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Re: a small clarification

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R.Rajiv • October 28, 1999 


On Mon, 25 Oct 1999, Mani Varadarajan wrote:

> 
> Dear Seshadri,
> 
> I have thought about this question for a long time.  
> There are many who will say that unless you follow 
> *exactly* the conception of God and religion *they* have 
> in their mind, you are lost. I do not and cannot
> hold such an opinion.
> 
> How can we limit in what form Sriman Narayana will
> appear to other devotees, in their minds? 
> If I may put an Alvar paasuram to use, Poykai Alvar 
> says, "whatever form His devotee desires, He takes 
> that form; with whatever name form His devotee 
> addresses Him, He takes that name..." (thamar ugandtha 
> thevvuruvam avvuruvam thaanE, thamar ugandha theppEr 
> maRRappEr... -- mudhal thiruvandhaadi 44)
> 
> (I have heard this opinion held by great Sri Vaishnava
> scholars as well). 
> 
> I interpret this very broadly. If one approaches God
> in all sincerity, will a few mistakes in his conception
> invalidate his worship? I doubt it. It is repeatedly
> declared that the Lord is easily approachable (parivadhil
> eesanaip paadi...).

Krishna says in Bhagavadgita: Aham Tvam SARVAPAPEBHYA moksha....Ma suchah

So, We need not worry. If we take his shelter we are ALWAYS SAFE.

hare Krishna
Rajiv
> 
> So, while according to doctrine, supreme liberation may
> not be assured, as it is if one surrenders to Sriman Narayana 
> as conceived of by our scriptures, I cannot rule out the 
> merciful Lord from granting liberation to whomever *He* 
> sees fit.  After all, He is 'nirankusa-svatantran', isn't He?
> In fact, I believe either a good birth or liberation itself
> is assured for the first person.
> 
> The second person, if he has taken refuge with the Lord, 
> is undoubtedly destined for liberation. This is a result of
> the mysterious grace of the Lord, who is 'anAlocita-visesha-asesha-
> loka-SaraNya' -- the Refuge of all, Who does not investigate
> one's past history of sins, etc., if you surrender to Him.
> 
> If the Lord only saved virtuous people, of what use is His grace?
> 
> As to who is on the right track, if both people below are exactly
> as you describe, it looks like they are both headed in the
> right direction.
> 
> daasan,
> Mani
> 
> Sri Seshadri asks:
> > Which one of the two souls below is assured of liberation at the end of its 
> > current life? Which one is on the right track?
> 
> > 1. A soul in its current life has done all the good and has been following, 
> > throughout its current life, a theistic approach other than the Sri 
> > Vaishnavism and has surrendered itself completely to the Lord ( apersonal 
> > God) with atmost love towards HIM and strongly believes that his Lord is the 
> > one who grants him liberation and has not heard of our Sriman Narayana who 
> > alone can bestow this.
> 
> > 2. A soul which in its current life has commited sins throuhgout its life 
> > and almost at the end of its current life, by a stroke of luck ( as opposed 
> > to the one mentioned earlier, which was unlucky in this respect) has turned 
> > towards SriVaishnavism and later leads the life of a prapanna for a short 
> > duration (after the pancha samskaram).
> 
>