SARANAGATI

That leads us to the study of Saranagati, the Doctrine of Self-surrender in its various aspects, like the persons qualified to practise it, its auxiliaries and its greatness. As it is the only means which is within the easy reach of all of us, and as it is, again the means that is being adopted now by all our Acaryas for our redemption, we shall deal with it in some detail.

Before we conclude we give below a sloka of Sri Rahasyatraya-sara which describes briefly the various means and the nature of each one of them.

Karma-jnanam upasanam ca
sarana-vrajyeti ca avasthitan
San-margan apavarga-sadhana-vidhau
Sadvaraka-advarakan,
Eka-dvyakrti-yoga-sambhrta prthag bhavanubhavan iman
Samyak preksya saranya-sarathigiram
ante ramante budhah

Karmayoga, Jnanayoga, Upasana, (or Bhaktiyoga) as well as Saranagati have been prescribed as the good means for attaining the Moksa. Of these the first two (Karma and Jnana) are indirect means to Moksa, while the other two (Bhakti and Saranagati) are direct means. Wise men who know well that some, out of these different means have a single nature and that others have a twofold nature delight in the last words (Carama-sloka) of the Charioteer who is the saviour of all.

(The single and two-fold nature of the different upayas are: Karmayoga and Jnanayoga are means of Moksa through Bhaktiyoga.