Sri Raaga Pancharathnam : Part 5-- Bhagavatha Nishtai

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Dear NaadhOpAsakAs :

 

The Sri Raaga pancha rathnam is a gigantic celebration

of one of the four methods of SaraNAgathi revered as

Bhaagavatha Nishtai .

 

SaraNAgathi is important for those , who follow

Sri VishNava Dharmam . The Lord pointed the way

by instrcuting ArjunA on the SaraNAgathi Saasthram :

 

sarva dharmAn parithyajya mAmEkam saraNam vraja I

aham tvAm sarva PaapEyO mokshayishyAmi maa sucha : II

 

ArjunA of refined intellect performed direct SaraNAgathi

to the Lord . Dhruvan , PrahlAdhan also were blessed to

perform direct SaraNAgathi to the Lord by virtue of their

austerity . This type of SaraNAgathi is known as Svanishtai .

None of us are capable of aspiring towards this type of Prapatthi .

The other three modes of Prapatthi ( Nishtai ) are :

(1) Ukthi Nishtai (2) AchArya Nishtai and (3) Bhaagavatha

Nishtai .

 

In Ukthi Nishtai , the aspirant utters the prapatthi vAkhyams

recited by the AchAryan and performs prapatthi to the Lord .

 

In AchArya Nishtai , the aspirant gets included in the prapatthi

performed by the AchAryA on behalf of all his disciples ( seekers

of SaraNAgathi ) and reaps the benefit of Prapatthi of the AchAryA .

 

In BHAgavatha Nishtai , the aspirant gets included in the Prapatthi

performed by a BhAgavathA , who is not his or her AchAryan .

Because of the special relationship of the Lord to His BhAgavathAs ,

the prapannan also gets blessed by the Lord and reaps the

benefits of BhaagavathA's prapatthi .

 

SamsAris have difficulty to elevate themselves to the level

of an ArjunA or DhruvA to perform svanishtai . It is also not

easy for them to secure an appropriate AchAryA in a timely

manner and perform Ukthi nishtai . This however is the most

practised route for many , when the BhagavAn's kataksham

leads them to a qualified AchAryA .

 

AchArya Nishtai is also not easy for many . To qualify for this

prapatthi , one has to be free of AchArya aparAdham and be

the recipient of the mercy of the AchAryA and thus get included

in their saraNAgathi for all of their disciples .

 

Therefore , for many of us the easy route may be to fall at

the feet of true BhagavathAs ( Hari DaasAs ) and get blessed

by them to qualify themselves to receive the blessings of

the Bhaagavatha-priya BhagavAn .

 

Swami Desikan in his SaraNAgathi DheepikA sthuthi

addressed to Sri Dheepa PrakAsan explains that one of

the above prapatthis permit the sdamsAri to cross

the fearsome ocean of SamsAram and to reach

its other shore of Sri Vaikuntam :

 

Bhakthi: prapatthirathavA Bhagavan tadhukthi:

tannishta samsraya itheeva vikalpyamAnam I

yam kanchidhEkamupapAdhayathA tvayaiva

thrAthastaranthyavasarE bhavinO BhavAbhdhim II

 

( Meaning ) : O Deepa PrakAsA ! Bhakthi and Prapatthi

Yogams are the two paths for Moksham .Bhakthi yogam

however is a demanding one to practise . Prapatthi yOgam ,

on the other hand , is easy to practise and every one is

eligible to perform it . It is an easy route that can be completed

in a second ( KshaNa karthavyam ) . Prapatthi breaks down into

four subcategories : Sva, Ukthi , AchArya and Bhagavatha nishtais .

SaasthrAs assert that a jeevan performing anyone of these

four prapatthis is eligible for MOksham . O Lord , You , out of Your

infinite mercy make it possible fort he Jeevans to perform one

of the four prapatthis to gain Moksham . You accept as an excuse

their prapatthi and bless them to join the ghOshti of Your

muktha jeevans .

 

Saint ThyagarAjA's Prapatthi

********************************

1. SVANISHTAI

****************

Because of his visEsha Jn~Anam , Saint ThyagarAjA

folowed the Svanishtai route as evidenced by the sAhithya

vAkhyams of the krithis : " (1) maa kElarA vichAramu , marukanna

Sri RamachandrA (2) nee chitthamu naa bhaagyamayaa ,

nirupAdhika , nee vaada nayya (3) RaghunAyakA ! neepAdha-

yuga rAjeevamula nE vidajAla , set in RaagAs RavichandrikA ,

Vijaya VasanthA and Hamsadhvani respectively .

 

2. UKTHI AND ACHARYA NISHTAIS

***************************************

 

Our Sadhguru had Sage NaaradhA as his visEsha Guru

and saluted him in the Bhairavi , KaanadA , Dharbhar

and Vijaya Sri Raaga Krithis and performed a mixture of

Ukthi and AchArya Nishtais . The respective krithis

saluting Sage NaaradhA as his Guru RaayA are :

 

1. Sri Naaradha Guru RaayA kanti menAdi tapamO

GururAyA ! ( Bhairavi )

2. Sri Naaradha ! Naatha Saraseeruha bhanga supAngha

( KaanadA )

3. Naaradha Guruswamy yikanaina nannAdharimpavEmi ,

yeekaravEmi ( DharbhAr )

4. Vara Naaradha ! NaarAyaNa smaraNAnandha

-Anubhavamukala ( Vijaya Sri )

 

BHAAGAVATHA NISHTAI

****************************

 

In many of his krithis , Saint ThyagarAjA has elaborated

to us the greatness of BhAgavatha nishtai and the sacredness

of sathsangham . Some of these krithis celebrating Bhaagavatha

Nishtai are :

 

1. YentharO mahAnubhAvulu -- Sri Raagam

2. Hari Daasulu vetalE mucchadagani --YamunA KalyANi

3. Bhakthuni chArithramu vinavE manasA- BekadA

4. AthadE dhanyudurA manasA -- Kaapi

5. KaruNA jaladhi DhAsarathi --Kedaara GowlA

6. Bhajana parula kEla KodhandapANi-- Surutti

7. Yenthuku peddala -- SankarAbharaNam

8. Buddhi rAdhu-- SankarAbharaNam

9. IthE bhagyamugA yEmi unnathirA RaamA--Dhunthubhi

10. LeelagAnu jUsEkula seelula -- DivyamaNi

11. KaruNA yElAkantE yeevidhamE

KalyAna Sundara RaamA -- VarALi

 

Among all these Krithis , the Sri Raaga Krithi ,

" YentharO MahAnubhAvulu " heads the list of

krithis saluting Bhagavatha Nishtai .

 

We will comment about the Raaga lakshaNams

of Sri Raagam that Saint ThyagarAja chose

for this immortal krithi on the most sacred

subject of SaraNAgathi .

 

SadhguravE Nama:

Sri Raamachandra parabrahmaNE Nama:

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan