Abhaya Mudra of Lord Ranganatha

From the Bhakti List Archives

• December 8, 1997


Dear Prapatti Group Members:

Recently Shri Sadagopan had written about the Abhaya Mudra of Namperumal
(Lord Ranganatha).  The first sloka of Nyasa Thilakam refers to this Abhaya
Mudra. (Praya: Prapadhane Pumsam.....).  Kumara Varadahachar (Swami
Desikas's thirukumarar) had commented on this sloka and indeed it is a
wonderful explanation of the Kalyana Gunam of the Lord.  The Abhaya Mudra
seems to indicate that Prapannas need to do Prapatti only once.  It is as
though the Lord is forbidding the Prapanna to repeat the Prapatti again.
Kumara Varadhachar says:  Prapatti done once, alone is sufficient for the
Lord to give everything to that Prapanna.  If the Prapanna chooses to
repeat the same, the Lord is afraid that he will be a debtor (kadan-kAran)
for not being left with anything else to bless the Prapanna for the next
Prapatti.  Enna Achcharyamana Anubhavam.

I also greatly enjoyed the posting of Shri Sadagopan on the Vedic
references to Prapatti.

Vijayaraghavan