What is 'tapas'?

From the Bhakti List Archives

• November 13, 2000


With complete love and total surrender to Lotus feet of my a:charya,
Sundara Kanda continues with His grace.

Another simple solution given to us by Mother Seetha is when
she responds to Ravana.

Mother says,
"Though I have the capacity to destroy you, I will not
do the same. You have done unprescribed things and you
cannot find any one reason not to get burnt to ashes.
But since I am in 'tapas' I will not turn you to ashes.

Here Mom shows that though we might have the capabilities
to save ourselves, we should have extreme confidence in
Bhagavan who will in turn protect us.
"patim visva sya:tme:svaram"
Vedam did not say that Jeeva should save and protect himself.

Mother Seetha mentions that she is in deep 'tapas'.

Having extreme confidence in Bhagavan that he is our ultimate
saviour, and not making attempts on our own to protect
ourselves is 'tapas'.

'nya:sam' is 'tapas'. Leaving the onus of saving ourselves on
Bhagavan is nya:sam. This is the "Law of Sarana:gathi".
Seethamma clearly shows what saranagathi means.

.... to be continued ...

adiyen
Raghu Ramanuja Dasa

This is a translation of Sri Sundara Kanda Tattva Deepika
authored by Sri U. Ve. Sriman SriBhasyam Appalacharya Swamivaru.

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at 
http://profiles.msn.com.



--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@eGroups.com
Search archives at http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/index.html#SEARCH