GADYA-TRAYAM OF SWAMI RAMANUJA
Dr. V V Ramanujam, M. A., M. Sc., Ph. D., Editor, YatirAja
pAduka
(With the maNipravALa commentary by vyAkhyAna chakravathi swami
periyaAcchAn piLLai. Serialized with permission from the original
publisher,
Sri Parampara Sabha, Bangalore)
[Editor's note: It is the uninstigated grace of our lord and connection
to
swami Ramanuja that has given us this wonderful opportunity to
adapt
and serialize this seminal work in Sri VaishNavam. Swami
emperumAnAr's gadya-trayam is both fundamental to the
sampradAyam, and an essential aspect of Ramanuja Darshanam, very
necessary for everyone to learn about, understand, comprehend. The
incomparable commentary of swami periya Acchan piLLai has been very
aptly trans-literated by Dr. V V Ramanujam, to whom we will remain
forever in debt for allowing us this joy, the joy of getting close to
the
wondrous, inspired, divine, prose of our jagadAchArya]
FOREWORD - by Vidya bhUshaNa A N Srinivasa Iyengar swami
In Sri Vaishnava parlance, Gadyatrayam ranks in importance with the
other popular trayas like
lOkAtraya, kAlatraya, karaNatraya,
vEdatraya, agnitraya, dharmatraya (Vaikunta, KshirAbdi and Ravimandala),
nAmatraya (NarAyanA, Vishnu, VAsudEva),
rAmatraya (ParasuRAma, BalarAma and SrIrAma),
rAmAnujatraya ( LakshmaNa, Krishna and Bhagavad RamAnuja),
rahasya-traya (MantrarAja, Mantraratna and Charamasloka) and
tathvathraya (chith, Achith and Isvara).
The Gadyatrayam is a commentary on the exalted dvayamantra, the
mantra ratna which, together with
stOtra-ratna (by swami AlavandhAr) and purANa-ratna (VishnupurAna)
propound the essence of Sri Vaishnavam.
It is ordained that the esoteric meaning of the dvaya-mantra
should be learnt through the lineage of the traditional AchArya (OrAn
vazhi)
and should be meditated upon by the prapanna always
? dvayam arthAnusandhAnEna saha yAvath sharIrapAtam
atraiva SrIrangE sukhamAsva
(Lord srI rAnganAtha to swami RamAnuja in Sharanagathi Gadyam).
The first part of the mantra speaks of the means, namely, surrender
(saranAgathi)at the feet of the Lord
and the second part of the mantra the goal, result, namely, eternal
service to the
Divine Couple.
Thus, the dvaya-mantra propounds the prapatti sastra in its
entirety.