Srimath Azhagiya Singar's TeleupanyAsam on SaraNAgathy Gadhyam : Saturday , July 22

[Guest guest]

SrI:

Dear AasthikAs:

 

The second of the 8 part series of

TeleupanyAsams on SaraNAgathy

Gadhyam will take place on Jully 22 :

 

Changes in Time : 7.30 Eastern Standard Time

due to PradhOsham that day . We will revert to

9.30 AM next Saturday ( Aug 05).

 

Duration : 90 minutes with conclusion around 9AM.

 

Summary of Previous UpanyAsam : sent seperately .

 

***You must register to get the Bridge Phone & Code

thru the URL:

 

http://www.ahobilamutt.org/upan/signin01.asp

 

Subject : PurushakAra Prapatthi & Sri RanganAyaki's

acceptance of AchArya RaamAnujA's PrArTanaa.

 

You can access the Telebridge , wherever You are

( USA, Europe, India , Middle East , Singapore et al)

and we look forward to the realization of a large

KaalakshEpa GhOshti on this Important Topic .

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan

 

[Guest guest]

SrI:

Dear AasthikAs :

 

The Scope of Gadhya Thrayams

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The Gadhya Thrayams of AchArya RaamAnuja are very important

for us to understand about the greatness of SaraNAgathy and how to

perform it .

 

After devoting so much time in his life to refute the arguments of

Para Mathams through his great Sri Sookthis like Sri BhAshyam ,

GithA BhAshya , VedAntha Dheepam , VedArtha sangaraham ,

AchArya RaamAnuja blessed us with three Gadhyams to instruct us

on the importance of SaraNAgathy Tatthvam and practised it for

our benefit in front of the Dhivya Dampathis of Srirangam on

a Panguni Utthiram day , when they were seated together .

 

There was a conversation between AchArya RaamAnuja and

the dhivya dampathis that crystallized as the the first of the Three

gadhyams:SaraNAgathi Gadhyam. This is a conversation between

a Jeevaathman and its overlord , ParamAthman .

 

The SaraNAgathy Gadhyam

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SaraNAgathy Gadhyam has been described to embody " the fervour of the human soul

throbbing with deep love and a sense of self-surrender to its Master and rarely has such

a feeling found such supreme expression . There is a sense of certainity about the Lord's

coming to the rescue ( Mahaa ViswAsam) and an atmosphere of serenity".

 

Besides being based firmly on the three rahasyams central to Sri VaishNavAs ( Moola

Manthram , Dhvayam and Charama SlOkam) , SaraNAgathy gadhyam emphasizes

another cardinal doctrine dear to Sri VaishNavAs : PurushAkAram of Mahaa Lakshmi ,

where She intercedes with Her Lord to forgive the trespasses of the erring children of

Hers . The intrinsic nature of SaraNAgathy ( Prapatthi, Bhara NyAsam , Aathma SamarpaNam ,

Aathma NivEdhanam ) , the practise of it and the fruits thereof are the subject matter of

the three prose poems ( Gadhya Thrayam ) : SaraNAgathi , Sriranga & Vaikunta Gadhyams.

 

AchAryA's Preference for SaraNAgathy over Bhakthi Yogam

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AchArya RaamAnuja and His PoorvAchAryaas were deeply concerned about the Bhaddha

Jeevans going round and round in the whirlpool of the fearsome SamsAric Ocean and

wished to provide ujjeevanam ( rescue and realization of the auspicious road to save them

and lead them to the Supreme abode of the Lord . They recognized that the difficult to

practise Bhakthi Yogam is not appropriate for the erring jeevans and instructed them

on the easy to practise means (Viz)., SaraNAgathy , which can be practised by anyone

irrespective of caste creed or sex . When performed with the help of a merciful , SadAchArya ,

SaraNAgathy assures us the freedom from cycles of birth and death and elevates us

to the Lord's own Supreme abode of Sri Vaikuntam to enjoy ParipoorNa BrahmAnadhan

through eternal and blemishless Kaimkaryam to the dhivya dampathis there . The Jeevan

thus gains Moksham through SaraNAgathy and "acquires the flavour and fragrance of

Brahman ( the VedAnthic term for Sriman NaarAyaNan); it gains Brahma roopa ,

Brahma rasa and Brahma gandha ; the muktha ( liberated) Jeevan is now freed from

the fetters of Prakruthi , the limitations of space and time. It lives in the nithya vibhuthi

( world of everlasting wealth) , the Supreme abode of Brahman ; the Jeevan attains its infinite

consciousness and regains the eternal values --- it is indeed a state of self-transcendence".

 

The connection between the three Gadhyams

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The Gadhya Thraya is considered as " a rare product of divine interaction with AchArya

RaamAnuja .Sriman K.R. Krishnaswamy (KKK) of Bangalore has blessed us with an excellent

commentary on the Gadhya Thrayam , which I am drawing as my inspiration for this posting

and will be quoting Verbatim from him today for saving time before the upcoming UpanyAsam

on July 22 and every Saturday thereafter until September 2 .

 

KKK Swamy comments this way on the relationship between the three Gadhyams & their

purport : " While SaranAgathy gadhya , the first of the three gadhyAs , is

in the form of a homage being paid to the Lord and His glory and

a declaration of Sri RaamAnujA's absolute surrender to the Lord ,

the Sriranga gadhyam addresses the holy image at the temple in

Srirangam. The third and the last one , Vaikunta Gadhya , gives

a graphic description of Vaikuntam or Parama Padham , the Supreme

abode of Sriman NaarAyaNa , where He enjoys the companionship of

and nithya kiamkaryam by the Nithya Sooris ( eternally liberated souls)

and the Muktha Jeevans ( the jeevans liberated from SamsAram

through the observance of the rites of Bhakthi or Prapatthi yOgam ) ".

 

AchArya RaamAnuja and His poorvAchAryas have firmly established that

SaranAgathy ( Prapatthi Yogam) is an independent route to Moksham .

This concept has been strengthened by Post-RaamAnuja AchAryas like

PiLLai LokAcchAr and Swamy Desikan .

 

Swamy Deiskan has composed many Sri Sookthis ( Nyasa Dasakam ,

NyAsa Vimsathy , NyAsa Tilakam , SaraNAgathy Dheepikai ,

NikshEpa Raksha et al) to bless us with detaile knowlege about

SaraNAgathy Tatthvam and its practise for our ujjevanam to gain

the Parama PurushArTam of Moksha Sukham .

 

Swamy Desikan has referred to four ways of Performing SaraNAgathy:

 

1. Sva Nishtai : one surrenders the soul directly to the Lord; this way is

for highly evolved souls like AchArya RaamAnuja and the AzhwArs.

 

2. Ukthi Nishta : Repeating the SaraNAgathy mantrAs uttered by one's

AchAryan in front of the Lord. This is observed in Sri Matam .

 

3. AachArya Nishta: The SadAcharyan places the responsibility of

protection of the jeevan ( Rakshaa Bhara SamarpaNam ) at the sacred

feet of the Lord .

 

4. Bhaagavatha Nishta: One stays within the comfoting shade of Prapatthi

performed by a BhAgavathan ( one who is dear to the Lord).

 

The Literature on Gadhya Thrayams

***********************************************

After RaamAnujA's time , Periya AcchAn PiLLai , PiLLai LokAcchAr,

Swamy Desikan and Sudarsana Soori have commented on SaraNAgathy

doctrines in general and the Gadhya Thrayam in Particular . Taatha

Desikan's " NyAsa VidhyA Prakasa" and VedAntha RaamAnuja Swamy's

"NyAsa Vidhyaa DarpaNaa" are two more commentaries on SaraNAgathy.

 

Sri Sookthis of Ahobila Matam AchAryAs

**********************************************

Sri Ahobila Matam was founded in the year 1398 C.E , when BhagavAn

Narasimhan inducted the First jeeyar of the Matam , Sri Adhi VaNN

SathakOpar . Few AchAryAs of Sri Matam have blessed us with

Sri Sookthis on Prapatthi/SaraNAgathy :

 

HH the 5th Jeeyar : Prapatthi PrayOgam

 

HH the 24th Jeeyar : Sri Prapathti

 

HH the 30th Jeeyar : Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Prapatthi

 

HH the 31st Jeeyar : Saanga Prapatthi

 

HH the 42nd Jeeyar : NyAsan Nishtaa MeemAmsa

 

HH the 42nd Jeeyar : Ukthi Nishtaa AabharaNam

 

HH the 42nd Jeeyar : Ukthi NishtAbharaNOdhayam

 

Additional Information on SaraNAgathy:

**************************************************

The Sundara Simham Series has few e-books that

will be relevant in the context of SaraNAgathi .

Please go to the e-book secion of the URL:

http://www.sundarasimham.org

 

1. Dhvya Churukku: e-book 13

 

2. Charama SlOka Churukku : e-book 20

 

3. Thiru Manthira Churukku: e-book 24

 

4. PradhAna Sathakam : e-book 27

 

5. Rahasya Thraya Saaram: e-book 32

 

Next adiyEn will summarize the First UpanyAsam of

Srimath Azhagiya Singar .

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan