SrI: SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah: Dearest Srivaishnavas, Though you have jnAna, vairAgyam, unless you perform the deed as prescribed in saasthrAs and aniticpate merely my grace as the sole reason for mOskham, it is not possible for Me- says the Lord [else there will be partiality and bias towards few]; Further investigating and analysing, Alavandhar finds that he doesn?t possess qualification and capability for performing bhakti yoga, and as the prerequisite he does not even have capability /qualification for karma, jnana yoga and feels remorse for the same. Taking that as the very reason and qualification [or the lack of] he performs his ultimate un flinching Saranagathi [self surrender] nadharma nishtOsmi na cha AthmavEdi na bhaktimaan tvaccharaNaaravindha akinchanOananya gathi saraNya! tvat paadha moolam SaraNam prapadyE.. [22] Oh Lord- the most worthy of being sought after as the Sole Refuge! SarvalOka saraNyaa! I am not capable of performing karma yoga; not capable of performing jnAna yoga; nor do I have a sembalcne of devotion on Your Lotus Feet and hence not capable of performing bhakti yoga; Hence with no other ways or means, and no other refuge for me (except You); I have firmed up my mind and surrendered at Your Lotus feet as the Only UpAyam (the feet being the Only means]. With saatvIka thyAga, one should first perform one of various kinds of Karma yoga like Deva archanaa etc.., [pooja for the Lord]. For lomg time, if one does so, then, the mind gest purer and hence one starts the practice of jnana yoga to contemplate and comprehend the jeevathma. When a person realises his self through Karma, Jnana yoga, he becomes qualified for bhakti yoga. Karma yoga is the performance of a particular karma, with saatvika thyaaga, that is possible by the person, without having attachment of karthruthvam, phala (doership and fruits), and sambandha along with the performance of Nitya, naimittika, and kaamya karma. With of course the essenitial knolwdge of jeeva and paramathma from the saathrAs. The particular karma thus should be performed without any desire for the fruits. And to be performed as worship to the Lord until it becomes fruitful. As karmayyoga involves in itself the essential knowledge of jeevathman, it may directly lead to the realisation of the jeevathman thorugh jnana yoga. Jnana yoga is the incessant remembrance of the essential nature of jeevathman who is different and distinct from the prakrithi [matter] and who is the sareera [body] of Paramathma, by virtue of being supported, ruled over and used for His own purposes and pleasure invariably. This jnana yoga can be performed only when one has gained control over mind which is through karma yoga. Even while performing Karma, jnana yoga, one should perform saranagathi to the Lord. ?mana: samyamya maCChitha: yuktha aaseetha mathpara: Thus when a person realises the true nature of jeevathman through karma yoga and jnaya yoga, he gets perfectly qualified for performing bhakti yoga. If he is not tempted by the enjoyment of jevathman and its glories, he gets attarcdted to serve Paramaathman- which is the very nature and duty of jeevathman, he will start yearning for attainment of Paramathma. Thus when a person realises the essential nature of his jeevan as subservient to the Lord as ever as eternal, and his ultimate object of attainment is the Supreme Paramathman, who is his inner self, he gains the relevant qualification for becoming and performing Bhakti yoga. [Thus jnana yoga as per Gita, is the reflection upon nature of jeevan and not meditation upon the oneness of athman or meditation on Paramathma]. Thus one is qualified for bhakti yoga, only when he realises that he is sesha bhUthan to the Lord or utterly subservient to the lord. That is approach for attainment of Your Lotus Feet. I am not qualified for any of these. And hence please do not expect me to perform any of these means. But I can not drop the yearning or desire for attainment of Your Lotus Feet. I will never ever aspire for any other fruits [worldly, material, and jeevathma kaivalya anubhavam]. If you ask, that I can go for other demigods, no- not even that. you alone [as per my earlier verses] are capable of granting moksham. Hence I catch hold of only Your Lotus Feet as I have no other refuge; and being utterly helpless, I surrender at Your Feet. I do not aspire for anything else. By hiding myself underneath and beneath Your Lotus Feet, at least I can escape from the yama kinkarars. [yama dhoothas] If I am not able to perform karma, jnana yoga, bhakti yoga now- it does not mean that I had already performed Karma, jnana yoga in my earlier births and not am qualified for bhakti yoga. Not so? Hence Alavandhar mentions here all three yogas individually. Though You have not performed before, at least you can try now. Alavandhar says: no.. He is aakinchanyan. He is utterly helpless; He can not perform them as he has got no control on senses and can not contemplate on Lord?s ThirumEni uninterruptedly. And Alavandhar says: he does not have anyone else except Him. Thus aakinchanyam and ananya gathithvam are very essential pre-requisites for Thus here Alavandhar performs prapatti saying: Oh you worthy of being sought as refuge! I am not one established in Dharma, nor am i a knower of the self. I have no fervent devotion to your lotus-feet. Utterly destitute as I am, and having none else for resort, I take refuge under your feet. Also one thing needs to be understood here- which is essential and important: There are two kinds of dharma- pravartthi dharma and nivrtthi dharma. Pravartthi dharma ?is all that leads to material and worldly pursuits including aspiring for heaven? while Nivrtthi dharma is the act leading towards mOksham ? redemption or salvation. The realisation of jeevaathma ? being its true and essenitail nature of subservience to the Paramathma ? is also important and relevant for mOksham- [this is called thathkrathu nyaya] . For this, Karma, jnana yoga are prescribed and hence when starting for Karma yoga, with no other aspiring for any other fruits, and with saathvika thyaaga.. Thus all Karma, jnana and bhakti yoga are nivrtthi dharmas. That?s why LakshmI thanthra et al show the three means i.e. Karma yoga, jnana and bhakti yoga ? upAyaaccha chathurtthasthE prOktha: seegra phalapradha: - poorvE thraya upAyAsthE bhavEyu ramanOharaa: - chathurtthamaaccharyan yEvam upAyam SaraNAsrayam?. Thus discarding the three (karma, jnana bhakt yoga), the fourth means- namely Saranagathi or Prapatti is prescribed. Based on that, Gita too mentions the same: First the three are described. NammAzhwAr also mentions: nORRa nOnbilEn; nuN aRivilEn (karma, jnana yoga). Hence Alavandhar mentions the three and then, prays to the Lord, surrendering completely with five angas and with the prerequistites of aakinchaynam and ananya gathithva. Alavandhar ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam Regards Namo Narayana dAsan __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! 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