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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
------------  



      
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