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Slokam 16
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Today , adiyEn will cover the Sixteenth slOkam
of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan
describes the four kinds of Prapatthi anushtAnam
and how such an anushtAnam protects the samsArIs
and helps them cross the ocean of SamsAram :
Bhakthi: PrapatthiraTa vaa Bhagavanstadhukthi:
tannishta-samsraya ithIva vikalpyamAnam
yamm kanchidhEkam upapaathayathA Thvayaiva
thrAths-taranth-yavasarE bhavinO bhAvABdhim
--SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai: SlOkam 16
(Meaning): OH DhIpa PrakAsA! For securing Moksham ,
There are two upAyams (viz)., Bhakthi Yogam and
Prapatthi. Latter divides into four types (viz).,
Svanishtai, Ukti nishtai, AchArya Nishtai and
BhAgavatha Nishtai. SaasthrAs assert that
the performance of one of the four kinds of
prapatthi leads to Moksham . For uplifting
the samsAris immersed deep in SamsAram, You
makes them perform one of the above upAyams.
After they perform one of these UpAyams ,
You birng them to the other shore of samsAric
ocean and grants them Moksham at a time of
their choice.
Additional Comments:
There are four kinds of Prapathti are referred to
here:
1)Svanishtai is followed by those with visEsha Jn~Anam.
Such mahAthmAs directly perform Prapatthi at the sacred
feet of the Lord .
2)Ukthi Nishtai: Here, the Mumukshu ( One who desires
Moksham ) utters the Prapatthi words spoken by the AchAryan.
3) AchArya Nishtai: The Mumukshu stays inside the prapatthi
performed by the AchAryan .
4) BhAgavatha Nishtai: The Mumkshu stays inside the prapatthi
performed by a BhAgavathan , who is not an AchAryan.
Here the Lord is the one , who induces the SamsAris(bhavina:)
to perform one of the above four UpAyams ( Yamm kamchith
yEkam upapaadhayathA ThvayA )and protects them (ThrAtha:).
At the appropriate time , such prapannAs cross the ocean of
SamsArm.
DhIpa PrakAsan helps the one , who wishes to reach
the superior sthAnam of Parama Padham ( BhUshNu:)
by helping him or her realize the sambhandham with
a sadAchAryan . In the 9th slOkam of NyAsa Vimsathi ,
Swamy Desikan said : " asou saakshAth MokshAya cha
srutha:"( This prapatthi is the direct cause for
Moksham as revealed by the VedAs).
The mumukshu /bhUshNu: is " iha sva-abhIshta prApthi hEthu
purushan" ( One who desires in this world to secure
the purushArTam of Moksha Sukham ). They seek Parapatthi
as their upAyam with the help of a SadAchAryan .
In the 17th slOkam of SrI Nyasa Vimsathi, Swamy Desikan
instructs us that the upAyam for Moksham divides into
two categories: Bhakthi Yogam and Prapatthi Yogam
"(upAyam ) Sa: Puna: siddha-saadhya prabhEdhAth)".
Our Lord SrI Maragathavalli SamEtha DhIpa PrakAsan
is the SiddhOpAyam in the matter of Mukthi/Moksham
( Mukthou SiddhOpaya:thu Niravadhika Daya: Sarva Sakthi:
SrI-Sakha:). Bhakthi yOgam and prapatthi YOgam stand
as one or other means as SaadhyOpAyam (that are to be performed
for securing Moksham ). How do they succeed in this matter?
Either the difficult to practise and time consuming
Bhakthi Yogam or the KshaNa Karthavyam , easy-to-perform
Prapatthi Yogam endears of the heart of Sriya: Pathi
and secure Moksham . They have the capacity to enchant
the Lord ( VsIkAra Siddhi). The prapannan performs
the Prapatthi with the anugraham of a SadAchAryan
and does not repeat it again ( Yasmai sakruth nyastha
BhAra: aTa thu sadhA na prayasyEth).
In SrI NyAsa Tilakam ,Swamy Desikan assures us that
Prapatthi will yield all the Phalans ( SaraNa varaNa VaaNI
Sarva hEthu:). That very utterance of the word SaraNAgathi
before the Lord will result in every fruit that one desires.
Swamy Desikan goes onto say that the blessing of SaraNAgathy
at the Lord's Thiuvadi was made possible by the Lord Himself
( aadhyam Thvath-moola Desika kaDaksha nipAtham Phalam ).
AchArya's most merciful glances fell on him as a result
of the DayA of the Lord.
When we have the rare opportunity to join in the dhivya
Kaimkaryam of NithyArAdhanam at ThUppul for Swamy Desikan ,
our DesikEndran and Our Lord SrI Maragathavalli SamEtha
SrI DhIpa PrakAsan , we are blessed to celebrate the glories of
SadAchArya paramaparai and the Dhivya Dampathis , who stand
on top of that Guru Paramparai.