SrI UpakAra Sangraham Part - 59

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srI:

SrI upakAra sangraham – 59

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adikAram – 1

poorva upakAra paramparai

(The Foremost Series of Favours)

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SECTION – 5 (16)

(27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for

MOKSHAM)

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In the previous sub-section, SwAmi Desikan showed us

how the Lord is making the AchAryas to provide us the

spiritual knowledge through His own example. We also

learnt that the AchArya should be revered as the Lord

himself and about the qualifications of a sAttvika

AchArya, i.e., sadAchArya.

Now, in this sub-section, SwAmi Desikan speaks of

another favour done by the Lord for us:

 

(16) nammaiyum “shiShyastEham shAdhi mAm tvAm

prapannam” ennumpadi paNNinathuvum;

 

Before trying to understand this statement, we must

go back to the sub-sections 13 and 14.

In 13, it was pointed out, among other things, that

this life is seemingly good, but full of miseries and

we must take quick steps to come out of it. It was

also revealed that we must get into virtuous dialogue,

in particular, with a scholar of Scriptures. Many

Scholars may not be suitable to show us the right path

for the termination of our miseries.

 

In the next sub-section, that is, 14, it was revealed

that only a virtuous teacher is capable of revealing

the truth because of his qualifications. He should be

not only knowledgeable but compassionate enough to

give us the required guidance. The Lord helped us to

go near such an AchArya and establish a firm place

within the area of that Acharya’s glance.

 

Once we find an Acharya with all the qualifications

as described by SwAmi Desikan in the two verses of his

work, nyAsa-vimshati, what we should do is indicated

in this sub-section. This is also due to the grace of

the Lord.

 

In the previous sub-section, we saw the Lord Himself

set an example for an ideal AchArya. That example was

recorded in the scripture, Bhagavadgita, which

contains a detailed dialogue between Him and Arjuna.

The situation, which Arjuna found himself in, is also

similar to ours. Having realized where he stands,

Arjuna left everything in the hands of the Lord, SrI

KriShNa so that the Lord teach him what is the best

thing he has to do.

 

In the previous sub-section, we also went through the

verse of PeriyAzhvAr, in which it was revealed that

the Lord entered in his mind and cleansed it of all

the dirt that had collected there and later gave

instructions on the principles and the means for

realizing them.

 

There was something between the seeker’s approaching

the sadAchArya, and the AchaArya starting his

instructions to the seeker. This gap is being bridged

in the present sub-section.

 

Besides telling us what is expected of a sAttvika

AchArya , the Lord is also showing us the role we have

to play while proceeding on the path towards spiritual

perfection and to attain the ultimate goal which is

nothing but attaining the Lord’s Abode.

SwAmi Desikan quotes a passage from the Bhagavdgita,

 

“shiShyastEham shAdhi mAm tvAm prapannam” –

 

“I am your disciple; I am surrendering to You.” is the

meaning of this passage which is a part of the verse

in the Gita, addressed by Arjuna to the Lord, SrI

KriShNa. The full verse is as follows:

 

“kArpaNya dOShOpahata svabhAvah prucchAmi tvAm

dharma-sammooDha-cEtAh /

yacchrEyah syAnnishcitam broohi tanmE shiShyastEham

shAdhi mAm prapannam //”

 

 

(Gita, 2-7)

(With my nature overwhelmed by the defective weakness

of spirit and with my intellect confused about my

duty, I ask You. Tell me what is decidedly good for

me. I am Your disciple. Teach me, who have taken

refuge in You.)

 

Though SwAmi Desikan has quoted only a part of this

verse, the words as quoted throw light on the mental

state of Arjuna, which is also important for us and

which is the intention of the Lord for conferring His

favour on us.

 

The state of a disciple seeking spiritual knowledge

from a sadAchArya is the same as that of Arjuna. With

the grace of the Lord, the fortunate jIva has been

saved from the wrong direction of his life, and now,

he is at the cross-roads, where he has to choose the

right path. The Lord has come to our help here too and

showed that we must approach a sadAchArya. And He has

also brought us near such an AchArya with all the

required qualifications as shown in the last

sub-section.

 

Now, the Lord shows us how to approach the AchArya

who has been made ready for giving the instructions to

us by the Lord Himself. That approach is the same as

Arjuna did and hence this verse is quoted.

 

“kArpaNya dOShOpahata svabhAvah

dharma-sammooDha-cEtAh”

 

-- Arjuna is standing confused as to what is righteous

and what is not righteous – whether to fight against

the opponents who include his Acharyas and close

relatives, or to turn away from the Warfield without

fighting them and killing them. That is the situation

in which the seeker is also placed. He knows by the

grace of the Lord that the mundane pleasures and the

pleasures of other worlds like heaven are not only

very minor but unstable too. Having realized this

fact, the jIva is in a predicament as to what to seek

from the AchArya before whom he has been brought by

the Lord. This is described by the following words:

 

“prucchAmi tvAm yacchrEyah syAnnishcitam broohi tanmE”

--

 

‘I ask you, what is definitely good for me? Please

tell me that.’

This indicates that the jIva has woken up regarding

his present situation which is really not the one he

should continue with. And, he doesn’t know how to

proceed further and where to proceed. But, he is sure

that what he requires is the one which will be

definitely good for his future. That is what he asks

his preceptor.

 

However, the preceptor puts the questions to him: “Why

should I tell you? Who are you?”

 

Though these questions are not given in the verse,

these can be understood from the way Arjuna speaks

next:

 

“shiShyastEham shAdhi mAm prapannam” --

 

‘(Because) I am your disciple. I have taken refuge in

you.’

 

So, the Lord shows to us what should the jIva, who

seeking the advice of the AchArya, do. He must become

a disciple of the AchArya first by falling at his

feet.

 

“prapannam” : pra + pannam. ‘Panna’ is derived from

the root, ‘pad’, the meaning of which is, ‘to

approach, to attain, to practice etc.” The Vedic

meaning is “to fall down with fatigue.” The prefix,

‘pra’ indicates “very”, “excessively”, “intensity”

etc., when it is added to an adjective. Here, the word

means, ‘I have intensively fallen at You feet’.

 

This is what a person who intends to take the

discipleship should adopt. Then only he becomes a

disciple of that AchArya. And so declares Arjuna

before the Lord. He gives the authority to SrI KriShNa

to guide him on the right path. That is why SwAmi

Desikan has quoted these words only, instead of the

whole verse to emphasize what we have to do when we

are just in front of an AchArya.

 

This, Swami Desiakn says, is another favour the Lord

does, as He did to Arjuna, in the MahAbhArata

war-field, i.e., KurukShetra.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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