Prose 1 of SharaNaagati Gadyam

Dear All: As mentioned in an earlier email, with the installation of Ramanujaacaryas vigraham in our Sri Balaji Temple (at the new facility, 3325 Middlebelt Road, West Bloomfield, MI), it seems appropriate that we chant the 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. Ramanuja includes several verses from the Gita in this Gadyam as a part of his
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surrender. It is said the deities at Srirangam, where Ramanuja was the head priest, talked to Ramanuja when he performed this surrender (prapatti). I have started reciting this Gadyam each time I visit the temple (daily so far this week, since the inauguration). Interestingly, there are 18 main proses passages in this Gadyam, see text in different languages at www.prapatti.com. I have presented below the detailed text of the first of these 18 proses, in a more easily readable form by breaking up the complex words, along with an explanation. I have consulted three major SriVaishNavite internet sources; for more details click here or see http://www.scribd.com/doc/115438639/Jnana-Yoga-and-Ramanuja-sSharaNagati-Gadyam . Also, as you can see, I have broken up the first long string of adjectives (which describe Mahalakshmi) slightly differently and this leads to an interesting interpretation as discussed below. Sources: click here, http://sriramanujar.tripod.com/gadya_trayam.html www.prapatti.com and http://www.srihayagrivan.org/ebooks/030_sg.pdf

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The asterisks denote places to pause while reading.

( ) * * * * * * * * * * ll 1 ll
In the first two verses (see earlier on page 5), prior to the start of the gadyam texts, the devotee offers obeisances to Ramanuja (the acarya) and also refers to him as the sage who is none other than LakshmaNa, the incarnation of Adishesha. Then in the first prose above is described the surrender of the devotee (Ramanuja) to the lotus feet of Mahalakshmi or Shree, the consort of the Lord who is described using various adjectives. This can be understood from Bhagavateem Shriyam Deveem. The longest adjective is the first ending with kalyaaNaguNagaNaam. BhagavannaaraayaNaabhimataanuroopa = Bhagavan + NaaraayaNaa + abhimata + anuroopa Swarooparoopa = Swaroopa + roopa
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The swaroopa here should be broken up and combined with the previous abhimataanuroopa. (Her swaroopam is abhimataanuroopam). The roopa here should be combined with following guNa, and adds to the string of kalyana gunas that are being mentioned and hence the text will read as roopa-guNavibhava-ishwarya-sheela-adi anvadhika atishaya.. etc. GuNavibhavaishwaraya = guNa + vibhava + ishwarya Sheelaadiyanavadhikaatishaya = Sheela + aadi + anavadhika + atishaya (aadi + anavadhika = aadya-na-va-dhi-ka then compound with sheela) Asankhyeya KalyaaNaguNagaNaam = asankhyeya + kalyaaNa + guNa + gaNaam Padmavanaalayaam = Padma + vana + aalayaam Bhagavateem Shriyam Deveem (no sandhis here) Nityaanapaayineem = nitya + anapaayineem * Niravadyaam (no sandhi) Devadevadivyamahisheem = deva deva divya mahisheem Akhilajaganmaataram = akhila + jagat + maataram Asamanmaataram = Asmat + maataram AsharNayasharaNyaam = asharaNya + shraNyaam AnanyasharaNashsharaNaham prapadye = ananya + sharaNah+ sharaNam+aham

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In the above, the main sentence can be taken as AnanyasharaNah sharaNam aham prapadye. Of this, sharaNam aham prapadye means, I seek refuge, I perform the act of surrender, etc. Who do I surrender to? AnanyasharNah sharNam.

The Lord as Ranganatha lying on His serpent bed Adishesha, as seen in Srirangam. Courtesy: http://www.srihayagrivan.org/ebooks/030_sg.pdf The compound word ananyasharNah, instead of viewing as the nominative case (prathamaa) can also be interpreted as the shashti form (genitive or the possessive case) for the base noun sharaNa. (Example, swaminah is the shasti form of swamin, and means belonging to swamin, of swamin, etc. Bhavatah is shashti form of bhavaan, belonging to bhavaan, etc.) In the nominative case, it describes the devotee (say, Ramanuja). However, ananya can be taken to qualify the first sharaNa and means one whose (indicates possessive case) refuge (sharaNam) is

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like none other, or one who possesses the quality of offering refuge to us that no one else possesses. It is to that person (or Divine) that I surrender, or seek refuge. Or, in the nominative case, this means, I am so sinful (committed so many paapaas) that no one else is willing to accept me but Mahalakshmi. We often see this attitude expressed, especially in Indian movie plots, where someone who is destitute seeks shelter and refuge, due to unfortunate circumstances and are spurned as being too much of a problem (e.g., someone destitute seeking a home, or an unmarried, raped, and pregnant woman seeking help, such people are referred to as paapis, or the bundle of paapams and thrown out without showing a mercy!) Who is this person, or Divine? This Divine Mahalakshmi is now described in more detail with all the string of adjectives, all ending in the sound aam (which signifies a female, as opposed to a male), in the rest of this passage. The simple exhortations, Bhagavateem, Shriyam, Deveem, immediately tell us that the devotee (Ramanuja) is seeking the refuge of the Shree (Mahalakshmi), the one endowed with all opulences (Bhagavateem), the Divine (Deveem). She is my Mother (asmat maatram) and also the Mother for the whole Universe (akhila jagat maatram) and so it is fitting that we seek Her refuge. Next, the asharaNya in asharaNya sharaNyaam means those who are so fallen, who have committed so many sins, so many heinous crimes, that it would seem that there is no place where they can find refuge. In the eyes of ordinary humans such fallen people have nowhere to go. Even such people can, however, find refuge at Her lotus-feet. This is the significance of this adjective. In other words, there is no need to be afraid any feel that anyone is unworthy of redemption. Everyone can seek Her refuge and She will grant them refuge. It is to this Divine Mahalakshmi that I surrender. Avadya means something to be condemned, which is faulty, censurable, etc. Niravadya is the opposite and hence means without a trace of any fault or blemish, One who cannot be censured in any way by any one. It is this Mahalakshmi that the devotee is surrendering. Why? Because She is faultless, She can also remove all the faults of those who seek Her refuge, like a piece of unmagnetized iron
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which gets magnetized as soon as it comes in contact with a magnet. The same property is transferred to and conferred upon those who seek Her refuge. Deva deva divya mahisheem is the easiest of all the adjectives to follow. She is the queen and therefore has lordship over all She is the Divine (divya) queen - of all the devas (celestials) and the celestials who are even more superior (deva deva). Anapaayinee means One who is a constant companion, nitya adds force to this thought. Always, daily, eternally, the constant companion of the Lord. Padma (louts) vana (forest) aalaya (house, abode) means One who is seated in, or makes Her abode in, the forest of lotus flowers. Mahalakshmi is completely surrounded by such lotuses because Her devotees are constantly showering Her with such flowers as they worship Her. Now, we have covered all the adjective except the first long string which ends with kalayana guNa gaNaam. The word gaNa refers to a group, or an assemblage. She is the very collection of all auspicious (kalayaaNa) qualities (guNa). They are innumerous, cannot be counted (asankhyeya, where sankhyaa means a count, as in jana-sankhya, which means the census, the counting of the population). To give us an idea the string roopa (beautiful form), guna (character, qualities, behavior), vibhava (glories, powers, greatness), aishwarya (opulences), sheela (pious qualities) aadi (and so on, etc.) is used. This is just a short list of Her kalyaaNa guNa gaNa. It is further qualified by anavadhika atishaya where anavadhika, as discussed, means boundless, or something that cannot be exceeded and atishaya implies bountifulness, abundance, etc., like a huge mountain. There is no end to Her good qualities, no limit, no way to exceed them. The string of adjectives that describe Shree of Mahalakshmi begin with Bhagavan NarayaNa. Her swaroopa roopam (how She really is) is described here. Abhimata means one that has received hearty approval from Sriman NarayaNa. In other words, just looking at her fills Lord NarayaNa Himself with joy. Sometimes, a daughter or a wife, when they are dressing up, will ask the husband, or father, or brother (some male person) for approval of their choice. After all, the purpose of such dressing up is to win approval. (Of course, does not guarantee that
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what the male approves of will be followed! Cheers!) Mahalakshmis swaroopam, however, has won full and hearty approval (abhimata) of Bhagavan. Her swaroopam is also anuroopam which means it follows that of the Lord, always compliments that of the Lord. So, when He came to us and walked on this earth as Shree Rama, She was also a human and followed Him as Seeta, and so on. The very essence of the complete harmony between the Divine Couple (divya dampati) is described by abhimataanuroopa swaroopa. Meaning (SrI. K. BhAshyam): With no other help to resort to (ananya sharaNah aham), I seek Thee, SrI Devi, full of all benevolent qualities (kalyana guNa gaNaam, with all the long list of qualifications mentioned), seated in a forest of lotus flowers (padma vana nilayaam): (Thou art) the refuge for all the helpless (asharaNya sharaNyaam); (Thou art) my Mother (asmat maatram), indeed the Mother of the whole world (akhila jagat maataram). The crowned Divine Queen of the Lord of the devAs (deva deva divya mahisheem), the pure and the unsullied, never separated (nitya anapaayineem) 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. Courtesy: http://www.srihayagrivan.org/ebooks/030_sg.pdf page 13

Very sincerely V. Laxmanan December 6, 2012

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