The Two Sentences
Dvayam (Sanskrit: द्वयम् — 'the pair' or 'the two') is the second of the three rahasyas:
Sentence 1: Śrīmat Nārāyaṇa caraṇau śaraṇam prapadye
'I take refuge at the feet of Śrīmat Nārāyaṇa (Nārāyaṇa who has Śrī as His inseparable consort).'
Sentence 2: Śrīmate Nārāyaṇāya namaḥ
'Obeisance (self-surrender) to Śrīmat Nārāyaṇa.'
Upāya and Upeya
Dvayam is celebrated because it encodes both the upāya (means) and the upeya (goal) in its two sentences:
- The first sentence is the act of prapatti itself — the soul's surrender to the Lord through Pirāṭṭi's mediation
- The second sentence expresses the upeya — the soul's desire for eternal kainkaryam (service) to the Lord and Pirāṭṭi
The Role of 'Śrīmat'
The inclusion of 'Śrīmat' (He who has Śrī) in both sentences is deeply significant. Pirāṭṭi is named in Dvayam as the purushakāra (intercessor): the soul approaches the Lord not independently but through Her mediation. This is the model Śrī Vaiṣṇava surrender — with Pirāṭṭi as the compassionate mother who presents the soul to the Lord.
Dvayam and the Prapanna
Rāmānuja is said to have constantly contemplated Dvayam on his lips throughout his life. Ācāryas teach that the prapanna who has received Dvayam through pañca-saṃskāra should keep it always in mind and heart — not as a ritual incantation but as the living expression of their surrender and aspiration.