Sri Ramanujacharya -The great Philosopher and Social reformer.....

Sri Ramanujacharya..

The great Philosopher and Social reformer.....

Born and brought up at Sri Perumbudhur... Just few hours drive from Chennai....

Was instrumental in developing Vaishnavism

Long before, he broke the ills of casteism....

Treated all with equal respect....

Looking forward to more and more information about him and his philosophy on VISHISTADVAITHAM...

Salient Features of Ramanuja's Life.:

(1) Ramanuja was born at a Village SRI-PERUMPUDHOOR.. near Chennai.. as Adwaithi.. so called Smartha,,, Sankaracharya's disciple... Parents KESAVA SOMAYAJI and mother KANTHIMATHI... were childless until their intensive prayer to Parthasarathy deity at Thiruvallikkeni was gracefully answered... by the birth of Ramanuja..

(2) His first Guru was an Adhwaithi... YAADHAVA-PRAKASA... with whom Ramanuja resided at home for Gurukula Vaasam... .. at THIRUPPUTKUZHI village ...near Kanchipuram.... and learnt Vedas initial lessons..

(3) Guru Yaadhava-Prakasa in the course of teaching to a batch of students along with Ramanuja... interpreted the meaning of one Sanskrit word...KAPYAASAM ... that God's Eyes are similar to the Red-buttocks of Monkey. Ramanuja shed tears on hearing this cheap Simile. to a Diviinity.. When questioned, Ramanuja put forth the alternate meaning which alone can be applicable in this context... he said

" God's Eyes are similar to the Lotus-flower"..

.. on hearing which the Guru became furious that he was an Adhikaprasangi (Impertinent-goose).. who oversteps beyond the bounds of a student who has to just accept whatever the Guru teaches..

Ramanuja prayed the Guru for clarification on his preaching... which the Guru could not.. Whereas Ramanuja further elaborated on his perception of alternate meaning of the same word. This fact could not be denied by the Guru..

Thus the Teacher felt insulted before other students.. who may spread a bad image on the Scholar-Teacher... while Ramanuja may excel him as a better Scholarly Competitor- Teacher.. in the near future.

So he decided to kill the student Ramanuja, by drowning in the River Ganga... so that the Guru need not become a sinner by killing, while his purpose also can be served...

.. a Crooked sense of justification .for a malefic autocracy.

RAMANUJA: ADHISESHA-AWATHARA: Proved during Lifetime- 2

The Jain-King Pittiraya’s daughter,.. rather the Princess of the then Karnataka region, suddenly became Insane... and continued so without any imrovement for several years, in spite of intensive treatment of all sorts by many Doctors of various Schools of Medical profession available those days.

Then the King tried his best by alternative means too.. .. including the Spiritual remedy by Bhuddhist and Jain monks

Doubting the effect of extraneous Evil-force, reputed Manthrikas were engaged .. but with no fruitful result.

So the King was much worried whether it was incurable for his affectionate daughter, the Teen-ager Princess .. due to be married as the Royal-Heir.

At that stage Ramanuja had reached his Kingdom, leaving off the neighbour Chozha desam.. On the recommendation of his Minister, the Jain King invited Ramanuja to his Palace and appealed for advice.

On seing the Princess, Ramanuja asked “ What is wrong with you?”

“Pat came the reply.. “ Hae Swami Ramanuja the ADHISESHA AWATHARA.. I am the Brahma-Rakshasa eagerly waiting for you the Divine-Soul... Originally I am a Gandharva who became a Rakshasa due to a Curse. So to get along the days, I entered this Girls body... waiting for the day of Liberation.

I am prepared to leave off.. if you can grace me Liberation by just touching my Head with your Foot.. because you are AADHISESHA.. Consequently I will be radically cleansed of all my sins along with the evil effects of the curse on me... and thus I can go back to the Gandharva my original form.

Ramanuja complied with the appeal .. and immediately the Evil-force occupying the Princess body left off. The Young girl got up cheerfully as if she woke up from sleep.

The Devils voice declaring Ramanuja as the ADHISESHA-AWATHARA.. was clearly audible to one and all around including the King.

So not only the King started revering Ramanuja highly but also made his people too. by ordering them to pay the due honour to the Aadhisesha Awathara Ramanuja.

Veda says even about Lord Narayana ... as .. AJAAYAMAANAHA... means Birthless....

...but further adds.... BAHUDHAA-VIJAAYATHAE.... which means..."yet takes several REBIRTHS as Awathaaras.(Re-incarnations)

But Nowhere it is mentioned in any Puranas or Vedas that the Lord Siva is "Pirhappili".... Vide Thiruvilhaiyaadal-puraanam... where Lord Siva has taken several Disguises and Re-Births... as Fuel-Wood(Virahu)-Seller, Student-Singer etc.

In the Naayanmaars-Charithram... Lord Siva appeared before Thiruneelakantar as a Sivan-Adiyaar and played a drama with a Earthen-Begging-bowl... You know.

However if at all any God-form.... either Vishnu or Siva or Muruha and other Gods... is attributed as PIRAPPILI anywhere... it has to be positively understood in a HIGH-SENSE...as....

... NON-COMMITTED FOR REBIRTH... due to Karmas of past births... like the Humans and other Creatures..

...Yet took Rebirth to make people understand them better, by means of His/Her actions on the field....

In the case of Lord Sankaracharya.... there are two sorts of Faiths amongst his Disciples...

(1) He was just a Holy-Soul...unlinked to any Gods Rebirth....but a Staunch Vishnu-devotee....

...who created a New Philosophy of Adhwaitha....So, being a Vaishnavite.. he was wearing on his forehead. and all over his body... CHANDHANA-PUNDRAM (Symbol of Vaishnavite).... and chanting constantly Narayana-Nama-Japam....

...as also ordained Vishnu-supremacy in all the Kerala Temples... be it a Siva or Ambal or any such other deity...

...stipulating to chant "Amme Narayana in Bhagawathi Temples or Acha-Narayana in Siva-temples

..Such a faith is mostly amongst Namboodris ... so called his Birth-communioty people.. They have their own justifications to fortify such a belief....

Even in Kaladi... where the Acharyas Samadhi exists... and is worshipped by his devotees....only Chandana-Pundram is worn to Sankaracharya deity... as a Vaishnavite.... and Not Viboothi(Saivite-sign).

(2) Another faith amongst a section of his devotees... especially the Peetaadhipathis at Kanchi, Sringeri etc.... including a part of the Kerala people....it is believed...

... that the Aadhi-Sankaracharya was the Awathara of Lord Siva, Vadakkunathar- Swami at Thirussor Temple.... by whose benign grace to his parents, the Acharya was bestowed as the Remarkable Human of divine Re-birth. of Lord-Siva....

...so, being REINCARNATION OF LORD SIVA... his Idols at some places, including Kanchi and Sringeri- Peetam Temples... Viboothi is worn... as well as by themselves his disciples as Saivites.

I have nothing to argue Pro or Anti... other than putting forth here... the various sects' (All of them, his Disciples only) personal beliefs of reverence.... towards the Great Sankara- Acharya.

However the most interesting point to be observed here is....

...While as per SRI-BASHYAM of Acharya Ramanuja... the supreme God is denoted by him mostly as just EESWARA(Which word is common to all the forms of Gods... including Siva and Vishnu) ... even though by the word Eeswara, he means Lord Narayana only.

...Whereas the Acharya Sankara was very careful not to mention anywhere, the word EESWARA or some such common terminology attributable to more than one form of God.....

And so in his SANKARA-BASHYAM, the Adhwaitha Acharya has all along attributed the Supreme-God as Narayana, Vasudeva, Paramaathma ,Kesava and the like specific names and adjectives prescribed exclusively for Lord Narayana only.

Geetha authorises “Social Discrimination” ?

Ramanujacharya continued his reply to the Vedic Scholars…

No doubt further too...in Geetha there are Slokas specifically mentioning as Brahmana, Kashathriya, Vaisya and Soodhra classifications of Mankind CREATED SO BY BIRTH by God.

But invariably in all those slokas, it clearly declares undoubtedly… that such categorizations are based on their varied standards in Sathva, Rajas, and Thaamas qualities… inborn by nature,…

...conveying the same concept of the above-mentioned Sloka more analytically

So to say, even in one and the same family of any Caste, amongst the four Sons of the same Parents of one Blood-relation...

...there can be one born of Kshathriya qualities while his brothers may be Brahmana, Vaisya and Soodhra... conforming to the sense of Geetha.

Thus, such a Quality-basis is totally unrelated to the Communal-theory of the so called Manu-Dharma Sasthram...

...NOT A SAASTHRAM.... NOR DIVINE, since NOT MADE BY GOD....

... but AUTOCRATICALLY stipulated by the Kings, the Human-beings.

...imitating the same names mentioned in Geetha and Vedas..for their Caste- Names..

Then the Scholars raked up the Vedic sense in relation to Geetha....

...Claiming that the Geetha follows the Vedic-concept of Communal- discrimination by birth as high and low...

...in the Strata of Society comprising of Brahmana, Kshathriya, Vaisya and Soodhra....

... Purusha-sooktha of Yajur-Veda... says

Braahmanosya Mukham.aaseeth. Baahu Raajanya krithaha
Ooru thadhasya yadh Vaisyaha Padhmyaagum Soodhro ajaayatha

On hearing so... Ramanuja laughed at them and said

....“What a PERVERTED MEANING.!!”

Dear Mr Rohit,

I never said so... and if I have said there must be under a context and conditions for it.

....But even then.... rather in ANY CASE... both the persons of opposite approaches, cannot be EQUALLED....

...Nor their Approaches can be the same.... Nor of EQUAL POSITIVE VALUE

That was the statement from an Atheist, about 3 years back, in another Thread,...( I remember well ... who and where... but I don't want drag him here now unnecessarily, because he is out of Hub now-a-days.)

... which I vehemently opposed and justified how two persons of Positive and Negative propensities...

...differently react to Onslaughts of Fate in a discerning manner.

I can further elaborate and justify if you want.

Psychologists and Philosophers speak in One Voice... although their Routes and approaches are different.

That conclution is the ULTIMATE TRUTH.... UNSHAKEABLE...by Positive outlook.

Ramanuja too establishes the same Large-hearted approach of GOD IS LOVE.
...

Thanks a lot for the post, sudhaama.

I have a few doubts :

1. I have read that when Ramanuja was summoned by the king, his disciples took his place & made Udaiayavar escape to melkote. When they were produced before the king, they were asked to sign the proclaimation that Lord Shiva was a greater God than Lord Vishnu & when they refused, they were punished.

Assuming that the above is true, when ramanuja is so large hearted, what prevented his followers also to be so?

I know there is some explaination here which I would like to hear from U.

2. Also I have read that since he was saved by harijans or dalits (as we call them now) from the clutches of robbers when he was returing from delhi to melkote, he "allowed" them to enter the shrine for 3 days in a year.

Now we know that udaiyavar's large heartedness knew no boundaries, if that is the case, why only "the 3 day period?

My intention is not to cast aspersions on the Maha Purusha (Avarai paththi vimarsanam pandrathukku yarukkume thagudi illai geradhu ennodiya abiprayam).

I only want to clear certain misgivings, that's all.

As an ardent udaiyavar devotee, it pains me when certain people cast aspersions.

Also, i wonder why U have stopped posting on Udaiyavar, of late. Please continue to do so. It is of immense benefit & delight to Udaiayavar devotees like me (& I am sure to many others as well).


Prabhu Ram wrote:
When we went to Srirangam last year we asked about the idol to the Archakar there (since I had also heard that it was Ramanuja himself). The Archakar said that, after hie breathed his last, Ramanuja was interred and then he rose in his present form (like a Swayambu) with the asareeri announcing his resurrection.


(1) I am sorry we are overstretching the matter.. violating the Secret Code of practice... strictly being adopted by the Disciples of Ramanuja.

As I have already mentioned, quoting the bitter experience of the Mahan Jothi Ramalinga Swamis case, Ramanuja's followers purposively maintain it as a Secret. So No more discussions please on the Material substance of the Ramanuja Moolavar at Srirangam.

However for the sake of the Acharya's followers.. I highlight here one interesting point.

The Tamil terminology... THAAN AANA THIRUMENI... must clarify all the doubts... which glorifies the holy Moolavar as the worshipful Great.

Let us leave at that.

Prabhu Ram wrote:

........................
Sudhaama wrote:
One of such Acharyas, Swami Desika took up personal commitment to save all the Moolavars, including this Ramanuja's Thirumeni.
I read somewhere that when the invasion happened, Vedanta Desikar took charge of the works of Vaishnavite philosophy, that remained unfinished at the time of Ramanujar's demise and took them with him (to Kanchipuram?), to work on the translations and commentary. And MaNavALa MAmunigaL , along with a Vijayanagar chieftain ensured the safe transportation of the moolavar of the temple.

This was offered by the author as one of the possible root for the sectarian split. One sect claiming lineage to those who undertook to great physical risks to protect the idol, while the other chose an 'easier' path. While the other sect stressed that saving the philosophical works was the bigger contribution.

Perhaps, at some time you deem appropriate to the flow of this thread, you can tell us something about what actually happened at the time of the invasion.


You are confusing yourselves with Amavasai and Abdul kadar... So to say with unconnected factors. The cause of Sectarian split is radically a different subject altogether unconnected with this event of Muslim invasion.

At that time there were NO TWO SRI-VAISHNAVA SECTS... but all One, including Swami Desikar.

It has been proved in the Court of Law categorically and UNDISPUTABLY... in case of Srirangam temple.

Swami Desika took charge of personal custody of Sri-Bhashyam Original Palm-leaf text of Ramanuja, even before the Hindu Temple invasions by foreigners...

..while there was a constant threat from some Jains and Buddhist Kings.

But it is not correct to say... that Ramanuja left any of his works incomplete.

As I already said... immediately on hearing the news of advancement of the Foreign-invaders forces towards Srirangam, all the Sri Vaishnava Acharyas called for a meeting and discussed amicably on the due Protective and Defense measures.

Apart from the subsequent Defensive military counter-fights by the Ranganatha devotees... they protected the Idols Moolavars and Uthsavars under different custodies... well in advance... OVERNIGHT...

...by the selfless toil of the thousands of united devotees at Srirangam.

Pillai-Lokacharya took charge of Ranganatha Uthsavar... called Nam-perumal and carried with him out of the temple. It is a pathetic episode how he sacrificed his life for it.

...those invaders' main target used to be the Hindu Temple Uthsavars...

...on which they took Sadistic- pleasure to denigrate them by using as the Footsteps for their places of worship.

Swami Desika took charge of all the Moolavars and protected them as already detailed hereabove.
.

Sudhaama wrote:
.
.What one sows... he reaps.!!

komban wrote:
Sudhaama wrote:

…all your prayers to different God-forms reach ultimately that One and the same Goal…

..which is the ORIGIN too.. for all !.. ...as categorically declared by Vedas.

That One God... Supreme God "Sriman Narayana"… answers your prayers…

...directly or indirectly as you individually approach..

...and showers His benign grace to all.! REMEMBER.!!!"
.


Will this Lakshmi-Narayana ever have time to restore peace in Pakistan or Afghanistan or Iraq ? Aren't the prayers from people of those region doesn't reach him ? Is the mobile signal weak...?

BS!!!


For the SUICIDAL ACTIONS of ... ALL CONCERNED... we cannot blame God.

The Sufferers are facing the Consequences of their PAST MISDEEDS.!

What Ramanujacharya or Lakshmi-Narayana... have to do.?
.

Care to explain what are such misdeeds that those innocent people did to lose their lives for no fault of theirs ?

Embracing Islam ?