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Vol 01.015 Pre-SaraNAgati Issues
28 October, 1996

In this Issue:
1. NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
2. From Rahasya Traya Sara
    Adhikara 23 Siddha Upaya Sodhana Adhikara ( On the one means already existing)
    Adhikara 24 Saadhya Upaya Sodana Adhikara (Clarification of doubts regarding
    the means of Bhakti and Prapatti)
3. From Chapter 3 0f "Hinduism Rediscovered"
    Sources of Knowledge - Vidyas and Darsanas

1. NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Bhagavatas,
Please find enclosed Adhikara 23 and 24 of RTS as also portion on Vidyas and Darsanas from Chapter3 of Hinduism Rediscovered'

Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy


2. From Rahasya Traya Sara

In the next 4 Adhikaras (23 to 26) called Streekarana part, Swami Desika deals with anticipated doubts and objections relating to the principles enunciated so far and answers them.

ADHIKARA 23: SIDDHA UPAYA SODHANA ADHIKARA
(On the One means already existing)

"Siddhopaya" means the one that is already existing. Since Bhagavan is already there, there is no need to 'create' him. Only the means (Sadhya upaya) has to be chosen. They are Bhakti and Prapatti as we have already seen. To secure the knowledge of this already existent Upaya, one has to-
(i) appeal to Mother Goddess SRI LAKSHMI who grants the necessary Gnana (ii) approach a proper preceptor and perform Bhakti or Prapatti (iii) follow established traditions and observe the prescribed austerities.
Those who do not have a clear mind should not get into the company of atheists who deny the very existence of God and those who deny God's omnipotence- because such association would destroy all chances of progress towards Godhead and consign their victims to eternal damnation.

Certain doubts relating to Siddhopaya are cleared as follows:

(1) Certain statements seem to suggest that Prapatti is not necessary. Why should God ignore a Chetana for so long and why again should he correct and bless him at a particular point of time,? If he does this in exercise of His Swatantriya (independence), why should Chetana adopt any Upaya at all?
Answer: It is true that the Lord is independent. Still he directs the Chetana to take an Upaya before granting him Moksha. If he were to grant Moksha to everyone indiscriminately without reference to the adoption of an Upaya, would it not amount to partiality by bracketing together both the deserving and the undeserving?

(2) If directing the Chetana to adopt an Upaya is also the handiwork of God, Why God should not do this to everyone in the first place itself and why different times are taken to different persons in bestowing his benevolence?
Answer: The Chetana has to acquire a certain stage of evolution to be fit enough to receive divine grace. As a result of different Karma, such an evolution arises in different individuals at different times and God is quick in directing one to take recourse to an Upaya as and when one is ready and ripe enough for it.

(3)Certain pramanas ( authorities) depict as if God feels sorry on seeing the suffering humanity. If this were so, does it not mean that he behaves the same way as any of us?
Answer : Really, God is beyond all joy and sorrow we experience but his exhibiting the same is to show a kind of sympathy with his devotees

(4)Since God is all powerful and all knowing, how can we who are fit to be punished will ever be granted Moksha? Answer: God's principal qualities are indeed Gnana and Sakti. Since he knows everything he is aware of our fault and merits; since he is also powerful he can no doubt inflict punishments or award rewards., Thus Gnana and Sakti are useful in punishing as much as in rewarding good deeds. But, His Karunya (compassion) is exclusively useful for conferring his grace on the sinner who surrenders to him.

(5)Since it is said that a Prapanna has done what he ought to do, does it mean that he need not do any karmas after Prapatti? Answer: What is meant is that he need not do anything for the purpose of securing Moksha .It does not mean that he can give up Nitya and Naimittika karmas which have to be done for the pleasure of the Lord.

(6 Does it mean that because one has done Prapatti, he is entitled for Moksha?
Answer: The answer is Yes and No. Without doing Prapatti or Bhakti, one cannot secure Moksha and one is definitely entitled to Moksha but this does not mean that Prapatti itself grants Moksha. It is the Lord's sankalpa that is really responsible for the Prapanna securing Moksha.

(7)As God is like mother, he has to nourish the child, the child has nothing to do at all. .Is this correct? Answer: TRUE. BUT EVEN IN THIS CASE, THE CHILD HAS TO PUT ITS MOUTH TO THE BREAST OF THE MOTHER BEFORE SHE COULD FEED IT. PRAPATTI IS LIKE THIS AND HAS TO BE GONE THROUGH.

(8) When it is the Lord who grants Moksha , how does Goddess Lakshmi come into the picture?
Answer: The Lord has vowed to protect his proteges and this he is doing as a Yagna. As a person without a wife is not fit to do any yagna, he is always accompanied by - Sri Lakshmi in performing this yagna. She is with him both in Upaya and Phala. This has been confirmed by great sages like Nammalwar, Hiranyagarbhar, Kasyapa, Sownaka, Sri Parasara, Emperumanar (Satvata Samhita), Sri Ramanuja, Kurattalwan, Bhattar, Nanjeeyar and a host of other great personalities. Just as in yagas the offerings are submitted to two or more deities together, as for example for Agni and Soma etc., the offering of our souls is submitted to the divine couple and both together protect the souls jointly.

(9) But the scriptures do not always refer to the divine couple but only to the Lord?
Answer : Wherever the scriptures refer to the Lord, it should be taken as referring to both. For the sake of convenience, they have divided among themselves the various qualities and responsibilities. The Lord has such masculine qualities like independence, power to quell the wicked, firmness etc., while Mother Goddess is the personification of patience, forbearance, tenderness and other feminine qualities chief of which is MERCY OR COMPASSION with which she prevails upon the Lord to spare the rod and accept the surrendered soul and admit him into the Moksha Samrajya.

(10)It is said that when the Goddess takes independent position in the Archa form we can not worship her in that form? Answer : The Archa form of mother Goddess has three manifestations in the temples viz.,
(i) Layaarcha : her form seated on the chest of the Lord (ii) Bhogarcha: Her form as seated or standing by the side of the Lord and
(Iii) Adhikararcha : her manifestations in separate temples without the form of the Lord

While there is no doubt of worshipping her in the first two forms, it must be mentioned that in the third form she is believed to confer boons other than Moksha. In actual practice, however, even when she manifests in Adhikaraarcha form, it can be seen that the Lord always adorns her chest even as she adorns his chest in the Laya Archa form.

ADHIKARA 24 : SADHYOPAYA SODHANA ADHIKARA
(Clarification of certain doubts regarding the means of Bhakti and Prapatti)

(1) How Bhakti which is difficult to practice and Prapatti which is easier to practice could result in the same benefit of Moksha? Answer: To the one who has the capacity to adopt Bhakti, that is the proper course. For the one who is incapable of doing Bhakti in the manner elaborated earlier the only course open is Prapatti. Just like a sick person is advised manasa snana (thinking of the lord) as he is not fit to take shower and it is said to confer the same purification as a regular bath, while doing prapatti, the lord is supposed to stand in the place of Bhakti and grant the desired reward of Moksha which is the common goal of both Bhakti and Prapatti.

A tiller toils and earns by the sweat of the brow and enjoys the fruits of his labor; But, a merchant sits in his shop, sells goods, earns and enjoys the fruits of his earnings. The pleasure of enjoying the earnings is the same for both the tiller and the merchant. Similarly, the fruits obtained by the difficult process of Bhakti and the easy means of Prapatti give the same kind of pleasure Viz., Moksha.

(2) It is said that Prapatti will secure not only Moksha but also other worldly benefits .In actual practice, however, we see several Prapannas not securing material benefits. Why is this so? Answer: It may be that the Prapatti was not done with adequate intensity of confidence (Mahavisvasa) or that God grants material benefits or withholds them in accordance with the Karma that the Prapanna had agreed to go through while performing Tripta Prapatti.

(3) It is questioned why if Bhakti yoga is so difficult, it should be prescribed at all and especially when it has no relevance in the Kaliyuga?
Answer: Even in Kaliyuga saints like Nammalwar attained Moksha through Bhakti. Hence, there is no harm in prescribing it.

(4)What is the daily routine of a Prapanna? Answer: The daily routine of a Prapanna is as follows: The daytime is divided into 5 periods of say 2 1/2 to 3 hours from sunrise. 1st period: Abhigamana : Praying to the Lord that the day's austerities should be carried on without any impediments. 2nd Period: Upadana: Gathering flowers ,leaves, preparing sandal paste etc for the purpose of doing the Thiru Aradhana (Ritual worship). This includes purification both physical and mental by uttering the appropriate Mantras.
3rd Period: Ijya: Thiru Aradhana proper according to Agama traditions 4th Period: Svadhyaya: augmenting knowledge of philosophical truths by deep study of the scriptures
5th period: Yoga: Meditating on the feet of the Lord both during the waking state and during the dream state.


3. From Chapter 3 of Hinduism Rediscovered

Sources of Knowledge- Vidyas and Darsanas

3.7. VIDYAS
Hinduism also lists as many as 32 `Vidyas' including logic, metaphysics, science of government, agriculture, commerce, medicine, astronomy, astrology, geometry, architecture, dancing and music besides what MANU has called Atmavidya - knowledge of the supreme self. These are different from the 32 vidyas discussed under Bhaktiyoga.

3.8. DARSANAS
The word Darsana is derived from the root `DRS' - to look at, to view. It came to refer to schools of philosophy or facets deliberately chosen with selective-ness rather than comprehensiveness; in short - points of view.

3.8.1. NASTIKA DARSANAS
Those which did not accept the authority of the Vedas are called NASTIKA (Denial) which are heterodox in their outlook and cannot in the strictest terms be called `DARSANAS'. Though there arose several schools of `NASTIKA' thoughts most of them had no significant following and no foundations strong enough to sustain and therefore perished with their founder exponents (e.g.) PASUPATHA, BATTA PRABAKARA, BASKARIYA, YADAVAPRAKASA and EKAYANA. Only the CHARVAKAM (or LOKAYATA), BUDDHISM and JAINISM held attention of sections of society for any recognizable length of time.

(1) CHARVAKAM: Attributed to one `CHARVAKA' about whom very little is known. It is a materialistic school. The word Charvaka means 'beautifully '(Charu) 'told' (Vak). The work representing its views is the BRIHASPATI SUTRA (600 BC) is lost. It arose out of growing skepticism towards Vedic dogmas. They recognize only Pratyaksha or Anubhava (Direct experience) and to a limited extent Anumana and Upamana (Inference and Analogy) and rejected all Pramana and Sampradaya. Their philosophy is known as `Yadrecha Vada' - the theory of accidental causation and pursuit of pleasure was their only aim and object in life.

(2) BUDDHISM: of Gautama Buddha (6c. B.C) This was founded by SIDDHARTHA who came to be known as `BUDDHA' (Enlightened) who advocated an 8 - fold path of Right view, Right thought, Right speech, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right action, Right mindfulness and Right concentration to achieve nirvana and accepted only the 3 fold jewels to surrender oneself to viz. Buddham, Sangam and Dhammam (a prakrit word for Dharma). The curious thing about Buddhism is that while BUDDHA started as an `iconoclast' he soon came to be worshipped as `icon' himself . Buddhism was inevitably drawn into the vortex of Hinduism and became totally extinct in the land of its birth.

While early Buddhism was known as Hinayana,( or theravada) later day Buddhism came to be Known as Mahayana - meaning little vehicle and the Great vehicle respectively - finally, Buddhism split into several scattered communities. HINAYANA split into VAIBASHIKAS and SOURANDRIKAS while MAHAYANA split into YOGACHARAS (or Virnamavada) and  MADHYAMIKA (OR SUNYAVADA) - only to disintegrate and disappear in due course in India.

(3) JAINISM: Founded by PARSVANATHA (8c.B.C) and MAHAVIRA VARDHAMANA (6c. BC). The
word is derived from the root `JIT' (victorious) a celibate order of itinerant monks which also split into Digambara (Skyclad) and Svetambara (white robed) based on discipline and convention rather than on doctrine. They united again as `Arhatas' and belonged mainly to the ruling class (KSHATRIYAS) and placed great emphasis on AHIMSA (Non Violence).

3.8. 2 ASTIKA OR ORTHODOX DARSANAS
They are SAMKHYA, YOGA, NYAYA, VAISESHIKA, PURVAMIMAMSA and UTTARAMIMAMSA.

(1.) SAMKHYA (School of enumeration) also known as Evolutionary dualism founded by sage KAPILA. This is a philosophy of dualistic monism. Samkhya has several meanings like `enumeration', `investigation' or `analysis' of the categories of the phenomenal world. It differentiates between spirit (Purusha) and matter (Prakriti). It holds that salvation is to be obtained by a complete separation of soul and matter. The most important work on Samkhya philosophy are VACHASPATI MISIRA'S TATTVA KAUMUDHI and ISVARAKRISHNA'S SAMKHYA KARIKA.

( 2.) YOGA (School of link) founded by PATANJALI is a school dealing with mystical praxis and disciplined meditation. (Taitt up II.4) and (Kath up II.12) specify that the aim of Yoga is the `relinquishment of existence' through methods of re-integration as `hata yoga ( forceful union)', `mantra yoga',( union by chanting) `raja yoga' ( kingly union), `layayoga ( union by consonance)' etc. PATANJALI'S YOGA SUTRA, the primary work on the philosophy declares that "when mental agitation is stilled, supra-mental perceptions appear and the fundamental unity of all that exists is realized"15.

(3.) NYAYA (School of Rule and Logical Analysis or realism founded by GAUTAMA or AKSHAPADA. The achievement of individual liberation (Moksha) where you do not feel pleasure or pain is sought to be proved by logical analysis and philosophical argument. But, the system was empirical, relying too rigidly on perception and inference like Aristotle's syllogistic analysis, comparison and testimony and on its inductive premises. Subsequently, the Nyaya philosophy got absorbed into Uttara Mimamsa (Vedanta).

(4.) VAISESHIKA (School of distinct characteristics also known as Atomistic or Realistic pluralism) founded by KANADA also known as `ULUKA'. This refers to `Visesha' - a category of knowledge concerning essential differences, individuality, particularity of the eternal substances called `dravya' comprising prithvi (Earth), apas (Water) tejas (Light) vayu (Air), akasa (Ether) kala (Time) dis (Space), atman (Self) and manas (mind) which differed from each other essentially. Vaiseshika accepted only perception and inference. Like the NYAYA school it failed to carry its theism to the point where the supreme being is the reality. Ultimately, like Nyaya, the Vaiseshika philosophy became integrated with Vedanta.

All the above schools are called `HAITUKA' from `Hetu' meaning questioning why and seeking the cause, reason for everything in the phenomenal world

(5.) PURVA MIMAMSA (School of reflection, interpretation) founded by JAIMINI. It represents the early (purva) a prudent and orthodox exegesis and interpretation of the original parts of the Veda, as distinct from the UTTARA MIMAMSA school. The term `mimamsa' is from the root `mann' - `to think' and means analytical examination of the goal of Moksha, the means to attain it by Punya acquired through karma anushtana. BHATTA and PRABHAKARA represent two sub schools of PURVAMIMAMSA and differed only slightly on the issue of the nature of the `soul' and did not break away from the basic views of JAIMINI.

(6.) UTTARA MIMAMSA or VEDANTA (End of knowledge of the Vedas or the ultimate wisdom) Reinterpretation and explanation of the basic truths of Veda in the light of upanishadic revelation was founded by BADARAYANA or VYASA in his BRAHMASUTRAs. It refers to the upper or later (or Uttara) examination of the Vedas and constitute the chief intellectual background of Hinduism. Three separate schools of interpretation of brahma sutras arose based mainly on the subject of relationship between the Jeevatma and the Paramatma (Individual and universal soul) namely, ADVAITA, DVAITA and VISISHTADVAITA.

( i ) ADVAITA ( Mayavada) founded by GAUDAPADA, the first exponent of Advaita was followed by SANKARA. Influenced by Sunya vada, the Advaita Philosophy relied on Abeda Srutis (Non-differential) of the Vedas. They held that ATMA of JEEVATMA and of PARAMATMA are one and the same. They were never different. If they appeared different, it is due to MAYA (illusion). Except PARAM all the rest was unreal very much akin to Sunyavada (not existent or void or Nirvana) argument of the Buddhists. Hence, the .Advaitists were called 'Prachanna Bouddhas.' -Crypto-Buddhists

( ii ) DVAITA ( Dualism) founded by MADVACHARYA relied heavily on `BEDA SRUTIS' (Differential) which were predominant in the Veda sutras and which emphasized the duality of the individual soul and the universal soul. They
held that the two remained eternally different like parallel lines and the Jeevatma had eternally subservient existence in relation of PARAMATMA. In other words, there was no non-existence of the individual soul, nor did it nor will ever merge with the Universal soul.

( iii ) VISISHTADVAITA was founded by NATHAMUNI, propounded by YAMUNAMUNI expounded by SRI RAMANUJAMUNI who countered Sankara's' Absolute monism' point by point with his 'Qualified monism'. He was followed by the illustrious SWAMI VEDANTA DESIKA and MANAVALA MAMUNIGAL. Apart from ABEDA srutis and BEDA srutis, there are also a number of `GHADAKA' srutis ( Integrators)- which sought to integrate and reconcile the two. VISISHTADVAITA is founded on the GHADAKA srutis and is known as the doctrine of `Qualified Monism' or `Qualified Dualism' (i.e.) Visishta - monism in a distinct, particular, special way and dualistic also in a distinct, particular, special way.

In essence, VISISHTADVAITA holds that though individual souls do exist apart from the Universal soul, they exist only as Sarira (Body) of the latter. In other words, both animate and inanimate objects constitute the body of Iswara (Universal soul). Just as `body' has a `soul', the `soul' itself has another `soul' in Paramatma. ( To continue with Sastras, Vedangas and a Note on Astrology )