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Slokam 24
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Today , adiyEn will cover the Twenty fourth slOkam
of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan
focuses on the boons granted by SrI DhIpa PrakAsan to
many devotees , who approach Him thru the interrelated
routes of karma, Jn~Ana and Bhakthi yOgams:
dhee samskruthAn vidhathAm iha karma-bhEdhAn
suddham jithE manasi chinthayathAm svamEkam
Thvath-karma-saktha-manasAmapi chaparEshAm
soothE phalaNabhimathAni BhavAn prasanna:
--SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai: SlOkam 24
(meaning): Oh Lord DhIpa prakAsA ! there are many kinds of
saadhanaas to come close to You : practise of karma yOgam,
performance of Yaagams , giving charities (dhAnam), engagement
in penance (tapas) et al. Those who practise these have a mind
purified by the jn~Anam about the relationship between
the Isvaran and the Jeevan. You gladly grant the boons to
the karma yOgis , who perform the aarAdhanam for You
imbued with the spirit of Saathvika ThyAgam ( it is only
the Lord , who causes these aarAdhanams to be performed ,
Svasmai SvayamEva kaarayathi). These karma yOgis get
empowered to perform Jn~Ana yOgam . Jn~Ana yOgam in this
context is the total control of one's senses , to separate
the Aathma svaroopam from the physical body and to be engaged
in Kaivalya anubhavam ( aathmAvalOkanam ).That siddhi will
qualify the successful practioners of Jn~Ana yOgam to prepare
for the practise of Bhakthi yOgam. During the latter saadhanA
or anushtAnam(Bhakthi yOgam) , the jeevans do not seek any fruits
and worship You and perform aarAdhanam) to you with joy in their
hearts. You bless them with growth in their Bhakthi through
Your anugraham so that they can be engaged in kaimakryams to You
and Your dear BhaagavathAs and make their Bhakthi Yoga anushtAnam
will culminate with the phalan of Moksham .
Additional Comments(V.S):
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Swamy Desikan focuses first on those whose minds are perfected by
proper jn~Anam to perform various karmAs prescribed by SaasthrAs
( dhee samskruhtAn karma bhEdhAn vidhadhathAm ).Next,Swamy Desikan
shifts to those who control thier minds perfectly , meditate on
the aathma svaroopam to gain kaivalya sukham ( jithE manasi suddham
SVAM YEKAM chinthayathAm )."SVAM YEKAM " here refers to the aathman.
Then there are all the othrs following different routes in search
of the Lord. Swamy Desikna says that the most merciful DhIpa PrakAsan
hastens with joy to grant all these SaadhakAs the boons appropriate
to their saadhanAs ( aparEshAm cha abhimathAni phalAni BhavAn
prasanna: soothE).
Swamy Desikan is going to shift to the central message of
SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai (viz)., Prapathti and its glories
in the subsequent slOkams . Before that , he acknowleges in
this slOkam , the fruits resulting from the practise of
other yOgams such as Karma , Jn~Ana and Bhakthi yOgams .
In RaamAnuja-Desika sampradhAyam , Bhakthi yOgam and Prapatthi
yOgam are the only two anushtAnams recognized as
the appropriate ones for gaining everlasting Moksha sukham
and ParipoorNa BrahmAnandham in Sri Vaikuntam through nithya,
niravadhya kaimkaryam ( uninterrupted , blemishless sevice )
to the Dhivya dampathis.
Swamy Desikan is following the route of Swamy AlavanthAr
and AchArya RaamAnujA here in dealing with the architectonics
of GeethAchAryan's upadesam to the beleagured Arjuna in
the battle field . Swamy AlavanthAr has divided the 18 chapters
of SrI Bhgaavad GitA into three groups of six chapters each.
About the first hextad , Swamy AlavanthAr says:
Jn~Ana-karmAthmikE nishtE yOgalakshyE susamskruthE
AathmAnubhUthi-siddhyarTam poorva-shaDkEna chOdhithE
--SlOkam 2 of The GithArTa sangaraham , YaamAuna Muni
The coincidence in the choice of words by Swamy AlavanthAr
( SusmaskruthE ) and Swamy Desikan ( Dhee samskruthAn ) is
noteworthy.
(meaning)" In the first hextad , the performance of desireless
Karma and Jn~Ana , with the practise of YogA in view , is enjoined
for the realization of the Self ".
The second (middle) hextad , Swamy AlavanthAr states
GitAchAryan covers Bhakthi yOgam " brought about by Karma
and Jn~Ana" yogams . That leads to the acquisition of clear
and correct knowledge about BhagavAn , the Supreme Being :
madhyamE Bhagavath-tatthvayATAthmyaavApthi-siddhayE
Jn~Ana-karmAbhir-nivarthyOr Bhakthi-yOga: prakeertthitha:
--SlOkam 3 of the GIthArTa sangraham
The third ( final ) hextad , the knowledge supplementing and
complimenting the upadEsams of the First and the Second hextads
are housed. The third hextad and particularly the final chapter
(Eighteenth) contains the Charama slOkam and the Lord's command
to perform SaraNAgathy at His Thiruvadi to be rid of all sins
and fears .The Lord gives His firm word that He will be
the one and only refuge for Moksham .
All these three yOgams --Karma , Bhakthi and Jn~Ana yOgams
are related to one another. Sofar , Swamy Desikan focussed
on the first two yOgams and connected them to Bhakthi yOgam.
In the subsequent sOkams , he will move on to the central message
of DhIpa PrakAsan at the battle field , SaraNAgathy or absolute
surrender with MahA visvAsam , at His sacred feet.