Vaikuntha Gadyam () is a

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

prayer written by the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

philosopher

Ramanuja Ramanuja (Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmanuja; 1017 CE – 1137 CE; ; ), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and a social reformer. He is noted to be one of the most important exponents o ...

towards the end of the 11th century. It is one of the first

bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...

prayers in the Sri Vaishnava school of thought and is the basis for many prayers of this style. It is recited in the 108 Divya Desam temples, including Srirangam.

Context

and his disciples visited the Ranganatha temple in Srirangam on Panguni Uttiram, a day in spring of the Tamil calendar month of Panguni (in spring) on the day of the ascension of the star called Uttiram. In Tamil mythology, Uttiram was in ascent when the goddess of the temple, Sri Ranganayaki Tayar,

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...

, was born. Ramanuja was inspired by the festivities of the day and composed

Sriranga Gadyam {{Unreferenced, date=May 2007 Sriranga Gadyam is a Sanskrit prayer written by the Srivaishnavism philosopher Swami Ramanuja towards the end of the 11th century. It is one of the first bhakti prayers in this school of thought and is the basis for ma ...

and Sharanagati Gadyam. According to tradition, the deity

Ranganatha Ranganatha, also known as Ranganathar, Rangan, Aranganathar, Sri Ranga, and Thenarangathan, is a Hindu deity with his origin in South India, serving as the chief deity of the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam. The deity is a resting form of ...

is regarded to have been moved by these compositions, and gave Ramanuja a vision of his abode,

Vaikuntha Vaikuntha ( sa, वैकुण्ठ, lit=without anxiety, translit=Vaikuṇṭha), also called Vishnuloka (), and Tirunatu (Tirunāṭu) in Tamil, is the abode of Vishnu, the supreme deity in the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism,Gavin Flood, An ...

. This inspired Ramanuja to compose the Vaikuntha Gadyam.

Content

Vaikuntha Gadyam, unlike the commentaries of Ramanuja on

Vedanta ''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...

, does not have detailed philosophical debates. Instead, it is a pure expression of

and gives a detailed description of

seen through the eyes of a liberated one ( Mukti Jivan). Ramanuja stresses the important message that surrender to

Narayana Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is co ...

's lotus feet (Narayana Sayujyam) results in Salokyam (attaining the abode of Narayana), Sarupyam (purity of soul) and Sameepyam (remaining close to God). He glorifies the eternal Kaimkaryam (devoted work) performed by devotees like Ananta

Shesha Shesha (Sanskrit: शेष; ) , also known as Sheshanaga (Sanskrit: शेषनाग; ) or Adishesha (), is a serpentine demigod (Naga) and Nagaraja (King of all serpents), as well as a primordial being of creation in Hinduism. In the Puran ...

Garuda Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda is a ...

Vishvaksena Vishvaksena ()Nayar p. 103 or Vishwaksena, is the commander-in-chief of the army of the Hindu deity Vishnu, additionally serving as a gatekeeper and chamberlain of his celestial abode of Vaikuntha. As the embodiment of the tantras, Vishvaksena is ...

, a devotee considered first among equals and the dvarapalakas (door keepers) to Vaikuntha, Jaya-Vijaya. He then gives a brief glimpse of the "bountiful treasure" awaiting a devotee who does similar devotional work.

Style

The work comprises alternate long and short sentences with many adjectival phrases.

References

{{reflist Sri Vaishnavism Hindu mantras Mantras Vaishnava texts