Kalai Differences - Part 3

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavatas:

This is Part 3 on the subject highlighting Aspects 3 to 10

out of 18 mentioned in the Sloka cited.

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

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BEdaH swAmi krupA- phalAni a-gathishu- shree vyApti- upAyatwayo

Tad vAtsalya- dayA- nirukti-vachasO- nyAsE- cha- tat-kartari /

Dharma thyAga virOdhayO:- sva-vihithE - nyAsA- Anga: - hetutvayO:

PrAyaschitta vidhou- tadeeya bhajanE- aNuvyApti- kaivalyayO://

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3. Shree Vyapti : regarding the status of Lakshmi

(i) as to her being the means

(ii) as to her being infinite

(iii) as to her being Paramatma

 

TK:

(i) Though they accept her recommendatory role as held by VKs, Shree is only

another simple released soul with limited power;

To equate her with the Lord would mean creation of " Dual authority " . Lord is

the only UpAya.

(ii) She is only atomic in nature like other Jeevatmas.

(iii) She is a JeevAtma like any of us, but superior to other Jeevas.

(iv) Also, Shree has no power and she is only a minor soul and Her

helplessness in many AvatAras only proves it!

VK:

(i) Shree is the (UpAya) i.e.means for attaining Salvation as much as the

Lord Himself and also has the role of Mediatrix (PurushAkAra)

(ii) She is infinite like the Lord Himself and it is the loving 'mithunam'

i.e. Divya Dhampatis who act in unison and there is no 'duality' involved.

(iii) She is also Paramatma as much as the Lord Himself.

(iv) Shree has Her role in the AvatAras also. She only revealed " human

powers while as human " . She had no need for a 'rescue'. Inherently, her role

as such, has to be congenial and in concurrence with that of the Lord's

AvatAra Rahasya purpose. She could also have done 'bhasmeekaraNa " (reducing

him to ashes) for RAvaNa. But, then why did the Lord take the AvatAra as

'manushya'? This would have been defeated, if she had acted on Her own. It

is Not a case of Her helplessness. In any case, she did not reveal that

power!

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4.UpAyatvayO: Regarding Bhakti and Prapatti as Means of Salvation

TK

They do not accept any means because JeevAtma is so utterly dependent as to

be incapable of adopting either Bhakti or Prapatti as a means.

There are Karma yOga, GnAna yOga, Bhakti yOga and Prapatti yOga.

All the four can, however, be undertaken as independent means. But it is

Lord's grace alone that can lead to Moksham.

VK:

Though ultimately Lord's grace as SiddhOpaya is accepted they maintain that

Only Bhakti and Prapatti to be the " direct' means to Moksham. Bhakti is

more difficult and dilatory while Prapatti is easy and immediate. Other

yOgas mentioned are merely helpful and enhance the power of practicing and

ultimately lead to either of the two

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5. Tad vAtsalya: Definition of " Vatsalya

TK:

The sins of a JeevAtma is a source of joy for the Lord who loves and

relishes the same like a husband 'relishing' even the 'dOshas' of a dear

wife and the Cow 'relishing' while licking the dirt off the body of the

calf!

..In other words, it means that the Lord is " courting and looking for the

faults of devotees " .

VK:

When a Jeeva surrenders, the Lord forgives the sins committed by the

JeevAtma and grants Moksha. They do not accept the analogy of the cow or the

husband advanced by TKs because neither the cow nor the husband 'enjoys' the

dirt in either case, but 'ignores'. It is just that the Lord is

'indifferent' to the faults of the Prapannas- not that He " relishes " their

faults. If this were to be taken as 'relishing', it is like a license and

encouragement to continue to indulge in sins!

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6. DayA: (Mercy) Regarding the Lord's grief at the suffering of the souls;

TK:

They hold that the Lord actually feels sorry on seeing the sufferings of the

souls and cite examples from Srimad Ramayana where Sri Rama is depicted as

grieving over the misery of others. It is the 'attitude of mercy ' of the

Lord that makes Him feel distress and sorrow of the Jeevas as of His own " .

God also suffers just as much as the suffering Jeevas!

VK:

One can have sorrow only when one cannot remove the suffering of another.

But, the Lord is capable of removing suffering. So, there is no need for Him

to grieve. As Sri Rama, He shows to the world how a human would feel and how

one should react on seeing the misery of others. Lord is above all sorrow

and distress. DayA means " a disinterested desire toto wipe off the pain of

the devotees, because the other interpretation will go against the doctrine

of His uninterrupted state of absolute happiness (Aananda)

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7. Nirukti Vachasa: A formal prayer (Goptrutva VaraNam or Atma NikshEpaNam)

TK

They hold that out of NirhEtuka Kripa (sheer reasonless mercy) the Lord

would grant Moksham and no formal request by the Jeeva is required. It is

the mother who breastfeeds the baby. There is no volition on the part of the

baby for the mother's feeding it.

VK

It is true that ultimately, it is Lord's mercy that grants Moksham to the

Jeevas but a formal prayer called Goptrutva VaraNam or Atma nikshEpaNam is

needed from the side of the Jeeva.

 

No doubt, the mother does breastfeed the baby. But, a small effort on the

part of the baby of putting its mouth to the breast of the mother is

required, if the mother has to feed it. The Goptrutva VaraNam is like this

small step- a mere pretext though, on the part of the Jeeva that draws

attention of the Lord to protect the Jeeva.

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8. NyAsa: Nature of Prapatti

TK

No positive act is necessary. Prapatti is a " passive " realization of the

entire doctrine of dependence. All that is required is-

(i) the knowledge of the Svarupa of the JeevAtma and

(ii) mental acceptance of the Lord's grace in granting salvation.

VK

Prapatti has to be a positive, specific act of surrender by the JeevAtma to

the Paramatma. It is a " Positive' and " conscious supplication " for

protection. It carries with it " mahAviswAsam " on His power to protect and

His response to the pleading.

Ananya sva- abheeshtE mahA-viswAsa poorvakam /

Tad eka upAyatA yAnsha prapattih: SaraNAgathih //

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9. Tatkartari: Who can do Prapatti?

TK

One who is qualified to do Prapatti is disqualified from practicing other

means like Bhakti. Some also contend that Prapatti is for the literate and

Bhakti is for the illiterate!

VK

The reverse is the case. One who is not qualified to adopt Bhakti or any

other means is qualified to do Prapatti. The only common aspect in both is

the realization of the state of utter helplessness. Prapatti is for both.

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10. Dharma ThyAga VirOdhayah: Renunciation of worldly actions.

Regarding the interpretation of the Charama SlOkam- " sarva DharmAn

Parityajya mAm Ekam SaraNam vraja " -

TK

This is literally interpreted to mean " FIRST, Give up your duties and THEN

take refuge in the Lord " . They believe that the renunciation of all Dharmas

is obligatory.

VK

If we look at the context of the Charama slOka, we will find that when the

Lord had elaborated on the different paths like KarmayOga, JnAnayOga and

BhaktiyOga (with its attendant 32 Vidyas), Arjuna became perplexed and

desolate since he felt he could not go through any of them within his

present lifespan due to his incapacity to practice them and the delay

involved in observing them with the rigors required. And, prayed to the

Lord, what he could do to get out of this catch 22 situation. It is then,

that the Lord says, that he need not feel sorry on his not having performed

these means and that if Arjuna surrendered to Him, He would stand in their

place on his behalf, deem as if he had completed the chores and give the

fruits thereof as if the Jeeva had actually practiced them to perfection.

 

The Nitya and Naimittika Karma anushTAnams should never be given up. There

is no Vakhya bhEda in the two commandments in the single sentence. What is

implied is the tyAga of the desire for the fruits and the belief that any

one of them could be deemed as independent of the Lord's grace. The grace

aspect is ABSOLUTE.

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To Continue

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