Vol 01.007 2. Rahasya Traya Saram

2. RAHASYA TRAYA SARAM OF SWAMI DESIKA

ADHIKARA 15 : UTHARA KRITYA ADHIKARA
(The manner in which one should conduct oneself after Prapatti)
This Chapter lays down the duties to be performed by a Prapanna from the time of his doing Prapatti till attaining Moksha on death.
(a) A Prapanna should not slacken his attentions to and performance of his Nitya Karmas.
(b) He should continue to widen his knowledge by associating with Acharyas and others qualified.
(c) Even if he has achieved a mental evolution befitting him to a direct communion with God., he should not feel proud about it since he should be ever aware of his own insignificance
(d) He should keep his sense organs under perfect control
(e) He should continue to do service to the archa form of the Lord as also Nishkamya Karmas.
(f) He should consciously avoid all desire for worldly pleasures and carry on his daily routine with wealth earned through Dharmic means.
(g) He should always feel grateful to the grace of the preceptor who initiated him into Prapatti
(h) He should always utter the Dvaya mantra as advised by his Guru
(i) He should never boast about his own greatness (j) He should scrupulously avoid insulting or disrespecting the Bhagavatas and Acharyas.
(j) He should always be eager to perform service to Bhagavan, the Bhagavatas and Acharyas.
(k) He should eat only pious foods conducive to augmenting Satva guna.
What a Prapanna should do and what he should not may be summarized as follows:
(i) Not to indulge in Worldly pleasures and desire therefor
(ii) To remember The great help rendered by Acharyas
(iii) Not to utter Words of Self-praise
(iv) To utter Dvaya Mantra
(v) To avoid in mind, Disrespect to Bhaghavatas and
word and deed Acharyas
(v) To perform in mind, Service to Bhaghavan, Bhaghavatas
word and deed and Acharyas

ADHIKARA 16 : PURUSHARTHA KAASHTA ADHIKARA
(The farthest extent of our ultimate object) If we probe into what is most pleasurable to the Lord, we will come to the conclusion that service to his devotees is the one that is so. Hence, service to Bhagavatas constitutes the farthest extent and most important aspect of our service to the Lord. As we saw, the ultimate object of a Prapanna is to do service to the Lord in Paramapada. But, one has to be trained in such service even while being in this world. Since Bhagavatas are ensouled by Bhagavan any service done to them constitute service to the Lord himself. As Bhagavatas are like God's favorite children, service done to them will please the Lord just like a parent being pleased with the one who pets his child. It is, therefore, that a Srivaishnava calls himself 'adiyen' which means "I who am at your feet". This concept also finds echoed in the expression "adiyar". This service which acts as a probationary period of service so that the Prapanna could taste the pleasure of service to God ' again for the first time' when he reaches Paramapada. This also saves the Prapanna from (i) Propensity to commit sins
(ii) Entertaining doubts in the authority of the Sastras (iii) Attachment to petty deities
(iv) Imagining pleasures as resulting out of one's own efforts and (v) Misappropriating the fruits of efforts for one's self instead of dedicating them to the Lord.

ADHIKARA .17 :SASTRIYA NIYAMANA ADHIKARA
(The injunctions ordained by the Sastras) We have been repeating time and again that one should act according to the injunctions ordained by the Sastras. Sri RAMANUJA, at the time of his death gave his disciples the following commandments that constitute the essence of these Sastric injunctions:
(1) The Prapanna should study the philosophy of SRI BASHYA and expound them to others.
(2) If he cannot do this, he should study the 4000 holy collects (Nalayira Divya Prabandham) authored by Alwars and expound them to others.
(3) If he cannot do this also, he can engage himself in such services in Divya Desas (shrines consecrated by the Alwars) like preparing offerings of prasada, preparing sandal paste, garlands etc to adorn the Archa forms of the Lord, lighting lamps in the sanctum sanctorum and around the temples etc
(4) If he cannot do even this, he must concentrate and unceasingly recite the Dvaya Mantra and meditate on its meaning constantly (5) If none of the above is possible, he must conduct himself in such a way as to become acceptable as a disciple to a qualified preceptor.
The Prapanna should bear in mind the following:- (i) Srivaishnavas (Bhakthas Of Sri Vishnu) are like his kith and kin and he should yearn for association with them and feel glad in their company like enjoying the fragrance of sandal paste flowers, moonlight, cool southerly breeze or a dear darling wife. (ii) Those opposed to Bhagavan should be shunned like poisonous snakes, fire etc.,
(iii) Others who are neither Bhaktas nor opposed to Bhagavan should be ignored as dirt. This category of people, if they show signs of being amenable to turning good, an attempt can be made to instruct them; if not , the Prapanna can only sympathize with them as being misled.
If out of desire for worldly pleasures one disregards a Bhakta or supports a non-believer, one is sure to incur the wrath of the Lord (which is another name for sin). If the neutral type of persons are supported for the same reasons, it is like not being able to differentiate between a gem and a clod of clay- and the Lord would ignore such supporters.
Hence, a Prapanna should be circumspect in offering his services only to the proper Bhaktas (To be continued)