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E Book on K : Bhakthi and Prapatti by Anbil Ramaswamy E Book on K : Bhakthi and Prapatti by Anbil Ramaswamy 1 01: Importance of Bhakti ======================================================= Here is a Slokam containing an imaginary conversation between a Bhakta and Bhagavaan on the qualifications needed for a Jiva to secure the grace of the Lord. The Jiva challenges the Lord to explain why the Lord chose to bless a few who seemed to lack qualifications and the Lord is seen to explain. Vyaadhasya aachaaram? Dhruvasya vaya? Vidyaa Gajendrasya kaa? Kim Jaathi: Vidhurasya? Yaadhava-patEh Ugrasya kim pourusham?/ Kubjaayaam kamaneeyatha? Yadhi na chEth kim vo SudhaamO dhanam? Bhakthyaa tushyati kEvalai: na tu guNai: Bhakti priya: KEsava: // 1. Jiva: Oh! Lord! What qualification in a Jiva is needed to secure your grace? Lord: A lifelong blemish-less character and conduct. 2 2. Jiva: Why did you bless Valmiki, a hunter who lived by killing other living beings and eating their flesh? (Vyaadhasya aachaaram?) Lord: True. He had a past that way. But once Sage Narada initiated him, he turned a new leaf in life and became austere and blemish-less for a long long time. 3. Jiva: If this were so, why did you confer your grace on Dhruva who was just a child and cannot be said to have led such a “lifelong adherence to character” extolled by you. (Dhruvasya vaya?) Lord: Just because he acquired knowledge of Tattvas and became intensely devoted to me while being so young. 4. Jiva: But, what kind of learning and knowledge did Gajendra have, being just an animal incapable of knowing Tattvas? (Vidyaa Gajendrasya kaa?) Lord: May be. But he was born in the highest class (caste) among animals. 5. Jiva: If being born in the highest class (caste) is the criterion, to what caste did Vidhura belong to deserve your grace? (Kim Jaathi: Vidhurasya?) Lord: He was an unmatched warrior and his valor earned my grace. 6. Jiva: If valor is the criterion, how come you blessed the Yaadhava king Ugrasena, who while confronted turned his back and ran away from the battlefield? (yaadhavapatEh Ugrasys kim pourusham?) Lord: He had an extremely handsome and fascinating personality. 7. Jiva: If beauty can secure your grace, what beauty did Kubjaa have? She was an ugly stooping hunchback and you stooped to bless her too! (Kubjaayaam kamaneeyatha?) Lord: She was a very rich lady with enormous wealth in her possession. 8. JIva: If being rich is a qualification, what did Sudhama (Kuchela) possess to deserve your grace? (Yadhi na chEth kim vo SudhaamO dhanam?) Lord: Did you notice that in all the above cases mentioned by you, they had all one thing in common - an unsullied loving devotion and dedication to me? Know that Kesava is pleased with Bhakti and the other qualifications are merely accessories to Bhakti. (Bhakthyaa tushyati kEvalai: na tu guNai, Bhaktipriya: KEsava:) The bottom line is that absolute and unconditional devotion to the Lord is “REALLY” the qualification for Lord’s grace more than anything else which can at best be accessories. (This was narrated by swachandam Dr. Anantha Narasimhachariar Swami, Srikaryam of H.H. Paravakkottai Gopala Desika Maha Desikan, Poundarikapuram Swami Asramam in a private conversation with him during Sathabhishekam celebrations of asmad Acharyan at Srirangam – in March 2001) 3 Brief Notes on personalities mentioned in the above write up Valmiki (2): was a hunter but became a Bhakta of Sri Rama after his meeting with Sage Narada. Dhruva (3): Slighted by his stepmother, he turned out to be a great Bhakta of Narayana Gajendra (4) Indradhyumna born as an elephant but remained to be Bhakta of Sriman Narayana; was caught by a crocodile while plucking flowers for submission to PerumAL. Vidhura (5) Born to a low caste palace maid but was an intense Bhakta of PerumAL. Ugrasena (6) Jarasandha, the mighty but cruel King of Magada conquered and captured all the neighboring kings. He wanted to perform a Yagna in honor of Paasupatha where he was to sacrifice the heads of his captive kings. He invaded Mathura King Ugrasena who fled and went in exile. Jarasanda took a fancy for Ugrasena’s son, Kamsa whom he helped not only in overthrowing his father but also gave his two daughters (Asti and Prapti) in marriage to him. Ugrasena, however, remained a Bhakta of Perumal. Kubjaa (7) A hunchbacked woman from Mathura called Trivakra (meaning one who is bent in 3 places in her body). As usual, she was carrying sandal paste to offer to Kamsa. Krishna asked her to spare some paste. She readily gave him. Pleased, Krishna pressed his toes on her feet and placed a finger of both his hands under her chin and raises the fingers, which straightened her body. Kubja turned in a beautiful woman. It was her Bhakti to Krishna that earned her this boon. Sudhama (Kuchela) (8) He was also known as ‘Kuchela”. He was a classmate of Krishna in Sandeepani’s school. He was extremely poor but led an austere life. He could not feed his numerous children. His wife persuaded him to seek the help of Krishna for relief. He went to Krishna but did not ask for any favor. Krishna snatched a small bundle of flattened rice that he had brought to offer to Krishna. After showering usual courtesies, Krishna, however, bade him farewell and sent him away empty-handed. To his surprise on reaching home, Sudhama found his hut turned into a huge palace, his wife and children bedecked in finest clothes and jewelry – but he himself remained as austere as ever. It was due to his Bhakti to Krishna that did not seek any favors in return that was responsible for his sudden burst of prosperity. 4 02: Importance of Prapatti ======================================================== • What is the purpose of life? • Are there any goals to be achieved? • Does life consist only of the routine of eating, mating, dating, and muting that lies between birth and death? • Is there anything beyond what meets the eye? • What are the objectives of life here? • Where do we go from here? • Quo Vadis? All religions in the World have one thing in common, namely, recognition of the stark fact of hunger (Pasi) , disease (PiNi) , senility (Mooppu) and other sorrows (Thunbam) that abound in life and a quest in not only finding a solution to these problems but also to avoid the inevitable death. They have arrived at the conclusion that there is no solution other than surrendering ourselves at the feet of Almighty God. Before others could even think of finding out this solution Hinduism had classified and labeled the four- fold objectives viz. Dharma, (Virtue- Duties and obligations) Artha, (Success, Wealth), Kaama (Hedonic pleasure) and Moksha. (Liberation, salvation) They are called the 'Purusharthas' – “Objectives of human existence. It can be noticed that the secondary objectives of Artha and Kaama have been adroitly sandwiched between the primary objectives of Dharma and Moksha. This is to indicate that human life, while no doubt progressing towards death and therefore its primary objective should be to seek release from 'Samsaara', so long as one is destined to live in this world. Artha and Kaama are not taboo and can be enjoyed but regulated by Dharmic principles consistent with law, justice, customs, traditions, heritage, ethics, morals and manners - in the same way as they talk of “justice being tempered with mercy” As for the ultimate objective viz., Moksha, which refers to deliverance, liberation, freedom, release, escape, salvation, fulfillment and realization, the eternal truths expounded in our scriptures stand non- pareil to any religious literature in the world. And, the world is slowly but steadily recognizing this fact and has begun to look forward to India with awe and wonder. Our scriptures prescribe two means, namely Bhakti and Prapatti as the means to attain Moksha. The Lord clearly indicates this: Bhaktyaa Paramayaa vaapi prapathyaa vaa mahaa munE:/ Praapyoham na anyathaa praapyO mama kainkarya lipsbhi:// Of the two, Bhakti yoga is difficult to practice what with one or the other of the strenuous 32 Vidyas in 'Thailadhara' nature with an intensity upgraded from Para Bhakti to Para Jnaana to Parama Bhakti and even so, it can secure Moksha only to those qualified to practice it and only when all karma is obliterated by attrition - a process that can take even an interminably long time - may be over several births. 5 Thus, for the mumukshu (one desirous of Moksha) assuredly and without delay, the only easy way is that propounded by Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita 18 / 66 in the Charama sloka viz., Prapatti: Prapannaaath anyEshaam na disati mukundO nijapadam/ prapannas cha dvEdhaa sucharita-paripaaka-bhidayaa// (Swami Desika’s SRTS – Ahikaari Vibhaaga Adhikaaram) The word 'Prapatti' is from the roots 'pra' and 'pat' together meaning 'To drop down', 'To take refuge with'. Hence, Abandon or Absolute unconditional surrender with the attitude of personal helplessness at the feet of the Lord. Also known as SARANAGATHI. Lord Krishna has categorically commanded – “Maam Ekam saraNam vraja”- “Surrender only unto me” Swami Desika offers another choice: “If it is true that by doing Prapatti, you are granted Moksha, you stand to gain; if you fail to do Prapatti, only you are the loser because you will not get Moksha; if supposing that you do not gain Moksha even after doing Prapatti, you lose nothing except perhaps the effort involved in the process of adopting Prapatti. In any case, doing Prapatti is only a “Win-Win” situation. Why miss it?” When someone goes to meet a King, for example, one would not go empty-handed but would take at least a lemon fruit to offer; the reward that the King may bestow on that person will be far superior to the lowly lemon fruit.
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