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Slokam 29
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Today , adiyEn will cover the Twenty ninth slOkam
of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan
clelebrates the matchless Vaibhavam of PrapannAs :
Manthrai: anusvara-mukhEshu adhigamyamAnai:
svAdhikriyA samuchithair-yadhi vAanyavAkyai:
NaaTa Thvadheeya Charanou SaraNam gathAnAm
naivAyuthAyutha kalAapi aparairavApyA
--SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai: SlOkam 29
Meaning:
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Oh DhIpa PrakAsA! There are specific manthrams ordained
for performing Prapatthi. They are housed in Vedam and
PaancharAthra samhithAs. One should chose those which are
appropriate to their needs. There are some guidelines
for proper performance of Prapatthi. Those who are not
eligible to utter these Veda Manthrams can use the SrI
Sookthis of AzhwArs and AchAryAs and perform their prapatthi.
One can therefore complete successfully the performance of Prapatthi
at Your sacred feet through the utterance of the veda manthrams
or other Vaakyams . When one evaluates the glories of those
who adopted Prapatthi as UpAyam against the glories of others ,
(who adopted other routes) , it is very clear that the latter can
not reach even one part in crore of the PrapannA's prabhAvam.
The Vaibhavam of the prapannan thus outweighs others by
an immeasurable factor.
Additional Comments :
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Here Swamy Desikan addresses the Lord as "NaaTa" or
Sarva Swamy ( Supreme Master). He is VaikuNta NaaTan ,
OppilA Appan or ThiruviNNagarappan .As explained by
a great scholar , " prapatthi is an intrinsic truth of
the vEdAs and never an outside growth.The sacred vEdAs
ordain that one should evolve a life of devotion
and Godliness for an upward evolution . Unshakable
faith in divine guidance is implicit in the entire mass of
the holy texts. Man has realized his smallness and inability
to achieve the goal of his life and so he has prayed
sincerely to the All-Knowing God to lead him on safely
to that highest aspiration" and realization (Freedom from
the cycles of births and deaths: Moksham ).
We will dwell on few vEda manthrams , which have been
identified by elders with these thoughts:
moorA amUra na vyam chikithvO mahithvamagnE thvamanga vithsE
sayE vavris charati jihvayAdhan rErihyathE yuvathim vispathi: san
---Rg Vedam : X.4.4
In a mood of Prapatthi, the jeevan expresses its smallness
and aakinchanyam here ;it prays for acceptance of its self-
surrender and invites the Lord to enjoy this offering with
relish .
MoorA means the MooDAs or ignorant ones . That is us. amUra
is the supremely wise one. SayanA comments: " vayam aj~naa:
na vidhma vayam chikithvO mahithvam AgnE, Thvam thu vEtTa "
We are ignorant ones; Thou art the wise one and Sarvaj~nan.
We can not comprehend Your greatness; Thou are fully aware of
Your Mahimai. We are confused and do not know , but You
--the anthraathmA of Agni--are not confused and knows precisely
Your greatness. You are Visvapathi, Visva Swamin, the Lord of
th Universe . Please acccept and taste our offerings in
this Prapatthi Yaj~nam . In a spirit of utter helplessness
(KaarpaNyam) and in a mood of seeking Your protection
(gOpthruva varaNam ), we surrender of the Self (Aathma
nikshEpam ) at Your holy feet .
The bhAndhavyam ( tight relationship between the Aathmaa
and the Lord , "uRavu ozhikka ozhiyAthu ") , the knowledge
of which qualifies us (sEsha-sEshi ) to perform prapatthi.
The jeevan declares with great assurance about this unique
relationship in another Veda manthram :
ThvayEd Indra yujA vayam prathi bruvImahi sprudha:
THVAMASMAAKAM TAVA SMASI
--Rg Vedam X.92.32
With great sense of pride of belonging as the Seshan of
the Sarva Seshi and Sarva Swamy and with clear knowledge
of His power , the Jeevan says here :
" With the resplendent Lord as our helper , let us answer
those who envy us , FOR YOU ARE OURS AND WE ARE YOURS."
AndAL said " UnthannOdu uRROmoAyavOm , UmakkE naam aatcheyvOm ".
Her declaration is set in the same mood of this Veda manthram ,
which proclaims: " Thou art ours; We are Thine".
In the Rg Veda manthrams ( VI.29.1-5), aanukoolya Sankalpam ,
Praathikoolya varjanam , kaarpaNyam , gOptruva varanam
and MahA visvAsam are referred to in a mood of Prapatthi
before the mighty Lord. The first manthram (VI.29.1)
salutes the just Lord as the greatest boon giver (VaradarAjan)
and asks us to worship Him to win His protection (aham ThvA
sarva paapEpyO mOkshayishyAmi maa sucha:). His friendship and
loving kindness (Vaathsalyam ) is prayed for :
Indhram vO nara: sakhyAya sEpurmahO yantha: sumathayE chakAnA:
mahO hi DHAATHAA vajrahasthO asthi mahAmu raNvamavasE YAJADHVAM
--Rg Vedam Vi.29.1
This manthram instructs us that the Lord is the greatst boon
granter and asks us to worship Him with MahA visvAsam to win
His protection. SayanA says that the jeevans are engaged in
uttering the greatest praise (SumathayE sumathim sObhanAm
sthuthim sabdhayantha:) to this granter of Supreme boons
(like Moksham).
The next manthram salutes the Lord in whose hands (Yasmin
hasthE) the well-being of the Jeeavns and the world rests.
Rg Vedam VI.29.4 reveals that the Lord's " favorite libation
is one that is full of devotion replete with knowledge
(Tatthva Jn~Anam ) and good deeds ( BHaagavatha Kaimkaryam)
..equipeed with their virtues , Your devotees -
-extol You by singing hymns (Swamy NammazhwAr et al)
and offering dedications ( Prapatthi) to You ".
Rg veda manthram VI.29.5 hints again at Prapatthi,
the dedicated act of aathma nivEdhanam:
na tE antha: savasO dhAyyasya vi tu BaaBdhE rOdasI mahithvA
aa taa sUri: pruNAthi tutujAnO yUTEvaapsu samIjamAna Uti
Oh Lord ! Your greatness is limitless . Even earth and heaven
know not the measure of Your greatness (anantha kalyANa guNams).
Your devotees hasten to perform the dedicated act ( bhara nyAsam,
Aaathma samarpanam ) and endeavour to kepp You pleased
with such devotional offerings .
The final manthram of this section( VI.29.6) acknowledges
the Lord as an alert listener, who responds with alacrity
to such dedicated acts performed with MahA VisvAsam by
His devotees. It invites this giver of wealth to destroy
all opposing evils forces (that stand in the way of
performing the dedicated act of Prapatthi) and other
violent elements as soon as they manifest:
evEd Indrah suhava rishvO astUtI anUtI hirisibra: sahvA
yEvA hi jAthO asamathyOjaa; purU cha vruthrA hanathi ni dasyUn
--Rg Vedam VI.29.6
Many Veda manthrams instruct us to surrender at the sacred feet
of the Mighty Lord with total faith in His saving grace . Swamy
VedAntha (NigamAntha MahA ) Desikan made it His life's mission to
build up the mansion of SaraNAgathy Saasthram on the firm Vedic
foundations laid down by PoorvAchAryAs .