen and because also there are scriptural statements to that effect.) In his SrI-bhAShya, SrI RAmAnuja, while replying to the objection (poorvapakSha), says: “drushyatE hi vAg-indriyE uparatEpi manah pravruttih /” (Indeed, even when the sense of speech ceases to function, the activity of the mind is perceived.) This means that the mind’s functioning may be inferred by some sign or other. It may also describe the dying man’s experience in some states of ill-health and the like. Therefore, this last remembrance is a thing that could be known only to the man who becomes a mukta and to the Lord Who gives him mOkSha. This is what SwAmi Desikan mentions in this sub-section that it is because of the Lord’s compassion alone, the prapanna gets the last remembrance at the time of his departure from his body. (To continue) dAsan Anbil S.SrInivAsan ----------- ______________________________\ ____ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search. http://tools.search./newsearch/category.php?category=shopping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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