Contribution of Vedanta desika to Visistadwaita

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Dear AtmabandhUs,

 

(These are the excerpts of the lectures of Dr.NSA on

the thirunakshattiram of Swami Desikar, at Andavan

Ashramam, Jayanagar).

 

Vedanta Desika is one of the greatest successors of

RAmAnuja.

 

He gave a reformulation of the fundamentals of the

school incorporating all the elaborations that had

accumulated in the interval between himself and

BhagavAn RamAnuja.

 

The very many technical details of the school were

articulated by VedAnta Desika.

 

The significant contribution of Desika to

Vis~is~Tadwaita relates to very many areas. Some may

be noticed as follows.

 

1. CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ORIGINAL SAYINGS OF MASTERS LIKE

YAMUNA AND RAMANUJA:

 

His commentaries on stotraratna , chatushOlkI of

Yamuna and his commentary on " GitAbhAasya ,SrIbhAsya

and Gadyatraya of RamAnuja, commentary called

" sarvArthasiddhi " of his own work " tatvamuktAkalApa "

are landmarks to the history of the development of

Vis~is~TAdwaitha. In these commentaries, Desika

expounds the profound meanings of the statements of

the AchAryAs and enables one to understand the

significance of the great works of the pUrvAchAryAs.

 

2. CONTRIBUTION TO THE ONTOLOGICAL DOCTRINE.

 

VedAnta DEsika wrote independent works known as

" prakaraNagranthA " s such as " nyAyasiddhAnjanam " ,

" nyAyaparis~uddhi " and " tatvamuktAkalApa " and

expounded the ontological truths methodically,

following the method of other s~astrakArAs. The

uddes`ya, vibhAga and lakshaNa---the proposition, the

classifications and definitions of different entities.

 

Desika has examined the true nature of every entity in

these works and if he had not written such works, many

concepts would have ever remained hazy. Desika

expounds " pramEya " in the 'nyAyasiddhAnjana' and

'pramANa' in 'nyAyaparus~uddhi'. The boundaries of

each have been well defined and established.

'tatvamuktAkalApa' is a unique work that expounds all

the essentials of Vis~is~Tadwaitha in a remarkable way

that it befits the glorification such as 'sArvaj~nam

tatvamuktAkalApE'.

 

3. CONTRIBUTION TO EPISTEMOLOGY.

 

Desika has expounded the doctrine of knowledge

elaborately and has raised 12 objections in connection

with 'dharmabhUtaj~nAna' or attributive consciousness

and answered them in his work 'nyAyasiddhAnjanam'.

According to the school, the theory of error is

explained. There is no illusion whatsoever in this

school. Error is a part of reality. Non-apprehension

of the determining characteristics of an object is the

cause of error. The doctrine of 'yathArthasiddhi' is

established. Desika has expounded the doctrine of

pramANAs namely perception(pratyaksha),

inference(anumAna) and verbal testimony(sabda) in his

'nyAyaparis~uddhi'. In all these the visistadwaitic

conclusion is clearly drawn.

 

4. SYNCRETISM (SAMANVAYA) BETWEEN THE TWO MIMAMSAS

AND SYNCRETISM BETWEEN NYAYA AND VEDANTA ETC.

 

Desika's work 'mImAmsA pAdukA' and 'sEshwara

mImAmsA'(incomplete) are devoted to the working of

unity between pUrvamImAmsA and uttaramImAmsA. These

two form one integral text as expounded by RamAnuja.

NyAyaparisuddhi works out syncretism between nyAya

sAstra and vEdAnta.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS RELIGION AND THEOLOGY.

 

The works 'pAncharAtrarakshA' and 'saccharitrarakshA'

are significant contributions towards the

consolidation of religious practices and principles.

'nikshEpa rakshA' is a unique work wherein the

spiritual discipline of 'prapatti' is strongly

defended and established. Nine objections against

prapatti are raised and answered. The position of

RamAnuja as regards prapatti is vindicated in this

work.

 

 

The magnum opus of Desika, " rahasyatrayasAra " is the

finest fruit of his mature mind. This is a land mark

in the history of srIvaishNava religion and

philosophy. All the essentials of vis~is~TAdwaita are

taught in this work. There is an authentic exposition

of the doctrine of 'sAdhana' as related to prapatti

and is Desikaa had not written this work, the doctrine

of prapatti would have ever remained hazy and

indefinite.

 

6. CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE UNDERSTANDING OF

DIVYAPRABANDHAMS.

 

Desika wrote 2 works in sanskrit verse form namely

'dramiDOpanishat tAtparyaratnAvaLI' and

'dramiDOpanishat sAra'. In these works Desika has

marvellously summarized the essence of Sri NammAzhvAr.

In the introduction to this work, Desika describes the

Azhwars as seers and their works as upanishads.

Desika has summarized the teachings of the several

'adhikaraNA's of BrahmasUtrAs in his

'adhikaraNasArAvaLI'. His contribution to

ubhayavEdAnta is remarkable.

 

7. CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE PROPOGATION OF DEVOTION

TOWARDS GOD.

 

Vedanta Desika was a pious devotee of the Lord and he

has composed a number of stotrAs in praise of the

presiding dieties in several holy shrines. These

stotras are also teaching in a simple and direct

manner the truths of the school and propogate devotion

towards the Lord. These devotional lyrics are most

appealing and they inspire the young and the old to

have devotion towards the Lord. Some lyrics

specifically propound the doctrine of self surrender

also.

 

Vedanta Desika also composed a unique lyric

containing 1008 verses, by name pAdukA sahasram, which

extols the pAdukA of Sri Rama. In other words, the

pAdukA represents the celebrated AchArya, that is, Sri

NammAzhvar.

 

8. CONTRIBUTION TO MANIPRAVALA LITERATURE.

 

Desika has written 32 'rahasyagranthAs' in

'manipravALa' style which is a mixture of sanskrit and

tamil. The ultimate truths of the school are described

in these works that are easily understood by even a

layman. Of these 32 rahasyAs, " RahasyatrayasAra' is

the most outstanding one. 'paramatabhangam' is one of

these 32 rahasyagranthAs, in which a critical

examination of the different schools of Indian

philosophy are systematically made.

 

9. CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF

VISISTADWAITA DIALECTICS.

 

A unique and masterly work named 's~atadUshiNI' is

meant for demolishing the arguments of the advaitic

school. The logic that is employed here is most

rigorous and impossible of a rebuttal. 66 arguments

are available in this work.

 

10. ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS IN TAMIL EXPOUNDING THE

DOCTRINE OF VISISTADWAITA.

 

Desika has composed in verse form 19 compositions in

Tamil and has taught the Supreme truths of the school

in these compositions.

 

Vedanta Desika's contributions to Vis~is~Tadwaita is

so vast that it is impossible to describe it

exhaustively. We may say in one word that the system

propounded by RamAnuja gained unassailability on

account of him. In RamAnuja, we see the wholeness of

vision whereas in Desika we see the perfection of all

technical details.

 

Desikar thiruvaDihalE s~araNam

Pranamams

dAsI

Padmini

 

 

 

 

 

 

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