Ramanujacharya - The great Philosopher and Social Reformer

[komban]

.
.What one sows... he reaps.!!

…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.!!!"
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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 ?

[Sudhaama]

.
.What one sows... he reaps.!!

…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 ?

Dear Komba,

The direction of the Topic you are dragging me is too far out of the way.

It is a SENSITIVE QUESTION.. I am not interested to elaborate on...

...because my answer, even if it be based on truth... may hurt any one or the other segments of the Global Society... our Brethren.

Your previous Question itself is out of topic... a digression of the Thread.

However I did not ignore your valid question... and briefly touched the answer... by stating...

..Suicidal past actions of ALL CONCERNED...

Yes I reiterate the Words..."ALL CONCERNED"...

... irrespective of any Religion or any such vivi-sections of the Global Society.

This Question of Human-woes is UNENDINGLY irking in the minds of all the Social-minded mankind...

So I valued your heartfelt humanitarian feelings for the Suffering masses...

...irrespective of Religion, Nationality or any such segmentation of Global Kinsmen.

What any Religion has got to do in the Question you have raised?

Islam is one of the Great Religions of the World, through which the revered Sal / Mohammad has reformed the huge mass of erstwhile downtrodden Arabians initially and also...

.. paved a Sacred path for the uplift of Humanity...

..utilizing the innate Soul-power which is endowed only by Mankind.

That holy Soul-pursuit is further emancipating the followers towards higher sphere of Spiritualism...

...the Language of God irrespective of any Religion.

...similar to any other Great Religions of the World.!!!

While I was in Saudi Arabia.. I had the rare plus one more opportunity of diversity...

...a rare prevelege to closely observe and understand practically why any Religion is necessary for Mankind?...

... and how any Religion helps humanity in Life...

...by means of unshakeable God faith.!!

I used to admire their sincerety... not to miss even a Single Salah in the holy Mosque...

...and at every stage of talk they utter with wholehearted faith... INSHAH ALLAH.!!!

Besides I learnt a lot on the high values of Islam

Ramanuja duly recognised such God-faith of one Muslim princess of Delhi...

... whom he made as the Godess to be worshipped by all his disciples in the Sannidhi he shaped .

.. as BHEEVI NACHIAR at Ranganatha Temple at Srirangam.
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[kamath]

Sudhamaji,

Ur posts on Udaiyavar in the hub section are illuminating.

Hats off to U for the great work.

[Sudhaama]

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. Ramanujacharya 's ENGINEERING MARVEL.!

While on his tour... visiting the local people at the Karnataka region... volunteering to enquire their welfare...

..he came to know of acute water-scarcity... not only for Irrigation, although fertile lands...

..but also for Drinking needs. So to say entirely depending upon seasonal rains very badly.
He replied "Oh I see... let me think over what to do. Lord Lakshmi-Narayana will indeed show me the solution."

Then he left the place and proceeded with his onward jouney ....

...fervently praying... followed by constant Naama-Japam... for the sake of the people.

Suddenly he stopped at one place and called for the local Village officers.

"Make an Earthen Dam here... connecting those two Hills... from this point to that point... which will solve your water-problem for ever...

..because this will form a large Water-Storage lake.

Accordingly the word was sent to the King Vishnu-vardhana the King of Mysore... and on his immediate sanction, the Earthen Dam was built...

..conforming to Ramanuja's instructions.

To the amaze of all... it became a large lake to store water for all sorts of local needs for minimum seven years...

...even without any Rain.

The King wondered and thanked the Acharya and said.."Even our Engineers could not find out this simple solution...despite their strenuous brainwork...

..whereas you Swamiji have solved it easily and very simply.

He named that Reservoir as RAMANUJA - LAKE ...

...which continues with the same Name and fame even now.

More than the factor of Eternal solution... on a perennial Public problem of several centuries...

..the most important factor here to be remembered is...

..that just being a Relgious-Head cum Saint... he need not have taken undue pains...

..and personally involved himself as also applied his abilities for this Social issue...

..pertinent to the Government only.

Whereas he PERSONALLY intervened... voluntarily transgressing his bounds of Scope and Purview...

..only due to his Hearty spirit of Universal Love...

...More than the RELIGIOUS SPIRIT... his only concern and purpose.
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[Sudhaama]

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. Why UTHSAVAR of Temple-Deity VISIT STREETS?

Conforming to Vishnu Aagama-Saasthras.. e.g. Pancharaathra or Vaigaanasa Systems...

...Every Vishnu Temple has MOOLAVAR (Unmoved Idol located beneath the Vimaanam, and within the Garbagriha / Sanctum-Sanctorum)...

..and parallelly another Idol.. named VIGRAHA... closeby the Moolavar... for the same deity.

But... Visiting the Streets by Uthsavars... named in Tamil as VEEDHI-PURAPPAADU... we can see only in places of contacts by Ramanuja's followers... i.e. mostly in South India. Why.?

That too only since the past about One Thousand Years.?... after Ramanujacharya took birth in 1017 AD.

The Concepts of Uthsavar and Moolavar are far different and contra-distinctory... although of the same Deity in the relevant Temple.

Moolavar is the functional form as the Graceful Ruler God.

...while the Uthsavar is the simple and humble form of Soulabhya in an affectionate paternal (Fatherly) outlook towards His children...

..showering abundant grace without insisting much formalities from the Seeker-devotee.

... thus ignoring His Supremacy and vast disparity between the Seeker- Creations and the Sought- God, the Protector.

Ramanujacharya thought ONE STEP FURTHER ahead..

If and while the Omnipotent Protector God has voluntary taken up another parallel role.. as the Humble and Simple Father... predominantly exhibiting affection (Vaathsalyam)...

..Can He afford to be Static and UNMOVED.? .. and

...Can He be contented to always confine Himslef to the four wall boundary of the Temple only.?

...If any child residing far-off from his affectionate Father... does not communicate adequately with him... what will be his reaction.?

...Will he keep quiet restfully.?.. Or get angry.?.. Or ignore his child's interests.?

...No..the Father rushes voluntarily towards his child... doubting of some probable problems and impediments... like Sickness or Over-work or onslaught of new worries etc....

..interfering in the dutiful, sincere and affectionate son's communication...

..Or else.. perhaps the Son might have got engrossed on some other secondary affair...

...which may be undeserving to be given priority over the mutual affection and concern between the Father and the Son.

So the Father reminds his Son.."Oh my dear Boy... I have rendered enough of Freedom to make the best use of YOUR Life and Enjoy the days...

...But do not forget.. I have my due roles too to play in Two different ways..

....One is CO-ORDINATORY and the other the SUPERSEDING Role... being your dutiful and affectionate father. So do not either forget me nor ignore my important roles...

..intended ...NOT IN MY INTERESTS... but for You and You only...

Besides, My dear Son.. even if you fail in your duties as a Son to His Father...

...I cannot forget nor ignore my duties to you... nor retaliate on you... for neglecting me...

... Hence I am visiting you and standing at your door... What is your RECIPROCATION and Reaction to my voluntary Simplicity...

...by my stooping down to a Servant's attitude.?"... Father questions his Son.

Similarly Ramanuja wanted to highlight such a voluntary gesture of healthy Paternal Vaathsalya spirit...

..alongside to instil the Reciprocal Son's spirit and Sense of duty from the BENEFICIARY creation, the Mankind.

So the Acharya introduced the new system of Uthsavar visiting the Streets...

...when the devotees become duty-bound to duly reciprocate by coming out of their houses and properly receive with the committed respect to the God-father.

Further Ramanuja introduced Uthsavas... Festivals too, outside the Temples... which were till then conducted within the precincts of the Temples.

Much impressed by these principes... the South-Indian Kings then... adopted the same Healthy system in all the Temples.

Thus the God is frequently reminded... in the midst of unnecessary THRUST of undue mundane thoughts...

...alongside the Devotional-spirit is enhanced and often rejuvenated.
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[Sudhaama]

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. ONE Goal.. THREE Ways.!!!

All the three Acharyas Sankara, Madhwa and Ramanuja... are the GREAT AWATHARA-PURUSHAS.. REVERENTIAL SEERS..

...sent to Earth.. by One and the same Supreme God.. at different times..

..to EMANCIPATE the Mankind on the whole.

But each of them preached divergent and Contradictory Philosophic Theories.. although based on One and the same Moola-Texts... Vedas, Upanishads and Brahma-Soothra.

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[/html:50ec97eee0]However they all UNANIMOUSLY asserted only ONE GOD as the Common Goal for all

... and that One God is Vishnu as the Supreme-God.. PARAMATHMA.. who created all other Gods...

..as clearly laid down in Vedas, Upanishads as well as the universally Common 18 Puranas.

Their difference lies.. Not on God's identity... but on the way to approach and gain His grace.

So to say... their difference is only on the Philosophical aspect..

..by way of varied sorts of Mutual- Relations between God, Man and other Creations...

Sankaracharya has rendered a yeoman service to God and the Mankind...

..by studying and learning from his Guru thorougly... just within 16 yrs age...

..and boldly ventured to revive the Vedic Religion.. which almost became extinct before Sankara...

..since its place was occupied by mostly Budhism and in some other areas Jainism... relegating the Vedic Religion to a few Kingdoms like that of Gupthas... apart from some Pockets here and there.

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[/html:50ec97eee0]Hence the Vedic Religion got REBIRTH..or Second term of life because of Sankaracharya.

He established a new Vedic Philosophy named ADHWAITHA... Monism.

Subsequently, about 300 years after Sankara.. Ramanuja took Awathara.. and he developed and built up a huge Tower of Vedic Religion... in its ENTIRETY...

..on the FIRM FOUNDATION already laid down by the Great Sankara earlier.

After Ramanujacharya, at last Madhwacharya took Awathara and created a new Philosophy DHWAITHA (Dualism)..totally NEGATING Sankara's ADHWAITHA Philosophic Theory (Monism).

Does the Vedic Text give room for Self-Contradictions.?

Vedas, Upanishads and Brahmasoothra... describe the THREE SORTS of Relation and Propensities between God and His Creations.

(1) God prevails in all forms of Shapes and Shapeless ABSTRACT Forms.. as if anything and everything in the Universe... what we see and feel... are the multiple Manifestations of One God in varied forms... Whether Air, Fire, Water, Mountain, Plants, Animals, Humans.. etc.

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[/html:50ec97eee0]Such unique attributions are described through the First sort of Terminologies named as ABEDA- SRUTHI words...

...based on...which alone... Sankara built up his whole Philosophy of ADHWAITHA (Monism) meaning...

...All which exists are one and the same....Only one... that is God.

(2) God is the Supreme powerful Almighty... OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT and OMNIPRESENT.. He created several other Gods... as also Earthly creations like Living-beings and Lifeless objects like Mud, Trees, Mountain etc.

Such unique attributions are described through the Second sort of Vedic Terminologies named as BEDA Sruthi words...

..based on... which alone... Madhwa built up his whole Philosophy of DHWAITHA (Dualism)

...laying out another Philosophic Theory.. contradicting Sankara's ADHWAITHA...

...that whatever exist in the universe... fall under two categories... CREATOR and CREATIONS.

(3) God although the Supreme in all respects.. He the CREATOR and CREATIONS are in some respects.. mutually INTER-DEPENDANT also.

Such unique attributions are described through the Third sort pf Terminologies.. named as GATAKA sruthi Terminologies.

How and Why the Difference and Contradictions by Three different Philosophies.?

(a) Sankara established his First Novel Philosophic- Theory.. ADHWAITHA... only based on the terminologies suited to his approach...

...under only one Section, amongst the Three... named as ABEDA Sruthi Terminologies..

..but he avoided descriptions for the other Two sorts of Vedic Terminologies... BEDA and GATAKA.

(b) Madhwa established his Second Novel Philosophic Theory...DHWAITHA...

...based only on the second sort of terminologies suited to his own pursuit..

...under only one section, amongst the Three.. named as BEDA Sruthi Terminologies...

..but he too avoided the descriptions for the other Two sorts of Vedic Terminologies...ABEDA & GATAKA.

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But Ramanuja alone rendered describtions wholly...

... for ALL THE THREE SORTS OF SRUTHI Terminologies.. without skipping off any part of the Moola text.

.. as to How one and the same God can have three sorts of Intra- Contradictory Propensities.

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[/html:50ec97eee0]Goddess Saraswathi Devi gave Darsana in person to Sankaracharya...

... and approved his treatise naming it as.. SANKARA BHASHYAM.

At another occasion the same Goddess Saraswathi devi appeared in person and gave Darsana to Madhwacharya too...

...and approved his different Treatise also... naming it as MADHWA BASHYAM.

At another occasion, the same Goddess Saraswathi devi appeared in person and gave Darsana to Ramanujacharya too...

..and approved his FAR DIFFERENT Treatise also...

...naming it as SRI-BASHYA.

..Not as RAMANUJA-BASHYA.!.. Why.?
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[Shakthiprabha.]

Yes... Ramanujacharya was the RE-INCARNATION of Adhi-Sesha... which fact came to light not only by such a statement by the then Gjanis lived along with him... but also proved THRICE during his Lifetime.events.

Dear Mr Sudhaama,
why you are contradicting yourselfs? Some times you are saying that veda's lead to single universal God but many times you are attaching so many parivaars to god and Devas. Do you believe literal meaning of Adi seshan, Parkadal and reincarnation of Adiseshan too? Why you can't you please discuss history as just history? Why can't we look Ramanujar as simple human being with the wholehearted motive to express the truth he knows to all human irrespective of birth?

Dear r_kk,

I personally believe there is NO CONTRADICTION here. Its on how we perceive or understand any terminology.

'Truth' is like an ocean, each person describes either a single droplet or a limited quantity(quality) of water , from which THEY TRY TO say this is what truth is.

Truth is incomprehensible. Truth is this and that and everything, also, truth is neither this and that and nothing too. That which is everything becomes that which is NOTHING, if we undrestand it in its complete ONENESS.


So, RE-INCARNATION does not mean there is an adiseshan sitting in its all physical form and it re-enters the body. Some ppl comprehend it that way. Thats right for their perspective and CANNOT BE ARGUED wrong.

Whist some ohters my comprehend it as cluster of energy with similar characteristic / identical to the qualities of adiseshan (or any terminology which is termed as 'adiseshan' )

So, where is the contradiction here? Does not everything depend on how we understand?

[Shakthiprabha.]

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At another occasion, the same Goddess Saraswathi devi appeared in person and gave Darsana to Ramanujacharya too...

..and approved his FAR DIFFERENT Treatise also...

...naming it as SRI-BASHYA.

..Not as RAMANUJA-BASHYA.!.. Why.?
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yes plz sudhama ? waiting for more.

(However, I request u to present it in fewer paragraphs for easy reading )

When everything is ONE, there seem no contradiction even in great philosophies of DWAITA, VISISHTA-ADWAITA and ADWAITA. It is but the same nature in different perspectives or stand points.

Shankara might not have NEGATED dwaita or interdependance of jeevatma and paramatma(visishta-adwaita). He might have just said, THE ROOT, when sought for, is adwaita. i.e. to say CROWN of the search is adwaita .

[Sudhaama]

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.Ramanuja's Philosophy TOTALITY, unlike Other Two.!!!

...Taken up Only one Third... either as ADHWAITHA or DHWAITHA...

...SKIPPING OFF the Other Two Classifications of Moola Text.

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At another occasion, the same Goddess Saraswathi devi appeared in person and gave Darsana to Ramanujacharya too...

..and approved his FAR DIFFERENT Treatise also...

...naming it as SRI-BASHYA.

..Not as RAMANUJA-BASHYA.!.. Why.?
.

yes plz sudhama ? waiting for more.

(However, I request u to present it in fewer paragraphs for easy reading )

When everything is ONE, there seem no contradiction even in great philosophies of DWAITA, VISISHTA-ADWAITA and ADWAITA. It is but the same nature in different perspectives or stand points.

Shankara might not have NEGATED dwaita or interdependance of jeevatma and paramatma(visishta-adwaita). He might have just said, THE ROOT, when sought for, is adwaita. i.e. to say CROWN of the search is adwaita .

(1) Unlike the other Two Acharyas for Adhwaitha and Dhwaitha.. who took up ONLY ONE SECTION amongst the Three of the Moola-text...

..skipping off the other two sections of Varied Qualities of Creator.

..Ramanuja's Visishta-Adhwaitha is the Totality of the whole Moola-text, Brahma-Soothra...

...covering all the three types of Qualities of Creator...Adhwaitha, Dhwaitha and Gataka propensities...

...in relation to Creations.

(2) Sankara's Philosophy approaches the matter... that there is NO SECOND category in the Universe... other than the Supreme Soul... the Almighty Creator.

..which virtually constitutes to mean as... NA-DHWAITHAM.. although named as A-DHWAITHAM... says Ramanuja.

Whereas the Vedic Terminologies under ABEDA-SRUTHI are termed as ADHWAITHA...

..to mean, there exists the Second matter too... but HIDDEN and unperceptible through the elementary Potential- means of His Creations...

..but can be felt basically upto some extent... by Wisdom

I will try to elaborate step by step in a simple Language in an interesting manner...

..as to how one and the same Creator can possess Three sorts of Self-contradictory propensities in relation to His Creations.

..as clarified by Ramanuja... approved by Saraswathi Devi as the

...COMPLETE one.. named SRI-BASHYA.

On these points, I have already written in simple style... in my Tamil Serial Article of our HUB MAGAZINE Monthly...

...under the Title: THAMIZH-MARHAI THIRUVAAYMOZHI.
http://hubmagazine.mayyam.com/apr08/?t=11332

If you know Tamil... you can understand and get the answers to your questions better there ...

...Simpler and more interesting too... because of Tamil Language.
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[harishkumar09]

However they all UNANIMOUSLY asserted only ONE GOD as the Common Goal for all

... and that One God is Vishnu as the Supreme-God.. PARAMATHMA.. who created all other Gods...


Completely wrong analysis.

Madhva does not agree devathas were created by Vishnu inspite of maintaining the superiority of the latter. They and the souls which incarnate as humans are eternally created. BG clarifies this point when it says "ajo nithyo sashvato..." meaning "souls are eternally existing" and were unborn or uncreated. Madhva rejects both Ramanuja and Shankara's interpretation as incorrect.

Also Madhva has given equal importance to Abheda shrutis and proved that what those verses talk about is qualitative equalilty and not quantitative equality.Likewise the bedha-abhedha shrutis of Ramanuja have been interpreted to mean the qualitative equality and quantitative difference. Thus he has not ignored any verse. Also its incorrect to state that Madhva has not given any importance to Lakshmi Devi.