saranagati deepka by vedantha desika

[Guest guest]

Saranagathi Deepika by Vedhantha Desika

 

Yogyam Yamascha Niyamischa vidhaya chiththam

Santho jithasanathaya svavasaasuvarga:

Prathyaahruthenthriyaganaa: sthiradhaaranaasthvaam

dhyaathvaa samaathiyugalena vilokayanthi | 21

 

Padmaabhiraamavadhanekshanapaneepatham

Dhivyaayuthaabaranamalya vilepanam thvam

Yogena natha subanasrayamaathmavantha:

Saalambanena parichithya na yanthi thruptheem | 22

 

Maanaathilangisukabodhamahamburaasou

Maknaasthriseemarahithe bavathasvaroope

Dapathrayena vihathim na bajanthi booya:

Samsaarakarmajanithena samaathimantha:| 23

 

Dheesamskruthan vidhadhadhameeha karmabedhan

Sudhdham jithe manasi chinthayatham svamekam

Thvathkarmasakthamanasaamapi chaparesham

Soothe palanyabimathani bavaan prasanna:| 24

 

Uthbaahubaavamapahaaya yathyva karva:

Pramsum palarththamabiyaachathi yogichinthya

Evam Soodhushkaramupaayaganam vihaaya

Sthane nivesayathi thasya vichakshanas thvam | 25

 

Nithyaalasaarhamabayam nirapekshamanyi

Visvaathikaaramakilaabimathaprasoothim

Sikshaviseshasubakam vyavasaayasidhdha:

Sathkurvathe thvayee mukundha shadangayogam | 26

 

Thvathpraathikoolyavimuka: spuradhanukooya:

Kruthva puna: krupanadham vigathathisankaa:

Swamin bava svayamubaaya itheerayantha:

Thvayyarppayanthi nijabaaramapaarasakthou | 27

 

Arthanthareshu vimukan athikaarahane:

Sraththathigamsthvadhanuboothivilambabeethan

Deepaprakasa labase suchirath krutheeva

Nyasthathmanasthava pathe nibruthan prapannan | 28

 

Manthriranuswaramukeshvadhigamyamaani:

Svaadhikriyaasamuchithiryadhi vanya vakyi:

Naadha thvatheeya charanow saranam gathaanaam

nyvaayudhaayudhakalaapyaparairavaapya: | 29

 

Thatha: praja: janakavath thava desikenthry:

Pathyabinandhya bavathaa parineeyamaanaa:

Madhye sadhaam mahithabogaviseshasithyi

Mangalyasoothramiva bibrathi kinkarathvam | 30

 

The Charanagathi Deepika has 59 slokas. I have given those relevant to upaya or

means of realising

Narayana. Bakthi and Prapatthi are the two broad divisions in regard to Upaya.

Performance of Bakthi

yoga by means of Ashtanga Yoga is first dealt with. Sloka 21 is gives the eight

angas. The meaning of the

sloka is :- The great and true ones first make their minds fit by Yama and

Niyama, then by controlled

asanas(postures) and subdued breadth(praanaayama) conquer their sense - organs

and with concentrated

contemplation meditate upon Thee (by Dhyana) and ultimately visualise Thee by

the two kinds of Samadhi

(profound meditation).

 

The slokas 22 and 23 deals with Saalambana Yoga (meditating on auspicious form)

and Niralambana Yoga

(meditates and realises swaroopa as contrasted with roopa or form) respectively.

Sloka 24 talks about

Narayana, pleased by their acts (karama and gnana yoga), conferring the fruits

of their desire.

 

After having dealt with Ashtanga Bakthiyoga(21) in its Saalamba (22) and

niraalamba (23) aspects and

with Karmayoga and gnanayoga (24), desika begins to deal with Prapattiyoga in

detail, as that is the very

purpose and the central theme of this Stotra (25) known as Saranagati Deepika.

Meaning of sloka 25-30 follows:

Sloka 25: Like a short man (dwarf) trying to get a fruit (beyond his reach) who

has failed after attempting

to pluck with lifted hands, fervently begs a tall person to secure it for him,

in the same way, a clever person

gives up the groups of Upayas (means) which are too arduous to be adopted by

him, and in their place

relies on You (Narayana).

Sloka 26: Saranagati, which is a shadanga yogam (yogam with six component

parts) is fit to be adopted

by even the eternally slothful and indolent people is free from fear of any

sort, is entirely self sufficient

(there being no need to solicit help from any other quarter), is fit to be

adopted by one and all, and is

capable of conferring all desired ends. In addition, it is easily procurable by

Acharya upadesa. Therefire

those who believe in the observance of this Shadangayogam with reference to You,

hold it in high esteem.

Sloka 27: The six component parts of Shadanga Yogam are given in this sloka.

(1) A firm resolve not to

be hostile to Naryana, (praathikoolyavarjanam) (2) Positively conform to His

will (aanukoolyasankalpam)

(3) Loud and open (without hiding) confession of our lowly state before Him

(Karpanya-anusandanam)(4)

Complete faith, remove all doubt regarding the efficacy of this method (maha

visvasam) (5) Keep on

repeating that He is the protector (Gopthruthva varanam) (6) Submit the burden

of ones protection at His

feet (Saranagathi).

Sloka 28: Five qualitites of the person who has taken prapatti are given in

this sloka. (1) Turned away

from material wealth (2) Extreme faith in Prapatti and become unfit for other

Upayas (3) Afraid of delay in

obtaining union with Him (This differentiates Prapanna from practitioner of

Bakthi Yoga who is willing to

wait) (4) Firm and steadfast in their faith, no wavering (5) Offered themselves

at Lord s feet.

Sloka 29: In this sloka, Desika clearly states the superiority of prapatthi.

The meaning is as follows:

Lord! It is not possible for people who pursue other paths (like Bakthi Yoga) to

attain even a millionth part

of what is obtained by those who have become Saranagats at Your feet by the

utterance of appropriate

Mantras. These mantras (suited to particlular upasaka) have their origin in

Vedas or other authoritative

works, or it may have been from great souls like Alwars or Acharyas like

Ramanuja.

Sloka 30: This is the central sloka of 59 slokas in this work. It talks about

Prapatti as marriage of the

individual soul (jeevathma), the bride with Paramathma, the bridegroom.

Acharya, who lead the soul into

Prapatthi is the father. The Prapatti is kanyaadaanam. The serving the Lord

after prapatti (uththara

kruthyam) is like keeping the managalya charadu (thaali). This sloka also

removes any misconception that

saranagathi should be performed only before death or once prapatti is performed

one must thereafter

become strictly orthodox and cannot move freely in society as before.

 

The information is from a book published by Sri Visishtadvaita Pracharini Sabha

on Saranagati Deepika.

The translation and commentary is done by Ramaswamy Iyengar some of which I have

included within

quotes. I will send another message which will include the preface by Srimad

Andavan to the book.