SaraNAgati Gadhyam : Part X: ChurNikai 12

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- Dr.V.Sadagopan

SRS

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 2:49 PM

SaraNAgati Gadhyam : Part X

 

SrI:

 

Dear AchArya RaamAnuja SampradhAyins:

 

Today , we will cover the SaraNAgathy performed by AchArya RaamAnuja at Srirangam .

 

12. Performance of the SaraNAgathy

 

ananya SaraNas-tvath-PaahdhAravindha yugaLam SaraNamaham PrapdhyE

 

atra dhvayam

 

pitaram mAtaram dhArAn putrAn BhandhUn sakheen gurUn

ratnAni dhana-dhAnyAni kshEtrANi cha gruhANi cha

 

sarvadharmAmscha santyajya sarvakAmAmscha sAksharAn

lOkavikrnta-charaNou SaraNam tE avrajam VibhO !

 

ThvamEva MaatA cha PitA ThvamEva BandhUsccha GurustvamEva

ThvamEva vidhyA dhraviNam ThvamEva sarvam mama DevadEva

 

PitAsi lOkasya charAcharasya Thvamasya Poojyasccha gururgareeyAn

na ThathsamOstyabhyadhika: kutOnyO lOkatrayEapyapratimaprabhAva:

 

tasmAt praNamya praNidhAya kAyam prasAdhayE thvAmahameeSameeDyam

pitEva putrasya sakhEva sakhyu: priya: priyAyArhasi dEva sODum

 

12. Translation of Text

 

I seek Thy protection and surrender Myself unto Thine lotus feet .

 

atra dhvayam : Here dhvya mantram is uttered as the SaraNAgati Mantram .

 

Next ,SaraNAgathi is being performed with IthihAsa PurANa vaakyams and the prakriyAs of poorvAs : munnOrhaL vahutthuk-koduttha Vazhiyil SaraNAgathiyai anushtikkirAr.

 

So far, Dhvaya Mantra has been expounded .

 

12.1 Pitaram Maataram ---( I do prostrate before Thee) --Renouncing my Father, Mother , Wife, Children , relatives, Friends , even my teacher , precious stones, wealth and goods , my field, my house, etc, all desires ,and actions relating to them , as well as Kaivalya.I prostrate at Thine feet , which bestrode the Three worlds .

 

12.2 ThvamEva MatA--Oh Lord ! I surrender myself unto Thee. Thou alone art My Mother, My Father, Thou art My relations; even My Teacher Thou alone art; So also My learning ,My wealth. Indeed Thou art My All.

 

12.3: PitAsi lOkasya --Oh God of Gods! Thou art the Father of the worlds moving and unmoving , worshipped by the world. Thou art greater than the greatest. There is no one bigger than Thee in all these three worlds. Oh! Thou of Matchless glory !

 

12.4: TasmAth praNamya--Therefore prostrating before Thee , with my body bent in adoration , I pray unto Thee,the adorable Master. Thou art like a Father unto a son like a friend unto a friend, affectionate as to a Dear Person. Thou alone can save me.

 

12.1 to 12.4 : Commentary:

 

Calling himself as an ananya SaraNa ( helpless person) , RaamAnuja makes the surrender. " Thvath PaadAravindha YugaLam " points out that He is possessed of all various virtues and qualities mentioned before and hence the person to be approached.

 

"aravindha" because such prayer at His feet is a pleasant performance. YugaLa can be said to be explanatory of the dual ( charaNou) mentioned in dhvaya mantra.

" Aham " denotes the thought : " I who am a great sinner , who has accumulated an ocean of sins.

 

PrapadhyE: I surrender . Up to this , the first portion of dhvaya Mantra ( poorva BhAgam) has been expounded .

 

Then Sri Ramanuja goes on to give the full meaning of " Ananya SaraNa: SaraNam aham PrapadhyE " by referring to qiotations and passage fromthe PurANaas.

 

In the slOkAs quoted, all the things mentioned up to and including " GurUn" (i.e., the first portion) denote UpaayAs ( Means to attain the goal) . In this case DhAraa (wife) is included in the first portion as she is the means as well as bhOgya.The second half of the slOka mentions other things such as ratna etc., as they are considered valuable in this world. Then in the next slOka beginning with " sarva dharmAmsccha" , is set out the upAyAs to be used in the ParalOka ( the other world) andthe gains to be obtained through them.The word "akshara" denotes Kaiwalyam ( enjoyment by the soul of itself only).By the word Loka VikrAnta and VibhO are denoted His qualities of easy accessibility and almightiness .

 

Then the word " SaraNam " is expounded in the next slOkam ( ThvamEva MaatA--)

where the idea is conveyed that BhagavAn is the real Father and relation in the matter of protection etc., and to show that He does this function fully and better than the natural father and others.The words "Thvam yEva" is repeated at intervals . The idea that " not only is He my Father but He is also the Father of the whole world " is sought to be conveyed by slOka beginning with " Pitaa asi" . In the matter of protection of Jeevans , there is none to equal Him or excel Him. It is so even in the matter of to easy accessibility." apramita PrabhAvaa" pictures His almightiness.

 

Then , Prapatti (meaning conveyed by PrapadyE ) is expounded. " ISaam IDyam " conveys the idea that that there is no"ISaa" ( Lord ) above Him and He alone is to be worshipped , compare the Saanti passage " none to Lord over Him , the highest is His glory". Parents etc., forgive and bear with us because of their respective relationship .But Iswara does it because of His eternal connection with us in all manner of ways ( not merely relationship by birth); He is bound to forgive us. What is Prapatti ? Praptti is the Supreme Faith in the Lord , which culminates in

solicitation to Him of our desires or it may mean the prayer preceded by the Supreme Faith( PrArthanaa , ViSwAsa poorvakam) .

 

In the next three ChUrNikais( 13-15) , AchArya RaamAnuja houses his (1) Prayer for Purification (2) Prayer for being saved and (3)statement of the desired end , the eternal service ( Nitya , Niravadhya Kaimkaryam ) to the Lord.

 

adiyEn will cover the most moving prayers in the above three ChUrNikais as one unit

and then conclude the remaining three ChUrNikais ( 16-18) as the concluding unit

by tomorrow , the avatAra Dinam of Bhagavath RaamAnujA at SriperumbhUthUr.

 

Achaarya RaamAnujar ThirvadikaLE SaraNam

DhAsan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchri Sadagopan

 

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka SevakaSrivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama: