THE LIFE AND WORKS OF ACHARYA RAAMANUJA- part 2

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NINE Sri Sookthis of AchArya RaamAnujA

 

Highlights of AchArya RaamAnujA's Sri Sookthis

 

(1) Sri Bhaashyam, the magnum opus of AchArya RaamAnujA is the

greatest commentary on Brahma SoothrAs of BadarAyaNA and is based on

the BodhAyana Vrutthi, TankA's VaakhyA, DramidA's BhAshyam on

TankA's VaakhyA, Saankhyasapathi of IsvarakrishNA, PaancharAthra

samhithA,

AaLavandhAr's Siddhitrayam and Aagama PrAmANyam

 

With the help of select Sruthi, Smruthi and Saathvika PurANam

passages, AchArya RaamAnujA effectively crticizes the other

commentaries on Brahma SoothrAs based on SankarA's AdhvaithA and

BhAskarA's BhEdAbhEdA as untenable and establishes the accuracy of

Sri BhAshyam rooted in Sri VisishtAdvaitham .

 

The essence of Sri Bhaashyam (Four Synoptic propositions) has been

summarized by Sro AdhidEvAnandA this way :

 

(a) It is a reasoned and critical reconstruction of the philosophy

of the Upanishads with due appreciation of other sources of

knowledge such as perception and inference and the supplementary

scriptures.

 

(b) The reconstruction presents Ultimate Reality, Brahman, and the

Supreme Spirit, as the transcendent repository of ALL perfections

and as holding as its own embodiment the totality of finite

existence, sentient and insentient.

 

© The pathway to the final good of life is the blissful communion

with Brahman by way of devout and loving contemplation named

BHAKTHI, facilitated by a life of virtue and founded on assured

philosophical understanding.

 

(d) The end attained through that means is the eternal experience of

Brahman, with all the plentitude and eternity which only that

experience can bring to the individual personality .It is the

supreme ecstasy of Life in God.

 

 

(2) The GitA BhAshyam is an elaboration of AaLavandhAr's GithArtha

sangraham. The individual verses are explained in the light of the

VisishtAdhvathic tenets: "Reality is personality with countless

auspicious attributes and that it is a qualified whole of which

Isvaran is the Soul, and the Jiva and the Jagat (Prakrti) form the

body in inseparable relation with the Whole, but there are internal

divisions of the nature of modes in It."

 

The saadhanas that an aspiring human being should adopt for Moksham

are explained by AchArya RaamAnujA here .Moksham in the complete

sense is explained as occurring with the fall of the physical

body, "after which the released soul is clothed in a body of suddha-

sattvA with which it is able to commune with God and experience His

overpoweringly august but loving presence through eternity ". This

is described as the experience of ParipUrNa BrahmAnandham in the

abode of Sriman NaarAyaNA at Sri Vaikuntam.

 

3. VedArtha SangrahA: This elaborate treatise is an important

commentary on the correct meanings of the important passages of

VedAs and Upanishads .This

grantham points out the deficiencies in the rival schools of

VedanthA in general and AdhvaithA in particular .This grantham pays

a lot of attention to the VisishtAdhvaithic intrepretations of Tattva

(Reality), HithA ( Means of attaining

Brahma) and PurushArtham (Supreme Goal of Life)

 

4. VedAntha DipA : This grantham is a shorter commentary on Brahma

SoothrAs. The essential purport of each of the SoothrAs is given. It

stays away from the scholarly arguments of Sri Bhaashyam and does

not include the critique of the rival systems.

 

5. Vedantha SaarA: This is yet another brief commentary on Brahma

SoothrAs for those of average familiarity with VedAthic doctrines.

This grantham gives the meaning of each soothram and AdhikaraNam.

 

6. SaraNAgathi Gadhyam: This is one of the three Gadhyams bequeathed

to us by AchArya RaamAnujA. This gadhyam explains the nature,

importance and method of performance of Prapatthi at the sacred feet

of the Divya dampathis.

 

7. Sriranga Gadhyam: Here AchArya RaamAnujA prays to Lord RanganAtha

and Sri RanganAyaki with Parama Bhakthi and utter humility.

 

8. Sri Vaikunta Gadhyam: This is a moving description of Sri

Vaikuntam visualized by AchArya RaamAnujA during his divine ecstasy

following his Prapatthi on a Panguni Uttharam day in presence of the

Divya Dampathis of Srirangam. The depth of AchArya RaamAnujA's

mystical experience of Sri Vaikuntam and the supreme bliss enjoyed

there by the MukthAs and Nithya Sooris is unparalleled.

 

9. The Nithya-GranthA: This practical grantham instructs us about

the proper form of worshipping Sriman NaarAyaNA. Hence, this

grantham is also known as Bhagavadh-aarAdhana PrayOgA. Fifteen

points are stressed in this Grantham. Our great AchAryan insists

that a VishNu Bhakthan MUST perform Aaradhanam to the Lord to

qualify as His devotee as described in the twelfth chapter of

BhagavadhgitA .

 

HIS KAIMKARYAM FOR SAMPRAHAYA PRAVARTHAKAM:

 

After his return to Srirangam from ThirunArAyaNapuram, AchArya

RaamAnujA as a great administrator established 74 SimhAsanAdhipathis

to grow the Darsanam and gave them each a set of Sankham and Chakram

for performing Pancha SamskArams. He handed over copies of SrikOsam

on Sri Bhaashyam to

ThirukkuruhaippirAn PiLLAn, NdAdUr AzhwAn, KidAmpi AacchAn and

MudaliANDAn and asked them to continue with the pravachanam of Sri

Bhaashyam and made them Sri Bhaashya SimhAsanAthipathis.He singled

out ThirukkuruhaippirAn PiLLAn to initiate Bhagavadh Vishaya

KaalakshEpam and made this special sishyan (His Jn~Ana Puthran) a

Ubhaya SimhAsAnAthipathi.

 

In addition to the above 74 simhAsanAthipathis, there were 700

Jeeyars and 12,000 EkAnthis and thousands of Kainkarya- parALs, who

sought the sacred feet of AchArya RaamAnujA for refuge.

 

Out of his infinite compassion, AchAryA RaamAnujA in his last days

gave us a five point guideline to follow (yathA sakthi) that would

assure us the grace of

Sriman NaarAyaNA:

 

(a)Perform KaalakshEpam of Sri Bhaashyam and spread its message to

others.

 

(b) If that is difficult, perform KaalakshEpam of AzhwAr's

aruLiccheyalkaL and spread their messages.

 

© If that proves to be diffcult, perform daily Kaimkaryams at

Divya Desams through offering NaivEdhyam to the Lord, lighting lamps

in sannidhis,

SamarpaNam of ThuLasi and flower garlands to the Dhivya dampathis et

al

 

(d) If that proves to be not possible, recite the Manthra Rathnam,

Dhvayam, and contemplate on its meaning.

 

(e) If none of the above is beyond one's sakthi,then seek Sri

VaishNava sathsangam and become the Thiruvadi of BhagavathAs to

attain the bliss of

Moksham

 

CONCLUDING SALUTATIONS TO NAMPERUMAL AND ACHARYA RAAMANUJA

 

AdiyEn will conclude this short summary of the life and works of

AchArya RaamAnujA with the three slOkams uttered in presence of Sri

RanganAtha at the conclusionof the AdhyayanOthsavam conducted by

AchArya RaamAnujA :

 

sarvadEsa dasAkAlEshu avyAhata parAkramA

RaamAnujArya dhivyAj~nA vardhathAm abhivardhathAm

----

ThirukkuruhaippirAn PiLLAn

 

RaamAnujArya DhivyAj~nA prathivAsaramujjvalA

DhiganthavyApini BhUyAth saa hi LokahithaishiNi

---- MudaliANDAn

 

Sriman Srirangasriyam anubhadravAm anudhinam samvardhaya

Sriman Srirangasriyam anubhadhravAm anudhinam samvardhaya

--- AchArya RaamAnujA

 

May we seek the blessings of the Parama DayALu AdhisEshAvathaarar,

Sri RaamAnujA and the Guru paramparai established by him on the

occasion of the release of this Special CD ROM celebrating his

immortal gifts for us and conclude with His Taniyan:

 

yO nithyam Achyutha PadhAmbhujayugmarugma

vyAmOhatha: tadhitharANi thruNAya mEnE

asmath GurO:BhagavadhOsya dayaikasindhO:

Raamaanujasya CharaNou SaraNam prapdhyE

 

DaasAnu Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradchAri Sadagopan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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