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SrI:
SrImathE Gopaladesika Mahadesikaya nama:

Dearest all,

After immersing ourselves in the cool daya, showering
mercy on humanity for the past 70 posts, adiyEn would
like to remind ourselves of the deed that we need to
act at the lotus feet of our Acharya. 

What's that?

Let us learn enjoy from the wonderful anubhavam of our
dearest Sri Satakopan Swami of Oppiliappan Koil
residing in the New York, USA, who has been tirelesly
blessing us hundreds of posts for more than a decade
through these lists.

We are indeed blessed. 
*********
SrI:
SrimathE LakshmInrusimhAya nama:

AchArya Bhakthi ParipUtham anarga seelam
Gopala Desika MahAmunim Gurum AasrayAma :

In spite of his advancing age , this revered AchAryA
of Srimad Poundarikapuram Ashramam is engaged in mahA
kaimkaryams and it is a great blessing to have his
anugraham.

IdhAnim Poundarikapuram Andavan belongs to the direct
sanyastha Guru paramparai of Srirangam SrimadhANdavan
( VazhutthUr ) Sri VedAntha Ramanauja munipungavar.
Thanks to H.H. Srimad Andavan of Poundarikapuram
Aasramam , we have in our hands the Rahasyathraya
saaram commentary, Chillarai rahasyams of Swami
Desikan and very rare commentaries on Vedantha desika
sthothas written by Poorvars today.

The abiding reverence that I have for the
PoundarIkapuram Aasrama Yathis is due to the following
twin reasons :

(1) The Prakritham [current] Acharya of
Poundarikapuram Aasramam is an AchAryA dear to and
respected by my own AchAryan: H.H. Paramahamsa
parivrAjaka  Sri NaarAyana Yathindhra MahA Desikan of
Ahobila Matam , the current Jeeyar.

(2) Poundarikapuram is my ancient village and has
tight links to Sri Oppiliappan through the many devout
kaimkaryams of ParamahamsEdhyAthi Sri Srinivaasa MahA
Desikan of Poundarikapuram .

My grandfather was the Brahaspathi for that family and
performed the marriage of the above giant of an
AchAryan. Later, this mahAn took sanyAsaasramam
and became H.H. SrinivAsa MahA Desikan of 
Poundarikapuram Aasramam.

There are many sishyas who have taken refuge and
undergone BharanyAsam at the lotus feet of His
Holiness. On this divine occasion, It is my bhagyam to
share with you greatness of Prapatthi from the Amudha
MoazhigaL of Paramapadha Vaasee , SrivaNN
SatakOpa Sri VedAntha Desika Yatheendhrar , the
Mahaan, [Sri Mukkur Azhagiya Singar] who blessed the
Achaarya peetam of the Ahobila Mutt, and who was also
very close to Srimad ParavakkOttai Andavan Swami.

Bhayam tyajatha bhadram vO dadhAthi karuNArNava : I
prapathyA tyaktha kOpassun pApinAmapi Madhava : II

( meaning ) : Please abandon your fear ; He , the
ocean of  mercy  blesses us with auspiciousness . Our
Lord Sriya: Pathi [Maadhavan] casts away His anger at
those who have  performed Prapatthi and chases away
their sins and  confers sarva mangaLam (on them with
joy).

The adhikAris (qualified/eligible ones ) who can
practice Bhakthi yOgam in the manner prescribed by the
VedAs are not too many ; indeed it is doubtful that
there has been any since NammAzhwAr attained Moksham
through the practise of Bhakthi yOgam . Prapatthi
maargam taught by our Lord to ArjunA is the most
prevalent maargam for our deliverance form the cycles
of birth and death ( moksham ) .

The essence of EmeprumAnAr and Swami Desikan's
teaching is that Sriman NaarAyaNan gives the boon of
equal moksham ( sama moksham/no tAra tamyam ) to all,
who have performed  Saranagati [Prapatthi] in the
manner prescribed by sAsthrAs independent of their
caste , creed , gender or status in life.

SaraNAgathi is of three kinds. One of them is the most
important. The other two come next in significance .
The most important one is called sva nishtai. 

Here , a mumukshu performs kalakshEpam with a
sadhAchAryan and learns about the anantha kalyANa
guNAs of Sriman NaarAyaNA, His svarUpam , subhAsrayam
( divya thirumEni ) ; next he learns from the AchAryA
about the svarUpa , rUpa guNAs of his own jeevAthmA
followed by an understanding of the nature of
SaraNAgathi , its limbs (angAs ) and gets a clear
concept of what is an angi . Afterwards,  he learns
about the appropriate manthram used to perform one's
saraNAgathi and the tight correlations between the
different angAs of saraNAgathi and  the corresponding
padhams of the praaptthi manthram . He learns about
the particular padham that is connected with the angi
part of saraNAgathi . Driven then by his virakthi and
desire to reach paramapadham , he gets clear
instruction from his achAryan about the prescribed and
ancient method of performing saraNAgathi. At a time of
his own choice, he then places the burden of
protection of his athmA ( the Lord's own property ) at
the sacred feet of Sriman NaarAyaNA, the owner of his
athmA through the act of saraNAgathi  ( Bhara
samarpaNam /Aathma nivedhanam ) . THIS IS SVA NISHTAI,
THE HIGHEST MODE  OF SARANAAGATHI.

There are not many , who have the needed
qualifications to perform prapatthi through Svanishtai
. It is doubtful , whether anyone has performed
successfully svanishtai besides Sriman Nathamuni,
Nammaazhwaar, Alavandhaar, EmperumAnar Sri Ramanuja,
Swami Desikan hundreds of years ago.  

The other two modes of saraNAgathi are known as
AchArya Nishtai and Ukthi Nishtai. People of all
castes, creeds, gender or age are qualified to observe
one or the other of these two modes of saraNAgathi.

The first of the two methods is Ukthi Nishtai . One
stands in PerumAL sannnidhi along with the AchAryA and
looks at the PerumAL and repeats after the AchAryA ,
the words related to saraNAathi given as upadEsam by
the AchAryA in a saastraic manner.

The second of the two methods outside svanishtai is
known as AchArya Nishtai . One approaches the learned
revered SadAchAryan , falls at his feet and begs him
to intercede with the Lord on his behalf . Then the
AchAryan performs the saraNAgathi for his sishyan .
AchArya Nishtai can be executed through a direct
request or through an appeal not made in person. Some
times , when one is too ill to travel to the AchAryA's
side , then they write a letter or send a telegram ,
if it is an emergency  , and beg the AchArya to
intercede on his/her behalf through the performance of
AchArya nishtai . Srimad Andavan ashramam follows this
mode for all those who take refuge at the feet of
Acharya to perform BharanyAsam.

The compassionate AchAryAs themselves might elect to
perform AchArya Nishtai for the children , dumb ,
blind , dim witted , lame  and others , who are unable
to participate in saraNAgathi fully due to their
limitations of body or mind . The fruits of Moksham
however is guaranteed for all of them . All are
adhikAris for AchArya Nishtai and Ukthi Nishtai .

Lord Maadhavan controls His anger over the limitless
sins accumulated by us , the Jeevans , and forgives
our trespasses in the present and previous janmAs,
once we perform saraNAgathi in the prescribed manner
and blesses us with Moksha Sukham . That we have many
janmAs prior to saraNAgathi is clear from His own
words, " tava cha bahUni janmAni vyathithAni " . The
sins accumulated over these span of many janmAs are
beyond counting. Even the Lord has difficulty taking a
measure of them . Even with all those limitless
bundles of sins , the Lord out of His incomparable and
infinite dayA quenches His anger and fulfills His
promise made to ArjunA on the battle field :

 sarva dharmAn parithyajya? mokshaishyAmi maa sucha :
[GitA 18.66]

 You may still ask the question : Will the Lord give
Moksham to one , who commits so many atrocities in
this life and is recognized as a MahA Paapi ? The Lord
will bless that MahA paapi too , since he has already
said , " saraNam vraja , sarva pApEpyO mokshayishyAmi
" . After this categorical assuaging assuring
statement in GithA , there is no reason to doubt Him .
It is foolish to interpret the meaning of this charama
slOkam as promise to remove  the sins collected in
previous janmams only . It includes all the sins
accumulated in this janmam as well . KUrEsa has said
in this context :

" Sri Ramachandran out of His infinite mercy forgave
even the KaakAsuran , who committed the unpardonable
offense of hurting Loka mAthA with his beak . Once
that mahAparAdhi fell at Sri Rama"s feet and begged
for protection , our Lord saved the asuran from the
terrible damage of BrahmAsthram . Therefore, I am
hoping that the Lord will quench His anger at us, MahA
paapis, when we perform SaraNAgathi and bless us with
Moksham".

Therefore, there is no doubt that even a MahA paapi
will be protected by the all merciful Lord , if he
performs saraNAgathi in this janmam. Do not be afraid.
SaastrAs state that even if one has committed the
heinous crime of  killing one's mother and father, the
Lord will forgive even that person by controlling His
anger, if he repents and seeks the Lord's protection
as a saraNAgathA.

Even if one has taken to stealing as a profession ,
even if one drinks alcohol in spite of his high birth
as Brahmin, even if he acts like a friend and betrays
one behind one's back , even if he has committed
brahmahatthi, even if he has coveted the wife of his
AchAryA, even if he has murdered others, even if he
has committed much worse sins, once he utters the name
of NaarAyaNA involuntarily or without intent during
his last moments like AjAmiLan, then he is released of
all paapAs according to Sukha Brahmam. 

If that is so, the effect of performing saraNAgathi
recommended by the Lord in Bhagavadh GithA is bound to
chase away all the paapams accumulated in this and
previous janmAs . There need be no doubt about this
.Therefore, we, the paapis can cast aside our fears
and feel hopeful .

Do not be deluded by the thought that you have to
acquire tattva jn~nam through kalakshEpam and only
thereafter qualify ourselves to perform  SaraNAgathi.
What you have to do is to stand before your AchAryA in
PerumAL sannidhi and fall at His Feet; 

Repent for the past; Decide to act as fast as possible
and adhere to SaasthrAs and anushtAnams. Repeat what
acharyan says [in the case of Ukthi nishtai]. Acharyan
will perform Prapatti at the Lord's Lotus Feet on your
behalf [in the Acharyan nishtai]

Swami AlavandhAr himself says in this context:

VapurAdhishu yOpi kOpi vaa
guNa dhOshAni yathAtathA vaa I
tadhayam tava paadha padmayO :
ahamathyaiva mayA saamrpitha: II

AlavandhAr says that Whatever may be the nature
and attributes of this object known as aathmA ,
adiyEn has presented that object to You , which is
Yours, for protection .

Swami Desikan has pointed this tattvam in his
Rahasya Traya Saaram and has said : " The Lord
blesses even those , who do not have a full
comprehension of the TattvAs and gives them Moksham ,
when they surrender to Him " .

PurANAs state that even a long term enemy of our Lord
escapes damnation and is blessed with Moksham , when
he performs saraNAgathi even during his last moments
in his life due to some fortunate development . The
example of KantAkarNan , an ancient enemy of the Lord
is a testament to Lord's dayA for one , who sought His
refuge even after years of declared enimity .

The story from purANam on KantAkarNan suggests that
even long term enimity to Sriman NaarAyaNA will not
stand in one's way to gaining the boon of Moksham 
from Him , once we perform SaraNAgathi to Him in the
saastraic manner and beg for His merciful
intervention. 

Those who cry out for His protection like GajEndrA
without knowing who exactly was the supreme Lord and
yet shouted for protection with the prayer: " Oh
AdhimUlam , Lord of Gods! I am unable to protect
myself. I am at the end of my life. Please
save me". Sriman NaarAyaNA immediately ran to the side
of Gajendran and rescued the king of elephants from
the hold of the jaws of the crocodoyle . When Gajendra
shouted out in fear and addressed " the AdhimUlam" ,
Indran , BrahmA , Pasupathi and other dEvAs knew that
the appeal is not for them since they
were not the supreme of supremes . They understood the
message as being addressed to the one that has the
qualifications to be known and saluted as Parabrahmam.
Sriman NaarAyaNA responded to the animal king's cry.
He responded similarly to the jeevAthmA inside the pot
of curd ( dadhi paandan )  via AchArya nishtai and
blessed that jeevan with Moksham.

Therefore ,even if men or women or brahmin or
otherwise , or from other creeds inside or outside
India or sinners or puNyasAlees or bhakthimAns or
earlier sathrUs of the Lord , once they  perform
SaraNAgathi to LakshmIkAnthan , He will not worry
whether we are His mitrAs or chathrUs and will bless
us all with Moksham in the spirit of His statements: "
sarva PaapEyO mokshyishyAmi " and "abhayam
sarvabhoothEbhyO dadAmyEtat vratham mama". 

He is committed to come to our rescue and as the ocean
of mercy, abandons His anger and disgust over our
paapams and crowns us with the kireetam of Moksha
saamrAjyam. This is the essence of SaraNAgathi as
taught to us by the Lord Himself and His AzhwArs and
AchAryAs.

Srimath Azhagiyasingar ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam
Subhamasthu , Sarva MangaLAni santhu !
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan
**************
Let us enjoy the vedic references and pramANams to
Prapatti tomorrow in the same context

Acharyan ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam
Regards
Namo Narayana
dasan


 
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