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SrI deSika stotra-s - 10. nyAsa vimsatih - Part 3.

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Krishnamachari, N (Krish) • July 29, 1998 


	SrI deSika stotra-s - 10. nyAsa vimSatih - Part 3.

a~nga-s of prapatti:

The five a~nga-s of prapatti which have been referred to several times
before are summarized once more in Slokam 18:

  1. The realization and thought that I am incapable of following any other
upAya other than SaraNAgati  (kArpaNya)

 2. I will not indulge in any act that is counter to your tiru -uLLam
(prAtikUlya varjanam)

 3. I will devote my life only in kaimkaryam that will be pleasing to You
(AnukUlya samkalpam)
  
 4. I have full and absolute confidence that You will definitely protect me
and no one else can protect me (mahA viSvAsam)

 5. I pray to you to be the upAya or means to protect me. ( goptr*tva
varaNam)

I surrender  (SaraNAgati) my self, and the responsibility to protect me, to
You. 

This surrender, directed to attain moksha, should be done only once for this
purpose, and (by the very nature of mahA viSvAsa) should not be repeated
ever again for this same purpose.  Unlike bhakti yoga, which needs to be
observed over a period of time for it to bear fruit, prapatti for moksha
should be done only once. 

Life of a prapanna (i.e., after prapatti has been done):

In Slokam 19, svAmi deSikan deals with the life of a prapanna after the
prapatti has been done.  

  1. No karma or act should be undertaken that has the objective of
attaining anything for one's own benefit.

 2. No action should be undertaken that is a violation of the SAstra-s
(those that will lead to accruing more sins).

  3. nitya-naimittika karma-s such as sandhyAvandana, SrAddha, etc.,  which
do not fall in either category (kAmya karma-s or those forbidden by the
SAstra-s), and which are in the balance between the above two categories,
should continue to be performed.

 4. For any sins that are accrued in spite of the above conduct,
prAyaScitta-s as prescribed in the SAstra-s should definitely be performed.
If the prescribed prAyaScitta-s cannot be performed, the prAyaScitta
prapatti shuld definitely be performed (i.e., prapatti performed not with
the objective of moksha - since this has already been done once and should
not be repeated,  but with the objective of prAyaScitta for the sins accrued
subsequent to the performance of prapatti).

 5. For one who has done prapatti, the r*Na-s or obligations of the three
kinds - viz. to deva-s, sages, and pitr*-s - have been fulfilled by prapatti
itself.  Ordinarily, the obligations to deva-s is removed through
performance of yAga-s, that to sages by learning veda-s, and the one to
pitr*-s by begetting progeny who can perform the obligations like SrAddha
etc.  But for a prapanna, the performance of prapatti (a great tapas by
itself as was mentioned earlier) and observing the way of life prescribed
for a prapanna (living a life consistent with SAstra-s, nishkAmya karma,
bhagavad kaimkaryam as the sole objective of all  action etc.), already take
care of these three kinds of obligations, and nothing further is required to
be done. 

 6. A prapanna should accept the pleasures and pains that are a part of life
in this world with equal disposition, and should look at these as the
fulfillment of the results of his karma, so that he is free to do kaimkaryam
to Him which will not result in any additional accumulation of fruits.  

 7. The prapanna should not indulge in any actions or prayers with the
desire for any benefit.   He should pray only for the continued growth of
his bhakti and j~nAna, and his prayers should be only be directed to
bhagavAn, His retinue of nitya-sUri-s such as vishvaksena, garuDa, ananta,
etc., and to AcArya-s such as AzhvArs, nAthamuni, yAmuna muni, etc.  His
prayers can include the well-being of sAdhu-s that are devoted to His
kaimkaryam, prosperity of materials such as the flowers and sandalwood that
are useful for His kaimkaryam, etc.  The key is that he should not seek or
pray for something that is not related to or does not contribute to
kaimakryam to bhagavAn.  

 The Importance of Observing varNASrama dharma-s Even Though Not An a~nga of
prapatti (Slokam 20):

kaimakryam can be classified into two major categories:  

 1) Those that are ordained to be done by a person who is physically fit to
observe them.   These include snAnam, sandhyA, bhagavad-ArAdhanam, sRAddham,
tarpaNam, etc.  It is to be noted that even though these are not a~nga-s for
prapatti, these varNASrama dharma-s should never be given up.  

 2) Those that are not ordained to be done, but which are directed to
bhagavAn and will only please Him if done.  These are called anu~jnA
kaimkarya-s.  This includes acts like offering flowers, sandalwood etc. to
Him, doing pradakshiNam, performing utsavam for bhagavAn, etc.  These can be
done as one's abilities permit and as one's interests allow.

Humans have two kinds of karma-s.  One is called samcita karma - these are
the effects of karma-s or actions that have not yet borne fruit, and so can
be expiated by our current actions such as penance, yAga, etc.  The other
group is called prArabdha karma-s - those that are already bearing fruit and
being enjoyed by us now (e.g., our sex, our parentage, etc.), and those
karma-s or actions that we are committing now, which will bear fruit in
future births.  Performance of prapatti, which is the best of yAga-s (Slokam
9), clears the prapanna completely of samcita karma-s.  Prapatti also clears
the effects of prArabdha karma-s that normally will bear fruit in future
births for actions performed in this birth.  Thus, the prapanna is left with
the effects of prArabdha karma-s which he is already enjoying in this birth.
The prapanna enjoys these during this lifetime, and at the end of this, is
left with no more effects of karma to enjoy, and reaches SrIviakunTham at
the end of this life. 

Conclusion:

svAmi deSikan concludes the stotra with a gist of how he was led to
prapatti, and how he lives his life as a prapanna after performing prapatti.
This concluding Slokam is included as part of the nitya-anushandhAnam at the
end of the nyAsa daSakam which is recited during the nitya
bhagavad-ArAdhanam.

  samSArAvarta vega praSamana Subha-dr*k deSika prekshito'ham
  samtyakto'nyairupAyair-anucita cariteshvadya SAntAbhisabshih     |
  niS-Sankhah tatvat-dr*shtyA niravadhika dayam prArthya samrakshakam 
 
tvAm
  nysya tat-pAda padme varada nija-bharam nir-bharo nir-bhayo'smi  ||

"I chose a good AcArya who could instruct me on how to get out of the whirl
of samsAra, and had his divya kaTAksha.  Because of the AcArya's teachings,
I obtained the knowledge that could help me analyze and understand the
difficulty of bhakti yoga and the realization that prapatti is the only
recourse open to me, which I could perform easily, and attain the desired
moksham by performing it once and only once.  I learned the facts about
prapatti and so had no doubt whatsoever about its efficacy.  I sought refuge
of peraruLALan with pirATTi as the sole refuge who could protect me.  I
surrendered all responsibility for my protection at the feet of peraruLALan
and performed prapatti at His feet.  Since I am now living the life of a
prapanna, I feel completely relieved of all responsibility for my self from
that point.  Since all my acts from that point on have been directed to only
kaimkaryam for bhagavAn, there is nothing more to fear about any
accumulation of karma.  So I continue to lead a life of nishkAmya kaimkaryam
to bhagavAn while spending the rest of my life in this world, and deriving
infinite happiness from it". 

 -dAsan kr*shNamAcAryan