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Re: Bhakti and Prapatti-4

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • October 12, 1998 


I thank Madhavakkannan and Rengi for their responses
concerning the textual reference to bhAgavata-nishTA
prapatti in Sri Vedanta Desika's works.

Sri Madhavakkannan wrote:
> Swami Desikan in "Adaikkalappatthu" prabhandham no: 6 says
> "aLavudaiyaar adainthaarkkum"- Swanishtar;
> "adhanuraiyE koNdavarkkum- ukthi nishtar;
> "vaLavurai thandhavan aruLe manniya maadhavtthOrkkum"- PuNyasaalis- 
> AchArya nishtar;
> "kaLavu ozhivaar - Those bhAgawathAs who consider the jnAnam of "AthmA 
> as independednt" and swathanthran"  as amount to act of robbery and 
> avoid such stealing/robbery
> "emar enna isainthavarkkum kaavalaraam" Considering other chEthanAs (and 
> human beings) as "our" dear people ("emar") and take mercy on them and 
> perform prapatthi to Emperumaan for them 
> 

I beg the members' patience and request further clarification.
I have never heard of bhAgavata-nishTA before, and to my knowledge
Desika does not mention this form in SrImad rahasya-traya-sAram.

I do not understand the distinction between bhAgavata-nishTA and
AcArya-nishTA. If a bhAgavata asks the Lord to accept someone,
isn't the bhAgavata by definition an AcArya? The two categories
can then be collapsed.

Further, of what form is this bhAgavata-nishTA? Is it a bhAgavata
doing prapatti for an individual without any inclination or 
initiative taken by the latter? I can hardly believe that 
Swami Sri Desika would go along with this, as this once again
exposes the Lord to charges of partiality ("why save him when
he hasn't shown any inclination?")

This naturally leads to the question of what is required of 
a supplicant in AcArya-nishTA prapatti -- what does it mean 
to have the five angas of prapatti if the AcArya or bhAgavata 
does prapatti on one's behalf?

aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,
Mani