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Re: Five angas of prapatti

From the Bhakti List Archives

Krishna Kalale • May 23, 1994 


first of all, 

prapatti has its basis in Bhakti tradition and the Vedas.  there is
no need to change or introduce a new alias. We can freely discuss
prapatti issues and bhakti issues. The issue of phala bhakti - ie. the
one attained in moksha is a result of either bhakti or prapatti.  

I have no vote on this. either way is fine as long as people know how
to correspond.  

dileepan's translation of the angas of prapatti from adaikkala patthu
is interesting.  If anyone has the 50 page article on prapatti from
my guru Dr. N.S. Anantha Rangachar's phD thesis - "The philosophy of
Sadhana" in visistadvaita, they can see the arguments and analysis of
these angas of prapatti.  REcently another guru of mine - Dr. SMS Chari
who visited me in NY has written a book - "Vaishnavism" is an excellent
book. The beauty of this book is that it ties up vaishnavism and prapatti
doctrines to the oldest scipture - Rig Veda.  This book is a must for
any vaishnavite.  The chapter on prapatti in this book is supposed to 
be very thorough.  I suggest you and your friends to read this. I got
a copy of this book through motilal banarsidas. 

What bothers me is not the lack of sastraic knowledge of prapatti, but the
amount of taboos and misconceptions people have about this.  Let me 
introduce you to some of the misconceptions. believe me these are not
explicitly answered in even Rahasyatrayasara of Vedanta desika !!!

1)  I dont want to do prapatti because I cannot stop eating onions and garlic.
people say one has to observe strict rules regarding even vegetarian food
which I may not be able to keep it up. So I would rather wait for a long
time and then after getting retired probably at 65, I will do prapatti.....

This is the perfect example of pennywise and pound foolish!!! I have ever
come across.  Yes, some rules are necessary.  this is to protect the 
clause 2 = (praatikoolyasya varjanam) - ie. dont do that displeases 
Lord Sri hari.  Tell me how many of you? can follow any one of these
properly?

a )   doing sandhyavandanam at exactly the sandhi kaalam morning, midday and
     evening.  For women, there is Sthree dharmas - how many women can 
do   sthree dharmas regularly?  So people will not be prepared to do these
things regularly even when they are 96 years old!! so does it mean that
they can never take up prapatti??

b) one should not entertain bad thoughts - in fact if you quote vedanta
desika - he would say - One should live like a Sthitha prajna after prapatti

How many can even dream about being a 1/100000  th part of a sthitha
prajna who has no desires at all?  does this mean that unless one can
become a stitha prajna one cannot do prapatti?

c)  one should not even cross the ocean and stay in India. one should
not be too keen on worldly acquisitions like houses, wealth etc. and 
spend ones's time thinking about the vivid descriptions of kainkaryam
as explained in Vaikunta gadya of Sri Ramanuja.

I dont think there exists a handful of people who can be like that
does that mean that prapatti is only for them ??
and ordinary people like us should not take up prapatti early in life??

Let me assure you... IF	PRAPATTI BECOMES FUTILE JUST BECAUSE OF ONIONS, GARLIC
AND OTHER POSSIBLE ERRORS......PRAPATTI IS NOT WORTH ITS GLORY!!!!

IF ONE HAS PROBLEMS WITH HIS DUTIES, FOOD HABITS ETC. AFTER PRAPATTI,
PRAPATTI DOES NOT BECOME INEFFECTIVE. PRAPATTI, ONCE DONE UNDER AN ACHARYA
WILL NOT FAIL. THERE IS NO MUHURTHAM TO PERFORM PRAPATTI. ONCE A PERSON IS
SURE ABOUT THE GRACE OF LORD LAKSHMI NARAYANA, ONE SHOULD PERFORM PRAPATTI
AT THE FEET OF LORD. BEING SURE IS THE KEY. IF ONE IS NOT SURE THERE IS NO USE
WHAT I AM POINTING OUT IS THAT EVEN IF SOME ONE DOES NOT HAVE ALL THE
5 ACCESSORIES FOR PRAPATTI COMPLETELY, ONE CAN DO PRAPATTI. THAT WILL WORK.

note:  I am not supporting the idea that one should eat whatever one wants
and one can do whatever one wants and still perform prapatti. All I mean
is that even after serious effort, if one cannot live by the books , it is
still ok . prapatti can be performed.


DESIKA SAYS - THIRUTTHI PANIKOLVAN.... LORD WILL CORRECT THE PRAPANNA'S MISTAKES
AND THEN ACCEPT HIM.  ONE MAY BE PUNISHED HERE IN THIS LIFE - EVEN THIS
PUNISHMENT WILL BE NOT SO SEVERE SINCE GOD IS SO MERCIFUL TOWARDS THE
PEOPLE WHO HAVE FALLEN AT HIS DIVINE FEET.  SO, ONE WILL BE PENNY WISE AND
POUND FOOLISH IF ONE DOES NOT DO PRAPATTI FEARING FOOD HABITS AND OTHER
NISHTA - PROBLEMS. PLEASE NOTE THIS AND TELL OTHERS WHO MAY HAVE THIS 
MISCONCEPTION.

Friends, please do understand.  do not wait till you read through all
the prabandhams, vedas , bramhasutras etc.  have trust in Lord 
srimannarayana and resort to your traditional acharya and do "prapatti" IF
YOU STRONGLY BELIEVE IN IT..

Recently, when I requested - 45th jeer of Ahobila mutt to do prapatti
for my young son - only 3 years old, Jeer was very happy. He quoted
a verse from vedanta desika and said - prapatti can be done even at
this early age of 3 even though that child does not have knowledge of
who acharya is what is life and what is bondage and what is prapatti?

all the kid knows is " I want my mommy!!". Our acharya gave a lecture
on prapatti before performing prapatti to my son - in nov 1993.  

IF ONE WAITS A LONG TIME THERE IS NO GAURANTEE THAT WE WILL EXIST TILL THEN.
WE ARE NOT SURE WE WILL BE ALIVE TOMMOROW.

LIKE HOW PERIAZHWAR SAYS IN HIS VERSE - PIN MUNNAAAHA IZHUPPADAN MUNNAM -

" LET ME REMEMBER THE MOOLA MANTHRA - BEFORE I AM DRAGGED OUT MY HOUSE 
LEG FIRST AND HEAD LATER,  OH NARAYANA, LET ME ASK YOUR PROTECTION... HELP.

..... (INCIDENTALLY, THE DRAGGING OUT LEG FIRST, IS WHEN ONE HAS DECEASED)..

THESE ARE OUR OWN PERI AZHWAR'S WORDS.  SOME PEOPLE MAY SAY ... SO
PESSIMISTIC AND MURKY THOUGHTS.....  BUT IS'NT IT TRUE???


ANY WAY..... I HAVE UNLOADED MY THOUGHTS....



THIS WAS BECAUSE ... SOME PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT PRAPATTI WITH A HALF
COOKED PERCEPTION OF IT YESTERDAY DURING THE "NRISIMHA JAYANTHI" CELEBRATIONS
IN NEW YORK.  AND I SAW DILEEPAN'S ARTICLE IN THE MORNING.... AND MY
FEW THOUGHTS..SPURTED OUT


PLEASE TAKE THIS IN THE RIGHT SENSE.  IF WE CAN'T SHARE INFORMATION 
EASILY WITHOUT KNOWING WHO WE ARE CLEARLY  HOW IN THIS DAMN GURU LESS
LAND WILL BE FIND INFORMATION REGARDING PRAPATTI?

by the way, I havent introduced myself clearly. I have been in this country
since 1981. I, my wife, Krishna Priya and kids Hrisheekesh(3) and Yashoda (6)
live in Spring Valley New York.  I   lived in Wash D.C(VA and MD), Naperville
IL (chicago), michigan and Iowa City before we moved to NY.  


KRISHNA