{Note: Readers having difficulty in reading the text may need to change their encoding to UTF-8.} srI: SrI upakAra sangraham â?? 28 --- adikAram â?? 1 poorva upakAra paramparai (The Foremost Series of Favours) --- SECTION â?? 5 (27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for MOKSHAM) ----- SwAmi Desikan has so far been explaining the favours being done by the Lord preliminarily. The Lord emerges as the repository of compassion, patience and determination, but without an iota of discrimination. He is the Tallest and the Ultimate. At the same time, in simplicity, there is no match for Him, not to talk of a superior to Him. In the technical parlance, He is a combination of paratvam and saulabhyam. It is also to show that the Lord doesn't stop with creating shESha-s , attendants, but promoting the jIvA-s to the pedestal equal to His, SwAmi Desikan further describes the favours granted by Him towards the attainment of liberation too. In this Fifth Section of the First Chapter, SwAmi Desikan lists as many as 27 favours which the Lord accords to the jIvA enabling him to attain Sri VaikuNtam. We shall take up one by one. (1) iv ajnAta-sukrutAdi-kaLukku prasnna-nAy, "janmAntara-sahasrEShu yA buddhir-bhAvitA purA" ityAdikaLin- padiyE viparIta-vAsanA-dArDhya-ttAlE upadEsha-nairartthakyam piRavAtapadi, "yam tu karmaNi yasmin saH nyayu~Nkta prathamam prabhuH" ityAdikaLinpadiyE, vishEShittu nammai sukruta-vAsanA-pravAha-hEtu-vAna sAttvika-sruShtiyilE kuuttinatuvum; In the post-recovery stage, the Lord confers His first favour by including the jIvA in the births of virtuous quality (sAtvika births). This is the central message of this first para. We have to understand how this is achieved, that is, one must be born to parents of sAtvika -- virtuous - nature. Is it in our hands? No. It is done by the Lord. So, we can not choose the family in which we can take birth. Individual souls are not free to do this as it is not in their control. However, we need not feel dejected, if we go through the entire paragraph. The question in our minds now is: How to get ourselves born in a virtuous family? "janmAntara-sahasrEshu yA buddhir-bhAvitA purA" ityAdikaLin padiyE " In our present life, everyone has a type of 'buddhi', intellect. "janmAntara-sahasrEshu yA buddhir-bhAvitA purA" -- This is the same as we had in our previous births, may be running into thousands. If we had developed an intellect of good nature, called "sAtvika buddhi", we will now be sAtvika - virtuous. If we had developed "rAjasIka buddhi" (intellect based passion, anger and enmity), our birth will be accordingly in a family of similar type. In case, we had developed in our past life, a quality of dullness, laziness, and sinful nature, our birth will also be of such nature (tAmasika). So, we can forget the past. At least now, in this birth, we can make efforts to develop virtuous character. This is in our hands. As the Lord stated in the Gita, He will certainly help us in our effort. But the initiative has to come from us. Such bad births are due to the nature one had in the previous birth, which is called, "pUrva vAsanA" -- " viparIta-vAsanA-dArDhya-ttAlE " -- If the previous karma residue was utterly bad, in the current birth the same will continue. " upadEsha-nairartthakyam piRavAtapadi " --- In case, there had been good instruction in the earlier birth, it will not go waste. It will continue in the current birth and the jIvA will make further progress in that direction. SwAmi Desikan bases this fact on the Manu Smriti's statement to this effect: "yam tu karmaNi yasmin saH nyayu~Nkta prathamam prabhuH" ityAdikaLin-padiyE, -- Here is the full verse from the scripture, Manu Smriti -- yam tu karmaNi yasmin sa nyayungkta prathamam prabhuH / sa tadEva svayam bhEjE srujyamAnaH punaH punaH // (1-28) (Thus, without out-stepping the rules laid down by the Lord, jIvA-s take new births as per the nature acquired in their previous births.) It is emphasized by SwAmi Desikan that no one can violate the Divine Rules laid down by the Lord Himself. In our sanAtana dharma, we are guided by the Manu Smriti which has spelt out the way of life for all according to their nature of birth. In the case of the fortunate jIvA, who had a good turning point in the previous birth on account of an unknown virtuous act, he gets a birth with an opportunity to further continue the newly acquired virtuous nature. This is what is referred to by SwAmi Desikan here:- " vishEShittu nammai sukruta-vAsanA-pravAha-hEtu-vAna sAtvik-sruShtiyilE kuuttinatuvum;" The Lord takes a special interest in ensuring a virtuous birth (sAtvika sruShti) for the jIvA, chosen by Him in the previous life, simply on account of a speck of virtuous act he did without his own knowledge. That flow of virtue nature which originated as a small stream, grows further into a big river, which acquires further holiness due to continuous acts of virtuous nature in the current birth of the jIvA. According to SwAmi Desikan, this is the first favour conferred by the Lord on this jIvA to lead him towards the eternal Bliss lying ahead. (To continue) dAsan Anbil S. SrInivAsan ------- ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! 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