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asking for Moksham

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mohan Sagar • March 14, 1997 


Mr. Dileepan writes:

>Those who 
>think it is beneath them to ask anything but mOksham from 
>the Lord may indeed face the danger of deluding themselves 
>that it is their intelligence and effort that have put them 
>in whatever agreeable situations they find themselves in.
>
>Finally, wanting good things in life and then insisting 
>that I will not ask for anything but mOksham seems a little 
>cocky and arrogant to me.  Who among us is free of wanting 
>good things in life?

I am struggling with question regarding this, which extends to the issue of
worship for the purpose of propitiation. If it is so that a prapanna should
ask nothing from the Lord, then should this not include mOksham, as well? To
elaborate:

My personal interpretation of prapatti and the life of the prapanna leans
towards what Mr. Sudarshan suggested in his very interesting postings on
"prapadye," that prapatti is not some lofty ideal, but a very practical
application for every SriVaishnava.  We all agree that prapatti involves the
recognition of the Lord as not only the ultimate Goal, but the Way to that
Goal as well.  Would it not follow, then, that since the Lord is the Way, He
would carry the prapanna to that ultimate end in a manner that is in the
best interest of him/her?  If so, then there should be no need for asking or
propitiating material or spiritual benefits, or even mOksham, since the Lord
will provide everything for a prappana's welfare up to and including Himself.

Vibheeshana Saranaagathi is a good example of this.  When Vibheeshana
approached the Lord, it seems that he had no other motivation or recourse
other than seeking refuge in the Lord.  This obvious act of prapatti did not
provide Vibheeshana with "instant" mOksham (although, the Lord provided this
to him eventually), but it provided him with gifts that he probably did not
even think to ask for, the Lord's unswerving protection and the kingdom of
Lanka.


Daasanu Daasan,

Mohan