GeethA Jayanthi/Kaisika EkAdasi : Announcement of the Web page for SaraNAgathi

[Guest guest]

Dear Members Of the Bhakthi Group :

 

Today is a day very dear to the hearts of all

mumukshus and Prapannaas . Today is the day

when the most merciful Lord sitting in the front of

PaarthA's chariot as Sarathy in the middle of the battle field

of KurukshEthrA revealed the doctrine of SaraNAgathi to a

downcast ArjunA , who was stricken with sorrow over

the realization of his incompetency to practise Bhakthi YogA .

He understood the insurmountable obstacles to him as a

practioner of Bhakthi YogA to attain the goal of Moksham .

 

The DayA Saagaran , PaarthasArathy was moved by the

sincere sorrow of his friend and disciple and taught him

the doctrine of SaraNAgathi or the doctrine of Self-Surrender .

Our Compassionate Lord gave us the Carama Sloka

in the context of instructing His dear disciple .

 

Many AchAryAs have dwelled on the various aspects of

SaraNAgathi , its auxillaries , methods of performance

and fruits of such a performance . SaraNAgathi is

declared by SasthrAs as an alternative to Bhakthi Yoga in

attaining the supreme fruit of Moksham . Other AchAryAs

have interpreted that SaraNAgathi can give Bhakthi YogA

itself and through it MokshA .

 

Swami Desikan is one of the most prolific writers on

SaraNAgathi Taattvam as a student of the student of

Vaatsya VaradAchAr ( NadAthUr AmmAL ), who gave us the

authoritative grantham on SaraNAgathi revered as

Prapanna Paarijaatham . To understand and appreciate

the many works of Swami Desikan on the most

important doctrine of SaraNAgathi taught by the Lord Himself

through His charama SlOkA , we started a journal nine weeks back .

 

Sriman Anbil Ramaswamy , Sri Sampath Rengarajan

and myself have accepted responsibilities to publish this

electronic journal , which is released every Saturday .

It appears that there are some two hundred members ,

number of whom happen to be members of the Bhakthi group

itself , who receive this journal via internet . I have posted

a note earlier in the Bhakthi list about the reasons

for a special journal on saraNAgathi and the scope

of such a publication .

 

After releasing a few issues , It was our desire to archive

the issues for ease of access to current and future readers .

Sriman Venakatesh Elayavalli , the owner of the home page on

Sri VaishNava AchAryALs generously volunteered his expertise

and time to create the archives and a home page for SaraNAgathi

journal .

 

IT IS MY GREAT PLEASURE TO ANNOUNCE THE URL FOR

THIS WEB SITE ON THIS GEETHA JAYANTHI DAY :

 

URL -- http://www.geocities.com/~elayavalli/sgati

 

Please look it up . It is beautifully put together

by Sriman VenkatEsh Elayavalli . Today , it has

two issues (7& 9) there . The rest of the issues are

being formatted to add to the web page to bring it

upto speed and to add weekly issues thereafter.

 

YOU ARE WELCOME TO SUBSCRIBE TO THIS

JOURNAL DEVOTED TO SARANAGATHI BY

SENDING E-MAIL TO SRI RENGARAJAN AT

SRENGARA

 

I conclude this posting on announcement with a

slOkam from Swami Desikan"s Rahasya traya Saaram

( UpAya VibhAga AdhikAram ) :

 

karam-jnAnam upAsanam ca

saraNa-vrajyeti ca avasthitAn

san-margaan apavarga-sAdhana-vidhou

sadvaarka-advarkAn ,

eka-dvyaakrti -yoga-sambharutha-prathag-

bhaavAnubhAvAn imAn

samyak prekshya saraNya-Sarathi-girAm

anthE ramanthE budhA :

 

( Meaning ) : The four auspicious routes precribed

for Moksham are : Karma Yogam, JnAna Yogam ,

Bhakthi( UpaasanA ) yogam and SaraNAgathi .

Of these , the Karma and JnAna yogams are indirect

means to attain Moksham , whereas Bhakthi and

saranaagathi(Prapatti ) yogams are direct means .

Wise men know well that two of these four means

have a single nature and the other two have a twofolfd nature

derive delight from the last words (Carama SlOkam ) of

the divine charioteer , who is the SAVUIOUR OF ALL .

 

AlavandhAr summarizes the meaning of the 18th chapter

housing the charama SlOkam this way :

 

IsvarE karthruthA buddhi:

satthvOpAdhEyathAnthimE I

savkarma pariNaamasccha

SAASTHRA SAARAARTHA UchyathE II

 

May the GeethAchAryan's Charama SlOkam

be the beacon of light to illuminate our path ,

 

Sri RukmiNee Sametha Sri ParthasArayE Nama:

 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan