From the Bhakti List Archives

• August 7, 1999


Dear friends,

Would someone please give me the correct transliteration of the following
quote  "tasya ca vasikaranam saranagatireva" ?  If I copied this correctly
it's supposed to mean "to win over the Lord, self-surrender is the only way".

Can you tell me more about "prapatti"?  Can you give me a reference for
Rama's statement "even if once, one were to surrender oneself and seek
refuge with Him, to rescue and protect that one is His resolve, be that one
Ravana himself" ?     I find this encouraging because I might not be
excluded for not being born into the faith.  Is there anything I need to do
to join this faith apart from sincerely seeking the refuge of God?  Is
sincere surrender to God sufficient or just necessary for salvation?

Can you tell me more about "nididhyasana" ( worship in accordance with one
of the vidyas?)   What are these vidyas and what worship is in accordance
with them? 

I've been reading a little about Ramanuja's views and would like to know if
it's fair to say he considers individuals and matter to be real but totally
dependent upon God?  Can you help me to understand a little more about the
nature of this relation?  If we are already completely dependent upon God
for our very being (which I believe and hope is true) then prapatti might
be like recognizing an existing fact as opposed to something we bring about?

thanks for your kind help...

-A.