At 68 years of age, again “I’m getting married in the morning …”!

On the sacred Tirumala Hills of my native town of Tirupati, in the presence of the presiding deity there, Sri Tiruvenkatamudaiyan , in the holy premises of Sri Ahobila Mutt, on the auspicious day of August 15, 2024, happening also to be the day of my 68th “janma tirunakshatram” of Moolam in the month of Aadi (my birthday as per lunar calendar) , under the aegis of HH Srimad Azhagiyasingar, the 46th Peetadhipathi, Srimathe Srivan Satagopa Sri Ranganatha Yatheendra MahaDesikan, I shall get wedded to Sarveshwaran Sriman Narayanan through the Sri Vaishnava sacrament called “ATMA VIVAAHAM”. This wedding rite is also variously known otherwise as Prapatti, Saranaagathi, bharannyaasam, Atma Nivedanam or Atma Samarpanam.

Swami Nammazhwar was wedded in this way to Sri Tiruvenkatamudaiyan of Tirumala and that moment has been immortalised through the Azhwar’s own evocative lines in the Tiruvoimozhi:

For me personally , the rite to be called “Atma Vivaaham” seems the most apt of all since it connotes a wedding .. .. and all weddings call for joyous celebrations, signifying as they do momentous consummation of soulful union.

Our paramaacharya Sri Vedanta Desikan has clearly explained why Atma Vivaham is the aptest of all names that are given to this most auspicious of samskaara in Sri Vaishnava sampradaayam.

A summary of Sri Desikan’s nirvaaham or explanation is given below which I — as the prospective bride who will ascend to the wedding altar tomorrow morning ! —- thought it would be fit to share here with everyone … my family, my relatives friends and well-wishers too.

Daasoham 🙏🙏🙏🙏

Sudarshan Madabushi

SrI:
Shrimate Shri Lakshmi Nrusimha Parabrahmane Namaha:
Shrimate Shri Seetha Ramachandra Parabrahmane Namaha:
Shrimate Shri Ramanujaya Namaha:
Shrimate Nigamantha Maha Desikaya Namaha:
Shrimate Shrivan Satagopa Shri Narayana Yateendra Mahadesikaya Namaha:
Shrimate Shrivan Satagopa Shri Ranganatha Yateendra Mahadesikaya Namaha:

"SrimAn VenaktanAthArya: kavithArkika kEsarI!
VedAnthAchArya varyO mE sannidhatthAM sadhA hrudhi"!!

Swami Desika glorifies the exceptional greatness of Prapannas.

In Saranagathy Deepika, swami states that the mantras used by
Prapannas during the performance of Prapatti are based on
authoritative pramAnas.

"mantrairanusravamukheshvadhigamyamAnai:
swAdhikriyAsamucitairyadi vAnyavAkyai: !
nAtha tvadIyacaraNau sharaNam gatAnAm
naivAyutAyutakalApyaparairavApyA !! "

-- SaranAgathy Deepika (29)

Swami states that people who follow other paths can never be
equated to Prapannas who have surrendered at the Lord's feet.
They utter mantras appropriate to the upAsaka.

The mantras may be from Vedas, Pancharatra, other authoritative
pramAnas or the vAkyAs that have originated from Alvars and
poorvAcharyas. Swami's respect to Alvars and poorvAcharyas is
so great that Swami refers to their words as equal to the
Srutis and Itihasa-Puranas.

Swami's concern to us knows no bounds. Swami views every thing
from our position and gives us answers for all our queries.
There are a lot of false notions about Prapatti. The following
Sloka of SaranAgathy Deepika clarifies such false notions.

"dattA: prajA: janakAt tava dEsikEndrai:
pratyAbhinandya bhavatA pariNIyamAnA: !
madyE satAm mahitabhOgavishEshasiddayai:
mAngalyasootramiva bibrati kinkaratvam !!"

-- SaranAgathy Deepika (30)

In this Sloka Swami portrays Prapatti as an atma vivAha (wedding).

The wedding here is between the Jeevatma and the Paramatma. The
soul is the bride and the Lord is the bridegroom. This wedding is performed by the Acharya who is the father. This father (the Acharya) does kanyaadAnam to the Lord. Lord Vishnu, the bridegroom, is extremely pleased with the gift and takes holds of the Jiva.

It becomes the duty thereafter of the Lord to Protect this Jiva just as how a husband has to protect his wife!

Similarly, a wife (Prapanna) also has certain duties to be performed (to the Lord). Even in the LowkikA life (as a wife), we have to follow strI dharma, so as a Prapanna, we are expected to follow Prapanna Dharma.

In the uttarakrutyam (after Prapatti), a Prapanna lives in the midst of dedicated souls and engages oneself in service to the Lord, which is like keeping the Thiru mAngalya safe and sound.

(This can be related to a married lady relating herself to her husbands well wishers, serving her husband and his relatives)

A wife (Prapanna) tries to please her husband (the Lord) in all possible ways. She tries to do only those that will please her husband and will honestly try to desist from doing anything that will not please him.

The most important thing that is expected of a wife is her chastity. She should have chastity in devotion towards the Lord. Just as how a wife expects all her requirements to be satisfied by her husband
alone, so also, a Prapanna should rely only on the Lord and should not go behind anya devatas.

In the 72nd Sloka of Achyuta Satakam Swami Desika compares a true devotee to a chataka bird. This is a species of bird which has got a hole in its throat. This hole prevents it from drinking the water from ponds and lakes. So this bird can quench its thirst only when
there is rainfall. The rain water can go into its stomach straight through the upturned neck and open mouth. So, mere gathering of thick rain-clouds
will not quench its thirst. Even if heavy dew sets in it is of no
use to it.

Similarly, Swami states that, to a true devotee of the Lord, who
always looks up to the Lord to quench his thirst the other devas- singly or put together can be of no help!

By explaining SaranAgathy as a wedding Swami has put to rest a lot of questions and misgivings that could arise because of ignorance in the minds of people.

Many people link SaranAgathy with death or world rejection or world-weariness.They have a feeling that if Prapatti is undergone by a person he or she will die at once or else will become an outright renunciate. They fail to understand that during Prapatti, we can request the Lord for reaching Srivaikuntam only at the end of this mortal life. There are yet others who say that Prapatti can best be be performed immediately before death because otherwise after Prapatti, they would be expected to become strictly very orthodox and have to abide by all kinds of strictures and prohibitions imposed by saastras and not be free to move freely in society as before or continue to maintain same lifestyle. 

Swami has hence portrayed Prapatti an atma vivAham which can bring about happiness and a feeling of relief and freedom from burdens of mortal bondage. Prapatti removes our burdens in life and that in fact is really the only objective of every Jivatma!

It is an understatement to state that we are extremely fortunate to be disciples of Swami Desika who has systematized Prapatti as a valid theological doctrine for our sakes. We should be eternally grateful to Swami!

(The above write up is based on Shri R.Ramaswamy Aiyangar's
commentary on Swami Desika's SaranAgathy Deepika and Achyuta satakam). 

"Kavi Taarkika Simhaaya Kalyaana guna SaalinE!
SrimatE VenkateshAya VedAnta Gurave nama !!"

Daasoham

Sudarshan Madabushi

PS: 15 August 2024. 8:00 AM :

July 20th happens to be my date of birth per the Christian calendar . This year on the very same day I was in Sri Rangam temple enjoying Vishwaroopam Darshan of Lord Sri Ranganatha Perumal.

And on my Varshika Janma nakshstram today I’m in Tirumala waiting for HH Srimad Azhagiyasingar to initiate me into bharannyaasam.

Seems to me like a divinely ordained coincidence .

😊🙏
Sudarshan