FWD: Nikshepa Raksha by Swamy Desikan

[Guest guest]

Dear SrI VaishNavas,

 

With SrI MAdhavakkaNNan swAmi's permission, I am forwarding

the article that he has written following swAmi dESika's

nikshEpa raksha based article by Sri U Ve Dr. NS Anantharangachar

Swamy, Bangalore.

 

Thanks & Regards

naidrava mAdabhUshi S. HARI rAmAnuja dAsan (mshari)

===========================================================

SrI:

SrImathE rAmAnujAya namah:

Dearest srivaishnavas,

 

As promised by adiyEn, here is the Nikshepa raksha by Swamy Desikan -

Article written by Sri U Ve Dr. NS Anantharangachar Swamy, Bangalore

(appeared in 150th TN of Srimad Poundarikapuram ANDavan Swamy Sri Srinivasa

Maha Desikan)

 

One of the many outstanding contributions of Sri Vedantha Desika to the

School of VisishtAdvaita is the vindication of the doctrine of Prapatti or

SaraNAgathy. The credit of explaining, reaffirming and consolidating this

doctrine on solid grounds goes to Sri Vedantha Desikan, who is one of the

greatest successors of Sri Bhagavad Ramanuja.

 

Prapatti or Saranagathy was being observed as a direct means to mukti, even

before Ramanuja and Ramanuja gave a reorientation to it in his great

Gadyathrayam. It is known from the jitante sthothra, a Pre-Ramanuja

sthOthra, that Prapatti is a direct and sufficient means to moksha. Prapatti

is essential for all Sadhanas. Any spiritual discipline will not be possible

without it. For the commencement of Bhakti yoga as well as for the

completion of it, Prapatti is absolutely essential. As it completes other

disciplines, it is a valid and direct means to mOksha also. It is the grace

of the Supreme Lord that grants the phala of any Sadhana and Prapatti is

inevitable for attaining that grace of the Lord. He gets pleased by the

performance of Prapatti. An aspirant who gets other desires fulfilled by the

grace of the Lord through Prapatti, can also gain the Ultimate Object of

life through divine grace awakened by Prapatti directly.

 

According to Ramanuja both Bhakti Yoga and Prapatti are valid means to

spiritual perfection. The pramanas are innumerable for the same.

 

NArAyaNA Himself, in Ahirbudhnya samhitA categorically declares:

 

bhaktyA paramayA vA-pi prapattyA vA mahAmathe

prApyoham na anyathA prApyO mama kainkarya lipsubhihi "

 

upAya bhakthi: prArabdhavyathirikthADhanASinI | sAdhyabhakthisthu sA hanthrI

prArabhdhasyApi bhUyasi ||

 

Ramanuja has expounded Bhakti Yoga in his SriBhashyam, GitA bhAshyam and

Vedartha Sangraham and Prapatti in his Gadyathrayam. He has emphasized the

fact that Bhakti Yoga can not be actualized without Prapatti. Ramanuja has

synthesized the philosophy of Sadhana in the light of the scriptures, the

priceless traditions of the past, and the mystic wisdom of the

God-intoxicated AzhwArs.

 

A number of masters that followed Ramanuja dealt with this doctrine of

Prapatti differently and there was a need to examine them and consolidate

them in a systemized manner for the future generations to get to know. This

great task was achieved by Vedantha Desikan in his magnum opus Srimad

Rahasyatrayasaram - written in MaNipravalam (a blend of Sanskrit and Tamil).

Vedantha Desikan's Srimad Rahasyathrayasara has stood as an authority on the

religion of Saranagathi. Desika deals exclusively with Saranagathi in a

number of his stotras also, namely, nyasa dasakam, nyasa thilakam, nyasa

vimsathy, Saranagathy deepika, and adaikkalappatthu in Tamil. More than all

these, Swamy Desikan wrote a work in Sanskrit namely Nikshepa Raksha, in

defense of Prapatti.

 

Nikshepa Raksha is one of the five Raksha granthas written by Desikan. This

is meant for enlightening the followers of Sri Bhagavd Ramanuja Sampradayam

and is not for generating faith in the followers of other schools of thought

and religions regarding this doctrine. This doctrine of Prapatti is extolled

as " mAnyam yathIswara mahAnasa sampradAyam " and Desikan explain the

significance of this doctrine according to the teachings of ancient

Poorvacharyas (after Ramanuja) like Bhattar, KooratthAzhwAn, Sri

VishNuchittha, Sri Vaatsya Varadarya, Sri Athreya Ramanuja and others.

 

Desika states the prima facie view that Prapatti is not a distinct and

different means of moksha - at the very first outset and raises nine

objections against this statement (or view of Prapatti as follows:

 

swarUphalakshmAnushtAna vidhyadhrashtErnishEDhatha: |

EkyAdhaSakthErAKhyAthE: sampradhAya virODhatha: ||

 

The nine incompatibilities pointed out are:

 

1. The anupapatthi (or incompatibility) regarding its essential nature of

being different from Bhakti;

2. The anupapatthi regarding lakshana or definition;

3. anushtAnAnupatthi - or the absence of its adoption for moksha;

4. the absence of any authority enjoining it;

5. the fact of negation of any means other than Bhakti for attaining moksha;

6. the incompatibility of its non-difference from Bhakti as it is only an

accessory to Bhakti

7. the inability to perform Prapatti;

8. it is not prominently known from the saasthraas and

9. it is contrary to tradition as it is not bequeathed by the line of

teachers i.e. Guruparampara.

 

These anupapatti's are described in detail one after the other in the former

portion of this treatise that forms Poorvapaksha BhAgam and Swamy refutes

with authority and sruthi /smruthi statements each one and establishes

Prapatti which has been in existence.

[anything good- the credit goes to Dr. Sri NS Anantharangachar Swamin. All

errors and faults are mine. Please forgive me for the same] piRavip

perunkadal neendhuvar neendhaar iRaivan aDi sErAthaar.

To be continued

Acharyan ThiruvadigalE SaraNam

Regards

Namo Narayana

aDiyEn dAsan