SaranAgathi

[Guest guest]

There is a wonderful story about Saranagathi in today's Hindu. It can

be viewed on http://www.indiaserver.com/thehindu/relig.htm#story1 .

 

adiyen

jaganath.

[Guest guest]

JaghanIyenger <gyjaghan

Saranagathi and Brahmacharya

 

||SriMathe RAmAnujAya Namaha||

 

'Saranaagathi' with out 'Brahmacharya' is

fruitless-----Is it true?

 

Please Clarify me

 

Daasanu Dasan

Jaghannathan Yaamuna

 

SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

 

Dear SrI Jagan Iyengar,

 

SaranAgathy (or prapatti) is unconditional surrender of one's self at the

lotus feet of the Lord....

 

The greatest burden (Bharam) for a baddha jIvAtmA is "bhakti yogA" because

Sriman nArAyaNA would only grant moksham to a perfectionist of bhakti yogA

..Though the jIvAtmA wishes to meditate continuously on nArAyaNA , it is not

able to do so primarily because of its karmA. Also , not all are eligible

for Bhakti yogA . Only dvijAs can start performing it . Moreover , one

cannot be sure of the number of future births that is needed to be taken

while adopting bhakti yogA, since the prArabdha karmA (that which has

started to yield its

effect ) is not destroyed. This means.

 

Neverthless , a mumukshu (one desirous of moksham) , who has the burden of

bhakti yOgA seeks moksham. So , during prapatti, Sriman nArAyaNA Himself is

pleaded to be present in the "place"(sthAnA) of bhakti yOgA and give the

fruit of Bhakti YogA ie. Sriman nArAyaNA is pleaded to attain the level of

"pleasing" He will obtain if one approached Him through "Bhakti yOgA",

which will make Him grant moksham to the mumukshu . Thats why , Prapatti is

also known as BharanyAsam.

 

The main qualifications for a mumukshu to adopt prapatti are:

 

1. Akinchanyam (destituteness) which may result either due to one's lack of

mental and physical strength to adopt bhakti yogA OR lack of requisite

knowledge from sAstrAs OR Prohibition by sAstrAs regarding the adoption of

Bhakti yOgA OR Inability to put up with any delay (with respect ti time) in

attaining mokshA.

 

2. Ananyagatitvam ie. Seeking the Supreme Lord Sriman NArAyaNA as the sole

refuge with complete aversion to all fruits other than mokshA: This implies

that one shouldn't resort even in his/her dream to demigods like BrahmA ,

ShivA et al.

 

The above is an extract from Sri Anand Karalapakkam's article on prapatti.

 

You may notice that these qualifications do NOT mean or refer that one

needs to be a brahmachari' nor even a human being for that matter:-).

 

Regards

Namo Narayana

aDiyEn dAsan

[Guest guest]

||SriMathe RAmAnujAya Namaha||

 

Dear Shri madhav.vasudevan:

 

We do saranagathi to attain Mukthi, well.

shall we waive Yama, Niyama if we do saranagathi (

Complete Surrender)?

please clarify me if, 'Nirvikalpa Samadhi' and

'Mukthi' are same.

 

Daasanu Dasan

Jaghannathan Yaamuna

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

Dear SrI Jagan Iyengar,

 

yama, niyama, Asana, prANAyAma,pratyAhAra, dhAraNa, dhyAna, and samAdhi-

The successful practioners of Bhakthi Yoga (following the above eight

parts) thus enjoy the Lord as a Splendid and bright flame of a lamp in

their minds. This bhakti Yoga (as explained by the Poorvacharyas of

Srivaishnavam) culminates from Karma, jnAna yOga..

 

Let me briefly explain them: (to put it too simplistic). Please forgive me

for adiyEn's indulgence, where angels fear to tread and fools rush in... I

have again taken cue from Sri Anand and Sri Hari, SrI Satakopan articles

for reference here and explaining the samparadayic information.

 

Getting the true knowledge of jIvAthmA and ParamAthmA and the inseparable

relationship as Sarira-SarIri, doing the daily and especial duties like

sandhyAvandhanam, etc. without fail, and with saathviga thyAgam, special

karmas in an orderly manner is known as karma-yOga. The karma-yOga is the

direct means for jIvAthmAvalOkanam as well as the indirect means by giving

jgnyAna-yOga

for jIvAthmAvalOkanam.

 

JnAna yOga: If a person conquers the sense organs, and mediates on jIvAtma

swarUpam, he attains self- realization (self menas jeevan), he then

proceeds for practising bhakti-yOga.

 

bhakti yOgam is continuous contemplation on BhagavAn SrIman NArAyaNan. This

has the varNAsrama dharmA and anushtanams as its accessories for removal of

sins. This is very difficult to be practised in this modern age.

 

Sriman nArAyaNA out of His great compassion towards the baddha jIvAthmAs

propagates vedAs and allied sAshtrAs , which are the only way through which

they can possibly know about Him & the ways to reach Him. The ultimate and

final essence of sAstrAs is that Sriman NArAyaNA is the sarIrI and, all

chit & achit are His sarIrA.

 

This eternal sarIra sarIrI bhAvA is composed of the following three things:

 

a. AdheyatvA (ie.being supported by a sarIrI) : Existence of the

sarIrA(body) is due to the sarIrI ie. sarIrI supports the sarIrA. In other

words , if sarIrI ceases to exist , sarIrA also ceases to exist.

 

b. niyamyatvA (ie. being controlled by a sarIrI ) : Not only that sarIrA

derives its existence from a sarIrI, it is also being controlled by the

sarIrI. So , sarIrA acts as per the will/desires of sarIrI.

 

c. seshatvA (ie. existing for the pleasure of sarIrI ) : Not only that

sarIrA is supported & controlled by sarIrI , it exists only for the

pleasure of sarIrI ie. sarIrI is sarIrA's Master.

 

It is to be noted that the "sarIrI" needn't be physically present inside a

"sarIrA". This is not a condition to be met out for the sarIra-sarIrI bhAvA

to hold good..

 

Thus Sriman NArAyaNA supports and controls all jIvAtmAs, and all the

jIvAtmAs exist purely for His enjoyment. Thus, the very essential nature

(svaroopam) of a jIvAtmA is to perform kainkaryam to Sriman NArAyaNA for

His pleasure and performance of any other activity doesn't conform to its

nature. This implies that, baddha jIvAtmAs are like fish out of water ,

suffering in the material world by not living according to their actual

nature.

 

Only in Sri VaikuNTham can a jIvAtmA perfectly act according to its nature

(svaroopam) without any interruption. Realizing this great

truth by the mercy of a sadAchAryA, a baddha jIvAtmA becomes highly

desirous of obtaining moksham and thereby reach Sri VaikuNTham , the

spiritual world beyond this material world, and perform uninterrupted

bhagavad anubhavam and kainkaryam to the Divya Dampati, with great bliss.

This is just like the ardent desire of a fish which is out of water (not

according to its nature) , to get into the water (in accordance with its

nature). Such highly glorifiable baddha jIvAtmAs are called as mumukshus ,

whose only goal is the attainment of

moksham. The mumukshu thus needs to know about the means(upAyA) to fulfil

his desire.

 

sAstrAs declare that Bhakti and prapatti are the only two means (sAdhya

upAyAs) by which the baddha jIvAtmAs can attain moksham ,

while the Divya Dampati are the Siddha upAyam .

 

NArAyaNA Himself, in Ahirbudhnya samhitA categorically declares :

bhaktyA paramayA vA-pi prapattyA vA mahAmathe

prApyoham na anyathA prApyO mama kainkarya lipsubhihi "

 

NArAyaNA here clarifies that bhakti and prapatti are the only means & by no

other means will He grant moksham . Bhakti here refers to Bhakti Yogam and

NOT just devotion.. (saamaanya bhakti which we generally refer to). So, all

other processes like Bhagavad kalyAna guna Sravanam , nAma sankeertanam ,

living at a Divya desam , bathing in pushkarinIs & sacred rivers etc should

culminate in either "bhakti" or "prapatti" for one to obtain moksham. So

,it is not that a highly devoted person would be deprived of moksham by

Sriman nArAyaNA. Such a devotee would be guided by Sriman nArAyaNA to end

up with either "bhakti" or "prapatti" and thus its just a matter of time

-may be within that life time or in the next few births , that he/she would

obtain moksham.

 

In many Vedic literatures & in works of Sri Vaishnava AchAryAs , the term

"Bhakti" is usually associated with the term "Bhakti YogA" ,

which is the meditation through ashtAnga yogA on the kalyAna gunAs,

divyamangaLa vigrahA etc of Sriman nArAyaNA with unsurpassed love .

"Bhakti" referred here is the continuous stream of knowledge which is of

the nature of uninterrupted memory and which is unbroken like

the flow of a stream of oil. This description is not to be taken lightly.

 

The intensity of the uninterrupted nature of contemplation on Sriman

nArAyaNA is the central focus of ashtAnga yogA. There are 32 Brahma vidyAs

(ie.upAsanAs) that are prescribed in the upanishads . A devotee performing

bhakti yogA will adopt a particular Brahma VidyA as the means (sAdhyaupAyA)

for attaining moksham. Due to lack of a proper word, the term "Bhakti" is

also sometimes used to imply "devotion" to Sriman NArAyaNA ,which needn't

be the "matured state of jn~AnA"

(ie. "Bhakti" proper) expressed through ashtAnga yOgA.

 

The seven general pre-requisites for Bhakti YogA are

 

1. VivekA (discrimination) : Purification of body through proper intake of

sAttvik food etc .

2. VimOkA (freedom) : abjuration of all desires other than to meditate on

Sriman nArAyaNA .

3. abhyAsA (practise) : Practise worshiping the Lord with full enthusiasm

(again & again ).This involves strict adherence to scriptures etc .

4. kriyA (work) : proper adherence to the VarnAshrama dharmA mainly dealing

with the pancha mahA yaj~nAs ( this makes only the dvijAs to be fit for

starting "Bhakti yogA" ).

5. kalyANA (auspiciousness ) : practice of virtues like truthfulness ,

integrity , compassion , benevolence, ahimsA etc.

6. anavasAda : being without any despair due to disappointment -Completely

forgetting all past sorrows.

7. anuddharSa : absence of exaltation ie. being in a state which is the

optimal midway between excessive joy & the absence of it.

 

The severe practise of karma & jn~Ana yogA can only bring forth the stage

for performing bhakti yogA . Jn~na yogA is the self-realization" ("self"

stands for jIvAtmA ) , whereas "bhakti yogA" is "God-realization" . So ,

"ashtAnga yogA" is performed

for God-realization ie. for obtaining moksham .

 

Jn~Ani is a person who performs Bhakti YogA (God realization) & not jn~Ana

yogA. The person performing Jn~Ana YogA (self-realization) is known as

kevalA . Jn~Ana YogA is the constant meditation of the self ie. jIvAtmA .

It results in Atma sAkshAtkAram ie. self-realization. It is however

important to note that a kevalA is fully aware of his swaroopa of being

subservient to Sriman NArAyanA. But a kevalA is nevertheless firmly

attracted by the bliss derived in the meditation of his own self (with the

understanding as servant of Sriman nArAyaNA) & is unable to come over it &

proceed further to meditate on ParamAtmA Sriman NArAyanA . A kevalA's

position is very much understandable since many a people in this world

cannot overcome even watching TV,cinemAs, sports etc which only have dry

happiness (fully material; not spiritual ). The bliss derived from the

contemplation of the "self" (jIvAtmA) would certainly be attracting a

kevalA like a magnet. He attains "KaivalyA" wherein he attains the state in

which he simply meditates on his own self (fully self-realized state).

>From there he can continue further to perform bhakti yogA and attain

moksham.

 

After perfecting karma & jn~Ana yogAs one will start performing "bhakti

yogA" (since karma yogA by itself is integrated with jn~Ana

yogA , bhakti yogA can be started after its perfection also ).

 

The perfection of bhakti yogA is through ashtAnga yogA which has 8 parts :

1. yama : self control & practise of virtues like ahimsA,

non-covetousness , non acceptance of gifts etc .

 

2. niyama : practise of purity in thought , word & deed.

 

3. Asana : adoption of proper posture & seat .

 

4. prAnAyAma : Control & regulation of breath alongwith the reflection

on the meaning of the mantrA like ashtAksharam .

 

5. pratyahAra : Withdrawal of mind & other senses from their out going

tendencies .

 

6. dhAranA : fixing of the mind towards Sriman nArAyaNA. Depending

upon the type of upAsanA (out of 32 Brahma vidyAs prescribed in

upanishads) one chooses , the contemplation on nArAyaNA will vary .

 

7. dhyAnA : Continuous meditation on the divya mangaLa vigrahA,

kalyAna gunAs etc of nArAyaNA to the exclusion of all other

objects. One must be almost sinless to attain this stage of having

deep and profound love towards Sriman nArAyaNA which is the

driving force for dhyAnA.

 

8. samAdhi : Final stage of concentration when the yogi attains the

super-conscious state of divine life & becomes united with Sriman nArAyaNA

.. There is "unity" & not "identity" . When the dhyAnA ceases , this

communion (ie. unity) with nArAyaNA also ceases. In

other words , eternal communion is not possible as long as the jIvAtmA has

connection with prakruti . The culmination of samAdhi is the attainment of

liberation (mokshA) & eternal union at Sri VaikuNTham .

 

Devotion in the form of nAma sankeertanam , Bhagavad ArAdhanam, Listening

to the avatAra leelAs of Sriman nArAyaNA etc aids one to

have steady remembrance of Sriman nArAyaNA . They by themselves doesn't

constitute "bhakti yogA" . Rather they are some ways of

expressing one's devotion & develop the "love" for nArAyaNA, thereby aiding

the process of ashtAnga yogA .

 

During bhakti yogA , the yogI will at first encounter the stage called

"Para bhakti" wherein his mind ,thought & all sense organs

are completly focussed on Sriman nArAyaNA. He does only worship of nArAyaNA

& meditation on Him & these are the only things that

sustain him. After severe practise of the ashtAnga yogic process, the yogi

passes onto the next stage called "para jn~AnA" wherein

the thirst for the direct vision of Sriman nARAyaNA becomes highly intense

.. Sriman NArAyaNA being pleased with his devotion gives

the mental vision of His divya mangaLa vigraha. This results into much more

intense love & the yogI is mad after communion with

NArAyaNA . He cannot bear the separation even for a second & is literally

pleading with Sriman NArAyaNA constantly for the arrival

of the eternal union with Him. At right time , he attains the

God-realization & enjoys the divine company of nitya soorIs & muktAs at Sri

VaikuNTham in serving Sriman NArAyaNA uninterruptedly.

 

Obviously this process is out of question in this age of kali. Likes of

vashistar, vyAsar, sukar, jada bharadar, Bheeshmar,

nAthamunigaL are the capable persons for performing such contemplation with

deep & unsurpassed love towards Sriman NArAyaNA.

 

Thus, SaraNAgathi- prapatti is the only way out for helpless ones like us,

who can not pratise Bhakti Yoga and have the Lord stand in place of the

Bhakti Yoga to save us (who have surrendered to His Lotus Feet) from

samsaaric afflictions.

 

Anything good in the write up- the credit goes to Sri Anand

Trust it helps

Regards

Namo Narayana

adiyEn dAsan

[Guest guest]

Dear madhav.vasudevan

My salutations to your comprehensive explanation. I

read this many times to understand. Is there any

specific book which describes more on this?

 

Daasanu Daasan

Jaghannathan Yamuna

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

Dear SrI Jagan Iyengar,

 

Thanks. Your interest, keenness in learning and devout will certainly

please Divya Dampathi to shower Their Blessings on you. If even mandha

buddhis like me can grasp here and there a little, anyone else surely

can..:-)

 

For a comprehensive book on Srivaishnavam, I can readily think of

"Vaisnavism" by SrI SMS Chari published by Motilal Banarasidas.. Very good

book- simple, and written in English..More than everything, AchAryA's

kattaksham will remove all darkness of ignorance from our minds

automatically.

AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Narayana Narayana

aDiyEn

[Guest guest]

|| ShrI||

 

Dear Sri madhav.vasudevan:

Swamin,

Thanks for your suggestion.

 

As our Acharyan, SvAmiDesikan says in 'Desika

Prabandham'

 

Nin-Arulaam gathi endri Matrondrelan

Nedumkaalam Pezai seida nelai Kazidhean.....

...........

En thirumal Adai kalamkol Ennai Neeaa!

 

If we Surrender to the DivayaDhampathi, there is no

doubt we escape from the cycle of SamSara

 

Daasaanu Daasan

Jaghannathan

 

 

--- madhav.vasudevan wrote:

> SrI:

> SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

> Dear SrI Jagan Iyengar,

>

> Thanks. Your interest, keenness in learning and

> devout will certainly

> please Divya Dampathi to shower Their Blessings on

> you. If even mandha

> buddhis like me can grasp here and there a little,

> anyone else surely

> can..:-)

>

> For a comprehensive book on Srivaishnavam, I can

> readily think of

> "Vaisnavism" by SrI SMS Chari published by Motilal

> Banarasidas.. Very good

> book- simple, and written in English..More than

> everything, AchAryA's

> kattaksham will remove all darkness of ignorance

> from our minds

> automatically.

> AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

> Regards

> Narayana Narayana

> aDiyEn

>

 

 

=====

WHATSOEVER THE LEADER DOES, THAT IS FOLLOWED BY OTHERS.

WHAT HE DEMONSTRATES BY ACTION, THAT PEOPLE FOLLOW.

~~BHAGAVAD GITA (III.21)

 

 

 

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