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SrI  UpakAra  Sangraham - II (3)
-- 
SAdhanAdhikAram 
-- 
Section - 6 (3)
(Five Favours for Adopting Practical Means)
---  
   
        In the previous sub-section, SwAmi Desikan described
how the Lord helps the jIva determined to perform the
praptti upAya which is based on his inability for
other upAyas, and an aversion to other refuge than the
Lord. Those who are not placed in this situation have
to undertake other methods. In this sub-section, SwAmi
Desikan speaks about the Lord?s conferring favour on
such persons also:   

(3) itaRku AkincanyAdiyAn kaimmutal illAtArai
AprayANa-anuvartaneeyamAi antima-pratyayAntamAna
upAyAntarattlE moottumatuvum;

        The Lord is the object of the knowledge which is the
means, upAya. He is also the object of attainment. He
is the means being the giver of the desired fruit.
Similarly, He is the upEya, that is, He Himself is the
object that is to be enjoyed. In the case of mumukshu,
who has adopted prapatti as the sole and independent
means, the Lord takes the place of other upAyas. In
the case of others also, that is, those who adopt
bhakti, the Lord whose favour has been won by prapatti
intervenes and standing in the place of rites and
duties which are too hard for them placed in between
the starting of the karma-yOga and the completion of
the prescribed meditation, brings about the removal of
sins and the manifestation of satva quality which can
result from their performance. The Lord ensures that
the meditation or worship is completed to bear fruit. 

        Karma-yOga is the performance of certain kinds of
karma or rites as a result of knowledge acquired from
the scriptures about the nature of the jIvAtma and the
paramAtma. These have to be performed without any
desire for the fruits. Karma-yOga, either through
j~nAna yOga or without it, becomes the means of having
a vision of one?s own self through yama
(self-restraint), niyama (observance of rites ) and
prANAyama (the control of breath). 

        J~nAn yOga is the constant and uninterrupted
contemplation of his svaroopa or essential nature of
the self as distinct from matter. This can be done
only a person who has conquered his mind by
karma-yOga. If a person has succeeded in attaining the
vision of his self by the practice of yOga preceded by
karma-yOga and j~nAna-yOga, then he begins the
practice of bhaktiyOga which is the direct means of
enjoying the Lord. While practicing bhakti yOga, the
aspirant has to contemplate on the Lord as the
inner-self of his own self.

        Bhakti yOga is a special form of meditation which is
of the nature of deep love for the Lord. Bhakti is of
the form of a continuous stream of knowledge which is
like oil streaming down continuously without a break. 
Such a practice has to be continued by the person till
his last breath. This is what SwAmi Desiakn mentions
as  ?AprayANa-anuvartaneeyamAi antima-pratyayam?  --
The contemplation of the Lord at the moment of the
stoppage of his breath is a must for attaining the
Lord. Otherwise, he may have to continue this exercise
in his next birth, which may be in any yoni, that is,
plant, animal or human. So, he can continue the
contemplation only if gets a human birth, that too, in
a lineage of the first three castes which are entitled
to study Vedic scriptures so that he can continue the
contemplation of the Lord from the point he left in
his previous birth. Again he has to fulfill the
requirement of the contemplation of the Lord at his
last breath so that he attains the Lord. 

        Here too, he can seek the Lord?s grace through very
ardent bhakti, without losing the focus on the Lord
only and nothing else. If he is able to achieve this
practice, the Lord Who is the compassion incarnate,
gives him a helping hand provided the person follows
the rules of the bhakti yoga in totality. 

        This adoption of a means other than prapatti, is
mentioned by SwAmi Desikan as  ?upAyAntarattlE
moottumatuvum;? -- Here, ?upAyAntaram? -- another
means (than prapatti).  In this also, the aspirant of
mOkaSha has to seek the help of the Lord through
prapatti.  This goal will result in enjoying his own
self, which is known as ?kaivalya?, and not the
SrIvaikuntam, the abode of the Lord, where he would be
able to have unending enjoyment of the Lord along with
the nitya-sooris and muktas. 
        For achieving this ?kaivalya?, that is, enjoying
one?s own Atma, the aspirant has to seek the Lord?s
favour to ensure the achievement of the desired goal. 



(To conitinue)
dAsan
Anbil S.SrInivAsan
------- 
      



      
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