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srI:

SrI  UpakAra  Sangraham - II (4)
-- 
SAdhanAdhikAram 
-- 
Section - 6 (4)
(Five Favours for Adopting Practical Means)
---  
        In the previous sub-section, SwAmi Desikan referred
to  ?antima-pratyayam? -- the thought at the last
moment of breath. Barring the prapanna, the person who
has adopted prapaptti as the means, for other
upAsakas, like the bhakti-yOga nishta, the last
thought about the Lord is a must.  Here, however, a
question arises: It has been laid down in the
scriptures that the last thought is very essential to
attain the desired goal after one?s death. Can it be
relaxed in the case of prapanna? If it is so, then the
scriptural stipulation would get corrupted.  The doubt
about  ?antima-smriti? has been dealt with SwAmi
Desikan in SrImad-rahasyatraya-sAram in detail, in the
niryANAdikAram. 
        It may be recalled that one of the six doubts in the
mind of SrI rAmAnuja cleared by the Lord Varadaraja of
KAnchi through SrI Thirukacchi nambi related to this 
?antima-smriti?. The Lord specifically stated that
this is not necessary for a person who has chosen
prapatti as the means.  
        The question that arose was whether the Lord would
undo the rule laid down by the Vedic Scripture?  It is
a general belief that whatever stated in the scripture
is true and cannot be nullified. Hence, how is to
reconcile the word graced by the Lord? 
        An incident that happened, as recalled by SwAmi
Desikan, when SrI kooratthAzhvAn was in his last
moments. As his tongue was parched with fatigue and
unable to speak, he caught hold of SrI rAmAnuja?s
feet. At that time the AchArya whispered the Dvaya
Mantra in his ear. A couple of disciples who were
present there said amongst them with an agitated mind,
?How can we hope to get this blessing? What shall we
do?? SrI rAmAnuja, noticing their fears, told them,
?What I did was only like placing a piece of
sugar-candy in his mouth to make it wet. I did not
whisper the Dvaya in order to make the upAya complete
with its accessories (the last thought). The disciples
were relieved on hearing this. 
        Narrating this incident, SwAmi Desikan quotes from a
sloka from SrI VarAha PurANa: 
?nShTasmrutirapi parityajan dEham? -- the man who has
performed prapatti, will attain mOkSha even if he dies
unconscious.  

 ?sthitE manasi susvasthE shareerE sati yO narah / 
dhAtu-sAMye sthitE smartA vishvaroopam ca mAmajam //

tatastam mriyamANam  tu  kAShTa-pAShANa-sannibham /
aham smarAmi madbhaktam nayAmi paramAm gathim //? 

(When the mind is in its normal condition, when the
body is not shattered and when the elementary
constituents of the body (dAtu) are in perfect
condition, if a man meditates on me Who have the world
as My body and Who am not subject to births due to
karma, when that man lies like a log of wood or a
piece of stone in his dying moments, I think of my
devotee and lead him to attain the highest state.) 

 Besides these slOkas, SwAmi Desikan quotes from
PeriyAzhvAr Thirumozhi: 

?thuppudaiyArai adaivathellAm cOrvidatthut
thuNaiyAvarenRE
 oppilEnAkilum ninnadainthEn  Anaikku nee
aruLceithamaiyAl
 eyppu ennai vanthu naliyumpOthu  angEthum nAnunnai
ninaikkamAttEn
 appOthaikku ippOthE collivaitthEn arangattharavaNaip
paLLiyAnE!?                           
                                                      
                     (PeriyAzhvAr Thirumozhi, 4-10-1)

(Oh Lord Who reposing on Adi shESha in SrIrangam, a
man seeks refuge under the strong persons in order
that he may obtain their support when he is in
distress; though I am not like Thy devotees who know
how to seek Thy help, yet I approach Thee, since Thou
were gracious even to the elephant (GajEndra); when
the tiredness comes at the my dying moment, I may not
be able to think of Thee. Therefore I entreat Thee now
itself that at that time, Thou should come to my
rescue.)
        
As stated in these quotes, for a prapanna, the last
thought about the Lord is not compulsory, clarifies
SwAmi Desikan. 
        
In the sharaNAgati gadyam, the Lord tells SrIrAmAnuja:
At the time of casting the body away, you will in full
possession of your intelligence owing to my grace; you
will have a vision of Me and will have all your
previous memories and desires for mOkSha? This
statement too has to be interpreted in such a manner
that it does not contradict the verses just quoted.
The last remembrance comes as an upAya for those who
adopt bhakti as the means and it comes by their own
effort; but in the case of the prapanna, the
remembrance comes out of the Lord?s grace alone. When
speech and other activities have become impossible,
the remembrance which arises in the mind before the
mind too ceases to function -- this is the last
remembrance. Those who stand by cannot know it. SrI
BhAshyakAra?s commentary on the Brahma Sootra notes
thus: 
?drushyatE hi vAgindriya uparatEpi manah pravruttih?
(SrIbhAShyam, 4-2-1) -- 
(It is seen that the mind functions even after the
senses have ceased to do so.) This means that the
mind?s functioning may be inferred by some sign or
other. It may also describe his experience in some
states of ill health and the like. Therefore, this
last remembrance is a thing that could be known only
to the man who becomes a mukta and to the Lord who
gives him mOkSha. 
        This has been stated by SwAmi Desikan himself in his
stOtra, SrI abheetistavam:

        ?sthitE manasi vigrahE guNini dhAtusAmyE sati
       smarEdakhiladEhinam ya iha jAtucit tvAmajam /
 tayaiva khal samdhaya tamatha deerghanidrAvasham
 svayam vihita samsmrutirniryasi DHAma naih shREyasam?

                                                      
                                 (SrI abheetistavam, 6)
?maNNulakil evanumthan manam-nalla nilaikoNdu
 meithAnum  thidamAka mEnmaiyudan irukkaiyilE,
  nannilaiyil  udambiluLa narambadhi thAthukkaL
 nanmuRaiyil iyangivarum nAtkaLilE enREnum,
  eNNaRRa  poruLanaitthil  utpukuntha AnmAvAi
ERRamudaip  piRappiliyAm unthannai  orumuRaiyE
 eNNuvanEl,  anninaivai iRuthiyilE   uNdAkki
ettariya mukthithanai   eithividac  cekinRAi!? 
                   (Tamil version by the author)

(Oh  SrIranganAtha! When a person who performs
prapatti while his mind and body are in a fit
condition remembering You Who is indwelling in all,
then it is You Who helps him to attain mukti, even as
his senses become inactive at the time of his death,
because of that remembrance only.)
        Even in Bhakti-yOga, one has to resort to prapatti at
the Lord?s feet at several stages to tide over the
stumbling blocks. Hence, it is only with the help of
the Lord, he attains mukti. This favour of the Lord
has been indicated in the previous sub-section. 

        Now, in the present sub-section, Swami Desikan says
that the Lord does another favour by removing the
hindrances:         
 (4) ithaRku varum antarAyankaLai vilakkumathuvum;

The hindrances that stand in the way of attaining
mOkSha are avidyA (ignorance), karma and vAsana
(impressions left in the mind by karma in previous
births). These delays are due to the divine
chastisement against the individuals for their
omissions and commissions. The only remedy for these
hindrances is to obtain the favour of the Lord and
this can be done only by sharaNAgati, that is, self -
surrender to the Lord, as declared by SrIbhAshyakAra
in his SrIbhaShyam, ?tasya ca vsheekaraNam
taccharaNAgatirEva.?  (SrIbhAShyam,1-4-1)


(To continue)
dAsan 
Anbil S.SrInivAsan
-------  



      
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