Nature of Prapatti : Certain clarifications

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SrI:

SrI Lakshminrusimha ParabrahmaNE namaha

SrI Lakshminrusimha divya pAdukA sEvaka SrIvaN-

SatakOpa SrI nArAyaNa yateendra mahAdESIkAya namaha

 

Dear devotees,

namO nArAyaNA.

 

In this posting, SrIman nArAyaNA's unfettered

independence, the nature of prapatti and its

consequences are discussed.

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1. pUrvapaksham (opposition's argument):

 

Since SrIman nArAyaNa has unfettered independence

(nirAnkusa svatantran), He may grant moksham to

anyone, irrespective of whether that baddha

jIvAtma has undergone a sAdhyOpAyam.

 

SiddhAntam :

 

Though SrIman nArAyaNa is independent, He is Satya

Sankalpan, and will not act whimsically, performing

things against the sAstrAs, which are His commands/words

etc.

 

PerumAL Himself, in Ahirbudhnya samhitA

categorically declares :

 

" bhaktyA paramayA vA-pi prapattyA vA mahAmathe

prApyoham na anyathA prApyO mama kainkarya lipsubhihi "

 

PerumAL declares that bhakti and prapatti are the

only means (sAdhyOpAyam, to be adopted by a jIvAtma)

for which He will grant moksham (kainkaryam at Sri

vaikuNTham) and for _no other means_ adopted by the

jIvAtmA, will He grant moksham.

 

By the way, the above verse has been quoted by

SwAmi dESIkan in His SrImad Rahasyatraya sAram and

swAmi has discussed this pUrvapaksham also. Please

refer to the originals.

 

Thus, eventhough SrIman nArAyaNa has every independency

and " rights " to _directly_ grant moksham for anyone

(who has not adopted either bhakti Or prapatti), He

goes by His own words/sAstrAs, that being His kalyANa

guNa. He neither suddenly decides that moksham should

not be granted for prapannAs, nor does He suddenly decide

to grant moksham for someone who has not performed a

sAdhyOpAya viz. either bhakti Or Prapatti. The eternal

sAstrAs are always true and PerumAL will not violate

them.

 

Even if SrIman nArAyaNa grants moksham to someone He picks,

not in accordance with sAstrAs, then He is certainly liable

to arbitrariness and partiallity to those He picks, resulting

in cruelty to others who haven't obtained moksham. Thus, this

option is not possible, since God never behaves with such

characteristics ( Iswaratthukku hAni). SrIman nArAyaNA has

already listed in sAstrAs as to whom He sees as " fit " to

obtain moksham. They are the the bhakti yOgIs and the prapannAs.

All other devotees, who are very sincere will certainly be guided

by the most merciful PerumAL to adopt either bhakti yOga Or

Prapatti and will then grant moksham ie. PerumAL will not directly

grant them moksham, without making them undergo some " vyAja "

(excuse) like either bhakti or prapatti (Otherwise, there is no

meaning for these " vyAjAs " to be imposed by Him in the sAstrAs;

He could as well grant moksham to everyone in one moment).

 

PerumAL certainly reciprocates to His devotees in

various ways ; no one can comprehend it. He is

bhakta vatsalan. But, whether He grants moksham

to them depends upon the performance of the

sAdhyOpAya.

 

The bottomline is that, only either bhakti Or Prapatti

from the side of jIvAtma is used as the vyAja for

SrIman nArAyaNa to grant moksham. But, the performance

of these sAdhyOpAyAs are again due to Lord's mercy,

in accordance with the sukrudams accumulated for

the jIvAtma. The various sukrudams are actually mercifully

allotted by PerumAL in accordance with the actions of each

jIvAtma. Those who are well devoted towards SrIman nArAyaNa

are slowly led by Him to perform either bhakti Or prapatti.

In each and every step, it is only the supreme unparalleled

mercy of SrIman nArAyaNa that needs to be understood and

meditated upon.

 

This also doesn't contradict His nirAnkusa

svAtantrayam (unfettered independence), because it is His

own wish. It is to be noted that, no one can question such

a wish of His to grant moksham to only those who complete

either bhakti Or prapatti, since He is NirAnkusa swatantra.

He is independent and the master of everyone.

 

For instance, SrIman nArAyaNa is granting moksham

to even those aakinchanyAs, bereft of any qualification to

develop deep devotion towards Him and adopt bhakti yOgam

as the sAdhyOpAyam ie. PerumAL grants the same mOksham to

a Prapanna, who needn't wait for a very long time

performing the extremly difficult bhakti yOga with

ceaseless memory of PerumAL etc. No one can question

PerumAL, as to why He is doing like this. This is because

of His unfettered independence.

 

It should be understood that, only out of the great

magnanimity of SrIman nArAyaNa that He doesn't behave as

a total dictator / someone who doesn't keep up His promise

to jIvAtmAs etc. He has every right and power to even

destroy all the " jIvAtmAs " and make them extinct !! His

merciful sankalpam (will) is the only reason for even

the jIvAtmAs to exist.

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2. pUrvapaksham : It is agreed that bhakti and prapatti

are the only two sAdhyOpAyams. But, since SrIman

nArAyaNa has unfettered independence and is abundantly

merciful towards jIvAtmAs, He may consider some

acts of baddha jIvAs by itself as prapatti (say,

an " unconventional Prapatti " ) and will grant

moksham. One can't simply restrict His mercy

and independence.

 

SiddhAntam:

 

There is no fancy of ours with regard to the nature of

Prapatti. The modus operandi of Prapatti is well defined in

sAstrAs. Anything that violates these conditions will not be

taken as Prapatti by SrIman nArAyaNa. Otherwise, the sAstrAs

will become meaningless. Also, sAstrAs are not " our fancy "

and it is applicable universally to everyone. Infact, vEdAs

are not sectarian as everyone is aware of.

 

Few verses from sAstrAs regarding the nature of Prapatti :

( all the following verses are quoted in SwAmi dESikan's

utmost outstanding SrImad Rahasya Traya sAram)

 

1. Ahirbudhnya Samhita (37-18) :

" Anukoolyasya saNkalpaha prAtikoolyasya varjanam

rakshishyatIti viSvAsO gOptrutva varaNam tathA

aatma nikshEpa kArpaNyE ShadvidhA SaraNAgatihi "

 

This specifies the angi (prapatti) with its five

angAs. Thus, any general act can't be considered

as Prapatti.

 

2. Lakshmi Tantra (17-74) :

 

nikshEpAparapargrAyO nyAsaha pancAnga samyutaha |

sanyAsaha tyAga ityuktaha SaraNAgatirityapi ||

 

< nyAsa ie. self-surrender/prapatti has five angAs

and is also called as sannyAsa, tyAga and SaraNAgati>.

NyAsa vidya in Upanishads are explained in the

upabrahmanas like pAncarAtra.

 

3. Lakshmi Tantra (17-72) : " aprArthitO na gOpayEt "

 

< No protection would be given, when it is not sought ie.

a prayer is essential >. If one seeks moksham, a

prayer regarding it towards SrIman nArAyaNa is essential.

This is called as the " goptruta varaNam " , an angA of

prapatti. The very word " purushArtham " means, " that

which is prayered for/sought after by a Purusha (person) "

( purushanAl prArthikkap paduvadu).

 

4. Lakshmi Tantra (17-78) :

 

" sarvaj~nOpi hi viSvESaha sadA kAruNikOpi san |

samsAratantravAhitvAt rakshApEkshAm pratIkshatE || "

 

< The Lord who controlls everything, though omniscient

and always compassionate, expects a prayer for

protection, since He has to look after the process

of samsAra >.

 

note: The above pramAnams outrightly rejects the theory that

PerumAL on His own will grant moksham, without any prayer

from the side of a jIvAtma. In otherwords, PerumAL doesn't

grant moksham due to His " nirhEtuka krupa " (Causeless

mercy ie. without any pretext from the side of jIvAtma).

If it is so, then He is partial in picking up some

jIvAtma arbitrarily and is also cruel to others. Also,

it is PerumAL who makes a mumukshu perform such a prayer,

due to that jIvAtma's appropriate sukrudams.

 

But, the prayer alone is not the sAdhyOpAyam ie.

prapatti. Prayer is only an anga (accessory) called

" goptrutva varaNam " .

 

5. Lakshmi Tantra (17-91,92) :

 

" apAyasamplavE sadyaha prAyaScittam samAcarEt

prAyaScitiriyam sAtra yat punaha SaraNam vrajEt

upAyAnAmupAyatvasvIkArEpyEtadEva hi ... "

 

< If there is an offence, the atonement is that is to

be done is only the performance of prapatti again

(for the specific reason, which is other than moksham).

If after performing prapatti for the sake of moksha,

a man should perform karma yOga and the like (jn~Ana

yOga, bhakti yOga), with the thought that these are upAyAs

ie. means to moksha, it would also constitute an offense.

In order that this offense might disappear, prapatti

alone should be performed again >.

 

It is to be noted that, one who performs prapatti

should never resort to any other upAya ie. means

of attaining PerumAL.

 

6. Ahirbudhnya Samhita (37.36) :

 

" tEshAm tu tapasAm nyAsamatiriktam tapaha Srutam "

 

< Of all the austerities (tapas) prescribed for the

attainment of moksham, the austerity called nyAsa

(prapatti) is the highest >.

 

7. Lakshmi Tantra (17.62) :

 

" satkarmaniratAhA SuddhAhA sAnkyayOgavidastathA |

nArhanti SaraNasthasya kalAm kOtitamImapi "

 

note :

satkarmaniratAhA : One who is in Karma yOga nishta.

sAn~khyavidaha : One who is in jn~Ana yOga nishta.

yOgavidaha : One who is a bhakti yOga nishta.

 

< Those who with their thoughts fixed only on moksha,

are absorbed in the performance of karma yOga,

and those again, who follow jn~Ana yOga and bhakti

yOga, do not deserve to be placed on a par with

even one-ten millionth of the man who has performed

prapatti >.

 

8. SrI Vishnutattvam (quoted by SwAmi dESIkan in the

CaramaslOkAdhikAram of SrImad Rahasya traya sAram) :

 

samtyajya vidhinA niyam ShadvidhAm SaraNAgatim |

aachAryAnuj~nayA kuryAt SAstradrushtEna vartmanA ||

 

< Giving up all object of desire and the karmAs by

which they can be secured, SaraNAgati with its

five angAs should be performed with the permission

of the aachArya, in accordance with the rules

prescribed in the sAstrAs and with renunciation of

the fruits of all actions >.

 

So, the sanction of aachArya is extremly important.

------------

 

Further, SwAmi dESIkan in SrImad Rahasyatraya sAram,

firmly establishes through sAstrAs and logic that, atleast

the following are _not Prapatti_ ( from the above quoted

verses also one can get a good picture about Prapatti) :

 

a. Knowledge of the relationship between the sEsha

(jIvAtmas) and sEshi (SrIman nArAyaNa) is not by itself

the Prapatti.

 

b. Mere knowledge that SrIman nArAyaNa is the siddhOpAya,

the one who mercifully grants moksham, is not Prapatti.

 

c. Non-resistance to PerumAL's grace is not Prapatti by

itself.

 

d. Prapatti is not an attribute of an adhikAri ie.mumukshu.

 

e. Prapatti is not mere faith in the saving grace of

SrIman nArAyaNa.

 

f. Prayer for moksham is not prapatti by itself.

 

g. Refraining from one's own activity (to attain moksham)

is not prapatti by itself.

 

It is the genius of SwAmi dESikan in assimilating all the

pramAnams regarding Prapatti and systematizing this esoteric

doctrine with brilliant analysis and excellent logic.

It has to be kept in mind that, an interpretation about

Prapatti should not violate any of the pramAnams.

 

Infact, hypothetically speaking, everyone (not even some sincere

devotees) _may_ be granted moksham by PerumAL. Many such

hypothetical cases can always be thought of. Though PerumAL

has every independency and rights, to consider any act of a

jIvAtma as Prapatti and grant moksham, He will not do it

by violating His own words/commands/rules/sAstrAs.

 

Hypothetically, if PerumAL considers some " unconventional "

pretexts for granting moksham, it can't be held as some

" unconventional prapatti " ie. it can't be categorized as

prapatti. The nature of prapatti is well defined in sAstrAs

ie. that " unconventional " pretext will not be in accordance

with the nature of prapatti and thus would become a third

sAdhyOpAyam. But, there are only two sAdhyOpAyams.

 

Further, PerumAL being extremly merciful, would certainly

have further added in sAstrAs as to whatelse He takes as a

pretext for granting moksham apart from bhakti and prapatti.

This is because, it would aid many more jIvAtmAs to know

His intentions and adopt such sAdhyOpAyams, however

unconventional it may be.

 

Also, it is to be noted that, the likes of Dasaratha and

PAndavAs who were extremly close with PerumAL Himself,

were not granted moksham by Him, because they didn't

fulfil His criterion of completing a sAdhyOpAyam. PerumAL

could have considered any one of their thousands of acts as

a pretext to grant moksham. Neverthless, He didn't !

 

From the existing pramAnams, SwAmi dESikan has firmly

established the nature of prapatti. One should not simply

look into a particular pramAnam and jump off to conclusions

as if that pramAnam /SwAmi dESikan asserts some pretexts

by itself as prapatti etc. Its pretty clear that such

interpretations will violate other pramAnams (some of which

are given above). The purport of such slokas of SwAmi

dESIkan and other pramAnams has to be understood

with the background of the whole doctrine of prapatti.

Some pramAnams and slokas of AchAryAs emphasize either

certain anga Or angi of prapatti, and these pramAnams,

when stripped off individually, independent of other

pramAnams, may seem to advocate as if even faith in

the saving grace of PerumAL is prapatti etc. One

shouldn't conclude something different, violating some

pramAnams. It is very amply clear that Prapatti performed

for moksham has five angAs and three angIs, alongwith the

sAtvIka tyAga (counted as the sixth angA for those

Prapattis which are performed with the aim of attaining

moksham).

 

The bottomline is that, though PerumAL has every

independency to consider any act of us as Prapatti, He

will not consider that way since it will be in violation

with sAstrAs, which are His own commands. Ofcourse,

hypothetically, if PerumAL chooses suddenly to violate the

sAstrAs and grant moksham to someone who hasn't completed

either bhakti Or Prapatti (Or consider some pretexts by

themselves as Prapatti), no one can question His act,

since He is nirAnkusa svatantra.

 

PerumAL will not make the already existing prapatti sAstra

meaningless. If one hypothetically wants to imagine something,

there is no limit to it. Also, sincere devotees, in accordance

with their sukrudams will certainly be guided by PerumAL

towards the performance of either bhakti Or prapatti.

 

SwAmi dESikan thiruvadigaLE SaraNam

 

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

ananthapadmanAbha dAsan

krishNArpaNam