The golden gateway beckons

On the occasion of Sri Ramanuja Jayanthi celebrated recently, PREMA NANDAKUMAR expatiates on the savant's Saranagati Gadya, a prose hymn of surrender that is more like a three-way conversation in which the God and Goddess also participate.

IT IS well known that Goddess Ranganayaki remains self-confined within the walls of her temple in Srirangam. There is only one day in the year when we see the Goddess with Lord Ranganatha on the same stage. This occurs in the Panguni month (March- April) on the Uttaram asterix. A very interesting prelude takes place on the Panguni Uttaram day when the Goddess refuses entry to the Lord since he had been found roving elsewhere. Her maids throw fruits and other sweet- scented stuff on the Lord and his retinue. It takes quite an amount of cajoling on the part of Nammalwar to bring the two together. The peace making is not easy for there is a virtual battle of words between the Supreme Couple known as ``pranaya kalaham''. The secular externals are enjoyed by the milling crowds though there is no trace of vulgarity about the sacred drama. Everyone accepts that this is the recurring message of the Jeevatma and Paramatma being brought together by the Acharya.

When the Goddess questions the disarray in the dress and ornamentation of the Lord, Ranganatha says with enviable ease:

``Yes, my eyes have grown red. As one who carries the sceptre, I have to keep awake all the night, going round and seeing that all is safe. The tresses are loose because of the heavy wind. The Kasthuri sign on the forehead is gone due to sweating in the hot sun... I am late because on my way back some fellow called Tirumangai Azhwar stole all my ornaments. I cajoled him into returning my things, but on checking up the list, found a ring missing, so I went searching for the same in the sands of the Kaveri. Meanwhile the Gods came with Parijatha flowers for worship. I told them that I never accept such honours without my consort being present so I have come with them. Please do open the door!''

As the Arayars speak on behalf of the deities, there is soul- elevating drama, and soon we have the Panguni Uttaram Serththi (togetherness) of the Lord and the Goddess in the Panguni Uttara mandapam. Thousands come to have darshan now in the mandapam which is known also as Saranagati mandapam as it is here that Sri Ramanuja surrendered to the two through his Saranagati Gadya, which along with the other two prose hymns (``Sri Vaikunta Gadya'', ``Sriranga Gadya'') is recited at night as the ``Tirumanjanam'' goes on. It is a great vision indeed.

Sri Ramanuja's services to Srivaishnavism through popularising the Ubhaya-Vedanta concept, is well known. His Sri Bhashya as well as the commentary on the Gita and other works of Vedanta are noble edifices that have guarded Srivaishnavism during the past 600 years. But the Gadyas are nearest to the heart of the common man.One does not need high flown scholarship to be in a possession of these three gems of prayer. Of the three the first and the longest is the Saranagati Gadya, a prose hymn of surrender that is more like a three-way conversation in which the Lord and the Goddess also participate. The diction is surprisingly beautiful.

The Gadya stands witness to the ways of Sri Ramunaja in making a tattva into a living experience. The central concept of Srivaishnavism is one's surrender to the Divine Couple as a Two- in-One presence which alone assures one of total guardianship. The Ramayana stands witness to this concept. Surpanakha who sought Rama alone and Ravana who abased himself at the feet of Sita were both destroyed whereas Kakasura surrendered to the Lord in the presence of Sita and was saved. There is no place for dry philosophy in Ubhaya Vedanta. Even the Gita is used as an experimental instrument and not merely as an ethical treatise by Sri Ramanuja. To him alone goes the credit of having made a verse of the Gita (the Charama Sloka) an inalienable part of the Samasrayana ritual and thus the work itself as holy for the practising Srivaishnava. The verse is one of the three secrets (Rahasya-traya). The Gadya is thus a living experience of the term, ``man ekam saranam vraja'' in the Gita.

While pathways to God as Karma, Bhakti and Jnana yogas are of incalculable value, not all can practice them to perfection. But Prapatti (the path of surrender) is for all! Sri Ramanuja opens with a salutation to the Divine Mother. This was the path settled by Alavandar in his Chatuh- Sloki: O Mother whose consort is Purushottama! The Gadya has such an opening too: ``Mother who is equal to the Supreme Lord of all-auspicious qualities!'' According to Peria Achan Pillai, the Mother is the life (taraka) of the Lord and He is Her life. Sri Ramanuja uses several descriptive terms to relate the Mother to us. She is ``Padmavanayala'' (the sweet scent of auspicious qualities is indicated here), Bhagavati (in charge of his emotions), Sri, Devi, Nityanapayini (Ever United with Him), Niravadhya (using all her greatness only for the good of others), Devadeva Divyamahishi (the noble consort of the Lord of Immortals), Akhilajaganmata (Universal Mother). Though Mother of all creation, Goddess Ranganayaki has time to give personal attention to each and everyone of the souls. Hence the term Asmanmata, my mother, used by Sri Ramanuja.

Naturally when Sri Ramanuja follows this up with a soulful prayer for the Mother's mediation in his spiritual endeavours, she gives a promise: ``Astute. So be it. May your desires be fulfilled.'' Excited by this golden promise, he now goes on an extended enumeration of the auspicious significations contained in the term Narayana. There are the qualities (heroism, compassion, gentleness), ornaments (here the weapons are battle-sharp implements as well as adornments) and servitors innumerable. The dwelling of the Lord is pervaded by Ananda consciousness.

The Acharya now surrenders to Narayana after using familiar quotes from the Puranas and Itihasas to underline the validity of his approach. This is how the ancients have performed ``saranagati''. He then gives, as it were a ``Prapatti-model''. At the outset a prayer for a general pardon, for sins committed in this life as well as committed in earlier lives, and those he might commit in the future. Then a prayer for true knowledge, the Para Vidya and a severing of relationship with false knowledge. True knowledge alone can remove our attachment to the material envelope that gives us a shape.

Such `saranagati' draws an assurance from the Lord. Yes, though the aspirant may be part of the mire of samsara and is himself not quite worthy of such a special love, the Lord will yet save him from all evil and grant him his desires on the earth and beyond. He need worry no more. ``Reside in Srirangam comfortably... Do not have doubts about the fulfilment of the promises made by me. My words never fail''. It is obvious Sri Ramanuja's prayers for ``bhagavad-anubhava'' bore fruit immediately and he was able to listen to the Lord's comforting words, a version of Gita's ``Ma suchah'' for our times.

Could such a miracle happen? Would Ranganatha himself speak to a human being? Embar, an earnest disciple, seems to have questioned Sri Ramanuja himself: ``How are we to believe that the Lord spoke so?'' Pat came the Acharya's reply: ``My Lord showed me all his auspicious qualities like compassion, and made me speak so. Hence there is no need to disbelieve the words as having been spoken by Ranganatha.''

Centuries later, even now as the day moves towards midnight and beyond, and the recitations and rituals go on in the Panguni Uttara Mandapam in Srirangam when we see Goddess Ranganayaki and Lord Ranganatha seated on the same throne, there are moments when our minds grow still and the deeper listening of the soul comes to the fore. And then one bears the voice of the Divine giving the assurance in Saranagati Gadya: ``You will henceforth be immersed in my service which will give you the anubhava of the divine... My words never fail: maa the bhudatra samsayah''. Such is the golden gateway to God-experience gifted to us by Sri Ramanuja.

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