SrI:
Dear AasthikAs :
The Scope of Gadhya Thrayams
****************************************
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
********************************
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
********************************************************************
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
***************************************************
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
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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