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Six aspects of surrender

Six aspects of surrender are described in many pA'ncarAtra samhitA-s such as ahirbudhnya samhitA, lakshmI-tantra etc. The order of importance is not the same for these six aspects in the two samhitA-s referred to above, but the aspects are same. Sometimes one or more of these is considered the principal one, and the others are considered aspects that are needed for achieving the primary ones.

lakshmI tantra give the following:

	"AnukUlyasya samkalpah prAtikUlyasya varjanam   |
	  rakshishyatIti viSvAso goptRtva varaNam tathA  ||
	  AtmA nikshepa kArpaNye shadvidhA SaraNagatih  ||   (lakshmI-tantra
17, 59-61)

Thus the order of the a'nga-s given in lakshmI-tantra is: AnukUlya samkalpam, prAtikUlya varjanam, mahA viSvAsam, goptRtva varaNam, Atma nikshepam, and kArpaNyam. In ahribudhnya samhitA, the order given is: Atma nikshepam or nyAsam, kArpaNyam, mahA viSvAsam, goptRtvam, prAtikUlya varjanam, and AnukUlya sampakpam. svAmi deSikan has addressed these confusions in his nyAsa vimSati Slokam 12, and concludes that those who know praptti SAstra well agree that there are five a'nga-s to prapatti, and the different positions taken in respect of the number and sequence of importance etc. of the aspects of prapatti really say the same thing in the end (sarva vAkya eka kaNThyam).

Atma nikshepam or nyAsam is considered the main ingredient of prapatti - the conviction that one's own effort in attaining Him will not bear fruit, and placing oneself directly under His care and giving up ownership of one's own protection or the benefits from any actions to Him. The other five are then the a'nga-s for nyAsa, that are of equal importance as conveyed to us by svAmi deSikan. Thus, for performing surrender or Atma nikshepa or nyAsam, one needs absolute humility (kArpaNyam), AnukUlya samkaplam, prAtikUlya varjanam, etc. The six terms are explained below in brief:

		i)  Atma-nikshepa or nyAsa - placing oneself completely and directly
under God's care. This involves giving up independent ownership in matters of actions or fruits thereof. This in fact is the real SaraNAgati. The subsequent five are to be regarding as assisting this.
 The obstacle to nyAsa is phalepsA or the desire for mundane benefits,
which should therefore be avoided.

	ii)   kArpaNya - This refers to absolute humility bordering on
lowliness and honest awareness of one's own natural ignorance, impurity etc., partly because of stains acquired through countless births. We all know the enormous feeling of kArpaNya that our AzhvArs have expressed through their compositions. This leads to ridding the arrogance that one may have because of parentage, learning, wealth, etc., and to get the sense that without the aid of Godhead, whatever we undertake on our own is bound to fail.

	The enemy for kArpaNya is the feeling that one is free, independent,
and competent to do whatever he likes (sva-svAtantryAvabodha).

	iii)  mahA-viSvAsa - irrepressible and great faith in Godhead. 
Involves the understanding that God is the benefactor of all beings, and His compassion is always and readily available. The firm conviction that He will not fail to protect us is 'viSvAsa'. This by itself is capable of eradicating all sins.

	iv)  goptR - The deliberate choice of bhagavAn SrIman nArAyaNa as the
sole Protector. Even when it is granted that anyway He is the sole protector, lakshmI-tantra points out that what is involved in this a'nga is the conscious and mindful selection of Him, the acknowledgment that we need protection, and that He and only He can protect us.

	v) prAtikUlya-vivarjana - giving up whatever is antagonistic to any of
His creations or to Him. A devotee must realize that all beings are like himself.

	vi) AnukUlya-niScaya - The resolve to do good to all beings.  The
realization that all beings are in actuality the body of God, and the resolve to live in accordance with the will of God.

	Ahirbudhnya samhitA gives a beautiful illustration of SaraNAgati using
a passenger who wants to cross a river in a boat. It is the passenger's responsibility to go and sit in the boat, and that is the end of his responsibility; the job or rowing the boat is not his, but that of the boatman (in this case God Himself).

10. moksha - The attainment of the glorious and supreme feet of vishNu (tad vishNoh paramam padam). The pA'ncarAtrin regards it as a positive state of attainment for an individual soul. Being able to perform nitya kaimkarya to bhagavAn is the gist of moksha.


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