(continued from Part 10) --------------------------------------------------------------------- "bheeti" afflicts a true "vivEki" for not for a very long while. Wisdom sooner or later prevails over Fear. By patient effort and persistent faith, a "vivEki" journeying upon the "vEdanta-mArga" shown by Swami Desikan, eventually crosses all the hurdles of the "adhikAra-parvA" --- viz. "vivEkam", "nirvEdam", "virakthi", "bheeti" --- and gradually but surely, as a flower ripens into fruit, he becomes ready to embark on the second leg of the great journey of the "parama-pada-sOpAnam" -- called the "upAya-parva". The experiences of "nirvEdam", "virakthi", "vairAgyam" and "bheeti" have all by now profoundly stirred his soul. But they have not shaken or broken it. On the contrary, by the time he approaches the new stage in life -- the stage of "prasAda-hetu" -- even the emotion of Fear or "bheeti" has made him much stronger in spirit than he himself is probably even aware of. The illumination of spiritual Wisdom ("vivEkam") and the long practice of renunciation ("vairAgyam") together have enabled him to finally seal the victory of the spiritual over the profane. He is ready now, once and for all, to leave behind the mundane. He is eager to embrace the sublime? absolutely. How does the man emerge from the dark and terrible cave of "bheeti" into the sunlit and cheery vale of "prasAdana-parva"? How is it possible to make the magical transition from the painful and unruly feelings of "virakthi" and "bheeti" to the relative calm of "prasAda-hEtu"? How is one enabled to move from the holy terror of "bheeti" to the hale self-confidence of this new phase in the journey of the "parama-pada-sOpAnam? The answer given by Swami Desikan is that it is made possible by the Grace of God viz. His Compassion, his "dayA" for his creation. The "bheeti"-filled "vivEki" is by now teetering at the very edge of a deep moral precipice. A grave spiritual paralysis has seized him. He is filled with despair. It is a moment of crisis. The man is helpless and just does not know what next or else to do?. This state of mind that the man of "bheeti" has reached is called in Sanskrit "naicchyAnu santAnam". In Tamil they call it "avai-adakkam", meaning an acute awareness of one's real spiritual helplessness born out of the emotion of "bheeti". In the Mahabharatha, the welter of feelings that sped through Draupadi's mind, as her modesty was being outraged in the royal court of Hastinapur, are described as being precisely those of "bheeti" mixed with "naicchyAnu santAnam". Desikan once wrote of precisely such a complex despair in the poignant "stOtra", the "abhIti-stavam" (Stanza 3): "yadadhya mitha-buddhinA bahula-mOha-bhAjA mayA gUNa-gratitha-kAya-vAngmanasa-vrutti-vaichithrayatha: I atarkita-hitAhita-krama-visEsha-mAraBhyatE tadapyuchita-marchanam parigruhANa rangEswara " II Rangeswara! I am a person of small intellect. I am filled with "mOha" -- Ignorance. My life has been nothing but an unending stream of folly, indiscretions and sin. My mind, senses and speech do not obey me. Each goes its own way? There is neither rhyme nor reason in the way I lead my life today (in the lofty language of Vedanta, this is called lack of "karaNatraya-sArupyam" or "sAmarasyam" in life)? O Ranga! My Lord! I am utterly confused and fearful?I do not know what to do, what steps or expedient, what "krama' or 'hitAhita" to adopt to get myself out of this great moral morass into which I have sunk?". Vedanta teaches us that the mental state of mind called "naicchyAnu santAnam" is the first ever tell-tale sign in a man that he has become an 'adhikAri', that he has graduated to a certain ripe stage in life where he is "qualified" at last to receive God's compassion or "dayA". And it is in this state that Man begins his quest for the second element known as "hita" in that famous Vedantic formulation of the equation of life called "tattva-hita-purushArtham". In the "parama-pada-sOpAnam" the "hita" chosen by man are two in number: either he chooses "bhakti", the Path of Devotion, which is a relatively more difficult journey up the stairway to "parama-padam" than the other one -- the route called "prappati-mArga", the Path of Absolute Surrender. Both routes i.e. both "hitA-s" end at the same destination en route the "prasAdana-parva". Both have the full sanction of the Vedantic scriptures. And both "hita" are the perfect and most effective antidote against "bheeti", the holy terror of Man. The man who choses the path of 'bhakti' is attracted toward one or more of the following "upAya": "sravanam kirtanam vishnO: smaranam pAda sevanam I archanam vandanam dAsyam, sakyam atma-nivEdanam II (Srimadh-bhAgavatham) In the above lines, 9 basic aspects of 'bhakti' are spelt out which in turn characterize the typical behaviour of men who have taken to the path of devotion on the "prasAdana-parva": (1) sraVaNam : deriving immense joy out of listening to the accounts and anecdotes of the 'avatAric' exploits of God as narrated by 'itihAsA-purANa' (2) kirtanam : singing the glories of God e.g."sankirtanam","bhajanam" (3) smaraNam : being immersed in constant contemplation of the divine e.g "japam", "mananam", "bhagavath-chintanam" (4) pAda-sevanam: employed in the service of God and godly institutions e.g. "kovil-kainkaryam", "bhAgavata-sishrusham" (5) archanam : offering with utmost love little tokens of devotion to God e.g. flower, fruit, water, leaf ("pushpam, phalam, jalam, tOyam") (6) vandanam : ceaselessly prostrating to the divine ("sAshtAnga-dandasamarpaNam", "namaskaraNam") (7) dAsyam: leading one's lifetime as if one were a mere servant of God ("dAsatvam", divine subservience) (8) sakyam: firmly believing that God is the sole and constant companion in life (9) atma-nivEdanam: offering up one's soul completely unto God The man of bhakti overcomes "bheeti" easily through one or more of the above "upAya". As he becomes more and more immersed in the above activities, he gains more and more inner tranquility. And this in turn makes him even more engrossed in "bhakti". In this state he wishes for nothing else in the world but to be left alone to carry on uninterrupted "dAsyam", "vandanam", "archanam" etc. He longs for nothing else but to be close to sacred places of worship and pilgrimage; he seeks the company of none but fellow passengers on the path of bhakti; he has ears for nothing but the songs of God and the stories of his 'avatAra-leelas'; he 'eats, drinks, sleeps and dreams' of none but his chosen God, like Krishna, Rama or Govinda. Kulasekhara AzhwAr in one of his very famous hymns in praise of the Lord of Tiruvengadam, gives us a very graphic portrayal of the mental state of such a man of 'bhakti' who has turned his back finally, unconditionally and irrevocably upon the mundane. Such a man does not look back ever. He has "burnt his bridges" completely with the earth. He is willing now to pay any price, go to any lengths and use any means ? if it will take him but a little nearer God, sing and dance about Him: "aanAtha selvatthu arampaiyargaL tar sUzha vAnALUm selvamUm mann-arasUm yAn vEndane; thEn Ar pUnjOlaith tiruvEnkata sunaiyil meenAyp pirakkUm vidhi udaiyane aavEnE. (4.2 "perumal tirumOzhi") sediyAy valvinnaigaL theerkUm tirumAlE ! nediyAnE! vEngadavA! Nin kOyilin vAsal adiyArUm vAnavarUm arampayarUm kiddanthu eyyangUm padiyAyy kiddanthu Un pavazhavAyy kAnbEnE !" (ibid. 4.9) "For but a fleeting glimpse of your lovely coral-hued lips, O God of Venkatam, if you ask me, what would I not gladly give up in this world, what can I say? I will give up a life of wealth, power and glory! I will give up dancing belles decked in gold and best finery! Why, I'd give up everything, my Lord, to live as mere fish in your temple-tank? or, even as that mute slab of stone stretching across your gilded doorstep!" As the emotion of 'bhakti' completely overtakes the man, all previously predominant emotions of "nirvEdam", "virakthi" and "bheeti" gradually begin to fade away. In their place, the man of "bhakti" experiences nothing but tranquility and immense peace within himself. There are no more dark nights for the soul? Constant 'bhagavath-smaraNam' ("para-bhakti") brings in its wake clear knowledge ("para-gnyAnam"), a ceaseless sense of sweet contentment in life and most important of all, an intense and overpowering sense of communion with God ("parama-bhakti") throughout one's living moments. Such tranquility and contentment brought about by "bhakti" is described in two extremely moving 'pAsuram-s' by Peria-AzhwAr in the decad titled "senniyOngu": "paravai Eru param-purudA! nee ennaik kaikOnda pin piravi ennUm kadalUm vattrip perUmpadam aaginradAl; iravu seyyUm pAvakk kAdu theekkOLi vEginradAl; arivai ennUm amuda aaru talaipattri vAyykOndathE !" (peria-azhwAr tirumOzhi - 5.4.2) "Ever since You took me into your service and contemplation, My God, the ocean of my earthly misery has dried up completely! It serves me now only as sacred space. The dark forests of 'karma', with the treacherous death traps of sin they had laid for me, are now all burning like raging forest fires. Now, pure Knowledge, like a sweet stream of 'amuda' (ambrosia), has gripped me in a tide of bliss to ride me away on wave unto eternity!" "ananthanpAlUm garudanpAlUm aiythu nOyythAga vaitthu en manatthUllEy vandhu vaigI vAzhacheyythAy, empirAn! Ninnaindhu ennUllE ninru nekkuk-kaNgaL asumbu Ozhuga Ninnaindhu-irundhE siramam teerndhEn nEMi nEdiyavanE ! (ibid. 5.4.8) "Now that You have entered into my soul, my loving God, You have given me a new life! My throbbing heart melts at every moment that it dwells upon You! My eyes are awash with tears of Joy! My Lord, I tell You, I have ended all my miseries by mere thought of You!" This is the stage in life when man becomes deeply attracted by and commits himself wholly to 2 scriptural "upAyA-s" --- viz. "bhakti-upAya" or "prappati-upAya". The first is the Way of Devotion; the second, The Way of Surrender. Thus cured of the terror of "bheeti", the man of bhakti happily lives out his life until the very end exactly as the AzhwAr says ? " Ninnaindhu-irundhE siramam teerndhEn nEMi nEdiyavanE ! Next, we ask: How does the man who chooses the easier path of "prappati" overcome his Fear, and begin also to live life as happily ever after as the man of "bhakti"? The man who chooses "prappati" sees himself too in a truly helpless situation. His "naicchyAnu santAnam" is no less than that of the man who has chosen "bhakti". But unlike the latter, this man knows he is simply incapable of the discipline of mind and body that the practice of life-long 'bhakti' requires. The 9 articles of 'bhakti' viz. "sravanam kirtanam vishnO: smaranam pAda sevanam I archanam vandanam dAsyam, sakyam atma-nivEdanam II ?the above 9 "upAya" of Bhakti are far too daunting for an ordinary man. They involve unceasing, unrelenting and the most intense "upAsana" (practice and perseverance) far beyond the capacity of mere mortals. So what then does such a man who leaves the path of bhakti to take up the route of "prappati" do? He is said to perform the act of absolute self-surrender, 'saranAgati'. Invariably, this process is hastened, or catalyzed, by the man's encounter with a mentor, a 'sadAchAryA' or 'guru' who appears in his life and enlightens him about the proper way a 'prappanna' (he who has formally performed 'prappati' or surrender) should lead life during the rest of the days destined upon earth. Madhura-kavi AzhwAr in his "kanninun-siru-tAmbu" spoke of the good fortune that befalls such a man who encounters a 'guru' or 'achAryA' who, like a boat-man ferrying one across the river, takes upon himself the responsibility to lead the man of 'bheeti' from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge, from fear to fearlessness and from the misery of 'samsAra' to the endless 'ananda' of God. "nannmayyAl mikka nAn-maraiyAlargaL punmai aaga karuthuvar aadalin annaiyAyy atthanAyy ennai aandidUm thannmaiyAn sadagOpan en nambiyE. (stanza 4) "Worthy scholars full of grace Had me found worthless in my ways? But father, mother both in one, Is Sadagopan, who now rules my days. "mikka vEdiyar vEdathinn utpOrUL nirka pAdi en nenjUkkUL niruthinnAn; takka seer sadagOpan en nambikku aatpukka kAdhal adimai payananrE." (stanza 9) The deepest sense of Vedic thought He sang in song and taught it to my heart SadagOpan, my Lord and my Love -- He is my purpose, and I his slave. Such a man who has found a "guru", and thanks to whose grace he has also found the proper means to perform and observe "prappati" ? such man lives his life swearing eternally by the 5 cardinal principles of 'saranagati': (1) "anukulasya sankalpah" : resolve in life to do only those deeds that are pleasing to God (2) "pratikulasya varjana" : resolve to abjure deeds unfavorable to God (3) "mahA visvAsam" : be unwavering in faith in God (4) "karpannyOkthi" : be constantly aware of one's spiritual helplessness (5) "atma-nikshEpa" : submit the burden of protecting one's soul into the Hands of God When a 'prappana' strictly carries out the above 5 "prescriptions" he lives a life totally devoid of "bheeti". Peace, tranquility, joy and contentment flow to him in exactly the same fashion as we saw it did above in the case of the man of "bhakti". The 'prapanna', after attaining this stage of the 'paramapada-sOpAnam', lives a carefree life merrily carrying on with the rest of his days on earth, faithfully and cheerfully. He has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to fear ('a-bheethi') -- much like Swami Desikan was himself in his own time. In a short hymn called 'ashtabhUjAshtakam', Swami Desikan, echoed this fearless state of mind of the 'prapanna' in the words: "bhayam kUtasyAt tvayi sAnukampE; raksha kuthasyAt tvayi jAtharOshE" ! meaning: Where is the need to FEAR anything when I am Your protégé, My God? And if I am not Your protege, is there anything on earth that will not cause perennial FEAR to me? In the 'nyAsa-dasakam', too, in Verse #5 and Verse #6 of that hymn, Swami Desikan, pretty much expresses the same feelings of 'FEARLESS SELF-ASSURANCE" enjoyed by the man who has chosen the path of "prappati" in life: tvachhE-shathvE sthira-dhiyam tvatprAptyEka prayOjanam I nishidha kAmyarahitam kUrUmAm nityakinkaram II swAmi svashEsham sva-vasham sva-bharathvEna nirbharam I sva-datha-svadhiyA svArtham svasmin nyas-yathi mAm svayam II "The Lord, of His Own accord, will take me unto Him; and he will do so for His Own Sake; I am CERTAIN of this! I am but a willing servant under His reign; I have no responsibility even unto myself; that Great Burden is all His Own. I have no Fear!" Thus, indeed, do both the man of "bhakti' and the man of "prappati" conquer Fear, the holy terror of "bheeti", and live out their time on earth as happy and fearless souls (to be continued) dAsan, Sudarshan __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Y! 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