Sri Vilakkoli Perumal, Thoopul/ThirutthaNkA dhivya Desam: Nithya AarAdhana Kaimkaryam for VilakkoLi PerumAL and Swamy Desikan : Part XXIX: Twenty Seventh SlOkam

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Today , adiyEn will cover the Twenty seventh slOkam

of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan

describes the five limbs of Prapatthi and its angi,

(Bhara nyAsam) which qualifies it to be called ,

the Shadanga yOgam :

 

arTAntharEshu vimukhAn adhikAra haanE:

sraddhAdhanAn Thvadh anubhUthi viLambha-bhIthAn

DhIpaprakAsa labhasE suchirAth kruthIva

nyasthAthmana: Tava padhE nibruthAn PrapannAn

 

--SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai: SlOkam 27

 

Meaning:

********

Oh ViLakkoLi PerumAlE ! Those fortunate ones desirous of

performing Prapatthi at Your sacred feet vow not to do

anything that is against Your SaasthrAs.They stay away

from doing anything that would displease You (Praathikoolya

Varjanam). These are the ones , whom Swamy Desikan

describes as " Thvadh prAthikoolya vimukhA:).

 

Secondly , they vow to do all things that will please

Your ThiruvuLLam ( Your mind's disposition). They take

the sankalpam ( make the pledge ) to do every thing

that will gladden Your heart ( aanukoolya sankalpam).

These are " Spurath aanukoolyA: " or the ones that display

and engage in the performance of deeds that will please You.

 

Thirdly , They recognize their helplessness and powerlessness

to seek other means (upAyam ) for Moksham and beg for Your

mercy to be bestowed on them ( KaarpaNyam )for such a boon.

They reveal their state of utter helplessness and beg for

Your dayA ( Puna: krupaNathAm kruthvA).

 

Fourthly, They have MahA VisvAsam in the efficacy of

the Prapaathi that they performed and have unassailable

faith in You as their Swamy to grant them the Moksha

anugraham.They are totally convinced about the fruits of

their UpAyam (Prapathti )and drop all doubts about

its efficacy and have utter faith in the fruits of

their upAya anushtAnam (vigatha athisankA:).

 

Fifthly , They pray to SrIman NaarAyaNan to stand as

THE upAyam for their protection and select Him as their

Rakshakan /protector ( gOpthruva VaraNam ).They plead with

SrIman NaarAyaNan to be their UpAyam for Moksha Sukham

( Svayam upAya Bhava ithi eerayantha:).

 

Afterwards , they place their plea for their protection

(bhara SamarpaNam , aathma nivEdhanam ) at Your sacred

feet since You have matchless powers (apAra sakthou

Thvayi)to come to their rescue ; they place the burden of

their protection at Your feet ( Thvayi nija bhAram arpayanthi).

This is the sixth step of the ShaDanga yOgam or the angi

for the other five angams .

 

Additional Comments :

**********************

Our Lord's PoorNathvam , Aasritha Vaathsalyam ,

KaaruNyam for those who sought Him (SiddhOpAyan )

through the anushtAnam of Prapatthi (SaadhyOpaayam),

Sarva rakshakthvam , Samastha KalyANa guNa paripoorNathvam

are behind His ready and affectionate response to the PrapannAs.

 

Our Lord is saluted as " nEtA " in Rg Vedam (III.20.4).

He is recognized and saluted as the Supreme Leader , who leads,

one and all , to peace and happiness in this life and thereafter.

Prapatthi with MahA VisvAsam (grand implicit faith) in His

" saving grace " has been referred to in many parts of Rg Vedam.

adiyEn will take it up in future postings. For now, we can

accept safely that the " nama ukthi " or SaraNAgathy recognizes

the Lord as a Universal saviour from the turmoils of samsAric

sufferings (Rg Vedam: V.7.7) .Vedam compares Him to a cool

spring of clear water (oasis) in the middle of a scorching desert;

Vedam salutes Him as the sturdy and leak-proof boat that can

transport the prapannan across the dangerous waters of the ocean

of samsAram to HisSupreme abode.Vedam also compares Him to

a strong staff on which an old man can lean on to walk

to safety (Rg Vedam: VIII.66.13, X.4.1, X.63.10, Vii.45.20 et al).

 

A great authority on Prapathti has commented on the significance

of Prapatthi this way: " A chEthnam is subservient to the Lord ;

the chEthanma cannot achieve anything without surrendering to

the Lord.TheVeda manthrams declare that chEthnam has to choose

the Lord for securing peace and prosperity here and hereafter.

The comparison of a spring of water,a non-leaky boat and a firm

staff to the Lord is very significant. One should reach the spring

of water in the desert to be saved. One has to board that boat

to be transported across the turbulent ocean . One has to hold

on firmly to the staff , if one wants to benefit from its support.

Likewise , one has to choose the Lord ( gOpthruva varaNam ) , who

is accessible to all and pray to Him sincerely for help (kaarpaNyam).

This is the secret of Prapatthi. Though (the exact) words of

Prapatthi and saraNAgathy are not found in the samhithA portion

of the VedAs , we find that the principle of Prapatthi is

already there. These invaluable authorities (vedAs) imply

the principle of self-surrender , as a means (upAyam ) for

attainment of spiritual perfection ( Vaikunta Vaasam and

nithya kaimkaryam to the Lord there) " . The Upanishads ,

the Veda Siras , have expressly referred to Prapatthi and

instruct the aspirant (Mumukshu) to surrender himself at

the sacred feet of the Lord (SvEtasvatara , ChaandOgya, Mundaka ,

MahA NaarAyANa Upanishads). Smruthis (BhagavadgitA) , IthihAsAs

( RaamAyaNam/SaraNAgathy vEdam , MahA BhAratham )and PurANAs

are rich in references to the Shadanga yOgam as a means to Moksham.

AzhwArs ( Prapanna jana kootasthar, Swamy NammAzhwAr and others)

and AchAryAs ( Naathamuni, AaLavanthAr, RaamAnujA , Swamy

Desikan et al) have performed Prapatthi and showed us the way.

 

In the next set of slOkams of SrI SaraNAgathy DhIpikai ,

Swamy Desikan elaborates on the greatness of Prapatthi

and refers to the glories of the PrapannAs. He comments further

that our Lord considers Himself a BhAgyasaali for acquiring

the MahAthmAs , who performed Prapatthi at His sacred feet.

 

SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

SrI Lakshmi Nrusimha ParabrahmaNE Nama:

 

NigamAntha MahA Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

SrI Maragathavalli SamEtha SrI DhIpa PrakAsa ParabrahmaNE nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan/SaThakOpan

 

( On May 26, 2002 SrI RanganAthA Temple at Pomona , NY will be

consecrating the Sannadhis for AchArya RaamAnujA , Swamy Desikan,

Adhi VaNN SaThakOpa Jeeyar, the tenth Narasimhan of Ahobilam

and HH the 45th Pattam Azhagiya Singar ,the Jeeyar who commanded

BhakthAs of North America to construct a Temple for Lord RanganAtha.

HH the 45th Jeeyar is also the MahAn , who built the South

Raaja gOpuram at Srirangam. There are lot of expenses

incurred in the consecration of the above four sannidhis .

Your financial support for the conductance of the Vaidhika-Aagamic

rites associated with the prathishtai, Anna dhAnam will be

most welcome. The details are at http://www.ranganatha.org/

Please let me know of your interest in sponsoring some

of the activities related to the three day long sacred rites

(May 24-26, 2002) at Sri RanganAtha Temple. Please come and join

the other BhakthAs in these sacred celebrations).