Saranagati
Encyclopedia
Saranagati or Prapatti in the devotional school of Hindu denominations known as Vaishnavism
, is the process of total surrender
to God (Vishnu
or Krishna
). The process of Saranagati forms the basis of devotion to Godhead
in the bhakti
traditions within the Sri Sampradaya
, founded by Ramanujacharya (1017–1137 CE) and the Gaudiya Sampradaya
, founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
(1482–1533 CE). Ramanuja considered surrender to Visnu and His consort Lakshmi
to be the highest goal of life, while Chaitanya emphasizes surrender to Krishna and his consort Radha
as supreme.
The formal ritual of Saranagati or Prapatti is a Vedic and Puranic, scriptural and tradition backed ritual called Pancha-Samskara or "the five impressions" and another name is Samashrayanam. The individual receives the following:
Sri Alavandhar Stotram/Stotra Ratnam by Bhagawad Sri Yamunacharya
features following shloka which defines Saranagathi
Na Dharma Nishthosmi Na Cha Atmavedi
Na BhaktimansTvat Charanaravinde |
Akinchanonanyagati Sharanyam
Tvat Padamoolam Sharanam Prapadye ||
O Lord, I do not know Dharma, I do not Dnyana, I do not have Bhakti in your divine Lotus Feet. All I have is I am Akinchan (one who does not have anything), and Ananyagati (One who is totally dependent ONLY on You). This akinchan and ananyagati soul is surrendered to your Lotus Feet.
In Sri Bhagavadgeeta Bhagawan Sri Krishna explains Saranagati to Arjuna after explaining in detail Karma, Dnyana, Bhakti Yogas. Sri Bhagawadgeeta is a saar of all the vedas, upanishads, puranaas. And The following shloka is a saar of Sri Bhagawadgeeta. This shloka being Saranagathi mantram offered by Lord Sri Krishna to Arjuna, it is regarded as one of the three devine mantras of Srivaishnavism. It is also called as Charam Mantra
Sarva Dharmaan Parityajya Mamekam Sharanam Vraja|
Aham tva sarva papebhyo moksha ishyami ma shuchaha||
O Arjun, you relinquish all dharmas and surrender unto me. I shall deliver you from all the sins. Grieve not!
Swami Sri Sitaramacharya
(Vaikunth Mandap, Ayodhya) elaborated above charama shloka in Hindi Chhanda.
Dharmo Me Sadhan Bhava Taji Kainkarya Ki Kari Bhavana
Muzako Hi Sadhan Maani Raho Yadi Param Pad Hai Pavana
Mat Prapti Pratibandhak Agho Se Avashi Tohi Chhudavunga
Mati Shoch Nischaya Parampadmein bhi tumhe pachuchavunga
Leave sadhan bhav (upaya bhava) in all the dharma or activities and treat them as bhagavad kainkarya (seva) received from Bhagawan. You treat Only ME as your Sadhan (Upay/Means) if you want to attain Param Padam. I will release you from everything that obstructs you from attaining ME (may that be Papa or Punya. Even those punya or sukrut which take us away from the Lord should be treated as Papa or Agha). Do not worry I Shall even carry you to the Param Pad Dham.
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
, is the process of total surrender
Surrender (spirituality and psychology)
To surrender in spirituality and religion means that a believer completely gives up his own will and subjects his thoughts, ideas, and deeds to the will and teachings of a higher power. It may also be contrasted with Submission...
to God (Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
or Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
). The process of Saranagati forms the basis of devotion to Godhead
Godhead
Godhead , may refer to:*Deity*Divinity, the quality of being God*Conceptions of God*Godhead , the totality of gods, in Platonism the Transcendent One....
in the bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
traditions within the Sri Sampradaya
Sri Sampradaya
Sri Sampradaya or Sri Vaishnavism is a Vaishnava sect within Hinduism. Its origin and codification is generally traced back to Sri, Mahalakshmi eternal consort of Lord Vishnu. Around the 10th century when a collection of the devotional hymns and songs by Alvars was organized by Sri Nathamuni, who...
, founded by Ramanujacharya (1017–1137 CE) and the Gaudiya Sampradaya
Gaudiya Vaishnavism
Gaudiya Vaishnavism is a Vaishnava religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in India in the 16th century. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gauḍa region with Vaishnavism meaning "the worship of Vishnu"...
, founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a Vaishnava saint and social reformer in eastern India in the 16th century, believed by followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism to be the full incarnation of Lord Krishna...
(1482–1533 CE). Ramanuja considered surrender to Visnu and His consort Lakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
to be the highest goal of life, while Chaitanya emphasizes surrender to Krishna and his consort Radha
Radha
Radha , also called Radhika, Radharani and Radhikarani, is the childhood friend and lover of Krishna in the Bhagavata Purana, and the Gita Govinda of the Vaisnava traditions of Hinduism...
as supreme.
The formal ritual of Saranagati or Prapatti is a Vedic and Puranic, scriptural and tradition backed ritual called Pancha-Samskara or "the five impressions" and another name is Samashrayanam. The individual receives the following:
- An initiation 'spiritual' name such as a name of VishnuVishnuVishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
or one of his devotees such as Ramanujacharya, suffixed with the word dasa (meaning "servant" or servant of). Examples being Vishnu dasa, or Ramanuja dasa. (Nama samskara) - Tiruman or TilakaTilaka200px|thumb|right|Indian woman with tilaka and [[Bindi |bindi]]In Hinduism, the tilaka or tika or tilak is a mark worn on the forehead and other parts of the body...
on the foreheand and 12 marks on certain parts of the body, which signifies that they belong to Vishnu and that their bodies, minds and Souls is the walking temple of Laxshmi-Narayana. (Pundra samskara) - Special branding on the shoulders of the Counch (PanchajanyaPanchajanyaPanchajanya is the conch of the Hindu god Vishnu, one of his four attributes together with the mace Kaumodaki, the disc-like weapon Sudarshana Chakra and a lotus flower....
) and Chakra or wheel (Sudarshana) of Vishnu by the guruGuruA guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
. (Thapa samskara) - Learning to do ArchanaArchana-Other people: * Archana, an Indian actress*Archana Nair, an American Malayali model*Archana Nayak, an Indian politician*Archana Sharma, an Indian experimental physicist*Archana Udupa, a Kannada singer...
or Puja or ritual worship of Laxshmi-Narayana from the Guru. (Yajna samskara) - Learning three special mantras to Vishnu from the guru. (Mantra Samskara)*
Sri Alavandhar Stotram/Stotra Ratnam by Bhagawad Sri Yamunacharya
Yamunacharya
Yamunacharya or Alavandar was a vishistadvaita philosopher in Srirangam. Ramanuja, one of the leaders of the srivaishnava school sought to be his disciple. He was born in early 10th century CE and was the grandson of a brahmin, Nathamuni. Nathamuni was a famed yogi who collected to the works of...
features following shloka which defines Saranagathi
Na Dharma Nishthosmi Na Cha Atmavedi
Na BhaktimansTvat Charanaravinde |
Akinchanonanyagati Sharanyam
Tvat Padamoolam Sharanam Prapadye ||
O Lord, I do not know Dharma, I do not Dnyana, I do not have Bhakti in your divine Lotus Feet. All I have is I am Akinchan (one who does not have anything), and Ananyagati (One who is totally dependent ONLY on You). This akinchan and ananyagati soul is surrendered to your Lotus Feet.
In Sri Bhagavadgeeta Bhagawan Sri Krishna explains Saranagati to Arjuna after explaining in detail Karma, Dnyana, Bhakti Yogas. Sri Bhagawadgeeta is a saar of all the vedas, upanishads, puranaas. And The following shloka is a saar of Sri Bhagawadgeeta. This shloka being Saranagathi mantram offered by Lord Sri Krishna to Arjuna, it is regarded as one of the three devine mantras of Srivaishnavism. It is also called as Charam Mantra
Sarva Dharmaan Parityajya Mamekam Sharanam Vraja|
Aham tva sarva papebhyo moksha ishyami ma shuchaha||
O Arjun, you relinquish all dharmas and surrender unto me. I shall deliver you from all the sins. Grieve not!
Swami Sri Sitaramacharya
Swami Sri Sitaramacharya
Swami Sri Sitaramacharya Maharaj has been one of the most important Srivaishnava Acharyas of 20th Century. Swamiji's revolutionary approach made the Sri Ramanuja Sampradaya even easier for the Shishyas to follow and attain perfection....
(Vaikunth Mandap, Ayodhya) elaborated above charama shloka in Hindi Chhanda.
Dharmo Me Sadhan Bhava Taji Kainkarya Ki Kari Bhavana
Muzako Hi Sadhan Maani Raho Yadi Param Pad Hai Pavana
Mat Prapti Pratibandhak Agho Se Avashi Tohi Chhudavunga
Mati Shoch Nischaya Parampadmein bhi tumhe pachuchavunga
Leave sadhan bhav (upaya bhava) in all the dharma or activities and treat them as bhagavad kainkarya (seva) received from Bhagawan. You treat Only ME as your Sadhan (Upay/Means) if you want to attain Param Padam. I will release you from everything that obstructs you from attaining ME (may that be Papa or Punya. Even those punya or sukrut which take us away from the Lord should be treated as Papa or Agha). Do not worry I Shall even carry you to the Param Pad Dham.
In practice
Saranagati is divided into six divisions:- Accepting those things that are favorable for devotion to God (anukulyasya sankalpa)
- Rejecting those things that are averse to surrender to God (pratikulyasya varjanam)
- Considering God to be one's protector in all circumstances (raksisyatiti visvasa)
- Accepting God as one's maintainer (goptrtve varanam)
- Surrendering everything in God's service (atma-niksepa)
- Cultivating a humble attitude (karpanya)