Bhagavad Ramanuja Vaibhavam- 1.62- Gayda traya-a brief note on Panguni Utthiram day

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika manahadesikaya nama:

Dearest all,

 

Continuing on our pastime of enjoying Bhagavad Raamanuja

vaibhavam: [as part of our series and service to

Srivaishnavas to commeomorate the 1000th year (2017)]

 

Today is Panguni Utthiram- a divine day in Srirangam

Let us enjoy Sri Muralidhar Rangaswamy's brief and wonderful summary of Gadya

traya... Thanks to him for his permission

 

On this most sacred Panguni Uttaram day, adiyen wishes to share a

few thoughts on the Divine Couple of Srirangam. Panguni Uttaram is

the Tirunakshatram of Sri Ranganayaki Thayar. The month of Panguni

is sacred since the Tirunakshatram of Lord Ranganatha

and Sri Ranganayaki Thayar occur during this month. A number of

important events transpired on Panguni Uttaram. The marriage of Lord

Rama to Sita Piratti was solemnized by sage Vashishta at Mithila on

this day. Some accounts of the Ramayana state that Hanuman returned

from Lanka on this day and provided the glad tidings of locating

Sita to Lord Rama.

 

It is also believed that Lord Rama on this very day offered prayers to his Kula

Dhanam (Lord Ranganatha) and began his campaign to destroy Ravana. This is the

only day on which the Divya Dampatis of Srirangam are seen together in Utsavam.

The Utsavam takes place at the royal court located at the western entrance of

the great Temple of Lord Ranganatha.

Interestingly, this is the only entrance which does not have a Rajagopuram.

Incredibly Sri Ramanujacharya chose this blessed day for delivering the Gadya

Trayam, unambiguously outlining the doctrine of SharaNagati-which is atma

Vivaham (wedding of the jivAtma to the paramAtma).

 

On the blessed Panguni Uttaram day, Sri Ramanujacharya gathered his

disciples and visited the great Temple of Lord Ranganatha. Our Paramacharya was

greatly moved by the majestic sight of the Divya Dampatis beautifully decorated

in Utsavam at the Royal Court of Lord Ranganatha. As a result of this Anubhavam,

Sri Ramanujacharya poured out his heart in an extremely soulful, highly

intimate, and deeply intense SharaNagati in the Sharanagati Gadyam and the Sri

Ranganatha Gadyam. As a result, he was blessed with an exquisite vision of Sri

Vaikuntam, which is brilliantly mirrored in the Sri Vaikunta Gadyam. The Gadya

trayam is our Paramacharya's Svanishtai Prapatti at the feet of the Divine

couple.

 

The Gadyam form of salutation is a prose-poem eulogy in which long

strings of adjectives and epithets are interspersed with shorter

strings to provide a mesmerizing effect on the both the listener and

the person rendering it. This form of salutation is unique to

the Srivaishnava tradition. Gadyam when recited along traditional

lines with carefully selected stopping points creates a lilting

effect on the ear.

 

The SharaNagati Gadyam and Sri Ranganatha Gadyam are unparalleled in

establishing the primordial doctrine of SharNagati, fundamental to

Bhagavad Ramanuja Darshanam.

 

H.H. Swami Rangapriya Mahadesikan Swami waxes eloquent on the

distinction between a servant and a slave as " A servant is one who

works for wages. He has a separate existence, separate life, home, and family

from his master. He only pleases his master with the view of earning more money

and and asks Kim Kuru Kim Kuru?. However, one who has surrendered to Lord

Narayana is eternally bound to the Lord like a slave. He has no separate

existence, home, life or family from his master and most importantly does not

desire or receive wages for his Kaimkaryam.

 

He serves exclusively for the pleasure and at the pleasure of the

Lord. "

 

One can see this from Sri Ramanujacharya's desire for eternal

Kaimakaryam in the Sri Ranganatha Gadyam salutation

nithya kaimkaryaikaratirUpa nithya dhAsyam dhAsyatIti

vishvAsapUrvakam Bhagavantham nitya kinkarathAm prArthayE " .

 

The most detailed exposition and commentary on the Gadya Trayam was

undertaken by Sri Periya VacchAn PiLLai in Sanskrit. In this posting

adiyen will briefly outline the salient aspects of the three Gadyams. The

SharaNagati Gadyam commences with a eulogy of Sri Ranganayaki Thayar. In it our

Paramacharya seeks the blessings, support and grace of Thayar for his Svanishtai

Prapatti to the Lord of Srirangam. The salutation Akhila Jagan Mataram Asman

Mataram is noteworthy because, prior to seeking the favour of his father (PitAsi

Lokasya), the Acharya

points out that it is imperative to obtain the blessings and support

of the Supreme Mother of the Universe. This also points to the

exalted role of Mahalakshmi Thayar in the process of granting Prapatti.

 

The process of granting SharaNagati is a Yajna performed by the Lord. In this

Yajna, Thayar offers her help and support to the Lord as

VishNu Patni. This is glorified in the neeLa sooktham rk " pruthivyA

asyE shAna jagathO vishNu pathni " .

 

Thayar's merciful glances filled with Vatsalyam urge the

Lord to rush to the succour of the Baddha JivAtma. It is this

blessing that Sri Ramanujacharya seeks of Thayar in the opening salutation of

the SharaNagati Gadyam.

 

Having successfully received Thayar's Anugraham (asthu thE salutation

from the SharaNagati gadyam), our Acharyan proceeds to glorify the

Lord splendidly. Our Acharya extols the Lord's limitless

auspicious attributes, various ornaments and jewels which adorn his

Tirumeni (Kaustubha, PitAmbara, KarNa Kundala, MuktAdamodara). The

Divya Ayudhas (Shanka, Chakra, Gada, Saranga, and Nandaka) are exquisitely

praised. This is followed by NaichyanusandAnam on the part of the Acharya in

which he confesses all of his shortcomings and traces it to his inextricable

association with Karma on account of being immersed in the endless ocean of

Samsara. He also admits to commiting Bhagavad Apacharam, Bhagavata Apacharam and

nanavida Apacharam and seeks the Lord's forgiveness for all his sins. Sri

Ramanujacharya then

requests the Lord for Para Bhakti, Para JnAna and Parama Bhakti and glorifies

the Dvaya Mantram as he formally surrenders

to the Lord's Lotus feet. The Acharya's request for Para Bhakti, Para JnAna and

Parama Bhakti was granted when the Lord of Srirangam broke his Archa Samadhi and

addressed the Acharya thus dvayamArthAnusandhanEna saha sadaivam vaktA

yavatsharira

pAthamAthraIva srirangE suKhamAsva " (Remain in Srirangam engaged in constant

recitation of the Dvaya Mantram until thy body falls to the earth). The

conclusion of the SharaNagati Gadyam contains important

salutations from the Ramayana (Ramo DvirnAbhi BhashatE)and Srimad

Bhagavad Gita (Charma Shlokam) intended to reinforce mahAvisvAsam in

all his ShishyAs.

 

As a result of this Anubhavam and the Lord's command, our Paramcharya

derived supreme bliss. He then craves for more of the same. Fearful

of

being disturbed from this esctatic state, the Acharya seeks a method

for continued Bhagavad Anubhavam. He resolves that the best

way of continued Anubhavam is by being of exalted service to the Lord

at all times in all forms under all circumstances (tadhanubhava

janithAnavaDhikAthishaya preetikArithAsheshAvastOchitAsheshAsheshataikarathi

rupa). Accordingly, he requests this of the Lord in the Sri

Ranganatha Gadyam.

 

The structure of the Sri Ranganatha Gadyam is similar to the

SharaNagati Gadyam in that it commences with a eulogy of the Lord

and his limitless auspicious attributes, followed by a confession of

shortcomings on account of association with SamsAra in a mood of

intense Naichyanusandanam (the salutations thila thailavat dhAru

vanhivath and samasthAthma guna viheena: reflect this), as a prelude

to the formal SharaNagati to the Lord's Lotus feet at the conclusion of

the Gadyam. As a result of this, the Acharya was blessed with a

beautiful vision of Sri Vaikuntam which is brilliantly described

in the Sri Vaikunta Gadyam.

 

The Vaikunta Gadyam is a description of Sri Vaikuntam through the

eyes of a liberated one (Mukta Jivan). In it is contained the

important message that Surrender to Lord Narayana's Lotus feet

(Narayana Sayujyam) results in SAlOkyam (attaining the abode of

Lord Narayana), SarUpyam (Shuddha Satvam) and Sameepyam (remaining

close to the Lord). These aspects are brought out by our

Paramacharyan with consummate effect. The eternal Kaimkaryam

performed by Nityasooris like Ananta, Garuda, Vishvaksena and the

Dwara Palakas to Sri Vaikuntam is most beautifully glorified and a

brief glimpse of the bountiful treasure awaiting a muktha is provided

by Sri Ramanujacharya in the Vaikunta Gadyam. Adiyen wishes to

conclude this post reflect with gratitude on the " puna: puna:

praNamya " salutation of our Paramacharyan, who most compassionately

revealed the margam of prapatti for all his shishyas.

 

 

Gadya Traya though very small in nature compared to the other works of

Ramanuja, are very significant as far as Ramanuja darshana is considered. These

are great works that mirror the devotion of Ramanuja towards the Lord.

 

Ramanuja thus has established that Prapatti alone is the surest and easiest

means of attaining moksham in this work. Karmayoga, Jnanayoga or Bhaktiyoga

cannot be completed without prapatti. Prapatti could be performed for gaining

all four kinds of Purusharthas. If bhakti yoga can be performed by the first

three varnas only, prapatti has no such barrier. For a performer of Bhakti yoga,

moksham is granted only at the end of all his prarabdha karma, while a prapanna

gets moksham after death or dehAvasAnam.

 

Prapatti should be performed once and once only. But bhakti yogam should be

performed everyday – every second till the end. For Bhakti yoga to bear fruit

a lot of impediments need to be crossed, but prapatti performed with

mahavishvasam will never fail.

 

The shrutis, smritis, itihasas, puranas and azhwar arulichcheyals

have established prapatti as a sure means of moksham and is popularly known as

nyasavidya. These gadyatraya of Ramanuja, preach the inner meanings of the Dvaya

mantra. Swamy Deshikan says that Sharanagati gadyam is a dialogue that took

place between Ramanuja and SriRanganatha at Srirangam. Ramanuja has performed

Sharanagati at the lotus feet of the Lord in these gadyams and has also preached

the same to others.

 

JagadAchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dAsan