SrI: Dear SrI Raama BhakthAs: The First of the ten chapters of Abhaya PradhAna Saaram (ABS) is " Prabhandha AvathAram " or the birth of the Prabhandham dedicated to instruct us on the Saaram (essence)Abhaya PradhAnam ( Granting of Freedom from Fear ). Bhayam or Bheethi is the fear and Abhayam is the freedom from that fear . What is this Bhayam ? Swamy Desikan has dealt in detail what this Bhayam is and who is the One that chases away this fear and grants freedom from these fears . Let us reflect on these passages from SrI Abheethi Sthavam, where the prayer is to the Uthsava Moorthy of SrI RanganAthan , who in our tradition is none other than Lord Raamachandran . Abhaya PradhAna Saaram is all about that Lord Raamabhadran and His vratham to protect those , who seek His rakshaNam through the act of SaraNAgathy . AbhIthi Sthavam passages ************************* The first slOkam of SrI Abheethi sthavam defines three items right away and pays tribute to that MahA Purushan , ParandhAman , PurushOtthaman (RamaasakhamKimapi Maha: adheemahE): The one who destroys all fears on seeking His protection in this world is saluted as " Iha yajjushAm abheethi: ). The one who is filled with fear on abandonment by the Lord is saluted as " iha yadh-avadheerithAnAm Bhayam). The Lord under whose command are those , who generate fear and freedom from fear are referred to as " Jagadhi Bhaya-abhaya vidhAyina: yannidEsE stiTA:). He is the controller and ruler of all these forces and the empowerer . They are all enabled by Him . That Lord is the One , who uttered on the sea side the famous abhya PradhAna vaakyam , which Swamy Desikan paraphrases in the second slOkam of ABS : " Sakruth praNatha RakshaNa praTitha Samvidha:" Even those who sought His protection ONCE ( Sakruth praNatha ) , He protects without fail . He has declared this as His vow publicly on the sea side ( RakshaNa praTitha samvidha:) so that no one has any confusion about His praTij~nai. This vow to protect those , who sought His protection are of many kinds as they sink in the deep ocean of SamsAram : Some are "mitha Buddhis" engaged in the enjoyment of alpa sukham ( siRRinbham) of the world. Some are deeply stuck in the mud of Ajn~Anam ( false knowledge about Tatthva Thrayam). These are " bahuLamOhabhAjA:". They do not think about the fruits of auspicious and inauspicious karmAs and ( atarkika hitha-ahitha krama visEsha vrutthi: ). They do not realize directly or through SadAchArya Upadesam that SaraNAgathy to You will free them from fear from all quarters and at all times ( Tasya kadAchana kudascchana kvachana Bhayam na syAth). Such a bhAgyasAli, who has performed SaraNAgathy at Your Sacred Feet does not end up in narakam or become exposed to the influence of the servants of Yama Dharaman , who is Your servant ( na tasya yama vasyathA narakapaatha bheethi: kutha: ) Oh Lord Raamachandra! For those , who wish to cross the ocean of SamsAram ( thriguNa langhana udhyOgina:) there are fearful times in which they slip from their chosen path of seeking Moksham ( skhalath samaya kaatharee anubhavantha:). At those times , You as the forever-alert Lord about their protection (kaatharee haraNa jaagarUkan) give Your hand as the One , who has vowed to rescue them (kara-grahaNa DhIkshithan) from such calmities and protect them without fail. For You , the rescuing of those , who seek Your protection (praNatha rakshaNam) is like the effort to protect Your own Self (SvarakshaNam iva bhavathi). Swamy reminds the Lord of His vow that He broadcast over the noise of the waves of Raama Sethu in ABS this way: "sakruth prapadhana sprusAm ABHAYA DHAANA NITHYA VRATHEE" One who has declared during RaamAvathAram that it is His eternal vow to protect those , who sought His refuge through the act of Prapatthi. Swamy also reminds the Lord that He is afraid to reject the SaraNAgathan independent of the magnitude of trespasses the jeevan might have committed and salutes the Lord in this context as " SaraNAgatha praNaya bhanga bheethan ". On seeking the refuge of the Lord's sacred feet , they are freed from the three kinds of FEARS and attain Moksham ( Bhavath padha SamAsrithA: bhaya vimukthim aapu:). Abhayam is described as Bhaya Vimukthi here. He gives the Abhaya PradhAnam and those object of His infinite DayA , get Bhaya Vimukthi. The SaraNAgathan says : " ayam bhara: Thvath paadhamoolE samarpitham" ( The responsibility of my protection is placed at Your sacred feet) and the Lord, who has been waiting to hear this plea takes over immediately the act of protection that is sought. The Lord is the abode of all auspicious attributes( Prakrushta guNakan) and with His inviolable power burns away all the fears of the suffering SamsAri once and for all. The object of such abundant mercy (the PrapannAs) join the assembly of those , who perform pallANDu for Him ( jitham tE Vaadhina:).They join the list of PrapannAs like PrahlAdhan, Dhroupathi, GajEndhran , VibhIshaNan , the GopAs and the Gopis , AmbharIshan and a host of others , who have recieved already abhaya PradhAnam from our Lord . This then is the message of Abhaya PradhAna Saaram , which we will study together during this puNya kaalam of SrI Raama Navami season . In the next posting , we will study the introductory Sanskrit and Tamil slOkams placed at the very beginning of this Prabhandham of Abhaya pradhAna Saaram. SrI Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama: Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan
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