Today we will look at the meaning of the divyanama Bahushira and also see how sharanagati is a very natural emotion.
Bahushira – with a multitude of heads.
Sahasra sheersha purushah – Virat Purusha with thousand heads.
Thousand does not mean exactly a thousand.
Thousand means multitude.
Bhagawan has as many heads as that of all the beings that he has ever created.
Also in his vishwaroopa, he has many heads.
Every force of nature, power in nature is his head.
फणाश्च बहवॊ यस्य स वै बहुशिरा मतः.
Bahushira also points towards the 1000 hoods of Adishesha.
Shira also means the nerves.
It is Bhagawan's energy that is running through all the nerves in the body including the kundalini shakti.
Surrender or sharanagati is a shadanga yoga.
Like the Patanjali's ashtanga yoga this is a shadanga yoga, with six organs.
आनुकूल्यस्य संकल्पः प्रातिकूल्यस्य वर्जनम्। रक्षिष्यतीति विश्वासो गोप्तृत्वे वरणं तथा। आत्मनिक्षेप कार्पण्ये षड्विधा शरणागतिः।।
First, karpanaya - feeling helpless.
Accepting your incapability to progress on your own.
You can never advance on your own.
Bhagawan only has to hold your hand and take you ahead.
Goptrutva varanam - accepting Bhagawan as your protector, your only protector.
Rakshishyatiti vishwasa - complete faith in him no matter what, he will save you, he will protect you.
Aanukulysysa sankalpa - accepting everything that would support this stand.
Praatikulyasya varjanam - rejecting everything that would weaken this stand.
Aatmanikshepa - complete surrender to him.
Aatmanikshepa is similar to samadhi of ashtanga yoga.
Samadhi and atmanikshepa both lead to yogavastha.
There is an incident in Ramayana where all these six angas of sharanagati reflect in the most unexpected place.
This points towards the fact that sharanagati is not something very esoteric.
It is so natural and part of normal emotions.
The Rakshasis were harassing Seetha matha in the Ashoka vatika.
They told matha that we are going to eat you.
At that time Trijata, one of the Rakshasis told them.
Stop doing this.
I saw a dream in which Lanka is heading towards disaster.
This Seetha here is none other than Bhagawan Mahavishnu's wife.
Ramachandra is Mahavishnu.
Take refuge in her, अभियाचाम वैदेहीमेतद्धि मम रोचते otherwise along with the rakshasas of Lanka we will also get killed.
अपगच्छत नश्यध्वं सीतामाप्नोति राघवः।। घातयेत्परमामर्षी युष्मान्सार्थं हि राक्षसैः। Trijata has realized their helplessness.
Defeat at the hands of the lord is imminent.
Karpanya , the helplessness is expressed here.
There is no other way.
So who can be the protector? Seetha matha herself.
अभियाचाम वैदेही let's beg for her mercy, let us beg to her to be our protector - goptrutva varanam.
प्रणिपातप्रसन्ना हि मैथिली जनकात्मजा।। अलमेषा परित्रातुं राक्षस्यो महतो भयात्।
If we take refuge in her, she can protect us.
Rakshishyati iti vishwasa, that if she is pleased with us, she will protect us.
For that, what should they do?
Praatikulyasys varjanam - तदलं क्रूरवाक्यैश्च - stop being rude to her - सान्त्वमेवाभिधीयताम्.
Then aanukulyasaya sankalpa - be good to her.
And atmanikshepa is in the terms प्रणिपातप्रसन्ना.
Pranipata means falling at Seetha matha's feet, a gesture of surrender.
Sharanagati is not even a philosophical concept.
It is a natural emotion.