GADYA-TRAYAM OF SWAMI RAMANUJA - Part 1

[Guest guest]

Sri:

Adiyen's humble pranam to all devotees:

 

GADYA-TRAYAM OF SWAMI RAMANUJA

Dr. V V Ramanujam, M. A., M. Sc., Ph. D., Editor, YatirAja

pAduka

 

(With the maNipravALa commentary by vyAkhyAna chakravathi swami

periyaAcchAn piLLai. Serialized with permission from the original publisher,

Sri Parampara Sabha, Bangalore)

 

[Editor's note: It is the uninstigated grace of our lord and connection to

swami Ramanuja that has given us this wonderful opportunity to adapt

and serialize this seminal work in Sri VaishNavam. Swami

emperumAnAr's gadya-trayam is both fundamental to the

sampradAyam, and an essential aspect of Ramanuja Darshanam, very

necessary for everyone to learn about, understand, comprehend. The

incomparable commentary of swami periya Acchan piLLai has been very

aptly trans-literated by Dr. V V Ramanujam, to whom we will remain

forever in debt for allowing us this joy, the joy of getting close to the

wondrous, inspired, divine, prose of our jagadAchArya]

 

FOREWORD - by Vidya bhUshaNa A N Srinivasa Iyengar swami

 

In Sri Vaishnava parlance, Gadyatrayam ranks in importance with the

other popular trayas like

lOkAtraya, kAlatraya, karaNatraya,

vEdatraya, agnitraya, dharmatraya (Vaikunta, KshirAbdi and Ravimandala),

nAmatraya (NarAyanA, Vishnu, VAsudEva),

rAmatraya (ParasuRAma, BalarAma and SrIrAma),

rAmAnujatraya ( LakshmaNa, Krishna and Bhagavad RamAnuja),

rahasya-traya (MantrarAja, Mantraratna and Charamasloka) and

tathvathraya (chith, Achith and Isvara).

 

The Gadyatrayam is a commentary on the exalted dvayamantra, the

mantra ratna which, together with

stOtra-ratna (by swami AlavandhAr) and purANa-ratna (VishnupurAna)

propound the essence of Sri Vaishnavam.

 

It is ordained that the esoteric meaning of the dvaya-mantra

should be learnt through the lineage of the traditional AchArya (OrAn vazhi)

and should be meditated upon by the prapanna always

– dvayam arthAnusandhAnEna saha yAvath sharIrapAtam

atraiva SrIrangE sukhamAsva

(Lord srI rAnganAtha to swami RamAnuja in Sharanagathi Gadyam).

 

The first part of the mantra speaks of the means, namely, surrender

(saranAgathi)at the feet of the Lord

and the second part of the mantra the goal, result, namely, eternal service

to the

Divine Couple.

 

Thus, the dvaya-mantra propounds the prapatti sastra in its entirety.

 

=================Continued on part 2 ===========

 

This article appeared in Vedics Magazine: Sri Ramanuja Darsanam

http://www.vedics.net/magazine/index.html