SARANAGATI

Sri Ramanuja winds up this invocation by giving expression to his own destitute state and performing Saranagati at the feet of the Bhagavan with the appropriate Dvaya Mantra.

Next Sri Ramanuja repeats some slokas from Jitante Stotra and from Bhagavad Gita which are in the form of a dialogue. By these he indicates how he has no other protector than Bhagavan and no other goal than service to Him. He also apologises for his shortcomings and prays that all his sins of commission and omission may be pardoned sins against God, sins against his devotees and sins of an unpardonable nature. He concludes his prayer with a request that he may be blessed with the divine experience and enjoyment of the Bliss of a Jnani about whom Sri Krishna says in the Gita – "It is my view that the Jnani is my own soul – a Soul of the Super Soul".

The last section of the ‘Saranagati-gadya’ contains the reply of Bhagavan to Sri Ramanuja vouchsafing pardon for all his sing because of his utterance of the Dvaya Mantra and assuring him of the Bliss of Service to Him. To reassure him, Bhagavan repeats the promise of redemption given by Him in His incarnations as Rama and Krishna to Vibhisana and Arjuna respectively on the sea-shore and on the chariot-board. He concludes with words of solace which dispel all fear and despair from the mind of Sri Ramanuja and leave him full of hope and joy.

That in short, is the Saranagati-gadya which is even now chanted before the Divya-Dampatis-Lord Ranganatha and Sriranga Nacciyar – with great love and zeal year after year on the Panguni Uttaram day a festival day of great religious and literary importance.