Sripad Ramanujacarya glorification

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Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All

glories to Srila Ramanujacarya.

 

Sripad Ramanujacarya

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BY ARIJIT DAS

 

Sri Ramanuja, the incarnation of Anata, who took birth in the month of

Caitra (April-May) under the sixth lunar mansion in the Tundirades, and who

came upon this earth to establish the philosophy of Sri Vishnu."

 

Four major schools or sampradayas of Vaisnavism are considered authorized by

Vaisnavas everywhere: the Brahma, Sri, Rudra, and Kumara Sampradayas. While

Gaudiya Vaisnavas (us) follow the disciplic line of Visnu worship

originating with Brahma, Sripad Ramanujacarya is the founder-acarya of the

Sri Sampradaya, the school of Vaisnavism or Visnu worship descending from

the eternal consort of Visnu known as Laksmidevi or Sri. His commentaries on

Vedanta rival those of Sankaracarya, especially in Tamil-speaking South

India, where Sri Vaisnavism is prominent to this day. He propounded the

Vedantic philosophy known as Visistadvaita-vada, or qualified monism. The

most famous among his numerous writings are his commentary on Vedanta (Sri

Bhasya), his commentary on Bhagavad-gita, his Vedanta-Sara, and the

Vedartha-Sangraha.

 

According to Sri Vaisnavas, Sri Ramanuja was an incarnation of Laksman

himself. Since Laksmana had been a great devotee of Rama the boy soon became

known as Rama-anuja (follower of Rama).

 

According to Sri Vaisnava tradition, Sri Ramanuja was born on the fifth day

of the full moon in the month of Caitra in 1017 AD Sri Ramanuja's family

belonged to the caste of Vadama smarta-brahmanas, who were formal Vedic

scholars. Sri Ramanuja's father Kesavacarya was very much attached to the

performance of Vedic sacrifices or yajnas. For this reason he became famous

as Sarvakratu or the performer of all kinds of sacrifices. When the boy came

of age, Kesavacarya immersed him in Sanskrit education, teaching him

grammar, logic, and the Vedas. Although Sri Ramanuja was well-schooled in

brahminical learning, however, he had not yet been exposed to the deeply

devotional Tamil hymns glorifying Sri Visnu. Still, his natural devotion had

already been awakened by association with a non-brahmana disciple of Sri

Yamunacarya named Kancipurna, and Sri Ramnuja demonstrated a saintly nature

even from his early childhood. As time passed he underwent all the

purificatory rites of a pious Hindu, including the sacred thread ceremony

and was married, at the age of sixteen.

 

Only a month after the wedding, Sri Ramanuja's father became gravely ill and

passed away. After the passing of his father, Sri Ramanuja moved along with

his family to Kancipuram, where he entered the academy of Yadav Prakash, a

Vedantist of the impersonalist Sankarite School. According to some

commentators, the decision to enroll Sri Ramanuja in the school of a

non-Vaisnava is evidence that his family was not strictly devoted to Visnu

but were merely caste brahmanas interested in insuring that their son would

become a good scholar. Others are convinced that this was merely Sri

Ramanuja's strategy to become well-versed in the arguments of Sankaracarya

before thoroughly refuting them in his own commentaries.

 

Sri Ramanuja soon excelled among the students of Yadav Prakash and become

his teacher's favorite student. Yadav Prakash preached the theory of

nondualism, and stressed the illusion of all form, including the form of Sri

Visnu. As Sri Ramanuja's devotion to Visnu blossomed, his disgust with this

philosophy grew. Still, out of respect for his teacher he avoided conflict.

 

Soon, however, the day arrived when he could no longer tolerate the

impersonalism of Yadav Prakash. One day Sri Ramanuja was massaging his

guru's back as Yadav Prakash explained a verse from the Candogya Upanishad.

The verse contained the words kapyasam pundarikam evam aksini. Following the

interpretation of Sankaracarya, Yadav Prakash explained that kapy means

"monkey" and asanam means "ass." Sri Ramanuja was enraged at this blasphemy,

and the hot tears flowed which from his eyes in anguish fell upon his guru's

back. Yadav Prakash could understand that his disciple was disturbed, and

inquired as to what the problem was. When Sri Ramanuja took issue with his

guru's interpretation, Yadav Prakash was astonished. He demanded Sri

Ramanuja's interpretation. Sri Ramanuja explained that kapyasam means, "that

which sits upon the water and flourishes by drinking,"

 

At Yamunacarya himself went to visit Sri Ramanuja, but when he came to Kanci

he saw that Sri Ramanuja was still a follower of Yadav Prakash and so

Yamunacarya did not approach him. It is said that Yamunacarya watched him

from a distance and prayed for Sri Ramanuja to become the

darsana-pravartaka, or philosophical preceptor of the Sri Vaisnava

Sampradaya.

 

About this time, the king of Kancipuram called for Yadav Prakash. His

daughter was possessed by a brahma-raksasa, a brahmana ghost. Yadav Prakash

was called as an exorcist, and when he arrived with his disciples, he was

brought before the king's daughter and asked to relieve her of the influence

of the ghost. Speaking through the girl's mouth, the ghost insulted Yadav

Prakash and laughed at him. Sri Ramanuja was asked to try, and when he came

before the girl, the brahma-rakshash said, "If Sri Ramanuja blesses me with

the dust of his lotus feet, I shall leave this girl." Sri Ramanuja did so

upon which the girl was cured, and the king was deeply indebted to him.

 

After this humiliation before Sri Ramanuja, it was not long before Yadav

Prakash told Sri Ramanuja to leave his ashram. The final split between them

came when Yadav Prakash was discussing the meaning of two Upanisadic texts:

saravam khalv idam brahma (Candogya Upanisad 3.1, "everything is Brahman")

and neha nanasti kincana (Katha Upanisad 4.11, "there is no distinction").

Yadav Prakash discussed these verses at length while explaining the theory

of oneness promoted by Sankaracarya with great eloquence. After Yadav

Prakash was finished speaking, Sri Ramanuja gave his own interpretation.

 

Sri Ramanuja explained that sarvam khalv idam brahman would mean "the whole

universe is Brahman, if it were not for the word tajjalan in the next part

of the verse, which qualifies the meaning. Sri Ramanujacarya held that it

means not that the universe is Brahman, but that it is pervaded by Brahman.

>From Brahman the universe comes, by Brahman it is sustained, and into

Brahman it ultimately enters, just as a fish is born in water, lives in

water, and is ultimately dissolved into water. Still a fish is not water,

but a separate entity entirely. In the same way the universe, although

existing within Brahman is different from Brahman. Just as a fish can never

be water, so the universe can never be Brahman. As to the second verse, neha

nanasti kincana, according to Sri Ramanuja it does not mean "No distinction

exists," but rather that things are not distinct in that they are all

interconnected, just as pearls are strung on a thread. Since all things are

inter-related and inter-connected, in a certain sense it may be said that

there is no distinction to be made between them. All things are related to

Brahman and as such do not have any existence, which is distinct from

Brahman. Still, while a certain unity can be seen in the inter-relatedness

of all things, everything within the universe has its own distinct reality.

Pearls strung on the thread have unity; collectively they form an organic

whole, a necklace. Still, each individual pearl has its own unique

qualities. Therefore, Sri Ramanuja argued, the principle of absolute oneness

as argued by Sankaracarya cannot stand; rather the principle of unity

characterized by different qualities must be accepted. After leaving Yadav

Prakash, Sri Ramanuja was advised by his mother to take guidance from

Kancipurna, the non-brahmana Vaisnava whose devotion Sri Ramanuja greatly

revered. Kancipurna advised him to serve the Visnu deity in the temple of

Lord Varaha by carrying water every day to the temple. He began serving

Kancipurna with great devotion, and soon was accepted as his disciple.

Although Kancipurna was by birth a member of the sudra caste and Sri

Ramanujacarya was a brahmana, this never influenced Sri Ramanujacarya's

devotion for him. He accepted Kancipurna as his guru without reservation.

Sri Ramanujacarya's wife, however, could not tolerate her husband's

acceptance of a sudra as a guru, and did her best to discourage Sri

Ramanujacarya being in his company.

 

Yamunacarya by this time was very old. Wracked by illness, he was on the

verge of passing from this world when he heard that Sri Ramanujacarya had

left the school of Yadav Prakash and had begun serving the humble

Kancipurna, who was famous as a great devotee of Visnu. He sent some

disciples to bring Sri Ramanujacarya. When Sri Ramanujacarya heard the news,

he immediately set out for Sri Rangam, the headquarters of the Sri

Vaisnavas, where Yamunacarya lay dying. But by the time he arrived at the

side of Yamunacarya it was too late. The master has passed from this world,

entering Vaikuntha and the eternal service of Sri Visnu.

 

At that time, Sri Ramanujacarya noticed that three fingers on the right hand

of the master were closed. He asked the disciples of Yamunacarya if he had

been accustomed to hold his hand in such a way, and they replied that it was

highly unusual. Sripad Ramanuja could understand that this unusual gesture

of the three clenched fingers represented the three unfulfilled wishes of

Yamunacarya. He then vowed to fulfill these three wishes. He promised to

teach the people in general the religion of surrender to Visnu, training

them in the five samskaras (purificatory processes). As he did so, one of

Yamunacarya's fingers relaxed. Sri Ramanujacarya then vowed to comment on

the hymns of the Alvars, the South Indian saints, and with this the second

finger relaxed. Finally Sri Ramanujacarya promised to write a scholarly

commentary on the Vedanta-sutras expounding the principles of Sri Vaisnavism

as the ultimate truth of the Vedas. With this the last clenched finger was

relaxed. A look of spiritual peace came over the lotus face of Sri

Ramanujacarya's divine master, Sri Yamunacarya, as if to say that he could

now depart peacefully, knowing that his mission was in good hands.

 

Upon his return to Kancipurna, Sri Ramanuja gradually became completely

disinterested in his family life, his beautiful wife and home, and absorbed

himself deeply in the service of his guru Kancipurna with whom he began

spending most of his time. As Sri Ramanujacarya spent more time at the

temple, his wife became unhappy that her husband was ignoring her. She was

further humiliated by the fact that he was neglecting her to serve a

low-born sudra.

 

One day, Sri Ramanujacarya invited Kancipurna for dinner, thinking that by

so doing he would be able to take the remnants of his guru's prasadam, and

so become blessed. Kancipurna, being very humble arrived early, before Sri

Ramanuja returned home. Kancipurna explained to Sri Ramanuja's wife

Kambalaksa that he had service to do in the temple and could not stay for

long. With this, Kambalaksa quickly fed him and sent him away. After

Kancipurna had left, she took a long stick and carefully picked up the

banana leaf upon which he had dined, so as not to soil her hands with what

she thought to be the contaminated remnants of an untouchable. After

ordering her maidservant to clean the room carefully, she bathed in order to

purify herself. When Sri Ramanuja returned and heard of the insult to this

guru, he was enraged.

 

One day, while drawing water from a well, Sri Ramanujacarya's wife met the

wife of his guru, Kancipurna. When the water from their waterpots

accidentally became mixed, Sri Ramanujacarya's wife cursed Kancipurna's

wife, thinking that the water of an outcast had contaminated her waterpot.

When Sri Ramanujacarya came to know of this insult, he was furious. He sent

his wife home to her parents and left to take sannyas.

 

After leaving home, he went to the temple of Varadraja to see the beloved

deity of Visnu whom he had served for so long. After obtaining saffron cloth

and all the necessary paraphernalia of the renounced order, he accepted the

triple staff, (tridanada) of the Vaisnava sannyasi, symbolizing the complete

surrender of mind, body, and words to Visnu. With this, he became known as

yatiraja, "the king of the renounced order." Soon after taking sannyas,

Sripad Ramanujacarya Goswami maharaja established his own monastery

(ashram), where he began training disciples in his systematic Vaisnava

interpretation of Vedanta as well as in the path of devotion to Visnu. His

ashram was established near the temple in Kanci. His first disciple was his

older sister's son, his nephew Mudali Andan, also known as Darathi. His

second disciple was a learned and wealthy brahmana named Kuratalavan, also

known as Kuresa, who was renowned for his photographic memory.

 

One day the mother of Yadav Prakash saw Sri Ramanujacarya teaching his

disciples and was impressed by his saintly qualities. She was a great

devotee of Visnu and was somewhat unhappy that her son, Yadav Prakash had

become a follower of Sankaracarya's impersonal monism. She encouraged Yadav

Prakash to visit Sri Ramanujacarya. That night Yadav had a dream in which a

divine voice instructed him to become Sri Ramanujacarya's disciple. The next

day, upon visiting Sri Ramanujacarya, Yadav Prakash found him wearing the

dress of a Vaisnava. He asked him, "Why have you rejected the school of

Sankaracarya? Why have you adopted this Vaisnava dress? Where is this

sanctioned in the scriptures? Can you show any scriptural evidence

supporting your behavior?'

 

With this, Sri Ramanujacarya instructed his foremost disciple, Kuresa, to

enlighten Yadav Prakash with the scriptural evidence in support of Vaisnava

dress. He quoted extensively from the Sruti, saying, "Sruti is the best

evidence.

 

Sripad Ramanujacarya Maharaja Goswami Prabhupada was one hundred and twenty

years old. During his life he had established seventy-four centers for the

Sri Vaisnavas and had many thousands of followers, including several kings

and many wealthy land-owners. Apart from the householders, he numbered

amongst his followers 700 sannyas disciples, 12,000 brahmacari disciples,

and 300 ladies who had taken vows of renunciation. Eventually, seeing that

his mission on earth was now completed, he decided to give up his frail body

and return to the abode of the Lord. At this time Sri Ramanuja's disciples

cried very loud and felt very emotionally disturbed.

 

FINAL INSTRUCTIONS

 

On hearing their cries, Sri Ramanujacarya came out of his trance and said to

his disciples, "My dear children, why do you cry out in lamentation like

un-educated people? Do you think this body can endure forever? Am I not

fixed in your hearts for all time? Therefore, give up this useless wailing

and understand the will of the Lord."

 

To this the disciples all replied, "0 master, as always your instructions

are perfect. Nonetheless, it is impossible for us to bear the pain of

separation, which must surely overwhelm us if you leave us now."

 

Sri Ramanuja showed them mercy and stayed three more days giving discourses

on each of the following subjects:

 

1. Everyday worship all the Vaisnavas and joyfully associate with them as

you worship your Guru and with firm faith and remain steady in their

service.

 

2. Study the scriptures with devotion and teach others who are sincerely

interested.

 

3. Always chant with devotion the holy name and relish the form and

qualities of the Supreme Lord.

 

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DISAPPEARANCE OF SRIPAD RAMANUJACARYA MAHARAJA

 

When Sri Ramanuja had finished speaking, Dasarathi, Govinda, Andhrapurna,

and some of the other leading disciples came forward and made this request.

''Your body, which is forever engaged in the service of the Lord, can never

be a product of matter. Our bodies are certainly temporary, but you exist

only on the platform of spiritual life, therefore, our request is that we

never be deprived of the sight of your spiritual form."

 

Taking pity upon them, Sripad Ramanujacarya accepted their request and

ordered that expert sculptors be brought there to carve a stone deity in his

likeness. After three days the work was complete. Then the deity was bathed

with water from the Kaveri and installed upon a newly constructed altar.

Yatiraja then came slowly up to the deity and filled it with his potency by

breathing into the crown of the head. Turning to the disciples, he said,

"This is my second self. When I have cast off this body, you may worship

this form instead of me."

 

Then he lay down with his head on Govindas lap. His feet on the lap of

Andhrapurna. In this position, with his eyes fixed on the wooden shoes of

his own spiritual master, Sripad Ramanujacarya gave up his body and returned

to the abode of Lord Visnu. It was noontime on the tenth day of the bright

moon fortnight in the month of Magha in the year 1059 of the Saka era (1137

A.D.). A few days later, Govinda, Sri Ramanuja's cousin and lifelong

companion, also departed from this world.

 

The other devotees remained under the leadership of Sri Parasara Bhatta, the

son of Kuresa, always endeavoring to follow in their master's footsteps by

constantly serving Lord Narayana. By serious practice of devotional service,

they were able to feel Sri Ramanuja's presence within their hearts; thus

their intense feelings of separation were mitigated. Parasara continued the

mission of Sri Ramanujacarya by strongly preaching the doctrines of

Vaisnavism. In a great debate he overcame Vedantin Madhava dasa, the leader

of the impersonalist scholars, and made him a vaisnava devotee. Years later,

after the disappearance of Parasara, this same Madhava dasa became the

acarya of the Sri Vaisnavas.

 

This is only a drop in an ocean of unlimited transcendental pastimes in

relationship to this Great Vaisnava Acarya.

 

Submitted for the pleasure of all sincere Vaisnava devotees of the lord.

 

Your servant,

Arijit das