Prose 2 of SharaNaagati Gadyam

http://www.saranagathi.org/images/ramanuja.jpg http://www.saranagathi.org/acharyas/ramanuja/articles/life.php Dear All: As mentioned in earlier emails, with the installation of Ramanujaacaryas vigraham at the Sri Balaji Temples new facility (at 3325 Middlebelt Road, West Bloomfield, MI), it seems appropriate that we start chanting SharaNagati Gadyam, the immortal work of Sri Ramanuja which describes his surrender at the lotus-feet of Sri Mahalakshmi and Sriman Narayana. If one studies this Gadyam carefully, word-by-word, and also makes an effort to understand the meaning, word-by-word, one will gain all the knowledge about Bhakti yoga and Jnana Yoga as preached by KrishNa in the Bhagavad Gita. Indeed, Ramanuja has included several verses from the Gita in this Gadyam as a part of his blessed utterances of surrender.
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It is said the deities at Srirangam, where Ramanuja was the head priest, actually talked to Ramanuja when he performed this surrender (prapatti). I have started reciting this Gadyam during each visit to the temple (daily so far this week, since the inauguration). There are 18 main proses passages in this Gadyam, see text in different languages at www.prapatti.com. Presented below is the detailed text of the second of these 18 proses, in a more easily readable form, along with an explanation. For the discussion of the first passage click here or go to http://www.scribd.com/doc/115761097/Prose-1-ofRamanuja-s-SharaNagati-Gadyam . A careful and detailed study of the first few passages makes it is easy to understand the remaining since the main ideas and also the phrases used are repeated in the following passages. Three major SriVaishNavite internet sources were consulted; for more details click here or see http://www.scribd.com/doc/115438639/Jnana-Yoga-and-Ramanuja-sSharaNagati-Gadyam . Sources: click here, http://sriramanujar.tripod.com/gadya_trayam.html www.prapatti.com and http://www.srihayagrivan.org/ebooks/030_sg.pdf

Courtesy: http://www.prapatti.com/slokas/sanskrit/saranaagatigadyam.pdf

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Courtesy: http://www.srihayagrivan.org/ebooks/030_sg.pdf Translation of the Text: Pray Thee, bless my sincere and real SaraNAgati at the lotus feet of BhagavAn so that it may become well and truly performed with all its angAs (formalities) and be continued, without interruption till the goal of PurushArtha is reached. This is with the object of securing for myself the privilege 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 continuously 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 of the Lord. (This prayer to SrI is acceded by Her).
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Says SrI Devi: astu te | tayaiva sarvam sampatsyate | (So shall it be Thus done, All is attained).

The Lord as Ranganatha lying on His serpent bed Adishesha, as seen in Srirangam. Courtesy: http://www.srihayagrivan.org/ebooks/030_sg.pdf The 18 prose passages are also referred to as cUrNikaa (cUrNikai in Tamil), derived from cUrNam (or choorNam), which means powder. ChoorNika, or cUrNika, means grains, or particles, obtained from pounding a bigger solid object. The particles here are humble offerings, in the form of words (of the gadyam) produced by the devotion (bhakti) of the person wishing to surrender. It also refers to the fact that what we are offering is really insignificant (like dust particles) compared to the blessing of His grace.
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The first prose describes the Bhagavatee Sri Devi and the devotees (Ramanujas) surrender at the lotus-feet of the Divine Mother (asmat maatram sharaNam prapadye), who is also indeed the Mother of the entire Universe (akhila jaganmaataram sharaNam prapadye). The second prose being discussed now describes why the devotee (Ramanuja) wishes to surrender. Some say that when Ramanuja performed his prapatti (surrender) at Srirangam, Mahalakshmi Herself spoke to him directly and accepted his surrender and blessed him. Others say that the blessing (astu te l tavaiya sarvam sampatsyate l ) simply represents Ramanujas own belief of what She would say to him if She had accepted and responded to his surrender. = + (abstract form of after compounding or samas), the highest (parama) goal or objective (artha), the abstract form (like happy versus happiness) of which, after compounding, takes long vowel sound paa. = + + + yugala means a pair, charaNayugala is therefore two feet, charaNaaravinda means two lotus feet. Add Bhagavat and it means of Bhagavan. Strictly speaking, in Sanskrit, there is NO consonant sound although it is now increasingly used in many leading websites such as the ones cited. The original Sanskrit word is yugalam, or mangalam ( ) not mangaLam (). The Google Sanskrit transliteration tool, for example, only gives the first option but will give the second option if one chooses the language as Marathi (), for example, where the sound is used as it is also in Tamil. Sorry, am a bit of a purist on this point. Absolute, perfect, excessive, profuse, abundant devotion for the Supreme knowledge of the Supreme done with the highest of devotion (eventually all of this leads from bhagavadcharaNayugala to bhagavadanubhaba)

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 = + full nonstop, incessant, continuous = + always superlative form of vishada (like good, better, best), which means clear, pure, etc. hence clearest, purest, etc. without any other tools, instruments, needs, etc. without need for anything external, i.e., other than BhagavadcharaNaarvinda = + here means that which cannot be exceeded and so has no bounds or is unlimited and means a lot, plenty, bountiful which is followed by which means very dear, loving = means direct personal experience of Bhagavan and adding means produced (literally born) as a result of = preeti means love and preeti kaarita means produced (or made) out of love, or rendering lovingly. This is followed by ashesha avasthaa which refers to state (avasthaa) of finding joy, in its entirety (ashesha), in services being performed to the Lord, or just being there in the presence of the Lord. Ucita, which means appropriate, adds to this thought. = sheshataa refers offering services to the Lord (holding the umbrella, waving the chamaram, etc.) and aika means one and only whereas rati roopa refers to the joy felt from being able to observe and enjoy the services that are being performed by other devotees. Anyone who is rendering service is doing so for the pleasure of the Lord and the devotee is able to derive pleasure from that pleasure. daily (regular) services, literally anything and all that can be done = praapti means to able to get and apeksha is expectation; the expectation here is for being able to get the opportunity for render daily (regular) services to the Lord having the quality of bestowing parama arthaa (already discussed) = Lotus feet of the Lord surrender (literally the process of coming to seek shelter or refuge)
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 as performed (in the mode of goodness, satvam) S = avirataa means unceasing, never ending or interrupted and astu me means let it be

being performed by others (i.e., even when we do not have the opportunity to render the service ourselves but are able to see and enjoy it when offered by others, like priest, volunteers and so on at temple functions)

Prose 2 begins with paaramaarthika, which is derived from parama (highest) and (artha) which means goal or objective. Thus, paramaartha means the highest of all goals or objectives of life. In the Vishnu Sahasranamam, Phala shruti verses, for examples, four arthas or goals are mentioned (starting with the verse dharmaarthee praapnuyaat dharma) dharma, artha, kaama, and moksha. The word artha in the second of these four means wealth, or material prosperity or treasure. Thus, artha also means a great treasure, something that we cherish a lot more than just money. That is the meaning of treasure. Here Paraamaarthika is the abstract form of Paramaartha (like happy versus happiness). What is this greatest treasure? In the long string of adjectives we find Parabhakti, Parajnana, etc. and further down Bhagadanubhavajanita.

The first and second versions given above differ slightly in how the different words are broken up yugala (pair) should be associated with charaNaaravinda (lotus feet). There is really nothing wrong with splitting complex compound words and associating them in different ways as Krishna Himself mentions, in a different context, in Uddhava Gita (in the discussion about Mahat-tatvaas, we find different sages talking about them differently and Krishna says all are acceptable, see Canto 11, chapter 12, verse 25). Krishna says when wise people offer differ opinions one should not find fault (vidushaam kim ashobhanam) just accept them all and enjoy the different interpretations, as being clever arguments (yuktimatvaad), and not engage in acrimonious debate. All scholars especially should study this chapter of the Uddhava Gita section of Srimad Bhagavatam to fully appreciate the
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futility of the philosophical debates that we (unfortunately) engage in. The reason to emphasize this point here is Bhagavadanubhavam mentioned here by Sri Ramanuja. This means experiencing the Divine experiencing Bhagavan. This highest level of devotional experience can only be derived from parabhakti, parajnaana, paramabhakti mentioned here by Ramanuja, as qualifiers and precedents, for such bhagavad-anubhavam that has the property of Paramaartha and so becomes Paaramaarthika. In prose 2, Ramanjuas focus is really on Bhagavad charNaaravinda-yugala, the two lotus-feet of the Lord. Everything stated here derives from this charaNaaravinda. After yugala, Ramanuja adds Aikantika which means absolutely perfect. It is to these absolutely perfect lotus feet of the Lord that he wishes to surrender. It is with expectation (apeksha) of being blessed with the opportunity to serve the Lord, continuously, without any interruptions that the refuge of the two lotus feet is being sought. He would like to experience this joy fully so much so that even observing other offering service to the Lord becomes a great source of pleasure. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan December 8, 2012.

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