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Re: Prapatti and Moksha

From the Bhakti List Archives

Jaganath.Bharadwaj • December 4, 1996 


I wish to make a few comments on this subject, based on what I have
learned by the grace of my Acharya Srimate Srivan Satakopa Sri
Vedanta Desika Yateendra Mahadesika.

There are no categories of Prapannas.  Once somebody has done
Prapatti either by their own interest to seek moksha or Prapatti
being done on their behalf by their Acharya or another Bhagavata,
they become a Prapanna.  Once somebody is a Prapanna, there are no
further categories, though how a Prapanna serves Sriman Narayana
after Prapatti will depend on his or her or its (in the case of
animals etc) inclinations as well as gunas and karmas.

JatAyu obtained moksha by sacrificing its life for the sake of Sita's
freedom.  When exactly JatAyu obtained Prapatti is not stated.  It
had to have been long before the confrontation with Ravana.
Adherence to Dharma alone will not guarantee Moksha.  Before Bhishma
got his moksha, he had to give up his resolve to protect Hastinapur.
He did this when he was faced with another Dharma sankatam of
fighting with a person born as a woman.

At the time of Prapatti, one does 3 things.  Swaroopa samarpana, or
realization that we ourselves are Dasas of Sriman Narayana and cannot
follow our own dreams but such dream is only to be engaged in the
service of Sriman Narayana.  Bhara Samarpana is where we realize that
Sriman Narayana will take away our burden of sins that keep us from
such uninterrupted service.  Phala samarpana is the return of even
the fruit of such protection to Sriman Narayana as it rightfully
belongs to Him, since He gave Prapatti out of His own grace.

After Prapatti the Prapanna engages in service to Sriman Narayana
according to his or her capacity until the fall of the body connected
with the 3 gunas.

When Nitya suris and mukta jivatmas take birth in the service of
Sriman Narayana, (e.g. Ramanujacharya), they do not take material
bodies but shuddha sattva bodies.  It is for this reason that
Ramanujacharya's body has not decayed till today and is worshipped in
Srirangam.  We do not know whether Shabari was a baddha jivatma at
the time of Rama avatAram, since many jivatmas descend from
Vaikuntham during the time of avatarams to take part in the leelas.

For a baddha jivatma, either Bhakti Yoga or Prapatti has to precede
moksha.  There is no other method to attain moksha.  How exactly this
Prapatti takes place varies according to sampradayam and Bhagavath
Sankalpam.

Adiyen,

Jaganath.