—जो प्रवृत्ति है वह कैसे उचित संगत हो सकती है ऐसा यदि प्रश्न हो तो १२४ वाँ सूत्र में, ‘तस्याः मूलं प्रागुक्तम्’ उस भगवद्विषयप्रवृत्ति का मूल कारण अत्यन्त स्नेह है। सूत्र—तस्य मूलं सम्बन्धः। और उस अत्यन्त प्रेम का मूल कारण जीवात्मा-परमात्मा का सम्बन्धज्ञान है। सूत्र १२६ वाँ—औपाधिकं न भवति सत्ताप्रयुक्तः। अर्थात् वह सम्बन्ध आगन्तुक नहीं है, सत्ताप्रयुक्त है अर्थात् अनादि आत्मा से अनादि सम्बन्ध है। प्रपत्ति, शरणागति, न्यास, आत्मसमर्पण, आत्मनिवेदन, आत्मनिक्षेप—यह पर्यायवाचक शब्द हैं और कायिकी, वाचिकी, मानसी—यह तीन प्रकार की प्रपत्ति है। एवं यथार्थ सम्बन्धज्ञान का नाम मानसा प्रपत्ति है। यही भरद्वाजसंहितायां— स्वाभाविकस्तु सम्बन्धः पुंसो यः परमात्मनः। तस्यैव बोधो न्यासाख्यः प्रथमं यात्युपायताम्॥ अर्थात् जीवात्मा और परमात्मा का सम्बन्ध स्वाभाविक अर्थात् अनादि है परंच उसी सम्बन्ध के बोध का नाम न्यास अर्थात् प्रपत्ति है और वही भगवत्प्राप्ति के प्रधान उपाय हैं। प्रश्न—सम्बन्धपत्र लिखकर क्यों दिया जाता है, केवल वचन द्वारा उपदेश कर दिया जाता? उत्तर—लिखने पर भी वचन द्वारा ही उपदेश होता है परंच सौ बार कहना न एकबार का लिखना बराबर होता है क्योंकि लिखने से बराबर अभ्यास बना रहता है। वर्तमान समय में यदि—
Fresh English translation
—if one asks how such an inclination can properly arise, aphorism 124 says, ‘Its root was stated earlier’: the root cause of inclination toward the Lord is exceedingly deep affection. Another aphorism states, ‘The root of that is relationship.’ The root cause of such intense love is knowledge of the relationship between the individual self and the Supreme Self. Aphorism 126 says, ‘It is not adventitious; it arises from being itself.’ That relationship is not newly produced but belongs to existence: the beginningless soul has a beginningless relationship. Prapatti, taking refuge, entrustment, self-surrender, self-offering, and self-deposit are synonymous terms. Prapatti is of three kinds: bodily, verbal, and mental. True knowledge of relationship is called mental prapatti. Thus the Bharadvāja Saṃhitā says: ‘The relationship of the soul to the Supreme Self is innate. Awareness of that very relationship is called entrustment and first assumes the role of the means.’ The relationship between the individual self and the Supreme Self is natural and beginningless; awareness of that relationship is called nyāsa or prapatti, and it is the principal means to attaining the Lord. Question: Why is a document of relationship written and given? Could instruction not simply be imparted orally? Answer: Even when it is written, the instruction is still imparted orally. Yet a hundred repetitions cannot equal one written statement, for writing keeps the teaching continually before one in practice. In the present time, if—