SaraNaagati gadhyam of AchArya RaamAnujaa : 1950 Sriman Bhaashyam's release of Sri VishitAdhvaita PracharaNi sabha , Madras : Part II

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SrI:

 

Dear Bhagavad RaamAnuja SampradhAyins:

 

yO nityamachyuta-padhAmbhuja-yugma-rukma

vyAmOhatas-tadhitarANi truNAya mEnE

asmath-gurOr-BhagavatOasya dhayaikasindhO:RaamAnujasya charaNou SaraNam prapadhyE

 

ChUrNikai 1: SrI Lakshmi SaraNAgati

 

BhagavannAraayaNaabhimata---SaraNamaham PrapadhyE

 

Meaning for the First ChurNikai ( K. BhAshyam):With no other help to resort to , I seek Thee , SrI DEvi , full of all beneficient Qualities , seated in a forest of lotus flowers: (Thou art) the refuge for all the helpless; ( Thou art) my Mother, indeed the Mother of the whole world.The crowned Divine Queen of the Lord of the devaas , the pure and the unsullied , never seperated from the Lord: Thyself , Thine form , its qualities , and the most wonderful , limitless innumerable collections of auspicious qualities of Thine such as , greatness , Rulership and high virtues . all to His liking and worthy of the natural form and qualities of Bhagavan NarAyaNa.

 

Commentary on the First ChUrNikai: This Gadhya is a commentary on the principle of the Dvaya mantra , which declares the Upaaya and UpEya nature of Brahman . In this context , it will be noticed that the Mantra (Dvaya) starts with the mention of Sri , who is full of (maternal) love and who is the ( Purushakaara) interceder for approaching the Lord , the almighty Father. As He , like all fathers , is sometimes harsh and not easily approachable. She is first to be propitated. Hence the gadhya starts with the exposition of the words ,"Sri" and "Srimat" . It may also be that "Sri" is first taken up for comment considering the fact that our ancient AchAryAs have said that the utterance of the Moola Mantra , Sri must be approached and Her affectionate permission taken from Her by praying to Her for PurushArtha and also for being made fit for performing the upAya (i.e)., SaraNAgati for achieving the PururshArtha .

 

The words " Bhagavat " and " NaarAyaNa" indicate the fullness of GuNa and VibhUti , and remind us that in both "Om NamO BhagavtE VaasudEvAya"

( DwaadaSAkshari) and " Om namo NaarAyaNAya"( AshtAkshari) , Lakshmi is closely associated .

 

The words Anuroopa and abhimata are used in conjunction, for there may be some cases anumata and not anuroopa and again anuroopa but not anumata. The object is to dispel such an idea ; that is to say that both co-exist here . The word guNa following roopa denotes the qualities of the Vigraha , such as beauty, etc.The words Aiswarya and Seela are used to denote collection of qualities implied by rulership and accessibility. Anavadhika is easily understood as greatness with no limit or boundary (i.e)., " with nothing above".

 

The next following 4 names exemplify the Paratva and Saulabhya of Lakshmi: The word "NityAnapAyini" is used to show that Lakshmi is ever present with,and not seperated from Her Lord , so that She may ever be ready to see that the faults of the erring souls may be veiled from His notice. Niravadya means that She is not unapproachable unlike ParamAtman , nor affected with any faults. Mahishee means the annointed queen; hence She is One whose wishes can not be transgressed( easily ignored by the Lord). Akhila in Akhila JaganmAtaram denotes that Ramanuja includes himself among those to whom She is a Mother. Asrayana means persons with no other resource to go for refuge. To show that the speaker includes himself in the class, the world AnanyasaraNa is used. Thus far , the prayer is to Sri DEvi.

 

ChUrNikai 2: Why this SaraNAgati to Her ?

 

ChUrNikai 2:

 

PaaramArthika BhagavaccharaNAravindha--avirataastu mE "

 

Translation of the Text of Second ChUrNikai

 

Pray Thee, bless my sincere and real SaraNAgati at the lotus feet of Bhagavaan so that it may become well and truly performed with all its angaas ( formalities) and be continued , without interruption till the goal of PurushArtha is reached. This is with the object of securing for myself the privelege of the occupation of ever-service to the Lord(i.e)., the satisfaction derived in all forms and kinds of service always suited

to the conditions and circumstances for the moments and which is the result of boundless intense devotion born out of the experience of enjoyment of the Lord that is, the unbounded limitless ,unselfish love for no other end but that of service direct to Him ,--A love perfect, enjoyed fully in all His manifestations,not only now but continously without any interruption--this again promoted by the sincere one-pointed and ever intense Para Bhakti ( i.e, the desire for His Vision) , Para Jn~Ana ( direct perception of God) , Parama Bhakti ( the longing to have that perception continued for ever) --Bhakti at the lotus feet ofthe Lord. ( This prayer to Sri is acceded by Her). Says Sri DEvi--" astu tE , Tayaiva sarvam sampatsyatE" (So shall it be Thus done, All is attained ) .

 

Commentary on ChUrNikai 2

 

Then the objective for which Lakshmi-SaraNAgati is performed as a preparatory step , is stated. The word PaaramArtika goes to qualify the word anubhava lower down. This word denotes either that Bhagavat-anubhava (i.e)., the enjoyment of vision of God included in Parama PurushArtha or that God Himself is the Parama PurushArtha. It may also mean "natural" and not artificial, (i.e)., caused by some external phenomenon. The word may be taken even as an adjective to the word Bhakti.CharaNAravindha impiles that He is so easily accessible to a Sesha or devotee as the breast-milk of a mother is available to her child. What is meant by aikAntika is that the SaraNAgati is performed with the sole object of pleasing the Lord and of no other , while Aatyantika means that as a consequence of the above , the bhakti or anubhava is a continous experience( Nityayukta) . Parabhakti may be defined as that longing of the devotee to have a direct vision of God for ever and ever. The achievement of that vision of God is Para GnAna . The desire to have experience of that vision continued or perpetuated for ever and ever is Parama Bhakti.

 

The next 6 words beginning with ParipoorNa go to qualify " anubhava"; ParipoorNa anubhava means perfect knowledge of the Lord in all stages and conditions ; that is, in Para , VyUha, Vibhava , Haarda and archaa stages ,which are His divine manifestations . Anavarata ( Continous) is the opposite of "once" or "sometimes".

The word nitya is used to repel any idea of limitation,(i.e).,to denote endlessness.

Why these two words? They are necessary denote continuity without interruption,

not like bathing or performing Agnihotra , which are nitya but are performed only at intervals or an occasions. Visadaatma dispels any doubt about the anubhava not being direct .AnanyaprayOjana is used to denote the opposite of there being some other object in view. The answer is "anavadhika atisaya priya" ,of affection ( Limitless , intensive). For though there may be no other object in view, there may be limit to the Preeti (affection). To denote that it is not so, these words are used here. That is to say , the devotion caused by such experience is unlimited in its extensiveness. Atisaya is pre-eminence. This experience of His by the devotee is explained to be with an ecstacy of feeling caused by the experience already obtained by him. By Asesha avasthaa are meant such things as being seated in the Mantapa, resting in the antapura etc. The word Seshatva means service , like holding the umbrella, waving the chaamara, sounding Kalanji( Thirucchinnam) serving as His sandals , handing over betel leaves, etc.

 

But we know that Ananta(Sesha) and Garuda have thier alloted tasks of service to the Lord. How then can all the services be open to a devotee? To explain away any such doubt , Ramanuja uses the words Rati-roopa. Service by whom-so ever done is to the pleasure of the Lord. So it is pleasing to the doer ; hence it also satisfies any

other devotee in the same way as if he himself has done that service . So Alavandaar uses the words " Praharshayishyhaami " only to gladden Thee , not for my own pleasure . Therefore , even if the service, is rendered by another , there is satisfaction as if done by oneself, and that is due to the feeling caused by witnessing the pleasure of the Lord by such service rendered by others ; such satisfaction itself is the service. The implication of the fourth ( dative) case ( NaarAyaNAya) is set out here. PaaramArthikee means that the Saranagathi is not the result of tamo guNa but due to the desire to do what will be pleasing to the Lord . That is the natural distinctive attribute of SaraNAgati , distinctive from other UpaayAs ( ways of attaining Him). " Yathaa avasthita" denotes that SaraNagati is not due to any rajo guNa . This is to be taken along with true manner in which SaraNagati is to be performed. It denotes its quality .It can not be true SaraNagati, if it is rendered unto a person not fit for such surrender . Avirata -uninterrupted till goal is reached , i.e. the direct means to attain the fruit desired and not indirect means does not last till the end but ceases at some time on the way.

 

"astu tE " these are the worlds of blessing by Lakshmi . Some say that these words were spoken by Sri Herself; some say that the words are what Ramanuja Himself says as having been spoken by Her as He felt sure that She would certainly say so; this is because She as SitA has already declared in RaamaayaNa " tEna maitri bhavatu "( Word used by SitA to RaavaNa). The word " sarva in sarvam sampatssyatE" is used to denote not only the supplicant but also all those connected with Him will be saved .

 

adiyEn SrI RaamAnuja DhAsan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan