The Culmination of Devotion

The Culmination of Devotion
Speaker	Shrii Shrii Anandamurti
Date	1978 August 11
Place	Patna
Included in	Ananda Vacanamrtam Part 1
Location in Sarkarverse

The Culmination of Devotion is a discourse given by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti. This discourse is the seventh chapter of Ananda Vacanamrtam Part 1.

Synopsis

Prapatti is the idea that "I am at His disposal and that He does His work, I am just a tool in His hands". The word is derived as follows: "Pra+ – "pat" + "ktin" = "Prapatti". A practitioner of "Prapatti" does not see difference between "sorrow" and "joy' and accepts both with equanimity, He considers himself as a tool in the hands of Parama Purusa and feels—

. . .everything is being done by His wish, that it is by His grace that He is using me as a tool, that He may or may not use me as a tool, but ‘His will be done

The opposite feeling of Prapatti is "viprapatti". Here a person feels it is "I" who does everything – and no one else.

"Prapatti" is a very important theme in Vaeśńavism and Sufism. An expression of Prapatti may be seen in the following Bengali devotional song—

Roman script	Bengali script	Translation
Sakali tomár icchá, Iccámayii tárá tumi, Tomár karma tumi karo Má, Loke bole kari ámi. Paunke baddha karo karii Paungure laungháo giri. Káre dáo má Brahmapada Káre karo adhogámii. Ámi yantra tumi yantrii Ámi ghar tumi gharańii Ámi ratha tumi rathii má Jemon cáláo temni cali.	সকলি তোমারই ইচ্ছা ইচ্ছাময়ী তারা তুমি তোমার কর্ম তুমি করো মা লোকে বলে করি আমি পঙ্কে বদ্ধ করো করী পঙ্গুরে লংঘাও গিরি কারে দাও মা ব্রহ্মপদ কারে করো অধোগামী আমি যন্ত্র তুমি যন্ত্রী আমি ঘর তুমি ঘরণী আমি রথ তুমি রথী মা যেমন চালাও তেমনি চলি	Everything is your wish, All wishes originate from you, You do all action, But people say, ‘I do.’ “You get elephants caught in mud While enabling the lame to cross the mountain. To some you give mokśa, While you make others depraved. “I am the machine, You are the mechanic, I am the house, You are the dweller, I am the chariot, You are the charioteer, And I move as You wish.

There is another similar Bengali devotional song—

Roman script	Bengali script	Translation
Man gariiber kii doś áche? Tumi jádugarer meye Shyámá, Tumi jemon nácáo temni náci.	মন গরীবের কী দোষ আছে? তুমি জাদুগরের মেয়ে শ্যামা তুমি যেমন নাচাও তেমনি নাচি	What is the fault of the poor mind? O Shyámá, Thou art the Supreme Magician. We simply dance according to your tune.

According to Anandamurti—

The beginning point of prapattiváda is "I am, Thou art, and Thou art mine." The culminating point of prapattiváda is "Thou art, O my Lord, Thou art."

The presence of “I am” is essential for prapattiváda in the beginning; but gradually it changes to “Tvamasi, Tvaḿ Hi, Tvaḿ Hi” in the end.

References

Footnotes

Preceded by The Three Factors for Spiritual Elevation

Ananda Vacanamrtam Part 1 1978 With: The Culmination of Devotion

Succeeded by "Mayametam Taranti Te" - 2 / The Nectar Beyond Maya