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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00050 Aug 2002

 
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Sri:
Srimathe Ramanujaya nama:

Dear bhAgavathAs,
A delayed post(couldn't make it on TiruAdipUram!)on 
ANdAL and kindly pardon me for any errors present in this article. 
Also devotees are most welcome to correct the errors.

The very name "ANdAL,the eternal bride of Lord RanganaThA" 
electrifies the minds of SriViaSNvaites with GeV(giga electron volts)
of joy. ANdAL has given everything to us(hasn't missed out anything)
in Her TiruppAvai(T) and NAchchiAr Tirumozhi(NT). 

Doctrine of Prapatti/Surrender is also known by names such 
as saraNAgaTi(seeking refuge),BaranyAsa(transfer of burden of 
protection),AtmanikshEpa(self-surrender). VEdAs,the scriptural 
authority,describe the fourfold goals(Dharma,arTha,kAma,mOksha) and 
also the means for the realisation of the same by men as per their 
taste and equipment. But it is the upaniSad which teaches the nature 
of Parabrahman and brahmavidyA,ie.,the supreme goal and the highest 
means. Brahma vidyAs are 32 in number and although Praptti/nyAsa is 
one of the thirty two,it is not dealt with details and only implied 
references are given. You find the references in Lakshmi tantra, 
SvEtAsvatAra upaniSad,Taittiriya upaniSad. It is nyAsa vidyA which 
excels all these kinds of tapas.

Prapatti was kept as a secret by all earlier AchAryAs and it 
was Sri RAmAnujA who proclaimed it to the world and then wrote gaDhya 
trayam on it and subsequent AchAryAs have written several works on 
the same. The compassionate,all-merciful bhagavAn didn't want to 
leave the erring souls in lurch and so He propounded the pAncharAtra 
sAstra(like ahirbudhnya)and Lakshmi tantra wherein elaborate and 
systematic treatment of Prapatti is found.

Prapatti is sixfold:(1)intention to do whatever is pleasing 
to the Lord,(2)avoidance of whatever is displeasing to Him,(3)faith 
that He will afford protection,(4)begging His protection,(5)surrender 
of the self and (6)feeling of helplessness. Out of the six,one is 
angi and the others are its angAs. NyAsa/nikshEpa(self-surrender)has 
five angAs. Prapatti can be adopted for the attainment of material 
benefits or for the attainment(and service) of ParamAtma. But in the 
latter case,it has to be preceded by the CORRECT knowledge of 
ParamAtmA,one's own self and also that one is without any other means
of protecting oneself.

ANdAL does not dilate but directly adopts prapatti. In the 
very opening verse(TiruppAvai:1)she declares:"nArAyaNanE namakkE 
paRai TaruvAn". His grace is the only means for the realization of 
our goal(Him). In T:2,she describes the attitude of a religious 
minded person approachin God and the proper manner of worshipping Him 
is explained in the third verse. This right attitude will lead to 
KrSNA thirst which will destroy all the past and future sins
(T:5 "mAyanai mannu"). Godloving person always seeks the company of 
like minded devotees to share his anuBavams of God. So ANdAL does the 
same thing in T:6-15 and then make pledge to the gatekeeper(T:16)to 
admit them. This signifies the guidance of AchAryAs to the domain of 
God. Then in "ambaramE TaNNIrE" (T:17),she prays for 
nandagOpan,yasOda and balarAma who are all dear to KrSNA. 

Now comes the important verses(T:18-20) which are of great 
significance in SriVaiSNavism which reveal the three special features 
with reference to the Mother(Lakshmi) andFather(NArAyaNA) of the 
universe. Lakshmi,the kind and loving mother,overlooks the faults of 
the erring children(us) and pleads on their behalf with the Father, 
who is the epitome of justice,law and order and requests Him to 
forgive and protect them. Nappinnai is none other than Lakshmi and 
the request is made to her(T:18) to intercede with the Lrd. This is 
known as the "PuruSakAra" quality of Lakshmi. Only in two verses in 
the entire TiruppAvai "kuththu viLakkeriya"(T:19) and "muppaththu 
mUvar"(T:20),the Divine couple(Lakshmi and NArAyaNA) being mentioned. 
Nappinnai and KrSNA are mentioned and the prayer is made to them. 
Both of Them are upAya and upEya and Lakshmi has the additional 
quality of being the "puruSakAra". ANdAL very beautifully weaves the 
three features in the three verses. She says:

"ethathanaiyElum pirivARRagillAyAl*
thaththuvamanRu thagavElO rempAvAy"
(You can't be away from the Lord for even infinitesimal second). 
NammAzhwAr says the same in "agalagillEn iRaiyum enRu alarmEl 
mangaiuRaimArba"

She had laid down the pre-requisites for observance of 
prapatti. Now she gives the accessories(angAs)of prapatti. 

(1)mahAvisvAsa(supreme faith that God is the protector)in verse 
T:21"URRamudaiyAy! periyAy!* ulaginil thORRamAyninRa sudarE!"
This makes one realize that one is helpless in every way and one 
approaches God bereft of all pride and I-ness(ahankAra) and My-ness
(mamakAra). This is the qualification for adopting prapatti.

(2)AnukUlyasya sankalpa(determination to do what is pleasing to Him)
This angA explained is T:24 "anRivvulagam aLanthAY adipORRi". She 
uses the word "pORRi" six times in this verse like her father 
in "paLLANdu"

(3)prATikUlyasya varjanam(avoidance of whatever is displeasing to 
Him). This is said in T:25 "oruTTi maganAy piRandhu". This basically 
suggests that great calamity will over take those who go against Him

(4)gOpTrTvaraNa(begging for His protection). In T:26,ANdAL prays that 
krSNA should confer on them His protection by giving all things that 
will be useful to worship Him(conch,drum,lamp etc),and thus being 
protected by Him,they will become the object of eulogy for all,they 
feel happy,well dressed and adorned with all ornaments T:27 "kUdArai 
vellum sIr gOvindA"

(5)kAryaNya(helplessness). ANdAL says in T:28 "kaRavaigaL 
pinsenRu",that having taken birth amongst them,HE is their puNya. 
this relationship between them is something that can not be wiped out 
by Him or by gOpis or by anyone or all joined together!

(6)PRAPATTI(angi)
ANdAL has disclosed the rahasya traya in T:29 "siRRam siRukAlE". She 
says very clearly thta this prayer is not only in this birth but all 
forthcoming births too. She(like kOil aNNan) prays for unintermittent 
and permanent relationship between themselves(gOpis)and Him and 
unabated kainkaryam to Him and Him alone(unakkE nAmatseivOm).

ANdAL concludes in T:30 "vanga kadal kadaindha", on behalf of the 
Divine couple(Lakshmi-NArAyaNA),that whoever sings thses hymns in the 
same manner as she has done,will be the recipients of bliss and 
perfect happiness here(ingu-in this world)and hereafter(engum) by the 
Grace of Nappinnai and SriKrSNA

I request all to forgive my shortcomings/faults.
ANdAL compressed the scripture in just 30 hymns so 
concisely,precisely yet clearly that it only makes me WONDER,WONDER 
and WONDER 

ANdAL TiruvadigaLE saraNam;TiruppAvai Jeeyar TiruvadigaLE saraNam
AzhwAr EmperumAnAr Jeeyar TiruvadigaLE saraNam 
nappinnai





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