Kṛpā (Sanskrit: कृपा) is standardly rendered as 'compassion' or 'grace,' but within Viśiṣṭādvaita and the Śrī Vaiṣṇava theological vocabulary it carries a precise technical weight. The classical definition distinguishes kṛpā from dayā (general sympathy at another's suffering): kṛpā is specifically the impulse in Bhagavān that moves Him to redeem the afflicted soul — not merely to feel for it but to act on its behalf. It is in this sense that Śrī Bhāṣya opens by invoking 'Śrīman Nārāyaṇa' — one whose very nature is saturated with kṛpā mediated through Śrī (Mahālakṣmī).
Two key qualifiers elaborate the Śrī Vaiṣṇava understanding of kṛpā. Nirhetuka (causeless, unconditioned) means that kṛpā does not arise from the jīva's merit, devotion, or worthiness; it springs solely from Bhagavān's own nature. Rāmānuja and Piḷḷailōkācārya both insist on this: the soul in saṃsāra is not in a position to compel or earn divine grace through its own effort — any such 'earning' would make kṛpā a transaction, destroying its character as pure grace. Aprameyā (immeasurable, without diminishment) means that kṛpā is not a finite resource that depletes; it remains equal and full toward every jīva regardless of how many receive it.
In practical terms, kṛpā is understood as the motivating force behind the Avatāras (Bhagavān's descents into the created realm), behind the granting of the Vedas, behind the Āzhvārs' outpouring of the Divya Prabandham, behind the Ācārya lineage itself, and ultimately behind Bhagavān's acceptance of the prapanna's surrender. In Tamil devotional usage, the near-synonymous aruḷ (அருள்) conveys the same concept with a distinctively Tamil texture — divine generosity that flows of its own accord.
[From alternate entry: kripai]
Kṛpai — Grace and Compassion
Kṛpai is the Tamil form of the Sanskrit kṛpā (from the root kṛp = to lament, to be moved with compassion — suggesting the stirring of the heart toward the suffering of another). In Śrī Vaiṣṇava usage, kṛpai is not mere sentiment but active, purposive grace — the divine movement toward the jīva with intent to liberate it from saṃsāra. The Āzhvārs, especially Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār and Kulacēkara Āzhvār, sing of Bhagavān's kṛpai as the first and last cause of all liberation.
Nirhetuka Kṛpai — Causeless Grace: The Teṅkalai theological tradition, following Piḷḷai Lōkācāryar, emphasizes that Bhagavān's kṛpai is nirhetuka — without a cause on the jīva's side. It does not require the jīva's virtue, qualification, or effort as a precondition. Just as the sun shines equally on all surfaces, Bhagavān's kṛpai floods all souls; what differs is the soul's receptivity — which is itself given by Bhagavān's grace. This nirhetuka kṛpai is the ultimate reason any jīva ever attains mokṣa.
Āchārya Kṛpai: In Śrī Vaiṣṇava practice, the Āchārya's kṛpai is equally revered. The Āchārya who initiates a disciple, teaches the rahasya-traya, and continues to guide with loving patience is performing an act of kṛpai that mirrors Bhagavān's own. Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ's Upadēśa Rattinamālai returns again and again to the Āchārya's kṛpai as the most proximate cause of the śiṣya's spiritual flourishing in this very birth.
Kṛpai in the Prabandham: The Divya Prabandham hymns are saturated with the experience of divine kṛpai — Bhagavān approaching the Āzhvār uninvited, selecting the unqualified, showering grace on those who have done nothing to deserve it. Nammāzhvār's Tiruvāymozhi returns repeatedly to the bewilderment of being chosen: the Lord came seeking the Āzhvār before the Āzhvār sought the Lord — the clearest testimony to kṛpai's nirhetuka nature.