Philosophy of Ramanuja-Brahman as savisesha

[Guest guest]

2. The philosophy of visishtadvaia

 

 

 

Ramanuja asserts that the sole source of the knowledge of

Brahman being the scriptural texts, they should be interpreted so as not

to be contradictory in their purport. Brahman, that is Narayana, is

defined in Sribhashya as the Supreme ruler, possessing innumerable

auspicious qualities, anantakalyanaguna visishta, satyakama

satyasankalpa, true- willed ,sarvajna, omniscient,

sarvasakthiman,omnipotent and full of mercy.

 

 

 

Narayana that is, Brahman is the creator, protector and

annihilator as per the sruti text 'yatho va imaani bhoothaani jaayanthi

yena jaathaani jeevanthi yasmin abhisamvisanthi thadvijijnaasasva

thadbrahma,' and contains within Himself all beings from the four-faced

Brahma to the blade of grass. He is the dispenser of the fruits of

action..

 

 

 

Ramanuja considers both the texts describing Brahman as

nirguna as well as saguna are equally valid. He says that the saguna

texts mention the infinitely auspicious qualities of Isvaara while the

nirguna texts negate inauspicious qualities in Him. Ramanuja claims

that the auspicious qualities being the essence of Brahman there is no

possibility in His being nirguna.

 

 

 

Brahman is described as savisesha by Ramanuja in Sribhashya

which is different from thr term saguna used by sankara. Savisesha

implies the relatinship between the substantive and the attribute, that

is, dharmi and dharma. For instance the fire is the dharmi and the heat

is the dharma which is inseparable from its dharmi, the fire, without

which the svarupa of fire will not exist as such.

 

 

 

3.Brahman is savisesha.

 

 

 

Brahman is defined as 'satyam jnanam anantam' and also

aanandham in Taittiria Upanishad. Ramanuja considers the word nirguna

describing Brahman only to mean that Brahman is free from all finite

qualities or the omperfections of the finite beings. The text 'satyam

jnanam anantam brahma' defines Brahman only as visishta, satyam

denoting infinite existence as the absolute reality, jnanam, the

infinite knowledge or omnscience and anantam refers to the fact that

Brahman is not conditioned by time, place or entity, desakalavasthu

paricchinnarahitatvam. It means that Brahman is not limited by space

being all encompassing, sarvavyapin, not limited by time being

everlasting, anaadhyantharahitha and not limited by entity as there is

nothing but Brahman everywhere. Similarly Brahman is anandham ,bliss.

 

 

 

These are according to Ramanuja, svrupanirupaka dharma,

inseparable attributes as in the example 'blue lotus.' Even though the

words 'blue' and 'lotus' have different connotations taken separately,

in the word 'blue lotus' they mean the same entity. Ramanuja calls this

ekaarthavrththi, according to the principle of samanadhikaranya, defined

by Patanjali in Mahabhashya on Panini, as 'denotationof the same object

through different connotations,' This principle of samanadhikaranya

along with that of sadvidya and sarira- sariri bhava form the tripod on

which the philosophy of visishtadvaia stands firm.

 

 

 

The unity of Brahman with the world is that of visishtaaikya and not

svarupaaikya. The Reality is visishta in the sense of being an organic

whole where the viseshana, attribute and the viseshya, the substantive

exist in inseparable relation to each other. It is not svarupa aikya or

absolute identitiy that is meant which necessitates the denial of the

world as unreal. Ramnuja in his Sribhashya establishes Brahman as

savisesha on the basis of various sruti texts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

harE krShNa! AzhwArgaL thiruvadigaLE sharaNam! jay shrIlA praBhupAdha!

 

 

 

Dear Devotee Sri Sarojram Amma,

 

 

 

Thanks for posting about vishiShtAdhvaitha in detail. Though I know that

vishiShtAdhvaitha and achinthya bEdha abEdha are almost same, by reading

your explanation I came to know this fact practically that both philosophies

speak the same.

 

 

 

achinthya bEdha abEdha philosophy of lord chaithanya (incarnation of lord

krShNa as well as devotee of lord krShNa) also describes the supreme or

BhagavAn as *sachchidhAnandha* vigraha, which means *sath* (truth; this same

thing is stated by shrI rAmAnujAchArya as sathyam) + *chith* (knowedge; this

same thing is stated by shrI rAmAnujAchArya as gnAnam) +

*Anandha*(blissful; again this is what stated by shrI rAmAnujAchArya).

 

 

 

Thanks for invoking this divine topic of philosophies related to lord

krShNa.

 

 

 

- Balaji - The Servant of Devotees!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrimatE rAmAnujAya nama:

Dear SrI Balaji Swamin,

While I appreciate your interest in explaining the Gaudiya SiddanthA, I request you to kindly understand that Sri Chaitanya being Krishna is not something that is agreed by the original vaishnava Sampradayas (SrI, MAdhwA). This is a Srivaishnava forum, and I request you to kindly be sensitive to that and not declare statements that are not acceptable by everyone, especially the Srivaishnavas.

Dasan,

Kidamibi Soundararajan.

 

Balaji A <balajimails > wrote:

harE krShNa! AzhwArgaL thiruvadigaLE sharaNam! jay shrIlA praBhupAdha!

 

 

 

Dear Devotee Sri Sarojram Amma,

 

 

 

Thanks for posting about vishiShtAdhvaitha in detail. Though I know that

vishiShtAdhvaitha and achinthya bEdha abEdha are almost same, by reading

your explanation I came to know this fact practically that both philosophies

speak the same.

 

 

 

achinthya bEdha abEdha philosophy of lord chaithanya (incarnation of lord

krShNa as well as devotee of lord krShNa) also describes the supreme or

BhagavAn as *sachchidhAnandha* vigraha, which means *sath* (truth; this same

thing is stated by shrI rAmAnujAchArya as sathyam) + *chith* (knowedge; this

same thing is stated by shrI rAmAnujAchArya as gnAnam) +

*Anandha*(blissful; again this is what stated by shrI rAmAnujAchArya).

 

 

 

Thanks for invoking this divine topic of philosophies related to lord

krShNa.

 

 

 

- Balaji - The Servant of Devotees!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Sri Kidambi Soundararajan :

 

Thank you for your carefully worded note.

 

Let us embrace all our VaishNavite brethern

independent of the differences in emphasis

in their chosen approaches . Oppiliappan Group

should be a controversey free forum ;I will

remove however any offensive postings

thru moderation without suffocating

the exchange of views thuru civil debate.

 

Sri Manoram Dasa opened my eyes on this matter recently

thru the intensity of his efforts to perform the Kaimkaryam

for Bhagavath RaamAnuja at His avathAra Sthalam .

He bowled me over with his sinnerity and dedication .

We have a lot to learn from him .

 

We fully understand the differences in the core

beliefs and SaadhanA approaches of different

VaishNava groups that follow Bhagavath RaamAnuja

SiddhAntham .

 

As long as the different VaishNavite groups

recognize Sriman NaarAyaNa as their Lord and

Bhagavath RaamAnujaa as His revered AchAryan ,

rest of the differences in approach will take care of

themselves .

 

V.Sadagopan

 

-

"vimalkumar ranganathan" <panardasan >

<Oppiliappan>

Friday, April 28, 2006 10:32 AM

Re: Philosophy of Ramanuja-Brahman as savisesha

 

 

> SrI:

> SrimatE rAmAnujAya nama:

>

> Dear SrI Balaji Swamin,

> While I appreciate your interest in explaining the

> Gaudiya SiddanthA, I request you to kindly understand that Sri Chaitanya

> being Krishna is not something that is agreed by the original vaishnava

> Sampradayas (SrI, MAdhwA). This is a Srivaishnava forum, and I request you

> to kindly be sensitive to that and not declare statements that are not

> acceptable by everyone, especially the Srivaishnavas.

>

> Dasan,

> Kidamibi Soundararajan.

>

>

>

> Balaji A <balajimails > wrote:

> harE krShNa! AzhwArgaL thiruvadigaLE sharaNam! jay shrIlA praBhupAdha!

>

>

>

> Dear Devotee Sri Sarojram Amma,

>

>

>

> Thanks for posting about vishiShtAdhvaitha in detail. Though I know that

> vishiShtAdhvaitha and achinthya bEdha abEdha are almost same, by reading

> your explanation I came to know this fact practically that both

> philosophies

> speak the same.

>

>

>

> achinthya bEdha abEdha philosophy of lord chaithanya (incarnation of lord

> krShNa as well as devotee of lord krShNa) also describes the supreme or

> BhagavAn as *sachchidhAnandha* vigraha, which means *sath* (truth; this

> same

> thing is stated by shrI rAmAnujAchArya as sathyam) + *chith* (knowedge;

> this

> same thing is stated by shrI rAmAnujAchArya as gnAnam) +

> *Anandha*(blissful; again this is what stated by shrI rAmAnujAchArya).

 

 

> Thanks for invoking this divine topic of philosophies related to lord

> krShNa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear SrI Sadagopan Mama,

I totally agree to your point. I myself have learnt a lot from the dedication and vigor of ISKCON devotees like Sri Manoram Chaitanya Dasa, and it is very rare to find such qualities. I just wanted devotees to avoid sensitive topics of discussion in the light of Vaishnava unity, that is all.

Dasan,

Kidambi Soundararajan.

 

gopan <yennappan (AT) computer (DOT) net> wrote:

SrI:

 

Dear Sri Kidambi Soundararajan :

 

Thank you for your carefully worded note.

 

Let us embrace all our VaishNavite brethern

independent of the differences in emphasis

in their chosen approaches . Oppiliappan Group

should be a controversey free forum ;I will

remove however any offensive postings

thru moderation without suffocating

the exchange of views thuru civil debate.

 

Sri Manoram Dasa opened my eyes on this matter recently

thru the intensity of his efforts to perform the Kaimkaryam

for Bhagavath RaamAnuja at His avathAra Sthalam .

He bowled me over with his sinnerity and dedication .

We have a lot to learn from him .

 

We fully understand the differences in the core

beliefs and SaadhanA approaches of different

VaishNava groups that follow Bhagavath RaamAnuja

SiddhAntham .

 

As long as the different VaishNavite groups

recognize Sriman NaarAyaNa as their Lord and

Bhagavath RaamAnujaa as His revered AchAryan ,

rest of the differences in approach will take care of

themselves .

 

V.Sadagopan

 

-

"vimalkumar ranganathan" <panardasan >

<Oppiliappan>

Friday, April 28, 2006 10:32 AM

Re: Philosophy of Ramanuja-Brahman as savisesha

 

 

> SrI:

> SrimatE rAmAnujAya nama:

>

> Dear SrI Balaji Swamin,

> While I appreciate your interest in explaining the

> Gaudiya SiddanthA, I request you to kindly understand that Sri Chaitanya

> being Krishna is not something that is agreed by the original vaishnava

> Sampradayas (SrI, MAdhwA). This is a Srivaishnava forum, and I request you

> to kindly be sensitive to that and not declare statements that are not

> acceptable by everyone, especially the Srivaishnavas.

>

> Dasan,

> Kidamibi Soundararajan.

>

>

>

> Balaji A <balajimails > wrote:

> harE krShNa! AzhwArgaL thiruvadigaLE sharaNam! jay shrIlA praBhupAdha!

>

>

>

> Dear Devotee Sri Sarojram Amma,

>

>

>

> Thanks for posting about vishiShtAdhvaitha in detail. Though I know that

> vishiShtAdhvaitha and achinthya bEdha abEdha are almost same, by reading

> your explanation I came to know this fact practically that both

> philosophies

> speak the same.

>

>

>

> achinthya bEdha abEdha philosophy of lord chaithanya (incarnation of lord

> krShNa as well as devotee of lord krShNa) also describes the supreme or

> BhagavAn as *sachchidhAnandha* vigraha, which means *sath* (truth; this

> same

> thing is stated by shrI rAmAnujAchArya as sathyam) + *chith* (knowedge;

> this

> same thing is stated by shrI rAmAnujAchArya as gnAnam) +

> *Anandha*(blissful; again this is what stated by shrI rAmAnujAchArya).

 

 

> Thanks for invoking this divine topic of philosophies related to lord

> krShNa.