Paragata Svīkāraṇam — The Divine Act of Acceptance
Paragata svīkāraṇam (Sanskrit: para = the Supreme/other side + gata = going/belonging + svīkāraṇam = acceptance/taking as one's own; 'acceptance initiated from the Supreme's side') refers to Bhagavān's act of graciously accepting the surrendered jīvātmā as His own. It is the divine response to prapatti — what Bhagavān does from His side when the soul surrenders.
The Asymmetry of Prapatti: Prapatti is not a contract where both sides contribute equally. The jīvātmā surrenders — which means acknowledging its own inability and placing itself entirely in Bhagavān's hands. Then Bhagavān performs paragata svīkāraṇam — He accepts the soul as His own, takes responsibility for it, and commits to its liberation. 'The jīvātmā's prapatti is like a child collapsing into the mother's arms; paragata svīkāraṇam is the mother's arms closing around the child.'
Not Conditional: Paragata svīkāraṇam is not conditional upon the soul's worthiness. It is Bhagavān's natural response to sincere surrender — because His nature (svabhāva) is to protect those who come to Him. 'A surrendered soul cannot be rejected — it would be like the ocean refusing a river that has flowed into it.'
The Āchārya's Role: The Āchārya mediates paragata svīkāraṇam — by performing prapatti on behalf of the disciple (during pancha saṃskāra), the Āchārya ensures that the disciple is brought into Bhagavān's acceptance. 'The Āchārya holds the surrendered disciple up before Bhagavān and says: this one is yours.'