VirOdha ParikAram 91-100

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Charama SlOkAdhikAram (91-100) : The AakshEpa-SamAdhAnams

regarding the meanings of Charama SlOkam are covered here .

 

91. The explanation for the word "Parithyajya" in Charama slOkam :

(Question) : If a Prapannan following the instruction of the Lord to abandon

all dharmAs , how can one do that and live like the bird and the beast

and roam around ? This is worrisome .

 

(Answer ) : one has to focus on what are the dharmAs that are to be

abandoned .The chEtanan has already abnadoned the performance of

dharmAs beyond his capacity as undoable . The instruction is that chEtanan

is standing powerless to perform Bhakthi yogam and gain its Phalans that

he aspired for . Technically , he has abandoned that dharmam due to his

incapacity . This point of view clearly indicates that the chEtanan

can not abndon those dharmAs , which he can do and he must perform

them .Explained in another way , the act of Prapatthi does not expect

the help of any dharmams beyond its five angams.Therefore ,

all the other dharmAs are not angams of Prapatthi and can be abandoned .

Included in this view is the assumption that the dharmAs related to

Aasramam and VarNam ( VarNAsrama dharmams) have to be observed for

the pleasure of the Lord . There is also no injunction against doing things

that please the Lord without expecting any Phalan for oneself .

 

92.Which is the UpAyam : Prapatthi or Emperumaan ?

 

(Question) : Charama slOkam commands : " Perform Prapatthi "

and implies that Prapatthi is the UpAyam . Other vachanams state

that EmperumAn is the UpAyam .There is doubt here about which one is

the correct UpAyam .

 

( Answer ) : EmperumAn is SiddhOpAyam , the UpAyam that exists

eternally and not invented by anyone . SaadhyOpAyam is the upAyam

performed by a chEthanan ( Prapatthi) . Both are UpAyams . Among the two ,

SiddhOpAyam is mukhyam . The role of Prapatthi ends when the Lord's anger

over trespasses is quenched by the act of Prapathti. The most merciful

Lord accepts the burden of chEtanams' protection and is siddhOpAyam.

Hence , EmperumAn is the most significant upAyam and not the act of

Prapatthi .

 

93. Doubts about Prapatthi being the direct cause for Moksham :

 

(Question) : In Charama slOkam , Prapatthi is indicated as an angam

of Bhakthi yOgam . For the successful execution of Bhakthi yOgam ,

it is assumed that the performance of Prapatthi as an angam of

Bhakthi yOgam will remove all sins and permit rapid success in

gaining Moksham . There are others who state that Prapatthi does not

need any other upAyam and can lead to Moksham directly . Which

position is right ?

 

(Answer) : The Prapatthi referred to in Bhakthi yOgam is anga Prapatthi

and is practised when the saadhakan uses Prapatthi to overcome

obstacles that he faces to progress in bhakthi yOgam . On the other hand ,

any one who performs Prapatthi with Moksham as a sole goal gains

Moksha Phalan .This type of Prapatthi is described as Svatantra Prapatthi.

This type of Prapatthi is explained in the Gadhyams . There is no conflict

in accepting Prapatthi as a direct means to Moksham .

 

94. (Question): Is Prapatthi just PrAyscchittham for Paapams ?

If so how can it compare favorably with Bhakthi yOgam ,

which is the direct cause for Moksham ?

 

( Answer ) :There is no virOdham in recognizing Prapatthi

Yogam as a direct cause for Moksham just as Bhakthi yOgam .

Both bhakthi yogam and Prapatthi yogam remove all paapams

and qualify us for the limitless grace of the Lord and His

ParipoorNa anubhavam , which is Moksham .

 

95. Doubts about the assurance that the Lord will free the Prapannan

from every kind of sin :

 

( Question) : Sruthi , Brahma Soothrams , Sri BhAshyam state that

the sins committed after Prapatthi do not stick to one as long as

they arose from unconscious acts . While this is so , Charama slOkam

says : " Sarva PaapEbhyO MokshayishyAmi ". How can we accept

this , when Sruthis do not include sins acquired consciously after

Prapatthi ?

 

(Answer) : There is no virodham between the two statements (Sruthi

and Smruthi) . Yes , both agree that the sins acquired unconsciously

do not stick and hence there is no punishment . The power of Prapatthi

ends in recieving laghu ( light ) daNDanai ( Punishment ) for paapams

acquired deliberately . What the Charama slOkam states in a condensed

manner is that I will release you from the effects of all kinds of sins

including those acquired consciously and you will recieve a lighter

punishment for them because of your special status as Prapannan .

I will release you from the severe punishments that a non-prapannan

would recieve . Further , when a Prapannan regrets over his sins

( acquired deliberately ) and performs the appropriate PrAyascchittham

( Expiatory act ) , those paapams will also be destroyed .

 

96. Question about release from Sarva Paapams: Charama slOkam

says that a Prapannan is released from all Paapams as a result of

Prapatthi anushtAnam . If that were to be so , should not the Prapannan

gain moksham right away since all his Punyams and Paapams (KarmAs)

have been dispensed with ?

 

(Answer): Charama slOkam says : " Sarva PaapEbhyO MokshayishyAmi ,

Maa Sucha:". That can be read as sakala karmaas creating all the sorrows are

destroyed and Moksham should be immediate . It is not so . First of all not every one wants to have instant Moksham after Prapatthi . The karmAs responsible

for the existence of dEham ( sareeram) remain .The phalans of such karmaas are enjoyed in this life and then Moksham comes into effect . Sareeram and

Indhriyams stay as a result of residual karmaas responsible for their

continued existence until the appropriate time of dissolution of them

thru their anubhavams right on this earth .

 

97. Question: It has been stated that those karmAs beginning to yield

Phalans permits the continuation of holding on to sareeram after

Prapatthi . Incase of Bhakthi yOgam , it is accepted that moksham

is realized only after all karmAs are dissolved . How come in the case of

Prapannan , Moksham is realized before the entire disolution of KarmAs

in contrast to the experience of Bhakthi yOgam ?

 

(Answer) : In case of Prapannan , the karmAs yielding phalans have to be

split into two categories and understood : (1) The KarmAs that yield

sareeram after this birth and bring one back to this Karma bhUmi

(2) Those karmAs yielding phalan as long as this body exists .

Prapatthi was performed with the prayer to eliminate the cycles of

Births and deaths and repeated garbha Vaasam .When that Prapatthi

is successful , one gains Moksham at the end of this birth and does

not return here ever . The Prapannan, who intensely longed to gain

Moksham at the end of his prapatthi ( Aartha Prapannan) can be

granted Moksham instantly after Prapatthi . Thus the depth of

hatred against SamsAric existence defines the duration of existence

on this earth with the body and enjoy Moksha sukham after Prapatthi .

 

98. (Question) : EmperumAn is said to be so pleased with the Prapatthi

performed by the jeevan that He destroys all the karmAs . If that were to

be so , how can we reconcile with the situation that one experiences all

kinds of sufferings in this embodied state ?

 

(Answer ) : Prapannan did not perform prapatthi in anger to get rid of

the bodily ills. Therefore that portion of the KarmAs did not go away.

The reoccurence of these bodily ills makes the chEtanam not forget

about the ills of samsAram . These sufferings are sikshai for

conscious trespasses after Prapatthi that has to be meted out even if

they are light for a Prapannan . All these sufferings are for

the betterment of the Prapannan in his remaining life on this earth .

 

99.( Question) : Even if the Lord means well , why does not the Dhruptha

Prapannan does not have freedom from these bodily sufferings like

the Muktha Jeevan ?

 

(Answer) : One should not perform Prapatthi for Moksham in this manner.

A dhruptha Prapannan wants to gain Moksham at the end of this embodied

life on earth . Implicit in this wish is to enjoy the sukhams and not the dukkhams .

Sukham can only be appreciated in the context of dukkham . If there is no

hunger and thirst , one does not need food and water. Therefore , acceptance

of staying here until the end of the present life results in acceptance of some

dukkham as well. One can perform prapatthi for removal of bodily sufferings

and can be cured .Even this will happen only when that Prapatthi is done

without blemishes in the angams of Prapatthi .

 

100. ( Question) : Charama slOkam has the upadEsam : "Maa Sucha: " .

( Do not grieve ) . How can we relate this upadEsam to a Prapannan?

He has already surrendered all his bharams( burdens) to the Lord and

lives in a state of freedom from grief ( nirbharam , nirbhayam) . If he

grieves over some thing , does not it lead to deficiencies in his nishtai ?

It is said that even great ones like Sage VyAsa experienced grief some times .

Therefore how can one in the embodied state cast away all sorrows ?

 

(Answer) : The sorrows to be abandoned meant by "Maa Sucha: "

are different from typical worldly sorrows . For instance , the sorrow of

a chEtanan about his insufficency and unfitness to do Bhakthi yOgam

to gain Moksham is one type of sorrow. Another kind of sorrow is

about the worry whether he has to do some thing else to retain the boon

of Moksham after the performance of Prapatthi . These are the kinds of

worries and doubts that the Lord wants the Prapannan to foget about .

 

Sri NigamAntha Mahaa Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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