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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00074 Sep 2002

 
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srisailEsa dayApAtram dhIbhaktyAdi guNArNavam |
yatIndrapravaNam vandE ramya jAmAtaram munim ||

carama slOkam(Supreme secret that grants mOksa)
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sarvadharmAn parityajya mAm Ekam saraNam vraja |
aham tvA sarvapApEbhyO mOksaiSyAmi mA suca: || (BG 18:66)

Abandoning all duties,adopt Me alone as your refuge;I shall liberate 
you from all sins(mOksa),grieve not
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Continuation of "sarvadharmAn parityajya mAm Ekam saraNam vraja" and 
this is the concluding post also.

PiLLai lOkAchAryA[SVB 129-31]says: bhaktiyOgA,like 
incantations taught in the sAstrAs,is only a provisional means. It is 
enjoined initially to the ignorant and later prohibited once they 
have obtained greater understanding.

PiLLai lOkAchArya[Mumu 205-210]says: "some may argue that 
by relinquishing all dharmAs,adharmAs will enter. But that is wrong".
Since the word dharmA includes sAstric commands to refrain 
from evil deeds(adharmAs)and also do good deeds,by relinquishing 
it,one might conclude that he is allowed to perform these adharmAs. 
That is wrong because if one looks at oneself,the Lord and the 
goal,there is no way for these adharmAs to enter.

MaNavALa mAmunigaL in this context explains that the 
command to relinquish these dharmAs can not mean "do adharmAs" given 
the nature of the soul,the Lord and the ultimate goal of the soul. 
When the Lord is standing how can adharmAs enter???? So srirangam 
AchAryAs say that the Lord first enjoins arjunA to give up these 
dharmAs taught in the first part of the Bhagavad Gita(as they are 
contrary to the svarUpa)and then arjunA is told to surrender to the 
Lord,the Eternal DharmA and true upAya.

This again brings up the question: "why the Lord first 
taught these other means in Bhagavad Gita and other scriptures?"

PiLLai lOkAchArya[Mumu 267-9]explains this with an 
analogy illustrating the provisional value of bhaktiyOgA and sAstric 
sAdhanAs in the process of salvation:
"All that has happened so far is to test arjunA's heart. 
vEdAs enjoin other upAyas,just as people fasten a log to an unruly 
cow,in order to remove the wilfulness arising from egoism(ahankAra)
and possessiveness(mamakAra) and to give rise to knowledge of one's 
true nature(svarUpa jnAna). Just as a sannyAsi gives up previous 
stages of life(sannyAsi can't back to grhasta life),one who has 
attained this knowledge gives up these other means and no fault will 
occur in doing so.

MaNavALa mAmunigaL in his commentary[Mumu 267-9]
explains:"In order to obstruct and control a cow that wanders astray 
into others' fields while grazing, people tie a log to its neck. Same 
way,the soul is wandering in wrong direction/path under the sway of 
egoism and possessiveness. When the individual is oppressed by 
difficult requirements(of performing karmayOgAs,torturing the senses 
etc)that are physically exacting and exhausting,wilfulness will go 
away and then the knowledge of his true nature(dependence on the Lord)
will arise. Just as a sannyAsi(last of Asrama) gives up the duties of 
previous stages of life,one with this "ripened" knowledge will solely 
employ SiddhOpAya(Lord Himeslf)for he knows that "other" upAyas are 
contrary to the soul's true nature. There will be no fault if he 
gives up these other upAyas.

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Since the difference in the views of Srirangam and kAnchi 
AchAryAs lies in the interpretation of only the first verse/line of 
the carama slOkam,this post is concluded with the foll:

"sarvadharmAn parityajya mAm Ekam saraNam vraja"

Srirangam AchAryAs:neither bhakti/prapatti is an upAya. Lord alone is 
the SiddhOpAya

KAnchi AchAryAs:bhakti/prapatti is a sAdhyOpAya.

Note:sAdhyam-effort(to be accomplished);siddha-no effort(already 
accomplished)

Goal/upEya(the Lord)is the same as per the views of both. 

Abbreviations used in the post:

BG - Bhagavad Gita by Lord SriKrSNA
SBh & GBh - Sri BhASya & Gita BhASya by Bhagavad RAmAnujA 
SVB - Sri Vacana BhUSaNam by PiLLai lOkAchAryA;also commentary by 
MaNavALa mAmunigaL
AH - AchArya Hrdayam by Azhagiya MaNavALa PerumAL NAyanAr; also
commentary by MaNavALa mAmunigaL
JS - JnAna SAra by AruLALa PerumAL EmperumAnAr; also commentary
by MaNavALa mAmunigaL
Mumu - Mumukshuppadi by PiLLai lOkAchAryA; also commentary by
MaNavALa mAmunigaL
Mumukshu - one who desires mOksA
bubhukshu - who desires material/wordly pleasures
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Samjaya uvAca(Samjaya is the witness and his verse is the last of 
18th Chapter and also the Bhagavad Gita)

yatra yOgEswarah KrSNO yatra pArThO dhanurdharah |
tatra srir vijayO bhUtir dhruvA nItir matir mama || (BG 18:78) 

Whereever there is KrSNA,the Lord of YOgA,whereever there is 
ArjunA,the archer,there will surely by splendour,victory,wealth and 
righteousness;this is my conviction
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Sri MaNavALa mAmunigaL(Lord's AchAryA) did not compose 
anythig new but all he did was to write commentaries on 
and "safeguard" the pUrvAchAryAs' works.

AzhvAr EmperumAnAr Jeeyar TiruvadigaLE saraNam
Periya Jeeyar TiruvadigaLE saraNam
Tirumalai Nallan Chakravarthy Nappinnai






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