Ramanuja's three outstanding works

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Article from " The Hindu "

 

CHENNAI APRIL 18 . Does a devout person need an elaborate description

of God's peerless features? Does he feel he should acquaint himself

with God's features and His impeccable qualities or should he desire to

know the grandeur of His abode? Studying one of the most scintillating

works of Sri Ramanuja where he has portrayed God's form, His attributes

and His kingdom can quench the thirst of a devotee. The " Vaikunta

Gadyam " , the prose poem, brings out the architectural splendour of His

spiritual empire and the city where He permanently resides; the second

one, " Sriranga Gadyam, " refers to the Lord's beauty and His attractive

personality, while the third, " Saranagati Gadyam " explains how a

devotee can offer himself totally to Him, cringing for His pardon. Sri

Ramanuja (whose birthday is being celebrated today) is acknowledged as

the torchbearer of Visishtadwaita by all groups of Srivaishnavites. It

is the Hindu tradition that a spiritual leader wishing to launch a new

system does not write a philosophy of his own but expresses his views

in commentaries on the scriptures so as to display his orthodoxy. It

was this that Alavandar wanted to be done and Ramanuja fulfilled his

wish so magnificently.

 

In a discosurse, the Jeeyar Swami of the Ahobila Math said the system

propagated by Ramanuja has won the appreciation of all, including

several foreign scholars. For this great Acharya, " the Divine Spirit is

not soulless " . God possesses all auspicious qualities but is free from

any reprehensible traits and hence He is totally blemishless. He is

accessible and compassionate and bestows His grace on devotees.

" Helpless as we are, our duty lies in Saranagati or absolute,

unconditional submission to the Lord. Self-surrender is the climax of

all religious endeavours. " Ramanuja raised it to the highest duty and

gave it importance as a spiritual path open to all. He was a

disciplanarian who would not brook even the slightest deviation from

religious directives. He recognised the great value of the spiritual

outpourings of the Azhwars' Prabandams. With his administrative acumen,

he laid down procedures for temple administration. A work of his

provides details about the reforms in the management pattern of various

temples. Individual worship at home by servants of the Lord follows the

tradition prescribed in his writ. An exemplary character beyond

parallel, he was broad-minded and had great sympathy for mankind.

 

 

 

 

 

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