Guru Parampara

[Guest guest]

I just posted this article on network news (alt.religion.vaisnava)

in response to a question on the Visistadvaita line of acharyas.

 

---

 

In-reply-to: Eswar Josyula's message of 29 Jun 1995 16:27:35 GMT

Newsgroups: alt.religion.vaisnava

Re: Guru-Parampara of Vishistadvaita

Reply-to: mani

References: <3suk9n$kf2$1

Distribution:

 

In article <3suk9n$kf2$1 Eswar Josyula

<76142.1306 writes:

> The guru-parampara of the Vishishta-Advaita Vaisnava School is given here.

 

There is a Sloka composed by Srivatsaanka Misra (Kooratthaazhvaan)

which pays homage to all the teachers of the tradition, beginning

with the Lord down to Sri Srivatsaanka's acharya, Ramanuja.

It is recited these days at the beginning of formal worship

or study.

 

laksmInaatha samaarambhaam naatha-yaamuna madhyamaam

asmadaachaaryaparyantaam vande guruparamparaam

 

The guruparampara is as follows. The first three names in

the list, of course, are anhistorical, since they are

considered divine personalities in the tradition. The fourth

and fifth names are separated by at least two centuries.

Nammalvar is said to have handed the Thiruvaaymozhi and other

works of the Alvars to Nathamuni by appearing in a vision to the

latter. Whether or not this was the case, Sri Nathamuni rescued

the Divya Prabandham (as the Alvars' hymns are known) from

virtual oblivion and was imbued with the spirit of devotion to

the memory of Nammalvar.

 

I have given the common name of each acharya as well as a

popular alternative in parentheses. Usually one is in Tamil,

the other in Sanskrit.

 

Parabrahman, Sriman Narayana (emberumaan)

 

Lakshmi (periya piraatti)

 

Visvaksena (senai mudaliyaar)

 

Nammalvar (kaari maaran sadagopan) (6th-8th centuries A.D.)

 

------ strictly historical parampara begins here

 

Naathamuni (c. 900 A.D.)

 

UyyakkoNDaar (pundarIkaaksha)

 

Rama Misra

 

Yaamunaacaarya (Alavandaar) (c. 900-1000 AD)

 

Periya Nambi (MahaapUrNa)

 

Ramanuja (emberumaanaar, udaiyavar, bhaashyaakaara)

(1017 - 1137 A.D.)

 

The guruparampara splits off here into various traditions.

Ramanuja had 74 principal disciples, each of whom were

major teachers in their own right. However, there are some

acharyas who deserve special mention. They are listed in

two columns, in chronological order.

 

Thirukurugai Piraan Pillaan (Kurukesa) Embar (Govinda)

Author of the first commentary on the Cousin of Ramanuja

Thiruvaaymozhi, "The 6000". Direct and a great teacher.

disciple of Ramanuja.

Kuratthaazhvaan

Engal Azhvaan (Vishnucitta) (Srivatsanka Misra)

Author of a commentary on A master poet and

the Vishnu Purana, the most authentic Vedantin who

and philosophical of the Puranas. martyred.

 

Vaatsya Varadacharya (Nadadur Ammaal) Parasara Bhattar

A great master of Vedanta whose The first acharya

lectures in Kanchipuram inspired in this line who lived

Sudarsana Suri's exposition of past Ramanuja's death.

Ramanuja's commentary on the Author of a commentary

Brahma-sutras. \ on the Vishnu

Sahasranama

/ \ as well as several

/ Sudarsana Suri philosophical works.

Atreya Ramanuja (Appullaar) Author of the most lucid |

| commentary on the Sri Bhashya, |

Vedanta Desika (1268-1369 A.D.) the Srutaprakaasika. |

Undisputed master of Vedanta, /------

logic, the Prabandham, poetics, /

and aesthetics. The dynamic Nanjeeyar

range of his works display his Author of the "9000",

brilliance as a poet as well as the second major

commentary

a scholar. He is one of the on the Thiruvaaymozhi. He

brightest stars in the history was formerly an Advaitin,

of medieval Vedanta. but became a

Visistadvaitin

after being defeated in

debate by Parasara

Bhattar.

 

Nampillai

A master expositor of

Ubhaya Vedanta,

particularly

---------- of the Thiruvaaymozhi. He

/ is very fondly remembered

in

---------------/ the tradition.

| |

Periya Vaaccaan Pillai (c. 12th century) Vadakku Thiruvidi

Pillai

Known as Vyaakhyaana Chakravarti, Author of the

best-loved

"Emperor of Commentators", since he commentary on the

wrote lucid commentaries on all the 4000 Thiruvaaymozhi, the

hymns of the Alvars, as well as on "36000", also known

as

Ramanuja's three prose poems, "EeDu Vyaakyaanam".

the Gadyatrayam. /

/

/

Pillai Lokacharya (13th century

A.D.)

Gifted with great

foresight, this acharya

was one of the most catholic

and open-minded of men,

especially given the times.

He wrote many works, most

of which set on solid ground

the philosophy of

self-surrender,

the highest teaching of the

Sri Vaishnava religion.

 

Thiruvaaymozhi Pillai (Sri Sailesa)

 

Manavaala Maamunigal (15th century)

(Ramyajaamaatr Muni)

Perhaps the acharya who had the

largest following in the post-

Ramanuja period. He spread

the philosophy of the movement

far and wide, reestablished

temple worship in places which

were languishing, and wrote

lucid commentaries on the works

of Pillai Lokacharya.

[Guest guest]

>

>I just posted this article on network news (alt.religion.vaisnava)

>in response to a question on the Visistadvaita line of acharyas.

>

>There is a Sloka composed by Srivatsaanka Misra (Kooratthaazhvaan)

>which pays homage to all the teachers of the tradition, beginning

>with the Lord down to Sri Srivatsaanka's acharya, Ramanuja.

>It is recited these days at the beginning of formal worship

>or study.

>

> laksmInaatha samaarambhaam naatha-yaamuna madhyamaam

> asmadaachaaryaparyantaam vande guruparamparaam

 

 

Adding to Mani's posting, Here is a composition of vEdhaantha dhEsikar,

which gives more detailed acharya lineage in the opposite order.

 

ennuyir thandhaLiththavarai saraNam pukku

yaan adiayavE avar gurukkaL nirai vaNangi

pinnaruLaal perumpoodhoor vandha vaLLal

peria nambi aaLavandhaar maNakkaal nambi

nanneRiyai avarkku uRaiththa uyyak kondaar

naadhamuni sadagOpan sEnai naadhan

innamudhath thirumagaL enRu ivarai munnittu

emberumaan thiruvadigaL adaiginREnE

 

- vEdhaantha dhEsikar

[Guest guest]

Sriman Venkatanatharya Kavitarkikka Kesari Vedantacharya Varyome

Sannidhattam Sadaa Hridi.

 

In His treatise Sampradaya Parisuddhih: (Purity of tradition), Sri

Vedanta Desikar states:

"It is well known from the Upanishads and their explanatory treatises

that the specific import of the Spiritual Literature should be

determined only with the help of the traditionla instruction which

has been handed down by the hierarchy of learned Acharyas. In the

matter of the investigation of the import of the Sastras, even the

traditional interpretation coming from those who are well versed in

the Sastras will be helpful for people who are not competent in

determining by themselves that import sought after.

"In regard to matters that are entirely beyond the region of the

senses the tradition that has not its roots in Sastras and the

tradition that is against the commonly accepted Sastras should not be

relied upon since there is the possibility of the existence of

misapprehension or deceit in them as a result of which they are equal

to that which is outside the Vedas and is therefore not valid."

 

In the RTS Vedanta Desikar states:

"It is stated in the Smritis that Kshatrabandhu who was the worst of

sinners, and Pundarika the virtuous, both obtained Moksha by virtue

of their having Acharyas. It is thus declared that in the case of

every one, the only means of securing moksha is to have an Acharya.

To the man desirous of Moksha, the line of Acharyas is stated in the

SHRUTI to extend upward even to the Supreme Bhagavan for the purpose

of medition."

In the explanatory notes the translator states:"The Sruti referred to

here means:- This line of Acharyas extends upto Bhagavan thus: This

is his Acharya; his acharya is so and so and so on upto the Lord.

 

Vedanta Desikar goes on to say in the RTS: "With the utterance of

Dvaya Mantra, preceded by obeisances to the SUCCESSION OF GURUS..."

 

In His Tattva Padavi Sri Vedanta Desikar states that Nityas and

Muktas have Suddha Sattva bodies. (This would be true of a mukta

jivatma even if he or she were to be on this earth.) In the RTS

Vedanta Desikar states ignorance is only due to the jivatma's contact

with Prakriti or a body made up of the three gunas."

 

Ramanujacharya explains elaborately in the Vedartha Sangraha that

Anumana Pramana (or evidence by conclusion e.g. that Lakshmi may

never have had Upadesam from Narayana) is prone to errors and only

Sabda Pramana or the authority of Vedas coming down in Guru Parampara

is error free.

 

In the error free tradition of the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya all the

Acharyas that do Samashrayam give Upadesam starting with :

Asmat Gurubhyo Namah: etc upto Sriyaih: Namah: and Sridharaya Namah:

Note here that obeisances here is paid to Sri as Acharya and then to

Her Acharya Sridhar or the One who has Sri with Him. Please note

that paying respects to a line of Acharyas extending upto Bhagavan is

a Shruti requirement and not just a traditional practice.

 

None of this answers the original question why Sri should get

Upadesam. Perhaps the question can be answered by one who can answer

this question. Why should Sri Krishna who is stated in Srimad

Bhagavatam to be Bhagavan Swayam and who appeared in all his glory to

Devaki and Vasudeva at the time of His birth as SRIMAN NARAYANA full

grown with 4 hands Shankha Chakra etc, and who was prayed to by all

the Devas, who was able to argue using, logic and philosophy with His

father, as to why Indra should not be worshipped, all this when

Krishna was only 7 years old; why should this Krishna go to the

gurukula of Sandipani Muni at the age of 11 and learn all shastras

that took 12 -18 years for the average student of that yuga, in 64

days? Please note here that while Sri Rama acted like a human being

and even denied any knowledge that He was Bhagavan, Sri Krishna

accepted worship from the beginning just as He does in Vaikuntham.

 

This only goes to show that the conclusion that a guru is required

only for baddha atmas or even just jivatmas is not borne out sastric

evidence.

 

Jaganath.