Sri: Srimathe Ramanujaya nama: Dear Soundar, There are more knowledgeable devotees in this forum to explain this subtle point with references. My reply is based on the little understanding that I have gathered from the owrks of our pUrvAcAryAs. I'm also a beginner like you. > I have been reading quite a >number of articles on > Prapatti and Bhakti, etc. While doing so, I landed on this ever- > controversial topic of Nirhetuka Kripa and Sahetuka Kripa, the main > difference between the Vadakalai and Thenkalai Sampradayams. > Maybe due to my lack of intelligence, I had tonnes of doubts based > on my understanding on the concept of Nirhetuka Kripa: Before going into AzhvArs(&their works),which are esoterical and have many hidden meanings,I would suggest you to start from our pUrvAcAryAs life first and then their works. PUrvAcAryas'life history will automatically inculcate faith towards and stimulate us to learn our sampradayam. The works of pUrvAcAryAs will elucidate all the subtle points(that you have raised) expressed by AzhvArs in their hymns. When you vist India,go to P.B. Swami's granthamala office,Kanchi and collect all the important SV works. P.B. Swami's explanations are very clear that you will catch most of the points very easily but it is always advisable for the reader to check his book knowledge with an AcAryA whose main profession is Sri VaiShNavism and nothing else. PS:I started first to read(apart from Mumukshuppadi)AcArya Hrdhayam but I had difficulty in understanding it. But after I had couple of readings of Sri Vacana BhUShaNam,I could understand/appreciate AH better what Swami Azhagiya MaNavALa PerumAL NAyanAr was trying to convey. Basically our AcAryAs works deal with the hidden meanings of AzhvArs hymns. Once we have a good understanding of AcAryArs' works,it becomes easier to understand when we listen to bhagavad viShayams. > 1) Perumal grants Moksham to whomever HE CHOOSES. Am I wrong > if I turn judgemental and say its not fair if he doesn't grant > moksha to somebody who does the best of Bhakti and Prapatti > practices, just because he is not the "Chosen one"?? Don't forget that our karma is beginningless. Our sins are piled up enormously in the form of mountains. How is it justified on our part to expect the Lord(with nirAnkusa swAthantrya/unlimited independence) to grant us mOksha for some bhakti/prapatti practises done in this birth for the enormous sins that we had accumulated since time immemorial?? The Lord tells Arjuna that both have taken innumerable births and He alone knows what everyone's past,present and the future. We have been straying away from the Lord for yugas. Sri PiLLai lOkAcArya gives one classic example. It is like the wife (jIvAtma)who had gone away from the husband(Lord)for long and all of a sudden,one fine day(bhakthi/prapatti done in single birth) she goes to her husband and expects the husband to accept her! Sri Vacana BhUShaNam quotes an example from Ramayana. Bharatha's love for SriRama is highly and undoubtedly virtuous yet PerumAL turned down bharatha's plea(SriRama to return to ayODhyA to take over the kingdom). Bharatha sought PerumAL on his own(swAgatha swIkAra)and hence he was turned down while guha's is a paragatha swIkAra(PerumAL sought guha). PerumAL,on His own volition shed His "unconditional grace" on Guha. This shows that He showers His unconditional grace on His own choice of subjects. > 2) Perumal is both the upaya and upeya. Even performing devotional > activities is considered to be sort of "sinful" (at that supreme > transendental level of understanding), so what is the jivatma > supposed to do, then?? Just be like the new-born baby which is at the "mercy" of the mother. We are His possessions and hence until He takes us to His vaikuNTam,we are supposed to spend our time,instead of wasting in mundane affairs,by singing his glories,doing kaimkaryams in temples or to His devotees,sharing bhagavad-bhAgavad anubhavams etc. These activities are like leisure course(not a upAyam). We do all this till we shed off this material body. Or one can follow TirukkaNNa mangai ANdAn(SVB 80). There are two types of prapanna:ArTha and Dhrptha. > 3) If the Jivatma is not supposed (or required) to do devotional > activities, then what is he supposed to do?? One thing he must do > as I understand, is surrendering to an acarya. But then, even that > is done only if the Jivatma INTENDS, right?? So, if a JIvatma > surrenders to an Acarya and he is granted Moksham, it becomes > Sahetukam becomes his action is that he surrenders to an Acharya. > Isn't it paradoxical, when we say that according to the TK > sampradayam, one has to surrender to an Acarya to attain moksham, > but still Moksham is due to Nirhetuka Kripai?? Surrendering to an AcArya:Is it because of the jIvAtma's effort/ intent or the grace of AcAryA? BG has 700 slokas and refer to 4:34 (also 9:26). BTW,Lord KrShNA(Lord Sriman Narayanana;Remember Sri KraththAzhvAn's Lakshmi nATha) is the AcAryA and Arjuna is the disciple. KrShNA says that because Arjuna is dear to Him,He is imparting that knowledge to Arjuna. The answer to your question lies in this statement. It's out and out because of the grace of AcArya,the disciple performs the surrender/sharaNAgati. The fourth/last prakaraNam of Sri Vacana BhUShaNam explains in detail the glories of AcArya and AcAryA as the ultimate upAyam. This in no way conflicts with Lord being the upAyam. Not only TK sampradayam but every sampradayam has an AcArya who showers mercy on his disciples. Why do you need an AcAryA in the first place? EVen in academic circles,or when you go for a job interview,the company asks you for references. Why? Why can't they trust you based on your merit alone instead of asking you to get references? In the material world,a Prof/Employer may even give a bad recommendation to spoil one's life. But in the spiritual life,the AcArya/Ramanuja is all merciful and intercedes with Lord on behalf of the jIvAtmAs. Note that every AcAryA will only invoke EmperumAnAr's (during samAshrayaNam/ sharaNAgati) name,and not his own name, to intercede with the Lord. You should first catch hold of guru parampara vaibhavam(that has from AzhvArs to MaNavALa mAmunigaL),Sri Vacana BhUShaNam,AcArya Hrdhayam, Mumukshuppadi,and thathva thrayam. > 5) The reason that I said that I have "issues" is because, if > perumal grants moksha to whomever he chooses, according to his > choice, then isn't he being partial?? Like a teacher awarding the > best grades to the student who is perceived to be unworthy by his > classmates?? You should not compare the material world AcArya(faulty many a times) to the Spiritual AcArya. One of my friend(who was always daring) in "Stochastic Process" class,straight away,told the Prof that his explanation is wrong. The Prof was toppled by the student's arguments and analyses. The Professor(his ego had been wounded) finally flunked him in that course:-) Sometimes the Professor may avenge the student. > 6) What about the shloka from the GIta, "TasmAt Sarvesu KAlesu > mAm Anusmara Yudhya Ca Mayi arpita ManO buddhih mAm > evaisyasi asamsayah"?? Perumal says that if he think of him all the > time (even when fighting in a war) we can go back to him without > doubt. He guarantees moksha if he think of him all the time, again, > my (maybe flawed) interpretation is that, since if he think of him > all the time he gives us Moksha, we are making the spiritial > endeavour to think of him all the time to attain Moksha. Isn't it > Sahetukam, again?? If it's sahEtukam,Arjuna should have fought alone! At every moment,it is the Lord who saves Arjuna. Remember that Kaurava's army was stronger than Pandava's. Here also it is the Lord who plays the trick (if you look at the Mahabharatha story). Both DuryODhana and Arjuna come to seek the Lord's help and it's duryODhana who comes first. But before this incident itself,war was declared as the only solution. If duryODhana had sought the Lord,everything would have collapsed. The Lord pretends to be asleep when DuryODhana comes so that the latter goes and sits at the Lord's head side. Normally when you open the eyes you will see what is exactly opposite! Now Arjuna enters and KrShNa only sees Arjuna first and hence he was given the first chance to seek the Lord's help. DuryODhana coming earlier does not matter but whom the Lord see does all matter. Arjuna grabbed this and said he only wants the Lord. Hence what ever is left(Lord's army)will go to the other party DuryODhana. Among the 700 slOkas of BG,574 are attributed to the Lord. Which one of the 574,you will take it as gospel? All 574 can not be gospel. The Lord's conclusion/answer to all the queries of Arjuna is given in BG 18:66:-) In the SharaNAgathi Gadyam,EmperumAnAr,for the sharaNAgathi performed to PerumAl through thAyAr(R seeks thAyAr's blessings first) in the beginning,he seeks forgiveness from SriRangantha for all his previous sins(including that sharaNAgathi)bhagavad,bhAgavatha apacAram etc towards the end of his conversation with the Lord and Lord also assures salvation for Ramanuja and all those associated with EmperumAnAr. What will happen to us if Ramanuja had not extracted that promise from the Lord on behalf of all of us??? AcArya is the one who seeks the welfare of all beings and without his grace,spiritual upliftment is not at all possible. Sincerely seek forgiveness for any wrong information conveyed by me. AzhvAr EmperumAnAr JIyar thiruvadigaLE sharaNam NC Nappinnai
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
ramanuja-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |