Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Re: Bhakti, Prapatthi

From the Bhakti List Archives

M Srinivasan • October 24, 1995 


  REGARDING           Re>Bhakti, Prapatthi

Sri. Krishna Kalale wrote:

>I thank M srinivasan for the tenkalai view of prapatti.  I have the following
>questions. I would like srinivasan or any other people with access to 
>tenkalai texts or gurus or information to answer these:

>the explanation given by srinivasan in short is this:

>prapatti is abandonment of all self effort, and even abandonment of the 
>feeling that one has resorted to lord by self effort.  

(Rest deleted)

To set the record straight, what my message contained was not my own
explanation. It was a translation (mine) of the explanation given by one of
the best known proponents of Tenkalai sampradaya.

My knowledge on these matters is so superficial that I am not competent to
clarify anyone's doubts. The subject is so very subtle, the writings on it are
so vast, the issue of whether the Lord's Kripa is sahetuka or nirhetuka is so
central to the polemics between the two sampradayas, that I would not want to
get involved in arguments over this even if I could. My reason for posting the
message was Mani's encouragement to hear the Tenkalai point of view, and not
trying to prove the superiority of any point of view.

My recommendation to the seeker is to go to the original sources such as Sri
Vachana Bhooshanam (with Sri. Maamuni's commentary). Better yet, if you have a
chance to visit Srirangam, seek some one  like Sri Sudarsanam Krishnaswami
Iyangar Swami and discuss with him your doubts. He is very accessible, kind
and without even the slightest trace of vanity.

To address your immediate concern, I could only draw your attention to the
exact words in the original message, i.e. that a prapanna has to abandon even
svagatha sveekaara as a upaaya which is equivalent to having the conviction
that the Lord alone is the means.