Etymology and Core Meaning
Prapatti (Sanskrit: प्रपत्ति) derives from pra- (fully, completely) + pat (to fall) — literally, "falling completely" at the Lord's feet. The term captures the soul's absolute and unreserved surrender to Srīman Nārāyaṇa as its sole protector and goal.
The Aṅgas and the Aṅgī
A common Śrī Vaiṣṇava analysis speaks of five supporting aṅgas: (1) ānukūlya-saṅkalpa — resolving to do what is pleasing to Bhagavān; (2) prātikūlya-varjana — renouncing what displeases Him; (3) rakṣiṣyatīti-viśvāsa / mahā-viśvāsa — firm confidence that He will protect; (4) goptṛtva-varaṇa — choosing Him as protector; and (5) kārpaṇya — awareness of one's helplessness. Ātma-nikṣepa or bhara-samarpaṇa, the actual placing of oneself and one's burden in Bhagavān's care, is the aṅgī, the principal surrender supported by those aṅgas. Some presentations count the aṅgī together with the five and therefore speak of a sixfold (ṣaḍ-aṅga) surrender; the two counting conventions should be distinguished rather than treating all six indiscriminately as coordinate aṅgas.
Prapatti vs. Bhakti Yoga
While bhakti yoga is a gradual path requiring decades of disciplined sādhana and strict eligibility criteria, prapatti is a one-time act of surrender that is immediately efficacious. Pillai Lokācārya teaches in Mumukṣuppadi that prapatti is available to all souls — the most learned scholar and the most humble devotee alike — making it the supreme path of this age.
Significance in the Sampradāya
Prapatti is the crown jewel of Śrī Vaiṣṇava theology and the lived experience of every prapanna (one who has surrendered). The three rahasyas — Tirumantram, Dvayam, and Carama Śloka — all encode prapatti: Dvayam is literally the verbal articulation of prapatti performed under the mediation of Śrī (Pirāṭṭi). Once performed through an ācārya, prapatti is irrevocable — the Lord Himself becomes the soul's guarantor for liberation.