NOTE: Readers having difficulty in reading the text may need to change their encoding to UTF-8. ------------ srI: SrI UpakAra Sangraham - II (2) -- SAdhanAdhikAram -- Section - 6 (2) (Five Favours for Adopting Practical Means) --- In the Second Chapter, SwAmi Desikan began to convey to us the five favours being done by the Lord to the refined jIva in adopting the practical means for attaining the highest goal, that is, mOkSha. In the first of these five favours, he described how the Lord helped the jIva to get the determination to adopt prapatti when his body and mind are in a healthy condition. This is the first step towards performing prapatti. In this sub-section, SwAmi Desikan speaks about the Lord?s favour to the jIva in acquiring the five pre-prapatti accessories (angas), which is a must for a successful surrender: (2) manassu EkAgramAna aLavilE ivanukku anga-pancaka-sampanna-mAna Atma-rakShAbhara-samarpaNa-tthai uNdAkkumathvum; When the mind attains steadiness and becomes receptive, the jIva is informed of the process of adopting prappatti. In particular, its five auxiliary parts are explained to him. The accessories, that is, angas, of the prapatti vidya are five in number and they are: 1) ?Anukoolya sankalpam? -- the intention to do whatever is agreeable to the Lord; 2) ?prAtikoolya-varjanam? -- the avoidance of whatever is displeasing to Him; 3) ?kArpaNyam? --- helplessness; 4) ?mahAvishvAsam? --- supreme faith in His capacity to protect us; and 5) ?gOptrutva-varaNam? --- seeking His protection. ?Atma-rakShAbhara-samrpaNam? -- With these ?angas? or accessories, one has to submit his self for protection at the feet of the Lord. We shall study what these accessories really mean: 1 & 2 -- Anukoolya sankalpam and prAtikoolya varjanam: - Among the five angas, the essential condition, for the will to do what is pleasing to the Lord, that is, ?Anukoolya sangkalpam? and the avoidance of what would be displeasing to Him, ?prAtikoolya-varjanam?, indicates that the person should have the knowledge that he exists solely for the Lord. All things and all beings exist for Him only. Hence it follows, he would avoid transgressing the command of the Lord: ?AnukoolyEtarAbhyAm tu vinivryttirapAyatah /? (LakShmee Tantra, 17-76) (By the determination to do whatever is pleasing and to avoid whatever is displeasing to the Lord will help avoiding the command of the Lord.) 3. KArpaNyam or helplessness is thinking about one?s ?Akincanyam? -- inability to adopt any other upAya or means and ?ananyagatitvam? -- absence of any other interest than mOkSha and the absence of any other refuge than the Lord. This will help to increase the compassion on the part of the Lord. As it has been said: ?kArpaNyEnApyupAyAnAnam vinivruttirihEritA //? (LakShmee Tantra, 17-77) (By helplessness, it is indicated that he does not search for another upAya or means.) This would be useful later on for the promotion of the knowledge that there is no other upAya. 4. MahAvishvAsa or supreme faith is necessary for the performance of prapatti free from all doubts and it leads later on to freedom from all anxiety. It has been also said: ?rakShiShyateeti vishvAtsAt abheeShtOpAyA-kalpanam? (LakShmee Tantra, 17-77) (From the faith that He will protect arises the performance of the desired upAya.) 5. The necessity of Goptrutva varanam or seeking protection: Though mOkSha is the most appropriate goal for our essential nature, when it is sought as the desired goal (puruShArta), it has to be asked for, just as any other objects. Seeking protection is necessary as the mokSha would be given only to one who asks for it. It is normal that no good thing is given without its being asked for. Therefore, mOkSha will not be puruShArta, unless it is asked for by the aspirant. That is why it has been stated: ?aprArthitO na gOpAyEditi tatprArthanAmatih /? (LakShmee Tantra, 17-72) (No protection would be given when it is not sought.) ?gOptrutva-varaNam nAma svAbhiprAya-nivEdanam //? (LaSkmee Tantrs, 17- 78) (Seeking the Lord as Saviour is to make our mind known to Him.) Since these five accessories are of use at the time of the performance of prapatti, they are essential for the surrender of one?s self. It is also stated in the Scripture: ?nikShEpAparapAryAyO nyAsah pancAnga-samyutah / sannyAsas-tyAga ityuktah sharaNAgatirityapi //? (LakShmee Tantra, 17-74) (Self surrender which has the word nyAsa for synonym has five angas and is also called sannyAsa, tyAga and sharaNAgati.) The sharaNAgati of TrijaTA to SrI Seeta and that of VibheeShaNa to SrI RAma are sighted as two illustrations for the presence of all these angas. SrI ParAsara Bhattar brings out the greatness of SrI, the Consort of the Lord, Who went a step further than the Lord. When TrijaTA pleaded with the rAkshsees to surrender at the feet of SeetA to seek protection from SrI rAma, the rAkshasees neither did surrender nor did they reject the advice. Even this non-rejection made SeetA to become their refuge, because of her extreme love and assured them thus: ?tatah sA hreematee bAlA bhartuvijaya-harShitA / avocad yadi tat tathyam sharaNam hi vah //? (rAmAyaNam, 5-58-90) (Happy at the prospect of triumph of her Consort on hearing of the dream related to her by TrijaTA, that youthful Lady (SeetA), who was full of modesty, thereupon said, ?If the dream comes to be true, I shall surely afford protection to you all.?) That these words were from the very heart and ultimately bore fruit has been declared by the great SrI ParAsara Bhattar in the verse: ?mAtarmaithili rAkShasOstvayi tathaivAdrAparAdhAstvayA / rakShantyA pavnAtmajAllaghutarA rAmasya gOShThee krutA // ? (SrIguNaratna-kOsa - 50) [Oh Mother Maithili, by the protection which you gave to the offending rAkShasees from HanumAn, You reduced SrI rAmA and His council (Sugreeva and others) to a lower position. (For SrI rAma protected VibheeShaNa, who had committed no offence, and kAkAsura, who had offended). These two were able to ask for protection, whereas You protected the rAkShasees, while they were in the very act of torturing You, and even when they did not themselves beg of You to do so, (at the intersession of TrijaTA).] The Lord is doing favour to the jIva to fully have these five angas of surrender for self protection, says SwAmi Desikan in this sub-section. (To continue) dAsan Anbil S.SrInivAsan -------- ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan http://www.sadagopan.org Yahoo! 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