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Re: Prappatti

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Mani Varadarajan • April 6, 1999 


Re: Ananta Padmanabhan's (Anand's) article on Bhakti vs. Prapatti

Anand,

Thank you for that detailed analysis. However, I think
Murali's question still remains unanswered.  In the end,
only the Lord can achieve moksha for the jIva. Only the
Lord is the siddhopAya.  The jIva must not only realize
that the Lord is helpful in bhakti-yoga, but that his
efforts will be of no avail without the Lord's sankalpa
to take him to moksha. Recall Swami Desika's statement
in Srimad Ashtabhujashtakam: tvayi pravRtte mama kim
prayAsai:, tvayyapravRtte mama kim prayAsai:.

Now, if the bhakti-yogi must also realize that the Lord
alone can accomplish the burden of taking him to moksha,
how is this different from prapatti? Does this not make
prapatti alone the true sAdhyopAya?

I believe this is the heart of Murali's question.  I do
not have an answer to it, which is why I have not followed
up myself.

In other words, does bhakti-yoga not only begin with 
prapatti, but also end with prapatti, because the jIva
realizes his or her complete inability to achieve moksha
without the Lord's grace? And in throwing himself at the
Lord's feet out of this recognition of the inability, how
is he or she any different from the prapanna?

Krishna Kalale is the right one to solve this problem
for us -- I hope he is not too busy and can answer this
question.

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
Mani