Digest Number 659 - Saranagathi and Prapatthi

[Guest guest]

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

 

Dear Shri Swamin,

My pranams. The question that you have raised is a wonderful one. I

am sure many Bhagavathotthamaas would come up with nice posts on

this. I am sharing something that I have heard regarding this

subject. Please pardon my mistakes and ignorance.

 

In Bertrand Russell's, 'The Analysis of Mind', there is an

interesting chapter where he deals with the two words, namely,

Instinct and Habit. Instinct is what we do when we are put in a

situation that we have "Never" experienced. For example, when we fall

for the first time, our hands automatically go forward to protect any

hit to our body. After couple of falls, we learn to control our hands

to appropriately take care of our body. This latter phenomena is

because of the habituation of the event falling. We get used to it

i.e get the habit of handling the falling. Similarly, Saranagathi is

a phenomena where one surrenders oneself to god(this usually happens

only during worst times, for during our happy times, most of us, due

to the very materialistic nature(prakruthi swabhavam), forget the

lord). This surrendering is a one time act - like our instinct - for

we know, saranagathi is an instinct - i.e atma swaroopam. But, this

surrendering is not just enough to realise the lord. Realisation

occurs when one is able to continuously surrender to him

('consciously volunteering for his service') - this is what is the

most difficult thing. In Dwaya Manthram, one first performs

Saranagathi - 'Shriman Narayana Charanou Saranam' - is this

sufficient? Per Dwayam, the answer is NO. Then comes, 'Prapathye

Srimathe Narayanaya Namaha' i.e one says, 'I don't just stop with the

surrender to Lord Shriman Narayana, but continue to hold his holy

magnanimous lotus feet and continue to realize

the 'dasatvam'(Narayanaya, Na-Ma). This wonderful concept of

prapatthi is only in Dwayam and that is why Shri Maamunigal was so

fond of it and was mostly into Dwaya-Anusandanam rather than any

other Manthra-Anusandanam including Thirumanthram. Hence Saranagathi

is the onetime-first act which 'must be followed' by Prapatti, only

by which one gets the ruchi in Bhagavad Kainkaryam. if one just stops

with Saranagathi, it may be more or less compared to those who just

accept their helplessness, but only till they are helpless and once

they get their help, they walkaway as if nothing has happened.

 

Learned Scholars kindly bear with my mistakes and please feel free to

correct me.

 

Yatheendra Pravanam Vandhe RAMYA Jaamaataram Munim

 

Adiyen,

Ramanuja Dasan

ramanuja, srinivasan arunapuram

<arunapuram_s> wrote:

> Azhwar thiruvadigale charam

>

> emperumanar thiruvadigale charanam

>

> jeeyar thiruvadigale charanam

>

> appan thiruvadigale charanam

>

> In upanyasams by eminent scholars most of us would have

heard two words namely prapatti and charanagati being profusely and

frequently referred to. Adiyen has a doubt whether they are synonyms

meaning one and the same or is there any distinction between the two

words? adiyen will be grateful if this doubt is clarified.

>

> Adiyen

> srinivasa dasan

>