Miscellaneous - Religion   

Elements of surrender

CHENNAI : Among the descents of the Supreme Being in this world those in human form as Rama and Krishna are important for mankind for they vouchsafed liberation to one who adopted surrender to the Lord (Prapatti, Saranagati) as the means to redemption. This concept is unique to Srivaishnava theology. It has attained the supreme status in the tradition due to the fact that anyone can adopt it and also because of its efficacy as the burden of one's deliverance from bondage is shifted to the Lord. Primarily it is the acknowledgement of the inability to follow the other methods (Bhakti yoga) prescribed in the scriptures to realise God.

In their discourse, Damal Sri Ramakrishnan and Srimathi Perundevi Seshadri said Saranagati had six elements when it was taken recourse to as the means to liberation. First and foremost is the determination to follow the rules and regulations laid down by the Lord (scriptures). Its corollary is the second prerequisite, which is the resolve not to transgress the laws laid down by the Lord. Next is the feeling of helplessness to progress spiritually. The person must repose unconditional faith in the Lord as the sole refuge. Then he must consciously seek the Lord as the protector and pray to Him for protection. The sixth constituent is the actual offering of one's soul to the Lord with the expression of the above-mentioned feelings.

Vibhishana's surrender to Rama after he parted ways with his brother Ravana as he did not want to be party to his flouting of Dharma has all the essential constituents of Saranagati. Rama's assurance, "I vouchsafe security against all living beings to him who comes to me only once and seeks protection (from Me) saying `I am Yours'; such is My vow," has thus become the leitmotif of the Ramayana, as it has come to be hailed in tradition as a scriptural authority for the doctrine of Self-surrender. The other important scriptural source for Saranagati is the final teaching of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita: "Resigning all your duties (efforts at moral and spiritual upliftment) to Me, take refuge in Me alone; I shall absolve you of all sins, grieve not." Rama not only offered protection to Vibhishana but also declared that with his friendship they had become seven brothers (with Guha and Sugriva). Such was the extent of the Lord's graciousness.

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