[To be proofread]
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Rahasyatrayasāra
It is because prapatti is clearly defined in it with its accessories and with its potency in full detail and in accordance with what is laid down in the pāñcarātra Āgamas that Rahasyatrayasāra has been called Prapatti śāstra.
Rahasyatrayasāra is thus a handbook of Viśiṣṭādvaitic Vaiṣṇavism as understood by the Vadagalai Ācāryas. It is in four parts: the first part comprises chapters 1 to 22 and gives a detailed exposition of the doctrines of Śrī Rāmānuja’s system or Viśiṣṭādvaitic Vaiṣṇavism, in accordance with the traditions of the Northern School and with detailed instructions about bhakti and prapatti as upāyas for the attainment of the supreme goal of man; the second part (chapters 23 to 26) discusses a number of disputed points concerning bhakti and prapatti and states the
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conclusions arrived at by the Northern School. The third part (Chapters 27 to 29) is devoted to an interpretation of the words and the sentences contained in the three great rahasyas [The Three Mantras (1) Mūlamantra or Aṣṭākṣara “Namo Narāyaṇāya with the praṇavam or the syllable aum preceding it. (2) Dvaya “Śrīman Nārāyaṇa caraṇau śaraṇam prapadye, Śrīmate Narāyaṇaya Namah” and (3) The Carama śloka of the Bhagavad Gīta already referred to
“Sarva dharmān parityajya māmekam śaraṇam vraja|
Aham tvā sarva papebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi ma śucah ॥.] or mantras which are mysteries into which the disciple is initiated by the ācārya. The last three chapters 30 to 32 are on the duties of ācāryas and śiṣyas and a peroration. Śrī Vedāntadeśika shows that all the vital tenets of Rāmānuja’s system are contained, as it were, in an epitome in these mantras or mysteries. Just like the world of matter, the jīva is śeṣa to the Lord and exists only for the fulfilment of His purposes. Since the jīva is besides a chetana endowed with intelligence, his being śeṣa means that he is the servant of God. His service in this world extends also to the devotees of God. The ultimate goal of life is mokṣa which has, for its crowning glory, the service of Bhagavān and His consort. Man does not exist for himself and the sooner he gives up thougbts of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, the better will it be for him. The mūlamantra states these truths briefly. The easiest and best way of obtaining God’s mercy or grace and mokṣa which results from it is śaraṇāgati or self-surrender and this is prapatti which is done with the mantra called Dvaya. The caramaśloka explains how Bhagavān accepts the responsibility of redeeming the jiva when He is propitiated by prapatti and when the jīva is unable to adopt other upāyas.
Śrī Vedāntadeśika wrote this treatise in Tamil with a free and generous admixture of Sanskrit words and phrases, which has been called maṇipravălan, for the benefit of those whose knowledge of Sanskrit is very limited. The booķ is, by no means, easy to understand, for the author is not satisfied with giving only a brief and broad outline of Rāmānuja’s system. He aims [[XXXviii]] at an exposition of it in all its details and with all the references and authorities (pramānas) for what he says, so that it may be a manual of Viśiṣṭādvaitic Vaishnavism, complete and comprehensive. When he quotes pramāṇas in support of his statements, interpretations or contentions, Vedāntadeśika often gives only the first one or two words of the ślokas or prose passages and of the Tamil verses of the Alwars, presuming that these texts must be familiar to the reader and need not therefore be quoted in full. At the present day, many readers are likely to be ignorant of them and cannot understand the line of reasoning adopted by the author owing to this ignorance. It is therefore, rightly the practice everywhere to study Rahasyatrayasāra under a guru. Besides these passages quoted as pramāṇas, tbe explanation of the meanings of the words and sentences in the three great mantras requires, for a clear understanding, at least an elementary knowledge of Sanskrit grammar. Further the author clinches conclusions arrived at after a discussion in a number of Sanskrit ślokas of his own which he does not render into Tamil. The gist of each chapter is also given in Tamil verses and in Sankrit ślokas, both at the beginning and at the end. These, too, add to the difficulty of understanding the text by oneself.
Translation
In this English translation, an attempt is made to minimise these difficulties. The pramāṇas referred to only by their first words are translated and given in full. The author’s own ślokas are also rendered in English. Whenever it is felt necessary, explanatory words, phrases or sentences are added within brackets to make the author’s meaning clear. Occasionally longer explana tions are given as footnotes. The author’s interpretation of the meaning of the three mantras has been made as lucid as possible, though, as has been already said, a full and perfect understanding would be possible only to those who have a knowledge of Sanskrit grammar, so far at least as declensions of nouns and pronouns are concerned. It is earnestly hoped that this English translation will be of help to those who have only a meagre knowledge of Sanskrit, when they study the original under their guru.
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Acknowledgement
It now remains for me to conclude this introduction with a grateful acknowledgement of the generous help which I have received in connection with this translation. I should not have taken up the adventure but for the suggestion and kind encourage. ment given by Śrī Ubbaya Ve-Agnihotram Rāmanuja Thathachariar Swami. His approval of the rendering of some of the earlier chapters was heartening and, after the completion of the work, he took upon himself the entire responsibility of getting it printed and published.
My grateful thanks are due to Śrī K S. Patrachariar, m. A., whose eminence as a scholar in Sanskrit and in English has been the admiration of all his friends and acquaintances. He read through the manuscript of the introduction with great patience and made a a number of valuable suggestions for its improvement. I should like to express my respectful gratitude also to my guru, Śrī Ubhaya Ve-Sinpamu Śrīnivasa Patrachariar Swami of Kumba konam, under whom I studied Śrī Bhāśya and Śrīmad Rahasyatrayasāra. He was kind enough to hear me translate the introduction orally into Tamil and to correct several errors that had crept in.
I consider myself as baving been lucky in having sought the assistance of my esteemed friend, Śrī G. K. Rangaswami Ayyaṅgār, M. A., before giving the manuscript to the press. As a devout admirer of Śrī Vedāntadeśika, he gave me upstinted and enthusiastic co-operation in making the translation as free from errors and defects as possible. Having studied the original under the late Chetlar Mahamahopadhyaya Narasimhachariar Swami, he has a good mastery of the subject and by close scrutiny and unsparing criticism, he drew my attention to inaccuracies in the rendering and to the omissions of even single words left untranslated by oversigbt. He assisted me also in the laborious task of reading the proofs. It would be presumptuous on my part to think of thanking him for all that he has done.
BOOKS CONSULTED
Śrī Bhashya: Rahasyatrayasāra : Śrī Lokācārya’s Tattvatraya. Śrī Vacanabhūṣana, and Mumukṣuppadi with the commentaries of Śrī Manavalamamuni: Yatīndramata dīpikā (of Śrīnivasadāsa): P. Otto Schroder’s Introduction to Pāñcarātra and the Ahirbudhnya Samhitā : Ahirbudhnya Samhitā : Śrī T. Rajagopalachariar’s Vaishnavite Reformers of South India’ (G. A. Natesan and Co). The commentaries of Chetlar Narasimhachariar Swami and Sārāsvādinī.