SARANAGATI

Such is the efficacy of the doctrine of Saranagati, properly performed. But even the learned entertain, with apparent justification, some doubts about this doctrine. We shall state the doubts and clear them as shown by Sri Desika.

The Highest Knowledge
King Janaka of Videha, which was famous in the olden times as a city of great kings, saints and scholars was the greatest of the princes in India and was endowed with spiritual insight and vedic knowledge. Hundreds of seekers of spiritual truth flocked there in search of knowledge. Once the king decided to perform a sacrifice or yajna, which was to be crowned in the end by what was known as "Bahu Dakshina", i.e. enormous gift. All the scholars in Vedic lore, sages and seers were invited on the occasion, and after the closing oblations to the gods, the time came to give away the Dakshina. The king asked the servants to bring all his cows which were a thousand in number and the horns of which were gilded with gold. The king said to the learned and enlightened assembly that he was going to make a gift of the cows to the greatest among them who was endowed with the knowledge of the self. For a time none of the persons assembled stood up to claim the privilege, but at last, there arose a man of arresting personality whose head was crowned with matted hair, a middle aged man of fine physique and resplendent face who asked his Brahmacharin named Samasrava to go and collect the cows and rake them to his ashrama. At this, a number of people got up and asked "Art thou, Yajnavalkya, then the most supreme of all men of knowledge? Asval, the king’s priest, who regarded himself as the greatest of the savants began to put himself questions to Yajnavalkya. Yajnavalkya, however, replied to him with humility and sweetness.