Self Intro & a question about Bodhayanavritti

[Guest guest]

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

 

Dear Shri Swamin,

Adiyenudaya Pranams. I read your mail and was very much curious to find out

more about this subject and questioned my thirutthagappanar Shri

Venkatapathy swamy. Following is his explanation based on what he has learnt

from great scholars, accompanied by my flavors and opinions:

First of all, according to me, one should keep in mind whom they are talking

about before making a statement like "Sri Ramanujacharya did not have access

to Bodhayana's work in it's original form and quotes like, from Ramanuja's

commentary on first sUtra: "....pUrvAcharya Sankshiptuhu...TanmatAnusarena..

". One should remember they are talking about the great Shri Bhashyakarar

who is one amongst those handful who attempted to write a Bharshyam for the

Brahmasutras and succeed in giving a convicing explanation thus supporting

popular philosophies. Hence, if he has used a word, he would definitely mean

something and it is more appropriate to find out what Shri Bhasyakarar meant

by that word, from his followers. But, looks like, the person who made those

statements had attempted to interpret the same on his own. My sympathies for

him.

 

Shri Venkatapathy Swamy:

 

The following are based on the purvacharya granthams and are not of my own

self introduced" explanations. "pUrvAcharya Sankshiptuhu...TanmatAnusarena"

 

What is Bodhayana Vritti?

I would like to give a small introduction on Bodhayana Vritti before I begin

the explanation on the subject of the argument. Vedas have been classified

into two, one being the Karma Kandam(aka purva kandam) and the other is

known as Brahma Kandam. Karma Kandam, due to its vastness needed a

briefing(gist). Shri Jaimini wrote suthras(aphorisms) for the same. It was

called as Purva Mimamsa. Similarly Brahma Kandam(upanishads), due to its

complexity that might lead to misinterpretations needed a briefing. Shri

Veda Vyasar wrote suthras(aphorisms) for the same. This was called as Brahma

Sutra. Both Purva Mimamsa and Brahma Sutra(aka utthara Mimamsa) needed

further explanations and thus came the Vritti(explanation) from Bodhayanar

for the Purva Mimamsa and the Bhashyams(explanation) from Shri Shankarar,

Shri Ramanujar and other great scholars. So, Bodhayana Vritti is the

explanation and opinions of Bodhayanar and the tradition that followed him.

 

What was Shri Ramanujar's attempt?

Bodhayana Vritti had been referred by advaitins. In order to put forth a

valid argument against the same or may be in order to understand more about

these references, Shri Ramanujar wanted to know about Bodhayana Vritti. He

went upto Kashmir where after lots of attempts he finally managed to get the

original script of Bodhayana Vritti for one night. It was that night when

Shri Kooratthazhwan completely memorized the Bodhayana Vritti and based on

this knowledge Shri Ramanujar was able to completely understand the same and

complete the Shri Bhashyam with the appropriate replies to other

philosophies including advaita.

 

What is "tadanusarena"?

Tad-Anusarena:Based on that, or to be even more precise - "According to the

script". This would mean 2 things: 1) the Bhasyakarar(the one who explains)

has read it based on his vyakarana nyana(knowledge of the language) which

would lead to 2) Vishwamithra Shrushti aka misinterpretation i.e self

introduced explanations and thoughts - this would mean, not based on "munnor

mozhindha murai" i.e lack of authenticity, to be more clear, this is not

according to the author but this is according to what I think the author

would have meant. Advaitis, including Shri Sankarar use the term

tadanusarena" by which, the Bhashyakarar(Shri Sankarar in this case), means,

"according to the vritti" - that is - "according to what I understand from

the script".

 

What is "tanmatanusarena"?

Tanmata-anusarena: Based on the author's opinion - pUrvAcharya Sankshiptuhu.

..TanmatAnusarena - that is, based on what I learnt(blessed with) the

purvacharyas explanations and based on their opinions and traditions

followed, I attempt to explain the Sutras ("suthraksharani vyakyasyanthe").

By this the Bhasyakarar(Shri Ramanujar in this case) means that, "I have the

knowledge gained from the great scholars(i.e the authors) of the past and

the followers of their tradition" and hence the information that I use is

AS IS" and not according to what I interpreted - which shows 1) "Munnor

mozhindha murai thappamar kettu" 2) Authenticity i.e no vishwamitra shrushti

i.e no self introduced explanations. This is why Shri Ramanujar has

carefully chosed the word "tanmatanusarena" instead of "tadanusarena". Shri

Ramanujar did not try to interpret Bodhayana Vritti on his own. He used the

text to understand it, but he got the author's views and opinions from those

who followed the Bodhayana Vritti. So, the text was used to know the finer

details while the actual understanding was gathered from the right people.

 

And hence, it is more appropriate to say "Tanmatanusarena" which means based

on their opinion rather than saying "Tadanusarena" which means "this is what

it says which actually means this is my understanding of what it says".

 

According to Shri Vaishnava tradition, Shri Manavala Mamunigal (jeeyar) is

the re-incarnation of Shri Ramanujar. One of the qualities that proves this

belief is the title that Shri Manavala Mamunigal achieved - "Vikasawak

Shikamani" i.e "Poyyilladha Manavala Mamuni" i.e the person whose statements

contain no lies. He was given this title only because he never told his own

interpretations or explanations and always quoted only those from any of the

purvacharya granthams. All his kalakshepams and granthams contain excellent

and accurate references to the purvacharya granthams. Doesn't it obviously

follow that Shri Ramanujar's "Tanmatanusarena" and Shri Manavala Mamunigal's

title "Vikasavak Shikamani" go hand in hand?

 

Thanks to my thirutthagappanar Shri Venkatapathy Swamy.

 

My humble apologies for all mistakes, for they are solely mine and all

credits goes only to my thirutthagappanar Shri Venkatapathy Narasimhan swamy

 

 

Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam

 

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan,

Lakshmi Narasimhan

 

----

 

bhakti-list

Thursday, December 26, 2002 07:47:09

bhakti-list

Self Intro & a question about Bodhayanavritti

 

Recently, I happened to come across a Telugu translation of BrahmasUtra

BhAshyA of Sri SankarabhagavatpAdA with commentary by Mahamahopadhyaya Dr.

Pullela Sriramachandrudu, a learned scholar in Sanskrit literature and

Advaita philosophy, with number of works to his credit. In the introducary

portion of the book Dr.Ramachandrudu discussed about BodhAyanavritti. He is

of the opinion that Sri Ramanujacharya did not have access to Bodhayana's

work in it's original form. To support this argument, he quotes from

Ramanuja's commentary on first sUtra: "....pUrvAcharya Sankshiptuhu..

TanmatAnusarena...". His logic is that he would have written "tadanusArena"

instead of "tanmatanusarena" if he was actually following vritti grantha.

 

.....

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan

 

Srinivasadasa

 

Your use of is subject to

 

 

[Guest guest]

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Dear Shri Vaishnava Perunthagayeer,

This is a follow-up to the previous mail. I found this link to a posting on

bhakthi-list on the same topic and this topic has been explained in a

crystal clear manner. Thanks to the moderator for maintaining all the

archives:)

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/nov99/0128.html

 

 

Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam

 

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan,

Lakshmi Narasimhan

[Guest guest]

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Dear Shri Vaishnavas,

 

I apologise for the following typo:

 

Shri Manavala Mamunigal's title was "Visatha Vaak Shikamanigal" and not

Vikasavak Shikamani".

 

Sarva aparadhaan kshamasva

 

Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam

 

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan,

Lakshmi Narasimhan

 

 

------

- SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -

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