RE: Surrender and Divine grace ( Sri Aurubindo )

[Guest guest]

A clear and thorough understanding of sharaNagati is presented in

shriivaishhNava works. It is quite useful to understand, adopt and adapt

this knowledge to suit our needs. It is in some sense simpler and clearer

than the presentation by Sri Aurobindo. Latter's mystic insights are often

very difficult to understand and presented in a terse and tough English

language. The wisdom locked in the words of Savithri is a clear example for

this.

--

 

sharaNagati is often expressed in with five or six limbs (depending on how

you look at it) and even there are variation in the order they are

presented. I am going to use a simpler approach to state (whatever little)

what I understand.

 

1. Dependency/Weakness - kArpaNyam

 

First step in surrendering oneself is understanding one's utter dependency

on God and our inherent limitations. This knowledge of one's limitations

pave the first step to surrender. The shaastra of bhagavad giita is said to

start after arjuna utters the his sharaNagati in the verse kaarpaNya ...

2-7. This step #1 is called kaarpaNyam. This inability manifests in many

ways. For instance,

 

a) Inability to know what is correct and wrong

b) Inability to know what is good for oneself

c) Inability to know to method or upaaya to attain the good objectives

d) Lack of inner strength and shraddha to carry out one's dharma

 

Without the realization of one's weakness and utter dependence on God,

sharaNagati does not begin. Here, one realizes that he is utterly utterly

dependent on God and nothing without God.

 

2. Knowing the Saviour - goptRitva varaNam

 

Realizing one's weakness is one step, but one should also have an idea of

who can save a person. For instance, surrendering to an ignorant person

would do no good. To attain this, some amount of knowledge is required. That

knowledge and understanding itself stems from God's grace.

 

This for instance, vibhishana shows by his life. He first realizes his

weakness and understand God (as Rama) is the one who can save him. Here God

is disguised as a mortal with an army of monkeys. Yet, vibhishana knows that

it is the correct choice over the mighty army of his demon brother. He also,

demonstrates all the following steps through his actions.

 

3. Unshakeable Faith - mahaa vishvaasam

 

This is the most important aspect of all. Without that faith,surrender is

not possible or it will be very weak. One can discount the steps #4 and #5

easily citing #1. But without mahaavishvaasam, one's one doubt will become a

tormentor and foil the attempt of getting peace from sharaNagati. This is

the utter Faith that God will save me (us). This also has clear

understanding of God. (Otherwise, one would change his religion at the first

knock of a jehovah witness on his Door. In this sense, we are truly blessed

as we see one supreme being under the veil of different names and forms.)

 

 

4. Resolving to do what is ordained - anukUlasya sankalpam

 

Whether it really happens or not is relegated to second level, but is

important is to at least have mental desire to do what is ordained by God

and what is pleasing to him. In a stricter sense, it is looking at all

beings as children of God and giving only love towards all. From a simpler

point of view adhering to varNaashrama dharma.

 

5. Resolving to abhor prohibited acts - prAtikUlyasya varjanam

 

Having a desire and making sincere attempt to stay away from things that are

not favoured by God and condemned by Her. First and foremost of all is not

to hate any being.

 

As mentioned in #1, items #4 and #5 are not easy. Our inability to do this,

increases #1 and makes our understaning of the dependence on God even

deeper.

 

6. Casting away the burden -- bhArasamarpaNam

 

Giving up all our bhAra to God. We surrender completely and not worry

anymore. If one has faith in God, one will worry no more. If I say I am

worried -- that is a reflection of a lack of faith. Another aspect of bhaara

samarpaNam is enduring good and bad, joy and sorrow with equanimity. This

abhirAmi bhattar beautifully says as "Whether good comes or bad arises, I

know nothing of it. And I am not going to fret or worry a bit. For I have

given all that (I thought) I had to you. Now it is upto you." (verse nanrE

varuginum titE viLaiginum ...)

 

-

 

These steps are often given different order. For instance see

"AnukUlyasya samkalpah prAtikUlyasya varjanam |

rakshishyatIti viSvAso goptRtva varaNam tathA ||

AtmA nikshepa kArpaNye shadvidhA SaraNagatih ||

 

(http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/dec2000/0079.html)

-----

 

For a devii bhakta, shrii niilakaNTha diixita's work called

Ananda-saagara-stavaH is a good start to understand about sharaNagati

shaastram. This is a devotional work on miinaaxii and first half of the work

criticizes different marga-s and shows how sharaNagati is the supreme of

all. My favorite verse from this work is

 

na jnAyate mama hitam nitaraam upayo

dino.asmi devi samaya-aacharaNa-axamaH asmi

tattvaam ananya sharaNaH sharaNam prapadye

miinaxii vishva jananii jananii mamaiva

-----------

 

Surrender or sharaNagati is amply present in the framework of

advaita-vedAnta also. Here is manifested as faith in one's guru. After all,

God is behind one's guru. One way to cultivate sharaNagati is following the

words of one's guru and observing the above steps.

 

--------

 

But the entire process is quite non-linear. Once you start, one enhances the

other. Aurobindo often stresses that one has to open oneself to God and

divine force. But how is the question? Typically, rAjA yoga is one way to

open oneself to God and commune with God.

 

But a simpler starting point is honesty and talking to God. The fact is,

whether we tell or not, God is going to know every tiny thing that goes on

in our mind. But if we take the first step and start talking to HER and

telling everything, even bad things (which mostly it is) that happens to

HER. We are opening a communication link from our side. HER side is always

open, but we do not know how to tune in. Second aspect is, we should appeal

that it is HER maternal responsibility to talk back. As shAstrigaL asks

"mAyamma ani ne pilachite nato mATlADaraaDa? nyAyamaa minaaxyammaa?

ninnuvina vERE dikkevarunnaaramma?" (I plead to you as "my mother", yet you

do not speak to me ? Is this fair O miinaaxii? Other than you who is there

for me to support?)

 

This is important of sharaNagati. We adopting that because we are unfit to

practice jnAna, rAja, bhakti yoga etc. One thing that is clearly delineated

in ten-kalai sampradayam of shriivaishhNava religion is bhakti is different

from sharaNagati. Sri NiilakaNTha diixita also highlights this in his work.

Surrendering is based on our inability, then to ask of us that meditate and

attain samaadhi to commune is unreasonable. If my daughter wants to talk to

me, I am more than eager to listen and talk back to her with all my love in

my heart. If that is so with me, what about God. SHE is my mother of all

births and at all times and space, SHE is supposed to be unreasonably,

immeasurably and abundantly compasssionate. Yet we all wonder why SHE is not

talking back. All we can think of is the the verse eko vaarija bhaandhavaH

of shivaanandalaharii (which is another great work on explaining/enhancing

sharaNagati to Lord)

 

My 2c

---

akalakilleen imaipozhuththum iishan iDamirunthu ena niRkum ennammE!

nikarillaa pukazhudaiyaay! ulagamuuNRuDaiyaay! ennai anbaal taDuththu

AtkoNDaay! nikaril paramanum nAraNanum iNaintha paramporulE! pukal onRum

illEn! maRaiyin poruLum aRiyEn! ninnaDik kiizhamarnthu tanjam tanjam enRu

iRainjukinREn! ennai kaaththaruLvaaye!

(A Tamil prayer based on the verse in thiruvaaymozhi)

 

 

 

 

 

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> ganapathy = = vijaya [srividya101]

> Thursday, December 11, 2003 10:57 AM

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> Surrender and Divine grace ( Sri Aurubindo )

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> Sub : Surrender through Sadhana And Divine Grace ( By Sri Aurobindo )

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