Sharanagathi gadyam and the3 stages of Bhakti

[Guest guest]

SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

 

Ref: The postings related to parabhakti, paragyanam

and parama bhakti sent by Sri Ram kumar and discussed

by others.

 

Let me in my simple understanding say the following.

 

Ramanuja uses these three terms as three essential

stages of Bhakti yoga.

The first is parabhakti -

# It arises due to good deeds done in previous

births.

# It helps one to know God as taught in scriptures.

# In other words one must be born with some knowledge

of the Supreme to have parabhakti.

# This helps the devotee in moving ahead in Bhakti

marga.

 

The second is paragyana-

# This is the DESIRE to see God.

# The devotee feels the pangs of separation from God

and longs to have His dharshan (not the archa-moorthy

but the real experience to see Him.)

 

The third is parama bhakti-

# This is a longing for a complete experience of God

in fullness.

# Attaining this stage signals FINAL RELEASE.

 

Now the question,

why Ramanuja asked for it repeatedly in Sharanagathi

gadyam?

In fact it is Bhagawan who repeatedly assured

Emperumanar that He is granting / has granted the

three Psto him.

A look at the life history of Sri Ramanuja shows that

he was propagating prapatti as a means of moksha until

the fag end. But it was only during his anthima

kaalam, parama bhakti overtakes him,

i.e., he decides that enough is enough,

I want to come to YOU.

Appealing to periya piratti,

he presents his application to the God that he be

relieved of his worldly chores.

 

He chants Sharanagathi gadyam and then Ranga gadyam

(The very formulation of his request in gadyam form -

which is a non-stop recitation with no full stop etc

shows how impatient Emperumanar has become with the

earthly living and how he wishes to urge the lord to

take some decision about his request.

 

Initially Perumal tries to convince him -why this

urgency? You can continue in your mission.

But later relents "saptaaham jeevithavathi"

And Ramanuja makes arrangements by allotting portfoios

to others before he breathed his last.

In his case, Emperumanar who was already experiencing

parabhakti and para gyanam, felt the pangs of parama

bhakti and hence started asking for the completion of

the entire Bhakti process culminating in reaching the

'ponnadi' of the lord.

The 3 Ps are not a later or new addition as a means

of moksha.

These have been told on earlier occasions too, but

differently.

Only that Ramanuja became a living example to that.

 

The following verses from BG corrocborate with the 3

stages.

BG 11-54 -parabhakti.

BG 9-34 -paragyanam

BG 4-9 - paramabhakti

 

Azhagiya Mnavalaperumal nayanar brings out the 3

stages in Nammalwar's Thiruvaimozhi.

In fact the concluding part of Acharya Hrudhyam

(AH)defines these three terms.

According to AH 4th prakaran - (230-12 to 234-16)

 

para bhakti is GYANA -AVASTHAI.(the knowledge)

paragyanam is DHARSHANA-AVASTHAI.(seeing Him)

parama bhakti is PRAAPTHI AVASTHAI. (Reaching Him -

the accomplishment)

 

Nammalwar can be extensively quoted

for his parahakti, paragyana, parama bhakti.

Parabhakti is of course the cause of his renditions.

Paramabhakthi can be enjoyed in the 'Evaiyum avayum'

series (Thiruvaimozhi 1-9)How the alwar extols the

lord who has come to be in his tongue, eyes, brow,

uchchi etc. -to top it all - suvaiyan thiruvin

manalan ennudai choozhal ullane)

 

AH describes the 'kanden' pasurams as containing para

gyanam encompassing parabhakthi.

Paramabhakti is revealed in the series ending with

'andamil'.

 

AH puts forth a question relavant to this discussion

- nammalvar has already made prapatti in Thruviruttham

- the vinnappam -in nindra neermai ini yam uraamai-

why he was not granted moksham instantly by the lord?

AH continues to tell that if a prapannan is granted

mokham immeditely upon his prapatti, people might

consider prapatti as a poisonous stream, that which

will swallow the prapannan immediately.

No that must not happen. The union must take place

with all the drama(!)

The process of a reaching His vibhoothi through parama

bhakthi, gives rise to 'aarthi adhikara poorthy'.

The prapannan waits with thaapam, desire, continues to

think of the lord "ini ini " endru - its like inching

towards the climax 'when will it happen , when will HE

call me,. is it now or in the next moment? when

when..."

Paramabhakti has all the climax in it that bestows a

strange sense of longing in both the lord and the

bhaktan (a leela?) This might provide an explanation

why the lord keeps telling that HE has granted the

same to Ramanuja in Sharanagathi gadyam.

 

The 3 stages of Bhakti as found in the gadyam seems

to give us a message.

We easily talk about big things like sharanagathi.

Without a second thought we are able to say 'sarvam

krishnarpanamastu'while we may not really mean it!

Anubhacvam is a remote thing for most of us.

But Ramanuja shows the 3 Ps as an easy upaya to make

the surrender.

The questions like how to relinquish sarva dharman,

how to get into the act of surrender -its easier said

than done- are too real for us.

These need not worry the seeker if he upon clinging to

parabhakti, just continues to immerse himself in the

same direction. He is then gauranteed the other two

Ps.

It is as simple as that!

 

Viduveno en viLakkai, en aaviyai,

naduve vandu vuyakkoLgindra naadhanai,

thoduve seidu eLa aaichchiyar kanninuL

vidave seidu vizhikkum em piranaiye!

 

Jayasree sarnatahn

 

 

 

 

 

 

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