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RE: saranAgati

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kmahesh • July 12, 2000 


Sri KrishnAya namah:

Dear Sree Mani varadarajan and Sreemati Vijayalakshmi Hari,

NamaskArams, 

Thank you for your kind and quick replys, I got some understanding of
prapatti ( saranAgati ) now.

I have noted down  following points one should follow to develop the mood of
saranAgati.

This is from Sree Mani vardarAjan's reply, 

1.	Show kindness to all living beings,
2.	Give up cruelty
3.	Abandon all pride and ego (this a broad statement, it may require
lot of things and hence I feel it is difficult ) 
4.	Abandon self effort and other efforts for seeking protection other
than faith that HE will protect. ( this is extremely difficult as SrImati
Vijayalakshmi Hari also said )
5.	Pray to the LORD for protection.

As I understood if one can do all the above 5 things - That means he is
actually surrendering one self completely at the lotus feel of the LORD. (
that is the 6th point - Atma niksepa) 


In Sree Mani varadarAjan reply I found the following 
	self-surrender --> actually laying the burden at His feet. This is
a one-time event and constitutes the heart of SaraNAgati.
And also in Sreemati VijayalakshmiHari's reply I found 
	.  "Prapatthi" has to be done only once "Sakruth Eva"

Now I have the following question. 

What is this one time activity you are refering to in both your mails, 

If someone follows some procedures and with some practice and of course by
the grace of supreme Lord and by AcArya kataksham, comes to the stage of
performing above 5 points perfectly and surrenders himself to the LORD. That
means he has done prapatti or saranAgati. 

You are saying this is one time activity, Is it refering a physical
activity? Or the MOOD as explained in above 5 points. 

Does this means one who does this , he is sure to reach vaikuntham, he need
not do anything else. 
What if he falls down after all above things, Please note that at the point
of surrender he was perfect, but later on due to non-avoidable circumstances
he falls down, he is not able to maintain the same mood. 
Even in this case will he reach vaikuntham ? 

My Second question in relation to prapatti. 

What Does it mean to say I have done prapatti under this AcArya. ( I know (
I am not sure ) that it consists panchasamskAram, Bharanyasam  ( idont know
the details )  ) 
What is the purpose of this prapatti - What is state of mind one should have
before accepting prapatti from an acarya. 
Does one should develop all above mentioned 5 points and go to acArya and
then perform a prapatti. 

I am confusing with these things ? 
Please enlighten me ? How to do prapatti ? both mentally and physically. ?
Role of Acarya ? Etc.,..

I am confused with different terminologies. Please forgive me if I am wrong
in presenting some of my doubts. 
I hope you have understood my questions. 

I am more confused after reading the 4 ways in which one does prapatti - (
Swanishta ...etc given by Sreemati Vijayalakshmi Hari ), Because after
reading I don't know what to take and what actions to take. 

( I beg forgiveness form Sreemati VijayalakshmiHari for writing the above, I
don't have any intentions of offending anybody. And I don't have any
intention of opposing the contents in this mail - I was explaining my
inability to understand ) 

Eagerly waiting for the shower of mercy thru your replys from all the
members of this list, 
adiyEn dasan,
Mahesh
 
 

		-----Original Message-----
		From:	Mani Varadarajan [mailto:mani@alum.calberkeley.org]
		Sent:	Wednesday, July 12, 2000 12:23 PM
		To:	bhakti-list@egroups.com
		Subject:	Re: saranAgati


		Sri K. Mahesh wrote:
		> 1. Can any body explain me the meaning of 
		> 
		> Anukulasya sankalpa pratikUlsya varjanam
		> raksisyati iti visvAso goprtve varanam tathA
		> Atmaniksepa kArpanye Sadvidha saranAgati

		Dear Mahesh,

		Coincidentally, just yesterday I was studying Sri naDAdUr
ammAL's
		"prapanna pArijAta", which discusses this and other Sloka-s
related
		to SaraNAgati. The "pArijAta" is a beautiful work because it
		presents ideas so simply, without excessive argumentation or
		doubletalk.

		The Sloka you cite above is one of the two most common
verses describing
		the mode of SaraNAgati. ammAL quotes it in the very first
chapter of
		his work. The verse, again, with translation, is:
		 
		  Resolution to observe conformity (to His will),
		  abandoning actions contrary (to it),
		  faith that He will protect,
		  a prayer for protection,
		  the submission of one's self (to Him),
		  along with a feeling of utter helplessness --
		  this is the six-fold SaraNAgati. 

		   ( AnukUlyasya sankalpa: prAtikUlyasya varjanam
		     rakshiSyati-iti viSvAso gOptRtvE varaNam tathA
		     Atmanikshepa-kArpaNye shaDvidhA SaraNAgati: )

		What this means is that the self-surrender that is the core
		of SaraNAgati is total and complete when combined with these
		other five attributes.  In fact, as one seeks refuge in the
		Lord, these other attributes should become natural in the
		individual.

		The other Sloka that is often cited is mentioned by ammAL in
		the second chapter. This Sloka elaborates on the appropriate
		mental attitude of this self-surrender:

		  "I am the abode of all sins, utterly helpless and without
		  any other recourse. O Lord! You alone must be my means!"
		  Such a condition of the mind is called SaraNAgati. 

		    ( "aham asmy aparAdhAnAm Alayo 'kincano 'gatiH |
		       tvam evopAyabhUto me bhava" iti prArthanA matiH
		       SaraNAgati: )

		> 2. Can any body provide me with at least 3 Practical
practice points for
		> each of the above 6 parts of saranAgati. So that I can put
them into
		> practice. I don't want to guess them. 

		Dear Mahesh, here is what ammAL has taught about these five
angas:

		1) resolution to conform to the Lord's will --> positive
acts of service,
		                                                kindness,
and love to all
		                                                beings

		    Out of the certainty of feeling that the Lord abides in
all beings,
		    kindness to all beings is said to be 'conformity to His
will'.

		     ( AnukUlyam iti proktam sarvabhUtAnukUlatA |
		       anta:sthitA'ham sarveshAm bhAvAnAm iti niScayAt || )

		2) abandoning ways contrary to His will --> giving up
cruelty and other
		                                            forms of injury

		   Furthermore, recognizing the universal pervasiveness of
He who 
		   is sought after in self-surrender, 'abandoning ways
contrary'
		   means refraining from cruelties and other injuries to all
beings.

		     ( etena vyAptivijnAnAt prapattavyaSya sarvaSa: |
		       AnukUlyasya sankalpAt prAtikUlyasya varjanam |
		       himsAdy apAyavirati: uktA sarveshu jantushu || )

		3) feeling utterly helpless --> abandoning all pride and ego

		   Because of one's incapacity to pursue other means to
moksha, 
		   and the inherent pitfalls theirein, relinquishing pride
and being
		   humble is known as 'kArpaNya'.

		     ( angasAmagryasampatter aSakteS cApi karmaNAm |
		       adhikArsya cAsiddhe: deSakAlaguNakshayAt |
		       upAyA naiva siddhyanti hy apAyA: bahulAs tathA |
		       iti yA garvahAnis tat dainyam kArpaNyam ucyate  || )

		4) faith that He will protect --> abandoning further
self-effort in this direction, 
		                                  and not seeking the favor
of others for
		                                  this purpose

		   By reason of His ability, His ease of accessibility,
		   His eternal union with compassion, and because of
		   the inherent relation of Him and that which He rules --
		   which is not know but which is is ever-existent --
		   the firm belief that He will protect us who conform
		   to His will is 'viSvAsa'. 

		5) a prayer for protection --> "O Lord! Be my protector!"

		   This is explained in the second verse cited above.

		Finally,

		6) self-surrender --> actually laying the burden at His
feet. This is
		   a one-time event and constitutes the heart of SaraNAgati.

		aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
		Mani

		P.S. ammAL's explanations are taken from the lakshmi tantra,
the
		     pAncarAtra source book for much of our understanding of
		     SaraNAgati.

		     It is also understood that in addition to the above,
one 
		     should do all of one's ordained religious duties as
service
		     and worship of God. 


	
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