Experiencing Swami Desika - 96

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SrI:

Shrimate Shri Lakshmi Nrusimha Parabrahmane Namaha:

Shrimate Shri Seetha Ramachandra Parabrahmane Namaha:

Shrimate Shri Ramanujaya Namaha:

Shrimate Nigamantha Maha Desikaya Namaha:

Shrimate Shrivan Satagopa Shri Narayana Yateendra Mahadesikaya Namaha:

 

" SrimAn VenaktanAthArya: kavithArkika kEsarI!

VedAnthAchArya varyO mE sannidhatthAM sadhA hrudhi " !!

 

 

The Vedas, Smritis etc have firmly established the nyAsa vidya.

Lord has Himself spoken about it. Our poorvAcharyas have also

preached nyAsa vidya (Prapatti).

 

When a person has completely surrendered to the Lord by performing

Prapatti, death becomes a welcome guest for him. He is not scared

of it, rather he looks forward for it! Only non-prapannas have to

be afraid of death!

 

But, in real life situations we see that so many people who perform

Prapatti request the Lord to reach Srivaikundam only at the end of

their life and not immediately. Therefore a question might arise,

that if Prapannas are not scared of death why can't they perform

Artha Prapatti and reach Srivaikundam immediately??

 

In the 61st Sloka of Achyuta satakam, " bhaktAstAvaka sEva rasa

bharitA:... " , Swami explains the reason as to why people prefer

to go to Srivaikundam at the end of the life time instead of

going immediately (by performing Artha Prapatti).

 

Swami says, though the true devotees, have been longing for several

years to be released from samsArA and go to Srivaikundam, they do

not seek Moksham immediately. They wait for DehAvasAnam. This is

because of their fascination for the Archa forms of the Lord here,

and to render kainkarya - loving and respectful service to them.

Another reason is that the Lord himself is desirous of keeping

those devotees here for some time so that they may serve as

examples for other people and also induce a taste in those others

for release from samsArA and attain Moksha, both by percept and

example.

 

In many of his works Swami Desika has emphasised the importance of

Prapatti, the greatness of a Prapanna and the way a Prapanna has to

lead his life after performing Prapatti. Let us have a look at a

few Slokas:

 

" prAptAbhilAsham tvadranugrahAnmAm

padmAnishEvyE tava pAdapadmE !

aA dEhapAtAdaparAdadOram

aAtmAntakainkaryarasam vidhEyA: !! "

 

-- AstabhujAstakam (8)

 

In this Sloka Swami declares that a person who has performed

Prapatti will certainly attain Moksha. However, Swami reminds

us that there is a code of conduct for a Prapanna to be observed

for the rest of the life till dehAvasAnat. Swami leads us by

being an example and prays to the Divya Dampati that for the rest

of his life he must be blessed with the opportunity of performing

nithya kainkarya to the Lord's feet which are already glorious

from the assistance at the hands of Goddess Lakshmi.

 

" tyaktvOpAyAnapAyAnapi paramajahanmadyamAm swArhavruttim

prAyascittam ca yOgyam vigata runatatirdvandva vAtyAm titishu: !

bhakthigjnanAdi vruddim paricaraNAguNAn satsamruddhim ca yuktAm

nityam yAcedananyastadapi bhagavatastasya yadvA ptavargAt!! "

 

-- nyAsa Vimsati (19)

 

The Uttarkritya, or the conduct of behaviour of a Prapanna in

the post Prapatti period is the topic of this Sloka. The do's

and don'ts are very clearly mentioned.

 

Swami states that a Prapanna should give up all upAyAs for

obtaining anything other than Moksha (Moksha is also guaranteed

by performing Prapatti just once, so he should not try any other

means for obtaining Moksha). He should not also pursue anything

which is svaroopa virOdham. He must never give up the mode of

life suited to his status and state of mind but must strike a

middle course performing necessary atonement when necessary.

A Prapanna must feel that he is free from all debts and must

bravely put up with the changes in life in the shape of pleasure

and pain. He must not aspire for any other benefit. He must

sincerely pray for more gjnana, Bhakti etc, and also for the

objects needed for the worship of the Lord. He must also pray

for the appropriate prosperity of the righteous. He should pray

only to the Lord or to His true devotees.

 

In the very next Sloka Swami Desika elaborates on

UttarakrutyAdikAram => the service to God and his devotees.

Service or Kainkarya is of two kinds: AagnyA and anugnyA. The

former has to be rendered scrupulously without any break or

slip. Its rigour cannot be relaxed. These are our duties.

They will NOT give us specific results, but non-performance

leads to accumulation of sins. This can be equated to our

breath. By breathing there is no specific result but by

non-breathing we are dead!!!

 

Anugnya kainkarya is optional. Performing such kainkarya is

a pleasure by itself and one need not expect any results for

performing such kainkaryams.

 

How a Prapanna must desist from acting is indicated in the above

Sloka which can well be regarded as summary of the uttarakrutyAdikAram

of Srimad RahasyatrayasAram!

 

The above write up is based on the commentary of the following

author's Shri K.P.Rangaswami on Swami Desika's AstabhujAstakam,

Shri R.Ramaswamy Aiyangar's commentary on Swami Desika's

Nyasa Vimshati and Achyuta satakam.

 

" Kavi Taarkika Simhaaya Kalyaana guna SaalinE!

SrimatE VenkateshAya VedAnta Gurave nama !! "

 

....To be continued!

 

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

 

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi

9th Sep 1999