You are here: SriPedia - Ramanuja - Archives - Nov 2003

Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00035 Nov 2003

 
Nov 2003 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Dear Shri Swamin,
My pranams. The question that you have raised is a wonderful one. I 
am sure many Bhagavathotthamaas would come up with nice posts on 
this. I am sharing something that I have heard regarding this 
subject. Please pardon my mistakes and ignorance.

In Bertrand Russell's, 'The Analysis of Mind', there is an 
interesting chapter where he deals with the two words, namely, 
Instinct and Habit. Instinct is what we do when we are put in a 
situation that we have "Never" experienced. For example, when we fall 
for the first time, our hands automatically go forward to protect any 
hit to our body. After couple of falls, we learn to control our hands 
to appropriately take care of our body. This latter phenomena is 
because of the habituation of the event falling. We get used to it 
i.e get the habit of handling the falling. Similarly, Saranagathi is 
a phenomena where one surrenders oneself to god(this usually happens 
only during worst times, for during our happy times, most of us, due 
to the very materialistic nature(prakruthi swabhavam), forget the 
lord). This surrendering is a one time act - like our instinct - for 
we know, saranagathi is an instinct - i.e atma swaroopam. But, this 
surrendering is not just enough to realise the lord. Realisation 
occurs when one is able to continuously surrender to him 
('consciously volunteering for his service') - this is what is the 
most difficult thing. In Dwaya Manthram, one first performs 
Saranagathi - 'Shriman Narayana Charanou Saranam' - is this 
sufficient? Per Dwayam, the answer is NO. Then comes, 'Prapathye 
Srimathe Narayanaya Namaha' i.e one says, 'I don't just stop with the 
surrender to Lord Shriman Narayana, but continue to hold his holy 
magnanimous lotus feet and continue to realize 
the 'dasatvam'(Narayanaya, Na-Ma). This wonderful concept of 
prapatthi is only in Dwayam and that is why Shri Maamunigal was so 
fond of it and was mostly into Dwaya-Anusandanam rather than any 
other Manthra-Anusandanam including Thirumanthram. Hence Saranagathi 
is the onetime-first act which 'must be followed' by Prapatti, only 
by which one gets the ruchi in Bhagavad Kainkaryam. if one just stops 
with Saranagathi, it may be more or less compared to those who just 
accept their helplessness, but only till they are helpless and once 
they get their help, they walkaway as if nothing has happened.

Learned Scholars kindly bear with my mistakes and please feel free to 
correct me.

Yatheendra Pravanam Vandhe RAMYA Jaamaataram Munim

Adiyen,
Ramanuja Dasan
--- In ramanuja@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, srinivasan arunapuram 
<arunapuram_s@xxxx> wrote:
> Azhwar thiruvadigale charam
> 
> emperumanar thiruvadigale charanam
> 
> jeeyar thiruvadigale charanam
> 
> appan thiruvadigale charanam
> 
> In upanyasams by eminent scholars most of us would have 
heard two words namely prapatti and charanagati being profusely and 
frequently referred to. Adiyen has a doubt whether they are synonyms 
meaning one and the same or is there any distinction between the two 
words? adiyen will be grateful if this doubt is clarified.
> 
> Adiyen
> srinivasa dasan
> 






[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
ramanuja-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list