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Re: Thiruvaymozhi 8.8.3 & Mumuksupatti

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Mani Varadarajan • December 2, 1996 


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Mohan wrote:
> Manalavamamunigal elaborates on how our simple acceptance
> through prapatti becomes insignificant when compared to the Lord's "labors"
> to bring us to Him.

How true! Vedanta Desika says the same exact thing in many
of his works, particularly in the Rahasya Traya Sara. Of course,
there is a distinction as to whether prapatti is technically
an action or not, but Desika is emphatic that the Lord alone
accomplishes the liberation of the individual. He is the siddhopAya,
the prapatti being a mere pretext for Him to shower His grace
on the individual.

While there are doctrinal differences between the teachings
of these acharyas (human beings are bound to differ now and then),
in actuality, the spirit and tenor of their teachings tend
to lead us the same way.  Even though Swami Pillai Lokacharya
and Manavala Mamunigal are emphatic on prapatti not being an
action, are we not all called prapannas ("those who have
surrendered"), and don't these acharyas also exhort all 
surrender ourselves to him? 

Even though
Swami Desika calls prapatti a means for winning the Lord's
grace, does he not also state that reliance on His grace
through faith is what actually accomplishes the liberation?

Mani