The Saranagati gadyam is the first of three compositions of SrI
Ramanuja
in Sanskrit prose. The three prose pieces (Gadyas) are expressions of
the
inner experiences of the great Acharya and are to be ranked with
the
mystic poetry of our Azhvars.
The Saranagati gadyam is actually a conversation between SrI Ramanuja,
SrI RanganAtha and His consort, srI ranganAyaki, and is a live exposition
of the doctrine of prapatti ? surrender at the feet of srI
Ranganatha.
On a Panguni Uttiram day in Sri Rangam, while Lord RanganAtha sat
in
court with His consort on His divine throne, SrI Ramanuja stood
before
them, surrendered himself and all his belongings to the divine and
begged that all his earthly sins be pardoned and that he be accepted
in
the service of the divine couple. He got so accepted, with
additional
assurance that all his spiritual protégés would be accorded what
was
assured to him.
Thus, the assurance of acceptance was not in isolation to swami
Ramanuja alone, but to all his spiritual progeny. It is on behalf of
all
humanity that Ramanuja pleaded and we, as his spiritual heirs, can
feel
assured of the Lord?s grace.
The SaraNAgati Gadya is a forceful commentary of the mantra ratna
(the gem amongst mantras), the dvaya mahA mantram.
The shorter SrIranga gadyam is an abridged version of
the SaraNAgati gadyam and is directly addressed to swami rAmAnuja?s
personal god - mamanAtha! (my master) SrIranganAtha! The vaikunTha
gadyam expresses the yearning of our jagadAchArya to reach SrI
VaikunTha, the supreme abode of Vishnu and serve the Lord and His
Consort. It recalls in spirit the last decades of the ThiruvAimozhi of
our
kulapathi, swami Nammazhvar.
The language of the Gadyas is nectarine. A recitation of these is
bound
to please the Lord as much it stirs and satisfies the reciter. The Lord
is
bound to grant our prayer, however sinful we may be, remembering
the
assurance He gave to the great Master.
The three Gadyas have been commented upon by several of our
Acharyas. Some of these commentaries are lost to us. The ones that
are
accessible to us are,
? The maNipravAla commentary of swami PeriyAvAchchAn PiLLai,
? The brief Sanskrit commentary of sudarsana bhattar and
? the gadya bhAsya of swami VedAnta DeSikA