Prāpti — The Attainment of Bhagavān
Prāpti (Sanskrit: pra = forth + āp = to reach/obtain; 'reaching forth' / 'attainment') is the final term in the spiritual journey — the jīvātmā's actual, completed arrival at Bhagavān, its entry into Paramapadham, and its beginning of eternal, blissful kaiṅkaryam.
Prāpti vs. Prapatti: These two terms are sometimes confused. Prapatti is the act of surrender (the means used during life in saṃsāra). Prāpti is the result — the actual union with Bhagavān achieved after the body falls (or at the moment Bhagavān wills it). Prapatti → Bhagavān's grace → prāpti.
What Prāpti Entails: At prāpti:
- The jīvātmā leaves the body at death and takes the archirādi mārga (path of light)
- It crosses the Virajā river and sheds the sūkṣma śarīra (subtle body)
- Ādiśeṣa and the nitya sūris receive the arriving soul
- Bhagavān grants the soul a divine body (alankṛtā mārtanda svarūpa)
- The soul enters into the joy of bhagavad anubhavam and kaiṅkaryam
Prāpti in the Three Rahasyams: The Dvayam mantra ends with 'śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ' — the 'namaḥ' indicating the purpose: kaiṅkaryam (what is done after prāpti). 'We surrender (prapatti) for the sake of kaiṅkaryam at prāpti.'