Greatness of Bhagavad Ramanuja Darsanam Part 1 A An Introduction

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Greatness of Bhagavad RAmAnuja Darsanam (GRD 1 A)

AN INTRODUCTION

(Anbil Ramaswamy)

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Dear Bhagavatas:

Greatness of Bhagavad Ramanuja Darsanam is presented by critically examining

the philosophies of ADVAITA (MONISM), DVAITA (DUALISM) AND VISISHTADVAITA

(QUALIFIED MONISM - CUM-DUALISM)

Let me hasten to assure that these are not meant to create any controversies

but meant to enlighten the general readership on the salient points of

differences to help a better understanding of the various streams of

philosophy.

 

The views expressed herein are -- not entirely mine -- but are derived from

1. Swami Desika's " Para Matha Bhangam "

(i) by Villivalam Sri Narayanachar Swami

(Poorvasrama elder brother of the Prakritam HH Azhagiyasinghar)

(ii) by Abhinava Desika Uttamur Swami.

2. Swami Desika's " Satha DushaNi " an excellent Introduction by Sri

Srivatsankachariar Swami for which a brilliant foreword was provided in

English (PP 50.and 64 and p.xii in Preface) - by Sri R. Kesava Iyengar,

Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India.

3. " AadhyAtmika sAra: " by Dr. SokkanAvur .V.NarasimhAchArya M.A, PhD,

AasthAna VidwAn, Srimad AhObila matam, published by Sri G.K.Dikshit, Trichy.

4. " Sri BhAshyArtha Deepikai " (translation of " Sri BhAshyArtaha maNIpravALa

Deepikai " of HH 40th Jeeyar of Sri Ahobila Mutt by above Sri SokkanAvur .V.

NarasimhAchArya.

5. " Bhagavad Vishayam " - " First 2 Tiruvoimozhi " - " Mudal Sriya:pathi "

published by Puttur Sri Krishnaswami Iyengar Swami containing the famous

Vyakhyanams like Eedu 36000, Adaiyavalanjan Arumpadaurai, Jeeyar

Arumpadaurai etc. dealing with the various philosophies.

6. Sri RamAnuja on " Tattvamasi " and " Neti Neti " by Prof. K.S.

NarayanAchArya, Aasthana Vidwan, Sri ParakAla Mutt, Mysore and Head of Dept.

of English, Karnataka Arts College, Dharwad, published by Veda Vidya

Prakashana, Malola, Kalyananagar, Dharwad in February 1989.

7. " Brahma VidyA " (in six parts) by Sri S. Jagannarayanan, Deputy Secretary

Ministry of Finance, Govt. Of India, Chennai 28, published from 1986 to

1990.

8. " Sri BhAshya sArAswAdhinee " by Vidwan Tirupputkuzhi Narasimha Tatachariar

of Sri Hayagriva Vidya Peetam, Tharamani, Chennai 113, published in 1988.

9. " Sri BhAshya sAram " by Sri T.S. Rajagopalan Headmaster, Hindu High

School, Triplicane, Chennai 5, published by AzhwArgal Amudha Nilayam,

Komaleeswaranpet, Chennai 2 (1993)

10. " Life Divine " by Aurobindo, (Chapter II p7)

11. " Sri BAshya -on the philosophy of Brahma Sutra " by Prof. RaghavAchAr

(p.204)

12. " Indian Philosophy " by Dr. Vatsyayan published by Kedar Nath Ram Nath,

Meerut.

13. " Hindu View of Life " by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Former President of

India. published by MCM, NY, 1968 (pp.50 and 51)

14. " Hinduism " by Prof. Troy Wilson Organ published by Barron's Educational

Series, Inc, 1974. (p.50 and p.281)

15. " 3 Ms -Man, Myth and Magic " - The illustrated Encyclopedia of Mythology,

Religion and the Unknown, Marshall Cavendish, New York, London, Toranto,

1985, 12 Volumes, NY 1985 Vol.5 / p.1313

16. Tukaram Sant, poem translated by John S Huyland, " An Indian peasant

mystic " London, Allenson & co]

17. Sathapatha BrAhmana, translated by Sir Monier- Williams and quoted by

Gerber, (p.3)

18. LOUIS RENOU in " Great Religions of Man " ) published by George

Brazillier Inc, NY, 1961.

19. THIBHAUT, G: The Vedanta Sutras-with Sankara Baashyam and Ramanuja's Sri

Baashyam, Sacred books of the East, Oxford, 1879-1896.

20. Bhagavad Ramanuja’s “VedArtha Sangraha” by Veerapuram Sadagopachariar

Swami, 1997.

21. Points explained by various AchAryas during Kalakshepams, which I had

the Bhaghyam to attend during more than half-a-century.

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This presentation forming part of my book entitled " Hinduism Rediscovered "

has been reviewed by the venerable HH Azhagiya Singhar, Prakritam Jeeyar of

Ahobila Mutt, HH Srimad Andavan of Poundarikapuram Ashramam, as can be

noticed from their Srimukhams. (Copies already posted in the various nets)

and other AchAryas.

 

Several Bhagavatas like Sri M.K.Sudarshan, Sri Karalapakkam Anand, Sri

Madhava Kannan, Sri Chandrasekaran and others have carefully scrutinized the

manuscripts and have offered valuable suggestions, which have been

incorporated. My heartfelt thanks to these Bhagavatas for their time,

patience and efforts in improving this presentation.

 

I would request Bhagavatas to kindly read through the entire series and feel

free to offer feedback and constructive comments. I will gratefully

acknowledge them and possibly incorporate in my next edition.

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

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QUOTABLE QUOTES

" The worship of Vishnu reveals the agreeable and happy aspects of Hinduism.

In fact, as a religion, in the strict sense of the term, HINDUISM can be

summarized as VISHNUISM "

(Louis Renou - Vide 1tem 18 above (p37)

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" In some important points, Ramanuja's commentary more accurately interprets

the Vedanta Sutras than does Sankara's "

(George Thibaut - Vide item 19 above Volume 34 (p.cxxv)

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CONTENTS PROFILE

SECTION 1 : INTRODUCTION

SECTION 2 : SRUTI PASSAGES IN SUPPORT OF THE THREE STREAMS OF PHILOSOPHY.

SECTION 3 :ADVAITA VIS-A-VIS OTHER SCHOOLS.

(A) NONDUALITY

(B) NIRGUNA, NIRAKARA, NIRAVAYAVA, NIRVISESHA (NETI, NETI etc)

© THE CONCEPT OF MAYA OR ILLUSION

(D) TRANSITORINESS

(E) TRUTH EMERGING FROM UNTRUTH

(F) ARE DREAMS REAL?

(G) LIBERATION THROUGH KNOWLEDGE

(H) JEEVAN MUKTI (LIBERATION WHILE LIVING)

SECTION 4 : COMMON GROUNDS BETWEEN THE 3 STREAMS

SECTION 5 : DVAITA VIS-A-VIS OTHER SCHOOLS.

SECTION 6: CONCLUSION - Comparing and Contrasting the three streams.

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