NOTE: Readers having difficulty in reading the text may need to change their encoding to UTF-8. ---------- srI: SrI upakAra sangraham ? 65 --- adikAram ? 1 poorva upakAra paramparai (The Foremost Series of Favours) --- SECTION ? 5 (20) [continued] (27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for MOKSHAM) ----- When the Highest Goal to be attained has been made clear, it is for us to decide about the means to attain it. It is also revealed by the compassionate Lord, as indicated by SwAmi Desikan in this sub-section: (20) ivaRRilE pothintha paratattva-paramahita-parama-puruShArthangkaLAkiRa mahAnidhikaLaith thiRanthu kAttinathuvum; Parama-hita ? Highly Beneficial Means After knowing the three Tattvas, particularly the Para-tattva, that is, the Lord, the next item of knowledge is being revealed by the Lord Himself. It is related to the most beneficial action to be undertaken by the jIva. This is also dealt with in the three mantras which are taught by the AchAryas to their disciples. The first step towards undertaking the means for Moksha is to realize that SrImaN nArAyaNa, Who is ever with His Consort Sri, is the ParamAtmA. He is the Master (ShEshi) and the jIvAtma is unconditionally subordinate (shESha) to the Divine Couple alone and to none else. As he belongs to Him, he is ever protected by Him. The best means to attain Him is to develop devotion towards Him and to seek refuge in Him through sharaNAgati (surrender). He must pray to Him for the removal of all hindrances in the way of adopting the means. The jIvAtma must realize that nothing belongs to him; He himself does not belong to him, that is he is not independent of the Lord. As he is the servant of the Lord, whatever he does is, on His behalf only, for His sake and the fruits of the action are also not for himself, but for the Lord. Whatever benefits he enjoys are His gifts to him and is enjoying them with His permission only. It is mentioned as ?Parama-Hita?, Highly Beneficial Means. The means or upAya to be adopted by the seekers of mukti, is a special kind of expansion of knowledge, ?j~nAna-vikAsa-vishESham?. Not only the means but the goal also is a special kind of knowledge, as after attaining the Abode of the Lord, the mukta jIva (freed-soul) is to experience the deep devotion directly in His presence. Of these, the means of bhakti requires the help of the instrument of knowledge (j~nAnEndriyas), as has been prescribed in the scriptures. Its object is the Brahman, the Lord, Who is endowed with the essential attributes, satyam, j~nAnam, anantam, Anandam and amalatvam. The Brahman has to be meditated upon along with the qualities associated the particular form of meditation, which is known as vidya. A total of 32 vidyas, forms of meditation (a special kind of expansion of knowledge) have been prescribed in the scriptures. This bhati-yOga has the karma-yOga and the j~nAna-yOga as its auxiliary parts. Karma-yOga is the performance of certain kinds of karma or rites and duties as the result of knowledge acquired from the scriptures in regard to the true nature of the jIvAtma and the ParamAtmA. These rites and duties consist of: 1) nitya karma, regular duties to be performed compulsorily, like the daily sandhyA vandana; 2) naimittika karma, rites to be performed on specific occasions, like the eclipse of the sun or the moon; 3) kAmya karmas, that is, optional rites to be chosen as per one?s ability. The karma-yOga, either directly or through j~nAna ?yOga, leads one to have a vision of one?s own self, with the help of yogic auxiliaries like yama (self-control), niyama (observance of rites), Asana (position of the body during meditation), prANAyama (control of the breath), etc. The j~nAna-yOga is the means practiced by one who has conquered his mind by karama-yOga. It is the constant and uninterrupted contemplation of the essential nature of the self as being distinct from matter, the body, the senses and the like. The svarupa of the soul is the mode or prakAra of Ishwara; the self is the body of the Lord as it is supported and controlled by Him and serves His purposes. While one, practicing bhakti ?yOga, contemplates on BhagavAn as the inner-self, antaryAmin, of his self, which is His body. The vision of his own pure self is useful for meditating on the Lord as its Inner Self. Bhakti yOga is the special form of meditation, which is of the nature of unsurpassed love and which has, for its object, the essential nature of the Lord Who is not dependent on any one else, Who is not subject to any one else?s authority; Who does not exist for the fulfillment of the purpose of any one else. Bhakti is meditaion as defined by SrI rAmAnuja in his SrIbhAshya: ?dhyAnam ca tailadhArAvat avicchinnasmruti santAnarooam? -- the form of a continuous stream of knowledge which is of the nature of uninterrupted memory like oil streaming down continuously. It has clearness similar to that of visual perception; it grows from strength to strength by being practiced every day until the day of journey to Parampada and terminates in the remembrance at the last moment of the last breath, before death. This last remembrance is compulsory in the case of the one who has adopted the bhakti-yoga as the means for attaining Him. Until this special condition is achieved, the final goal is not possible. The practice will continue in the forthcoming births, till the person is able to fulfill the special condition of remembrance at the last moment of life. That is the reason why, this bhakti-yoga is not recommended to all, as it can be practice only by a qualified person like VyAsa and others, who are supposed to be still practicing the bhakti yoga. Bhakti yoga, prescribed as the means of obtaining mOksha, is called para-bhakti. It generates an eager desire to know the Lord with perfect clearness and makes the person to cry out, as did, Arjuna: ?manyasE yadi tacchakyam mayA draShTumiti prabhO / yOgEshvara tatO mE tvam darshayAtmAnamavyayam //? (Bhagavadgita, 11-4) (Oh Lord, You are the abode of attributes like j~nAn, be pleased to show Thy whole Self !) Sri NammAzhvAr cries: ?kANumARu aruLAi? (ThioruvAimozhio, 8-1-1) (Grant me Thy grace so that adiyEn may see Thee.) ?kiLarnthu piraman sivan indiran viNNavar coozha viLangka oRu nAL kANavArAi viNmeethE.? (ThiruvAimozhi, 6-9-4) (Come in the sky, surrounded by Brahma, Shiva, Indra and all the devas, so that adiyEn may see Thee.) This visual perception is called para-j~nAna (superior knowledge). From this perfect perception of the Lord, is born an excessive and unsurpassed love for the Lord similar to the yearning felt by a person suffering from great thirst at the sight of a water pond. This love is called parama-bhakti (superior most love). Parama bhakti produces an eager desire and determination to enjoy the Lord without any limitations, as the bhakta feels that it is impossible to live any longer without this experience of the Lorda as described by the AzhvAr, in ten verses in the ThiruvAimozhi (10-10), where the AzhvAr cries out that he will not hereafter allow the Lord to leave him and that he must become one with the Lord and declares all this with an oath that cannot be ignored by the Lord. It causes likewise an excessive eagerness in the Lord to give him mOksha immediately and makes him attain mOksha after quenching his great thirst for union. Prapatti and its Accessories Prapatti stands in the place of para-bhakti to the person, who adopts it as the direct and independent means. Since bhati yOga is not suitable for those who do not belong to the three higher castes, and likewise also for those in these three castes who are wanting in j~nAna or ability or both and since it will not suit those who cannot endure any delay in the attainment of its fruit, namely, mOksha, and are therefore extremely impatient, prapatti is prescribed as the sole and independent means of mOksha for them. As it will be the means of securing all desired objects, it has been prescribed in the place of para bhakti for those who know their limitations. The five accessories of this vidya (nyAsavidyA or prapatti) are: ?Anukoolya sangkalpam? (the intention or will to do whatever agreeable to the Lord); ?prAtikoolya-varjanam? (the avoidance of whatever is displeasing to Him); ?kArpaNyam? (helplessness), ?mahAvishvAsam? (supreme faith) and ?gOptrutvavaraNam? (seeking His protection). It is Sometimes, it has been said that sharaNAgati is of six including the act of surrendering the self. In the case of prapatti for mOksha, the absence of any desire for ulterior results or fruit is essential. The giving up of all attachment to the fruit and also of the thought of ?I am the doer? is common to all forms of renunciation such as karma yOga. This is also essential for a person desirous of mOksha at the time of his surrender of his self to the Lord with all the accessories (angas). There are two forms of prapatti: ?uktiniShTai? -- by means of one?s utterance; and ?AchArya niShTai? -- that done by the AchArya on one?s behalf. ?uktiniShTai? -- One who is following the accessories to prapatti, pronounces, before the Lord, the Saviour, the sentence taught to him by his AchArya, which will be considered by the Lord as equivalent to perfect prapatti. The person will say, ?May my salvation be Thy burden or responsibility.? ?AchArya niShTai? ? This form of prapatti is done by one who is solely depends on his AchArya. He is included in the AchArya?s own prapatti as part of it. It has been laid down in shANdilya-smriti and other treatises: ?putrah prEShyastathA shiShya ityEvam ca nivEdyEt /? ? The AchArya should say thus: ?This is my son, my servant, my disciple(who is to be saved)?. It has been said also in shANdilya-smriti: ?There may be doubts concerning the redemption of those who serve AchArya, but there is absolutely no doubt about the redemption of those who delight in the service of His devotees? (1-95). So, in the case of those who depend solely on the AchArya, there is no doubt at all concerning the fruition of prapatti, by the principle of ?kaimutika nyAya?. [Will not the Lord, who saves those who take refuge in His devotees, save those who take refuge in their AchAryas? Will not a benefit, which is got by one who is not qualified, be obtained by one who is qualified?] It is thus established that SarvEshvara, the Lord of all, will not grant us the supreme goal of existence, unless prapatti is performed in any of these two forms, and by some one or other. Thus the Lord has done another favour by revealing these important messages inbuilt in these mantras, said SwAmi Desikan, in this sub-section. (To continue) dAsan Anbil S.SrInivAsan ------------ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan http://www.sadagopan.org Yahoo! 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