१२ साङ्ग-प्रपदनाधिकारः
Sangaprapadanadhikara
CHAPTER - XII
Sangaprapadanadhikara
Having discussed about the various requirements that are essential for surrendering oneself unto the Lord, in this section, the mode of self-surrender, which is of the form of entrusting the burden of the protection of one’s self to the Lord is described. This happens to be the prime factor in the process of surrender. Having qualified himself with an aspiration for liberation, having known in general terms the nature of the inseparable relationship with the Lord, and having known the several accessories that are essential for Prapatti, one becomes capable of performing Prapatti at the feet of the Lord. Whatever is described in the earlier sections will be immensely helpful to an aspirant to follow the main path of self-surrender.
In the introductory verse, the essential nature of Prapatti is clearly expounded. It is declared here as ‘Bharanyasa’ preceded by a prayer for protection. The essential nature of Prapatti is Bharanyasa. This is common to all people who seek the Lord to be their chief means of securing their object of desire. For people who aspire for different benefits, other than liberation, Bharanyasa is a necessity; but, surrendering of the ‘swarupa’ and ‘phala’ is not required. This entrusting of the burden of securing the object of desire, is to be necessarily combined with a prayer for his protection. The ‘yachana’ or prayer, signifies
gopertva-varanam’. This means of prapatti also is a kind of knowledge or ‘mathi-vishesha’. This kind of understanding is called Prapatti. Prapani is defined as 37ARATE FOR महाविश्वासपूर्वकम् । तदेकोपायता याञ्छा प्रपत्तिः शरणागतिः’ ॥ by ancient masters. Desika gives the definition of Prapatti according to this here as follows:
अभीष्टे दुस्साधे स्वत इतरतो वा क्वचन तत् भरन्यासं याच्नान्वितमभिवदन्ति प्रपदनम् । इतः पश्चादस्मद्यतननिरपेक्षेण भवता समोऽसावर्थस्त्विति मतिविशेषं तदविदुः ॥
“When one cannot obtain the object of his desire either by his effort or by the effort of others, he entrusts the burden of securing the object with some one along with a prayer or appeal for securing that object. This is called surrender. He prays to him that from the very next moment of his entrusting his burden, that object of desire, difficult to be gained, may be obtained by him alone, without requiring any effort on the part of ourselves. This kind of particular awareness of his burden of getting that object has been actually thrown on the shoulders of that Lord, is surrender. It is not mere knowledge of an appeal or prayer for protection. The idea of this is, that the person who has performed surrender like this, should be totally relieved of the cares or worries of obtaining that object from the very next moment of entrusting that burden to the other."
The essential nature of surrender which is the means of attainment of Paramatman, is as follows:
It is not something of ours that we are making over to the Lord for protection. It is just like handing over an ornament to the lawful owner for adorning himself. It is clearly expounded in the ‘Pranava’ by the terms and suffixes
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that the Lord is the protector of all. The ‘sarva-sheshin’ or the master of everything, is having every other thing as ‘shesa’ or subservient entity unto him. When everyone is his ‘shesha-bhuta’, and everyone exists for the purpose of Himself, and as everyone is dependent upon that supreme principle, the aspirant has to reflect upon his subservicnce to the Lord even in surrendering himself unto the Lord. He has to realise fully that in the process of saving himself, and all that belongs to him, as well as in the fruit of his protection and the protection of all that belongs to him, that he is not related to all these independently or for the sake of himself. This kind of पारतन्त्र्यविशिष्ट शेषत्वानुसन्धानम् is absolutely necessary in Prapatti also.
One should have this reflection that the all-independent Ishvara, who is the ‘sarva-sheshin’ is himself protecting all, that are subservient to Him, through a pretext. All others, being utterly subservient to Him alone, and totally dependent upon Him, are not fit to be a ‘Nirupadhika Sheshi’. “When this atman is utterly subordinated to Him, just like a lump of clay, and when he is incapable of protecting himself, how can he be the protector of others?” “I am not capable of protecting myself as well as all things that are called as mine, as I am neither independent nor the prime enjoyer of the result.” So, just as wisemen reflected “myself, my kingdom, wealth, my wife and dependents and my vehicles - all these are subservient to that Supreme Paramatman" ‘CHIR
16-A a regulad सर्व इति तत्प्रेक्षितं सदा ॥’ One should have a definite understanding that one’s self as well as those that belong to onc, are only belonging to Him, the Supreme Paramatman. The burden of protecting all these things that belong to one,
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also happens to be on Paramarman himself. “Except for that Supreme-self, Sri Hari, no one else is capable of protecting anybody." 41457 71422 # Hoa '
The entrusting of the burden of protection of one’s self as well as all that belongs to him, is called ‘Atma-Nikshepa’. ‘31784 H H EUCHAT 3t4d’ | The Supreme Paramatman alone is the prime beneficiary. So, one should reflect that the fruit of protection also, is related to that Paramatman, who is the ‘Pradhana-Phali’. This is pointed out in the following versc:
तेन संरक्ष्यमाणस्य फले स्वाम्यवियुक्तता । केशवार्पणपर्यन्ता ह्यात्मनिक्षेप उच्यते ॥
“One who is being protected by that Lord, has no ownership in respect of the fruit of that protection. The benefit of protection is not for him. It is offered to the Supreme Keshava himself. This is called Atma Nikshepa’. The idea conveyed by this statement is that, the benefit of protection is necessarily related to the Supreme Lord who is the ultimate and prime beneficiary.”
The performance of Prapatti is consisting of three ‘samarpanas’ or offerings. They are (1) the ‘swarupa’ (or the essential nature of the aspirant); (2) The ‘bhara’ (or entrusting the burden of protection) and (3) the ‘phala’ (or the fruit of protection). A ‘mumukshu’ (or an aspirant after liberation), whether he is a ‘Bhaktiyogin’ or a ‘Prapanna’, has to entrust the Lord with his ‘swarupa’ and the phala’. The surrender of these two ‘swarupa-samarpana’ and ‘phala samarpana’ is common to both types of aspirants. The ‘Bhaktiyogin’ pursues the path of Bhaktiyoga, and does not
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entrust the burden of protection i.c. ‘Bhara-samarpana’. He also has to surrender unto the Lord for enabling him to commence Bhaktiyoga and complete it; whereas, an akinchana’ (or an aspirant who is incapable of following Bhaktiyoga) entrusts the Lord with the burden of protection i.e. ‘Bharanyasa’, in addition to the surrendering of swarupa’ and “phala’. For people who are desirous of gaining any object (i.c. people who aspire for all desires inclusive of liberation) have to adopt ‘Raksha-Bharanyasa’ or surrender the burden of protection to the Lord. Whether a person desires moksha or any other phala’, from the Lord, he has to surrender the burden of his protection to the Lord. This may relate to the four kinds of aspirants as noted in the Gita. A ‘Phalarthi’ (or one who aspires for some benefit other than moksha) does not surrender the fruit to the Lord (i.e. Phala nikshepa). An aspirant after moksha, surrenders both swarupa and phala to the Lord. A Prapanna surrenders swarupa, bhara and phala to the Lord. When he is surrendering his swarupa, he does not surrender sheshatva jnana’. This is expounded in the following verse:
मुमुक्षुमात्रसामान्यं स्वरूपादिसमर्पणम् ।
अकिञ्चने भरन्यासस्त्वधिकोऽङ्गितया स्थितः ॥ अत्ररक्षाभरन्यासः समः सर्वफलार्थिनाम् । स्वरूपफलनिक्षेपस्त्वधिको मोक्षकांक्षिणाम् ॥
An objection is raised here. When a person is performing surrender aspiring for some benefit, he should become the beneficiary. How can it be said that the Paramatman is the prime beneficiary? The answer to this question is as follows: The Supreme Paramatman feels pleased when he grants certain benefits to the aspirants and feels happy, even as he enjoys the decorations and others done to a doll or a parrot and others. Desika describes this in verse ll of Sharanagati Deepika
पाञ्चालिकाशुकविभूषण भोगदायी
सम्राडिवात्मसमया सह मोदसे त्वम् ॥
“Just as one feels glad by decorating a doll or by re shaping an idol and by keeping a parrot in a cage and feeding it with fruits and flowers, and allowing it to fly; similarly, the Lord enjoys, when the chetanas benefit from Him. So, He is to be taken as the ‘Pradhana-Phali”.
A person who has no knowledge of his essential nature also, can surrender, if he has got that definite understanding that he is subservient only to the Lord. As pointed out in ‘Stotraratna’ by Yamuna, a person can surrender unto the Lord, even if he does not know the essential nature, but realises that he belongs to the Lord.
A simile is given by Desika here. Just as a person who comes upon a transparent purse of a king, which bears his seal, and which contains a costly gem, hands it over to the king with the conviction that the king would accept it, though he does not know the nature of the gem in the purse. Similarly, if a person surrenders himself unto the Lord with the understanding that he belongs to the Lord, the Lord would certainly accept him and that soul would be freed from the ’nigraha’ (or wrath) of the Lord for having stolen the ‘atman’ (that belonged to Him) from beginningless time.
From this, it becomes established that for surrender,
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shesharva-jnana is absolutely essential, though one may not have the knowledge of the other essential characteristics. Desika cxplains the meaning of the verse
ममनाथ यदस्ति योऽस्म्यहं सकलं तद्धितवैव माधव । नियतस्वमिति प्रबुद्धधीः अथवा किं नु समर्पयामि ते ॥
(ti).T. 47) as not repenting for having surrendered early to the Lord. The implication of this verse, according to Desika, is as follows:
“Whatever I am and whatever is here as mine, all that is verily yours alone. Having this enlightened knowledge that they belong to You alone, what can I offer You, anything as mine!” The idea is this, ’even when the atman is offered to you without having a thorough understanding of its nature, if it is offered with the feeling that he is offering something belonging to Him, then the offence of fatmapahara’ is remedied. The point that is emphasised here, is that the atman should be offered unto Him, with the feeling that he is offering His (Paramatman’s) own object to the lawful owner and that he is not offering anything of his to the Lord. These two verses ay rag’ and ‘444-19’ signify that the essential knowledge of freyfa 49’ should be had while surrendering the atman to the Lord. ‘I also belong to you alone should be the reflection in entrusting the burden of our protection to Him.
Desika points out that in the dvaya-mantra, this kind of cntrusting the burden of protection, should be reflected as follows: The dvaya-mantra has the words “PILUT YET I The term ‘sharana’ along with the verb ‘prapadye’ signifies supreme faith as suggested by the verb, which has the meaning of ‘knowing’ (Jnanarthaka). The understanding of the means or upaya which is signified by the word ‘sharana’ is to be understood. Praying for protection (or goptrtva-varanam) is signified as included in ‘sharanam-prapadye’. So, one should reflect in the two terms ‘sharanam-prapadye’, offering of the atman for protection to the Lord, as characterised by the reflection of subscrvience to Him alone,
The five accessories to Prapatti and the act of surrender, are here enquired into separately for getting a sound understanding of the significance. But, when Prapatti is performed, the main factor of surrender characterised by all the five accessories, are to be reflected as one unit, and to be performed at one time by one. Prapatti is to be performed only once for attainment of a particular object. It should not be performed again and again, because it will imply lack of trust in the Lord. This kind of performance of Prapatti, is compared to the shooting of an arrow at a target by a deft archer. Being well trained in many aspects, the archer shoots unerringly at the target at a single moment. The Upanishad says that the ‘Pranava’ is the bow and ‘Brahman’ is the target. Atman’ is the arrow and without any inadvertence, the arrow is to be shot and lodged in Brahman. Like that, this act of surrender of the atman to the Paramatman is to be done once only, carefully.
The statement of “Satyaki Tantra’ - अनेनैव तु मन्त्रेण स्वात्मानं मयि निक्षिपेत् । मयि निक्षिप्तकर्तव्यः कृतकृत्यो भविष्यति ॥
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“By this mantra alone one should surrender oneself unto Me. He becomes one who has done what ought to be donc, by doing the duty of surrendering unto Me”.
This signifies that of all the mantras, the foremost is the Dvaya-Mantra, and the entrusting of the burden of protection is the main factor in self-surrender. Nikshipta Kartavyah’ means ‘Nikshipta Bharah’. One who has not entrusted completely, the burden of his protection, is not a person who has done what ought to be done. The particular mantra of surrender, which is signified as Anenaiva tu Mantrena’ is indicative of other mantras also that are
employed in surrendering of the self.
Desika has taught the way of performing surrender along with the accessories as follows: 1. One should reflect that he is not the main doer or
“kartha’, but the Paramatman alone. This ‘karttva-tyaga’ implies the abandonment of the kind of attachment that what is being performed is belonging to him. One should also reflect that the phala or the fruit belongs to the Paramatman alone. This is Phala-tyaga’. Phalopayatva tyaga’ signifies that the Prapatti which is being performed is not a direct means for attaining his object, but it is only a pretext and that the Supreme Paramatman alone, is the direct
means of attainment of the object. 3. All these four viz. ‘Kartrtva-tyaga’, ‘Mamata-tyaga’,
‘Phala-tyaga’ and ‘Phalopaya-tyaga’ are common to all *Nivruthi Dharmas’. Along with all these, one should have the reflection of the five accessories of Prapatti; such as a resolution to be agreeable to Him, etc., which are helpful to Prapatti. With all these reflections, one should remember the line of compassionate Acharyas, and through the words of “Dvaya-Mantra’, one should entrust the burden of one’s protection to Paramatman, which is inclusive of the surrender of one’s essential nature (swarupa) as well as the fruit (phala). In this context, it is to be understood that a prayer for being the means of protection, has to be offered to the Lord.
It is to be understood here that it is justified that one should renounce ‘kartrtva’ as belonging to him, as that kartrtva has been given to him by the Supreme Lord. This will enable him to remember for all time to come that he is only subordinate to the Supreme Lord.
The justification for ‘Mamata-tyaga’ and ‘Phala-tyaga’ is this viz. the essential nature and other factors of his self and all that belongs to him, is verily subservient to the Paramatman alone.
The justification for abandoning the idea of the means to the phala or gaining of the object in Prapatti, i.e., फलोपायत्वत्याग is as follows:
The performance of Prapatri by the aspirant for awakening the mercy of the Lord, is verily a remote cause for the fruit and it is a non-sentient one and is bereft of the will to grant the fruit. So, the upaya or Prapatti that is performed, is not the immediate cause of granting the fruit.
The means of getting the fruit or 4019ra is the Supreme Paramatman alone. On account of his natural grace, He has been the prime cause of granting the Jivatman, the body and the indriyas as well as knowledge and
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preceptors and has been the cause of everything inclusive of the uttering of the ‘Dvaya-Mantra’. He is characterised by the particular inclination with grace to grant liberation and He happens to be the immediate cause of granting the fruit and He stands as a substitute in place of that particular mcans for which the jivatma is incapable and helpless. How is all this known? How is this possible?
The essential nature of Paramatman, who becomes pleased when a difficult means is practised, becomes easily pleased when an easy way of spiritual perfection is practised, as known from the infallible scriptures that expound his ‘Sarva-Sharanyarva’, ‘Sarva-Suhrutva’ and his auspicious qualities of ‘vatsalya’ and ‘karunya’. The shastras ordain that one, who is gained by the arduous path of Bhaktiyoga is possible of being gained by fsharanagati’ or Prapatti. The shastras alone, are the ultimate authorities for Prapatti, to be a valid means for attainment of Paramatman.
Nadadur Ammal has described the process of self surrender along with the accessories as follows:
“From beginningless time, I have transgressed the commands of the shastras and have erred against you and so I am born in this world” – “Hereafter I will behave only agreeable to you. I shall not do anything which displeases you. I have no wherewithal to obtain you. I have decided you alone as my spiritual means. You alone must be means of attainment. Have I any burden thereafteç, in averting the undesirable and attaining the desirable?”
In this statement, all the five accessories have been mentioned and in the last sentence, the fact of surrendering
the burden of protection is mentioned.
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The five accessories viz. Anukulya-sankalpa and others are necessarily associated and had to be had only once at the time of Prapatti. This means that at the time of Prapatti, all these should be invariably followed. the agrecability to the Lord and others that continue after the performance of Prapatti, are the results of the performance of Prapatti, and they will continue for all time to come.
The accessories of Prapatti such as Anukulya Sankalpa or Resolution to be agreeable to the Lord and others are to be followed at the time of surrender. After Prapatti, these attitudes viz, avoiding anything that is displeasing to the Lord, behaving agreeably to the Lord and supreme faith in the loving grace of the Lord and others, do not get included in the accessories. Are they not necessary? How are these to be practised? If this question is raised, it is answered thus:
These attitudes such as being agreeable to the Lord and others, are at the first moment of performance of Prapatti, accessories, and these, that continue after Prapatti, are the ‘phala’ or the fruit of Prapatti. As these are dependent upon one’s ‘Prarabdha Sukrutha’, it is advised that at the time of surrender, one has to include in his self-surrender 1. agreeable behaviour for all time to come after Prapatti; 2. ‘Niraparadha Kainkarya’ or service to the Lord free
from any offensive or sinful deeds; and Liberation at the end of that body that has come upon
him due to his ‘Prarabdha Karma’. All these three are to be included in his performance of Prapatti, at that time alone.
The summary of this chapter is condensed in one stanza at the end of this chapter.
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to sur
If a doubt is raised that the Lord alone is not all independent, but the jivatman also is independent as described in the sutra of Panini ‘Swatantrah Karta’; and when it is like this, how can it be said that the jivatman has to surrender himself unto the Lord for being protected?
The Sruti decidedly describes that Paramatman alone is the ruler and prompter of the other two entities viz. jivatman and matter
युग्यस्यन्दनसारथिक्रमवति त्रय्यन्त संदर्शिते तत्त्वानां त्रितये यथार्ह विविधव्यापार सन्तानिनि । हेतुत्वं त्रिषुकर्तृभाव उभयोः स्वाधीनतैकत्र तत् स्वामिस्वीकृतयद्रोऽयमलसस्तत्रस्वयं निर्भरः ॥
The jivatman is ever under the direction and rulership of the Supreme Lord and Paramatman is the controller of all other things. ‘Prayogyah’ or ‘yugyah’ mcans horses and others. ‘Acharanam and Syandanam’ is the chariot. Yuktah’ means bound; Prana’ means jivatman.
Just as the horses are yoked to the chariot, and driven by the charioteer, the jivatman under the domination of karma, is united with the body by the All Supreme Lord. Of the three entities, the activities are to be known as follows:
The movement and others are common to the sentient and the non-sentient. The contact or ‘Samyoga’ is common to all the three. Knowledge and desire to act, are common to Ishvara and jivatman. Mutation in its nature is the unique feature of ‘achetana’ or non-sentient entitics. Diminution or expansion of knowledge is unique to the jivatman. The uniquc function of Ishvara is supporting and ruling over all
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entities other than himself. ‘Hetutva’ or being the cause, is common to all the three, though Ishvara is the ‘Pradhana Hetu’. ‘Kartru-Bhaya’ i.e. being the ‘ashraya’ or resort for jnana or knowledge, ‘chikirsha’ or the desire to do and Sprayatna’ or effort. Of these ‘Kartru-Bhava’ is common to both jivatman and Paramatman. But, being all independent and having everything other than himself under his rulc, is unique to Paramatman alone.
STARTE andra hy Falls is only for the Supreme being, and it is not contradictory to the nature of the jivatman to surrender. So, it is to be concluded that it is imperative for the jivatnan to surrender the burden of his protection to the Lord and it is also justified that the Lord bears the burden of protection of the jivatman, who has surrendered unto Him. So, the Lord is the protector of all and those that have entrusted the burden of their protection to the Lord will be relieved of all cares and worries.