Prapathi and Bharnyasam are one and the same. Prapathi or Baranyasam is submission to Acharyan through whom we submit ourselves to Sriman Narayanan for reaching Vaikuntam after death.
The text below is the doubts I've shared with my father -in-law. So i've just reproduced his explanation for that. I’ve also stated my understanding below that
The other names are: Parasamarpanam, Upayanushtanam.
Actually, Prapathi is of 4 types. Namely,
1. Swa Nishtai: In this the person himself realises the means of reaching Sriman Narayana directly without other's help. As on date, no body practises this.
2. Ukthi Nishtai: Person not knowing the means of prapathi but merely repeats what Acharyan says, blindly having faith in Sriman Narayana.
3. Acharya Nishtai: Knowing the rahasyarthas conveyed by the Acharyan and believing in reaching Sriman Narayana by means of Sarangathi being done by the Acharyan, who represents us to Sriman Narayana on behalf of the Sishyas. ( Almost all of us follow only this type of prapathi)
4. Bhagavata Nishtai: Person who sticks to and follows a Bhagavathar who does Saranagathi to Sriman Narayana.
Here, a prapathi where a person desires immediate Moksha is called Aartha Prapathi.
If Moksha is desired when normal death occurs, it is called Dhruptha Prapathi.
Is Prapathi doen only in the fag end of life?
It is wrong to state that prapathi is done at the fag end of man's life. No! You can do Saranagati just after Samasrayanam. Once you take prapathi, you have to be very strict in all the anushtanams right from the food you take, worship you do etc. You cannot take food outside. You cannot worship any other devatha except Lord Narayana, You cannot even think of some thing which is Papa and not suited to the Lord.
You have to observe 5 codes of conduct towards the Lord. They are:
- · Strictly following vedas, sastras and other things which are to the liking of Lord (Anukulya sangalapa),
- · Strictly shun all activities that are forbidden by Veda-sastras which are naturally to the disliking of the Lord (Prathikulya varjana),
- · Have unshakable faith in the Lord that he would save you (Maha Visvasam),
- · Understand that you are otherwise not capable of reaching the Lord and his abode and so the prapathi you do alone is the way (Akinchanyam),
- · Earnestly and continuously beseech Lord to save you, fully understanding him as the Saviour at all stages and times (Gopthruav varanam).
Thus Samasrayan is the present upayam (tool) for living a vaishavaite life and Prapathi is the ultimate upayam for raching Vaikuntam and not ever returning to this sinful worldy life.
Since many people are not able to be very strict in observing post-prapathi life due to occupation, health and other circumstances, they postpone the Prapathi to older years, since it is highly sinful to fail in anushtanams after taking up prapathi.
My understanding: (Not as a rule but as Common Sense...
When Samasrayanam is done, we promise to oblige to the rule of "Maha Vishvasam" which means, I am truthful to Mahavishnu alone. So People who actually take up that vow follow it to the end. My understanding: (Not as a rule but as Common Sense...
My understanding of this concept In our philosophy we do Idol worship (i.e.) we start by fixing our mind on a Roopa (form). We then associate the Roopa to His Gunas (qualities). As common sense would suggest us, the more the roopas, the more the distribution of concentration and thus the distribution of love. Since Sri Vaishnavism has Lord Vishnu as its Epicenter, one is asked to resort and imagine Him as the only God and to get immersed in His Qualities. There is yet another way of seeing it. A Sri Vaishnavin would know a lot more about Lord Vishnu and His qualities than any other and so it is easy for the person to fall in love with Lord Vishnu and His qualities than any other. So the love for God and the bakthi that comes out of his loyalty to that one God is much more powerful and will bring him to the lotus feet of Sri MahaVishnu than the concept of following many.
