गद्दत्रयम: Gadyatrayam of Bhagavad Ramanujacarya

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Since 1977, the Academy of Sanskrit Research, Melukote, has been the torch bearer of our vast and rich Sanskrit Cultural heritage, especially in the sphere of Visistadvaita philosophy of sri Ramanujacarya. The Academy has brought out many of the old Sanskrit works into the public domain that are easy to read, understand and contemplate.

The Gadyatrayam is a prose-poetry on the exalted dvaya-rnantra, mantraratna which, together with stotra-ratna (by Swami Alavandar) and purana-ratna (Visnupurana) that propounds the essence of Sri Vaisnavism. Gadyatrayam was published by our Academy in the year 2009. The first edition of Gadyatrayam was a tremendous success among national and international readers and lovers of Indian philosophy, especially, classical Sanskrit literature, and we are proud to convey that the book ran out of print in a very short time. The demand for the publication of the book has increased globally and the Academy is receiving requests from all the quarters of readers for a re-print edition of the book. Hence the Academy has re-printed Gadyatrayam in 2014 to fulfill the requests of our valuable readers.

On this occasion, the Academy requests all the scholars and readers to read and meditate on the knowledge conveyed by Gadyatrayam and experience the bliss that is felt within oneself.

The patrons for this great work are the Management of the Academy and the State Government of Karnataka. The Academy is very much grateful for the contributions made by the scholars of the Academy, the printing team, Art designer and the binders of the book, for making the re-print of the auspicious Gadyatrayam to happen on time.

We look forward to enterprising years ahead as we have several good and rare publications to be brought out in the year of millennium celebration of our Humanitarian Acarya par excellence Bhagavad Ramanujacarya in 2017.

The great Apostle Bhagavad Ramanujacarya who flourished in the eleventh century, postulated Bhakti as universal medium through which one could, not only liberate himself from wordly tribulations but also attain the supremely blissful abode of the Lord Srimannarayana.

Among the stupendous works of Acarya Rarnanuja, Gadya-traya, an encomium of infinite virtues and attributes of the Lord, sung in prose- poetry. This Magmum Opus of the great Acarya has all prose-lyrical nuances.

As the name suggests 'Gadya-traya-triad of Gadyas' (Proses) is comprising three gadyas such as Saranagati Gadya, Sri Ranga Gadya and Vaikuntha Gadya.

In the first of the Gadyas, Saranagati, there is the conversation between Acarya and the Lord Srimannarayana Himself, wherein 'Prapatti'- Utter dependence on the Lord, appreciated as the only way to 'release' to be with the Supreme Lord, proffering service unto Him in 'paramapada; the supreme abode. Acarya Ramanuja has detailed here about the ways of utter devotion unto the Lord. In second of the Gadyas, sri Ranga Gadya furthering the thought of the first, Ramanuja has put forth elaborately and deeply the desire to serve the Lord, begs of Him to bestow unflappable devotion to the Lord. In the last of the Gadyas Vaikuntha Gadya, Acarya Ramanuja presents the discription of supremely beautiful abode of the Lord, which as a ultimate Goal attainable, if the seeker of ultimate joy, adopting the path of devotion to Lord, to reach it.

The crux of this work emphasizes the complete self - surrender to the Lord, as the cause of ultimate bliss.

This edition is presented with two beautiful elucidations in Sanskrit 'Rahasyaraksa' of Vedantacarya and Srutaprakasika Bhasya of Sudarsanasuri.

I wish to express my sincere thanks to Vidwan S. Narayana, the Research Officer, Vidwan S.N. Anandlwar, Junior Research Assistant, and Vidwan K.N. Rangapriya Junior Research Assistant for their rich contribution by bringing this critical edition in a record time.

I would like to thank the team of Mr. Lokesh - the Artist designer including Vidwan H.S. Hanumantha Rao, the Granthapala of the Academy for having brought out unique and effective cover page designs for this edition. Appreciations are also due to the team of DTP & inhouse print division consisting of M/s Javare Gowda, Smt. D.N. Sowbhagya, K.S. Betta Swamy Gowda & G.N. Bette Gowda.

I will be failing in my duty if I don't thank our President, Sri G. Kumar Naik, I.A.S., the former Secretary cum Treasurer, Sri Chakravarthi Mohan, I.A.S., and Present Secretary cum Treasurer Sri P. Maheswar Rao I.A.S., for their source of inspiration and support and, also to my beloved colleagues - the Registrar Sri B.S. Krishna Prasad & the Asst. Registrar Sri S. Kumar and all the staff who have directly or indirectly contributed in this endeavor. Thanks are also due to the Binder - Mr. Prasanna of Mysore.

My special thanks are due to the members of the Managing Committee for their support and the Government of Karnataka for their timely financial aid without which the Academy could not have undertaken such monumental works.

I am sure the edition will be well received by the Sanskrit Scholarly World and would be used as a useful guide in any of their related research activities.

• Gadyatraya, a prose poem composed in a supremely blissful trance of overwhelming experience of the divine by Bhagavad Ramanuja. This poem written in prose is a stream of uninterrupted flow pen picturing the transcendental experience with the divine, of the divine, about the divine by Bhagavad Ramanuja, who is a confluence of a great intellect, philosopher, profound mystic above all a true altruist.

He is an altruist not only for his sharing of eternally elusive experience of the divine with the common folk but also in inviting each one to offer in his capacity the service unto Supreme Lord to vouchsafe His unconditional compassion, again to serve Him eternally in His sublimely transcendental abode Srivaikuntha, here-after. What an objective he has in mind for the devotee of the Lord to uplift him from the depths of tribulations of mundane world, to make him ever joyful in the services of the Lord, wherein he is untouched by worldly miseries.

Bhagavad Ramanuja in his encomium on the Supreme Lord Narayana, with all humility converses with him, plead him, to be ever gracious in granting an opportunity to remain subservient eternally to the Lord. (To His holy feet)

The poet in Ramanuja carves an image of sublimely marvelous abode of Srimannarayana namely 'Vaikuntha; there is a lucid lyrical flow, at times prolix though, in the description of ever happy place, which is redundant with golden gardens of fabulous flowers, ponds, promenades so goes the commentary, of the abode devoid of even an iota of earthly blemish, the ultimate destination, every Srivaisnava should aspire to reach To Sri Rangam, the holiest among the shrines of Visnu, has been the place of description with its Lord Sri Ranganatha, the supreme deity of the shrine, in one of the gadyas, Bhagavad Ramanuja reiterates that 'SriRangam' is the designated replica of heavenly Vaikuntha according to the will of Lord Srimannarayana himself.

Even as Srimannarayana rests on Lordly serpent Adisesa in his transcendental realm 'Vaikuntha; his sportly- will is the cause of origination of SriRangam in this physical universe. The shrine at 'Sri Rangam' since has been highly regarded revered by every devotee of Visnu.

The triad of gadyas essentially strives to emphasize on one aspect 'Bhakti; devotion to the god, which still has a better epithet in 'prapatti. Complete surrender unto the god, taking succor in Him like Vibhisana in Lord SrlRama. 'Bhakti; 'prapatti' or Saranagati one may choose any of these paths leading to Divinely experience, even as every human being is divinely potential to attain to god, considering his sincere approach with non-attachment, Uninterrupted discharge of one's prescribed duties, and knowledge of one's self being subservient to the supreme being, Srimannara yana.