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Prapatti Ashtakam

Eight Verses on Surrender

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ABOUT 1945, Sri Jagadisa Śāstṛi, a great Sanskrit scholar and compiler of “Ramana Sahasranamam,” was seriously ill and bed-ridden. All had lost hope of his survival. Bhagavan’s special intervention to save him was sought.

A. Devaraja Mudaliar writes about it in My Recollections of Bhagavan Sri Ramana: “Jagadisa Śāstṛi, whom I used to call the Sanskrit Poet of Bhagavan’s Court, wrote the stanzas called “Prapatti Ashtakam.” He was on his deathbed, and wrote his final appeal in this poem (“Prapatti Ashtakam”) declaring that he would not accept any plea by Bhagavan that prarabdha must follow its course, and that if only Bhagavan willed it, His Grace could cancel prarabdha and save him. Bhagavan took such compassion on him that he was pulled out of the jaws of death.

To show how much importance Bhagavan gave to this special prayer, we shall quote from Devaraja Mudaliar’s book again: “These verses were translated into Tamiḷ with the approval and encouragement of Bhagavan by T.K.Sundaresa Iyer. I got a tiny notebook stitched and wanted to have the Sanskrit and Tamiḷ versions on alternate pages in it.

The Sanskrit I wanted to have written in Tamiḷ script. I wrote the Tamiḷ verses first and left the alternate pages blank for the Sanskrit. I was on the lookout for somebody who would be able and willing to transliterate them for me. I certainly did not intend to trouble Sri Bhagavan to do such a job for me but, as usual with me, in the course of a talk I told Bhagavan of my desire and he, brushing aside all objections, took the notebook from me and copied the Sanskrit verses into it in Tamiḷ script[1], neatly and beautifully as was his wont, and gave it back to me. The notebook is with me and will go to my sons as an heirloom.” The above text was reproduced in the October, 1985 Mountain Path, wherein the Ashtakam was reproduced in Bhagavan’s own handwriting.

The Oct 1985" issue can be downloaded from the Sri Ramanasramam's Mountain Path) pages.

Needless to say, Bhagavan responded to the devotion of Jagadisa Śāstṛi, expressed in this composition, and he soon recovered to live a long life in the service of the Master.

Below is the Sanskrit, transliteration and translation of “Prapatti Ashtakam.”

1.
To Him born in Tiruchuli, I surrender; to Him who sported in Pandya country, I surrender; to the dweller on Arunachala slopes, I surrender; to the bikshu unaffected by the rigours of tapas, I surrender.
 

आवर्तपुर्यां जनितं प्रपद्ये पाण्ड्येशदेशे विहृतं प्रपद्ये ।
शोणाचलप्रस्थचरं प्रपद्ये भिक्षुं तपःक्लेशसहं प्रपद्ये ॥ 1 ॥

āvartapuryāṁ janitaṁ prapadye pāṇḍyeśadeśe vihṛtaṁ prapadye |
śoṇācalaprasthacaraṁ prapadye bhikṣuṁ tapaḥkleśasahaṁ prapadye || 1 ||

2.
To Him who is alike to all, from the Creator to the worm, I surrender; to the subduer of the six passions, I surrender; to the bearer of the essence of Knowledge, I surrender; to the store of unbounded mercy, I surrender.
 

आब्रह्मकीटान्तसमं प्रपद्ये जितारिषड्वर्गमहं प्रपद्ये ।
सर्वज्ञतासारभृतं प्रपद्ये निस्सीमकारुण्यनिधिं प्रपद्ये ॥ 2 ॥

ābrahmakīṭāntasamaṁ prapadye jitāriṣaḍvargamahaṁ prapadye |
sarvajñatāsārabhṛtaṁ prapadye nissīmakāruṇyanidhiṁ prapadye || 2 ||

3.
To Him who surpasses the universe, I surrender; to Him whom the Vedas say to be the universe and more, I surrender; to the chastiser of death in order to be rid of fear of the all-devouring alligator Time, I surrender.
 

अस्मात्प्रपञ्चादधिकं प्रपद्ये विश्वाधिकोक्तेर्विषयं प्रपद्ये ।
कालग्रहग्राहभयापनुत्यै कृतान्तशिक्षाकृतिनं प्रपद्ये ॥ 3 ॥

asmātprapañcādadhikaṁ prapadye viśvādhikokterviṣayaṁ prapadye |
kālagrahagrāhabhayāpanutyai kṛtāntaśikṣākṛtinaṁ prapadye || 3 ||

4.
To the embodiment of Knowledge, who conquers the pain of sensual life, I surrender; to the enemy of Kama, come down in sport, to prevent the fevers caused by proud Cupid, I surrender.
 

विनेतुमार्तिं विषयाध्वजन्यां विज्ञानमूर्तिं दधतं प्रपद्ये ।
कन्दर्पदर्पज्वरवारणाय कामारिलीलावतरं प्रपद्ये ॥ 4 ॥

vinetumārtiṁ viṣayādhvajanyāṁ vijñānamūrtiṁ dadhataṁ prapadye |
kandarpadarpajvaravāraṇāya kāmārilīlāvataraṁ prapadye || 4 ||

5.
To the strictly life-long celibate, I surrender; to the holder of kamandalu and staff, I surrender; to Him that rests in dhyana on Brahmasana, I surrender; to the Hermit at one with Brahman, I surrender.
 

आजन्मवर्णिव्रतिनं प्रपद्ये कुण्डीभृतं दण्डधरं प्रपद्ये ।
ब्रह्मासनध्यानरतं प्रपद्ये ब्रह्मात्मभूयं यतिनं प्रपद्ये ॥ 5 ॥

ājanmavarṇivratinaṁ prapadye kuṇḍībhṛtaṁ daṇḍadharaṁ prapadye |
brahmāsanadhyānarataṁ prapadye brahmātmabhūyaṁ yatinaṁ prapadye || 5 ||

6.
To Hara, I surrender; to the never-decaying, I surrender; to the abode of independence, I surrender; to Him of immeasurable skill, I surrender; to the foremost of spotless knowers, I surrender.
 

हरं प्रपद्ये विजरं प्रपद्ये स्वतन्त्रतायास् सदनं प्रपद्ये ।
अमेयसामर्थ्यवहं प्रपद्ये विशुद्धविज्ञानिवरं प्रपद्ये ॥ 6 ॥

haraṁ prapadye vijaraṁ prapadye svatantratāyās sadanaṁ prapadye |
ameyasāmarthyavahaṁ prapadye viśuddhavijñānivaraṁ prapadye || 6 ||

7.
To the dispeller of fever caused by ill luck, threefold ills, delusion, and karma, I surrender; to Him of true resolve, no taint, perfect contentment and bliss, I surrender.
 

दौर्भाग्य तापत्रय कर्म मोह सन्तापहन्तारमहं प्रपद्ये ।
यथार्थसङ्कल्पमपेतपापमवाप्त कामं विशुचं प्रपद्ये ॥ 7 ॥

daurbhāgya tāpatraya karma moha santāpahantāramahaṁ prapadye |
yathārthasaṅkalpamapetapāpamavāpta kāmaṁ viśucaṁ prapadye || 7 ||

8.
To the face of gentle smile that brings peace to the devotees, I surrender; to RAMANA (Blessing), so named because, removing all pain, He brings in joy, I surrender.
 

मनः प्रसादं भजतां ददानं मुग्धस्मितोल्लासिमुखं प्रपद्ये ।
व्यथामशेषां व्यपनीय मोदप्रदेन नाम्ना रमणं प्रपद्ये ॥ 8 ॥

manaḥ prasādaṁ bhajatāṁ dadānaṁ mugdhasmitollāsimukhaṁ prapadye |
vyathāmaśeṣāṁ vyapanīya modapradena nāmnā ramaṇaṁ prapadye || 8 ||

9.
To Siva the bestower of bliss, the Master, the store of all virtues, I surrender; to the indweller of my heart-lotus, I surrender; to the refuge and Lord, I surrender.
 

शिवं प्रपद्ये शिवदं प्रपद्ये गुरुं प्रपद्ये गुणिनं प्रपद्ये ।
मदीयहृत्पद्मजुषं प्रपद्ये शरण्यमीशं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ 9 ॥

śivaṁ prapadye śivadaṁ prapadye guruṁ prapadye guṇinaṁ prapadye |
madīyahṛtpadmajuṣaṁ prapadye śaraṇyamīśaṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye || 9 ||

10.
May all others also wisely surrender to Ramana, in order to gain His qualities by His blessings.
 

प्रपत्तिं रमणस्यैतां तन्वतां तत्त्वदर्शिनः
तत्क्रतुन्यायरसिकाः तत्तादृशफलाप्तये ॥ 10 ॥

prapattiṁ ramaṇasyaitāṁ tanvatāṁ tattvadarśinaḥ |
tatkratunyāyarasikāḥ tattādṛśaphalāptaye || 10 ||

Footnote

Note: This ashtakam does not conform exactly to the regular structure of an ashtakam (8 verses). This interesting discrepancy is seen in other noted ashtakams and compositions. For example, Sri Bhagavan’s divine composition “Arunachala Padikam” (padikam, meaning 10 verses) actually contains 11 verses.

Jagadisa Śāstṛi Citations