Baranyasam

[Guest guest]

Recently the question of worshipping Sani Bhaghavan was raised by Smt.

Kalyani and Shri Kalale had nicely stated the position of a SriVaishnava.

Such questions are common to most of us and I thought I would add to the

discussions by summarizing what I have been able to gather from our elders.

Our position is largely related to the concept of Baranyasam.

 

(1) Ideally, Baranyasam shoud be a reflection of the state of one's mind

rather than being a mere ritual. Mumukshus (one desirous of obtaining

Moksha) discards all activities leading to Ihaloka sukham or welfare and

his only goal is to reach Bhaghavan. He is not bothered with such

questions as; can I pray for this or can I pray for that etc., Such an

ideal state is the state of a Paramaikantin. The Vidwan merely awaits his

release from this world to join the world of Muktas.

 

(2) On the otherhand an Ekantin (who is in the process of becoming a

paramaikantin) is still interested in his yogakshemam. While he

theoretically appreciates that the pleasures of this world are temporary

and must be discarded to reach the ideal state of moksha, he has still not

developed the vairagyam to lead a life that would reflect this ideal.

Hence an Ekantin resorts to actions that gains felicity in this world. This

he does with one restriction viz. For all his needs he will approach none

other than Sriman Narayana. Nonetheless, an Ekantin's position is less

than the ideal.

 

(3) All Gods and for that matter even human beings are vested with some

power to grant other's wishes. Resorting to them one can easily appease

one's desires. However, scriptures tell us that only Emperuman can grant

the highest. It is the goal of our acharyas that we must attune ourself to

praying to Emperuman alone for whatever may be our needs. This way one is

gradually lead into the state of paramaikantikatvam.

 

(4) Why do we resort to other devatas. Scriptures tell us Lord Narayana is

generally slow in granting boons! He does not quickly respond. Devatas

like the Navagraha etc., can mitigate the effects of Karma more quickly

than the "leela-oriented" perumal who knows what His bhakta actually needs

and therefore may not grant your wish at all!

 

(5) Like Emerson once said: "Patience and patience wins at last". This is

what we must experience to reach the highest goal of existence. I think

there are no short-cuts.

 

Vijayaraghavan Srinivasan

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

Desr Sri Janarthanan,

 

nyAsam means saraNAgathy or Prapatti. Pra and pat are the roots to make

Prapaatti

(means: To drop down or to take refuge with- to surrender ). Bhara is

Bhaaram - the burden.

BharanyAsam is to surrender one's self and one's bhaaram is to remove your

burden from

your shoulders.Surrendering to the SaraNAgatha vathsalan- Sriya: Pathi

Sriman Narayanan.

One who had performed prapatti is called prapannan.

 

Swami Sri Vedantha Desikan has blessed us with many granthams on the

doctrines of NyAsam or

Prapatthi or SaranAgathi. One of the most sweetest sthuthi on the subject

of nyAsam consisting of

ten verses is nyAsa Dasakam.

 

Given below is the translation by Sri Sadagopan on nyAsa dasakam (which he

had posted

in the past in bhakti list). Excellence is the word for his translation. It

will answer all your doubts.

 

Sri NyAsa Dasakam is associated with the Prapatthi that Swami Sri Desikan

performed at the

sacred feet of Kanchi VaradarAjan . The topics covered are :

 

(1) The method of performing nyAsam or Bhara SamarpaNam

(2) the five limbs of nyAsam

(3) the method of enacting sAthvika thyAgam

(4) his prayer to the Lord for moksham at the end of his life on His earth

(5) his prayer for the blessings of service to the Lord during his life on

His earth

(6) his appeal for the Lord's grace for tolerating any sins committed during

his days as a prapannA .

 

aham madhrakshaNabharO madhrakshaNa palam tathA |

na mama SripathErevEthyAthmAnam nikshipEth bhudha: ||

 

A viveki ( one with discriminating intellect ) should surrender at the

Lord's feet his AthmA (svarUpa samarpaNam ) , the responsibilities for his

protection ( Bhara samarpaNam ) and the fruits of that protection ( pala

samarpaNam ) . He should perform bhara nyAsam in this manner and understand

that his AthmA ,protection and the fruits of such protection does not belong

to him , but only to Sriman NaarAyaNan.

 

nyasyAmakinchana: Sriman anukUlOanyavarjitha: |

viswasa prArthanApUrvam AthmarakshAbharam thvayi ||

 

Oh my Master ! Sriman-NaarAyanA ! I surrender at Your lotus feet the total

responsibilities for my protection . I have no other means . I will perform

only the duties that please You ( AnukUlya sankalpam ). I will not

transgress the codes of conduct prescribed by You in Your sAstrAs (

PrAthikUlya varjanam ) . I am totally unfit for pursuit of any paths of

deliverance ; hence I stand before You with utter humility about my

helplessness ( kArpaNyam ) . I have total and enduring faith in Your coming

to my protection ( MahA visvAsam ) and I entrust my protection entirely to

you with this prayerful appeal ( Gopthruva VaraNam ) . Here Swami Sri

Desikan performs prapatthi with its five limbs .

 

SwAmI svasEsham svavasam svabharathvEna nirbharam |

svadhattha svadhiyA svArtham svasmin nyasyathi mAm svayam ||

 

Srima NaarAyaNan is the supreme Lord of all . As His bonded servant , I am

completely under His control . He blessed me with the knowledge about

Himself out of His own accord. He has accepted me as His responsibility for

protection. He has thus removed all my worries about my protection with that

gift of knowledge. The fruits of my protection belong entirely to Him . He

frees me from any connection to the fruits resulting from His protection out

of His own free will and accepts me .

 

In this slOkam , Swami Sri Desikan refers to his performance of Saathvika

thyAgam constituted by its three parts : (1) Karthruva thyAgam (2) mamathA

thyAgam (3) pala thyAgam .

 

Sriman abheeshta Varada tvAmasmi saraNam gatha: |

yEdhaddEhAvasAnE mAm tvadh paadham prApaya svayam ||

 

Oh my Lord who is always with Your consort ! Oh Master who is hailed as

Varadhan because of Your disposition to grant all the boons that Your

devotees ask for ! I have now performed bhara nyAsam at Your sacred feet .

Please grant me the boon of reaching Sri Vaikuntam at the end of my stay on

this earth and perform nithya kaimkaryam there for You .

 

tvacchsEshathvE sthiradhiyam tvath prApthyEka prayOjanam |

nishiddha kAmyarahitham kuru mAm nithya kinkaram ||

 

Oh VaradarAjA ! I am a prapannan at Your holy feet. I am firm of thought

about my status as Your servant . That thought will never leave me. My mind

is not seeking any fruits other than the enjoyment of Your limitless

auspicious attributes. Please bless me not to engage in any acts forbidden

by Your sAsthrAs . Please grant me the boon of uninterrupted service to you

, while on Your earth . All of this will not happen without Your dayA .

Please bless me !

 

dEvi bhUshaNa hEthyAdhi jushtasya bhagavamsthava |

nithyam niraparAdhEshu kaimkaryEshu niyunkshva mAm ||

 

Oh my Lord ! You are served endearingly by Your beloved consorts. Your

AbharaNams and Ayudhams serve You by association with Your auspicious body .

I am deeply desirous of performing eternal service to You , who is

accompanied by Your dEvis , weapons and AbharaNams . Please therefore bless

me with the duties that are dear to Your heart and accept them .

 

mAm madheeyam cha nikilam chEthanAchEthanAthmakam |

svakaimkaryOpakaraNam Varadha sveekuru svayam ||

 

Oh Lord VaradarAjA ! Please accept out of the fullness of Your heart, myself

, all that is mine and my kaimkaryam . Please make me an instrument of Your

kaimkaryam and have the services to You done by Yourself through me. In this

effort , please use all that is " mine" ( my wife , my children , my house ,

my garden and all other property ) . I have nothing left to do , nor even

the power to place any thing at Your disposal since they - my Self , my

worldly properties-- are and have been and were already Yours .

 

tvadEka rakshyasya mama tvamEva KaruNAkara |

na pravarthaya pApAni pravrutthAni nivarthaya ||

 

Oh Lord VaradhA , the ocean of Mercy ! There is no one except You to protect

me. Please grant me the boon not to commit anymore sins . Please also

destroy out of Your limitless compassion all the sins that I have

accumulated so far .

 

SlOkam 9

 

akruthyAnAm cha karaNam kruthyAnAm varjanam cha mE |

kshamasva nikhilam dEva PraNathArthihara prabhO ||

 

Oh VaradarAjA known for destroying the samsAric sufferings of Your dear

devotees! Your power has no limits. You are capable of executing whatever

You desire. I have transgressed the injunctions of Your sAsthrAs; I have

abandoned the karmAs prescribed by You in those sAsthrAs . Please forgive

all of these trespasses of mine and protect me . The power of Your pardon

alone can destroy my sins .

 

SrimAn niyatha panchAngam madhrakshaNa bharArpaNam |

acheekarath svayam svasmin athOhamiha nirbhara : ||

 

Oh Lord VaradarAjA always in the company of PerundEvi ThAyAr ! YOU have

YOURSELF executed the bhara nyAsam for me at Your sacred feet . You have

completed my prapatthi in its entirety with its five limbs . You have

accepted now the responsibilities for my protection . I am therefore freed

of any worries about my protection and lead my life as a prapannA with peace

and tranquillity .

 

kavithArkika simhAya kalyANa guNasAlinE |

SrimathE VenkatEsAya vEdhAntha guravE nama: ||

 

>

> Janarthanan Thirunarayanan [sMTP:janarthan]

> Sunday, April 11, 1999 2:02 AM

> bhakti

> BaranyAsam

>

> My namaskArams to everyone in this list.

> I have also joined this list to learn about and appreciate Vaishnavism

> better.

> I would like to know about bharanyasam. I request you to help me

> clear

> my mind regarding this.

>

> Thanking you in advance

> adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

> Janarthanan.

>

> --

> ---------------

> JANARTHANAN THIRUNARAYANAN VENKATARAGHAVAN

> Scientist, Robotics and Automation Division

> Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems

> Raj Bhavan Circle

> High Grounds

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