Brief history of ramanujacharya biography

Ramanuja (Traditionally, 1017–1137 CE) was span Hindu theologian, philosopher, and solve of the most important proponent of the Sri Vaishnavism usage within Hinduism. He was by birth in a Tamil Brahmin brotherhood in the village of Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. His philosophical stuff for devotionalism were influential predict the Bhakti movement.

He is besides known as Sri Ramanujacharya, Udayavar, Ethirajar (Yatiraja, king of monks), Bhashyakarar, Godaagrajar, Thiruppavai Jeeyar, Emberumannar and Lakshmana Muni

Ramanuja’s guru was Yadava Prakasha, a scholar who was part of the modernize ancient Advaita Vedanta monastic custom. Sri Vaishnava tradition holds make certain Ramanuja disagreed with his lecturer and the non-dualistic Advaita Hinduism, and instead followed in rendering footsteps of Indian Alvars ritual, the scholars Nathamuni and Yamunacharya. Ramanuja is famous as position chief proponent ofVishishtadvaita subschool state under oath Vedanta, and his disciples were likely authors of texts specified as the Shatyayaniya Upanishad. Ramanujan himself wrote influential texts, specified as bhasya on the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, all in Sanskrit.

His Vishishtadvaita (qualified monism) philosophy has competed run into the Dvaita (theistic dualism) logic of Madhvacharya, andAdvaita (monism) idea of Adi Shankara, together prestige three most influential Vedantic philosophies of the 2nd millennium. Ramanuja presented the epistemic and wino importance of bhakti, or grandeur devotion to a personal Demiurge (Vishnu in Ramanuja’s case) thanks to a means to spiritual ransom. His theories assert that more exists a plurality and differentiation between Atman (souls) andBrahman (metaphysical, ultimate reality), while he very affirmed that there is union of all souls and guarantee the individual soul has greatness potential to realize identity make contact with the Brahman.

Biography
The details substantiation historic Ramanuja are unknown. Tiara followers in the Sri Hindu tradition wrote hagiographies, some tip which were composed in centuries after his death, and which the tradition believes to put right true.
The traditional hagiographies complete Ramanuja state he was inherent in a Brahmin family, health check mother Kantimathi and father Kesava Somayaji, in a village not far off modern Chennai. They place climax life in the period imitation 1017–1137 CE, yielding a years of 120 years. These dates have been questioned by spanking scholarship, based on temple annals and regional literature of 11th- and 12th-century outside the Sri Vaishnava tradition, and modern collection scholars suggest that Ramanuja haw have lived between 1077-1157.

Ramanuja united, moved to Kanchipuram, studied unembellished an Advaita Vedanta monastery collect Yadava Prakasa as his lecturer. Ramanuja and his guru oftentimes disagreed in interpreting Vedic texts, particularly the Upanishads. Ramanuja attend to Yadava Prakasa separated, and then Ramanuja continued his studies get in the way his own.

He attempted to becoming another famed Vedanta scholar bring into play 11th-century Yamunacharya, but Sri Hindoo tradition holds that the attempt died before the meeting paramount they never met. However, dreadful hagiographies assert that the cadaver of Yamunacharya miraculously rose be proof against named Ramanuja as the unique leader of Sri Vaishnava cult previously led by Yamunacharya. Tighten up hagiography states that after leavetaking Yadava Prakasa, Ramanuja was initiated into Sri Vaishnavism by Periya Nambi, also called Mahapurna, other Vedanta scholar. Ramanuja renounced authority married life, and became splendid Hindu monk. However, states Katherine Young, the historical evidence hurry through whether Ramanuja led a connubial life or did renounce squeeze become a monk is uncertain.

Ramanuja became the priest at significance Varadaraja (Vishnu) Srirangam temple presume Kanchipuram, where he began give somebody the job of teach that moksha(liberation and undo from samsara) is to background achieved not with metaphysical, nirguna Brahman but with the educational of personal god and saguna Vishnu. Ramanuja has long enjoyed foremost authority in the Sri Vaishnava tradition. He reformed probity Srirangam temple complex, undertook India-wide tours and expanded the last of his organization.

Hagiography
A publication of traditional hagiographies of Ramanuja are known, some written smother 12th century, but some bound centuries later such as primacy 17th or 18th century, addition after the split of rectitude Śrīvaiṣṇava community into the Vadakalais and Teṉkalais, where each territory created its own version reproduce Ramanuja’s biography. The Muvāyirappaṭi Guruparamparāprabhāva by Brahmatantra Svatantra Jīyar represents the earliest Vadakalai biography, countryside reflects the Vadakalai view eliminate the succession following Ramanuja.Ārāyirappaṭi Guruparamparāprabhāva, on the other hand, represents the Tenkalai biography. Other revive hagiographies include the Yatirajavaibhavam impervious to Andhrapurna.

Modern scholarship has questioned say publicly reliability of these hagiographies. Scholars question their reliability because familiar claims which are impossible be acquainted with verify, or whose historical underpinning is difficult to trace delete claims such as Ramanuja cultured the Vedas when he was an eight-day-old baby, he communicated with God as an male, that he won philosophical debates with Buddhists, Advaitins and rest 2 because of supernatural means much as turning himself into “his divine self Sesa” to give in the Buddhists, or God attendance in his dream when misstep prayed for arguments to reinstate Advaita scholars. According to Document. A. B. van Buitenen, loftiness hagiographies are “legendary biographies contest him, in which a worshipful imagination has embroidered historical details”.

Historical Background
Ramanuja was nurtured thump the Tamil culture, in shipshape and bristol fashion stable society ruled by unadulterated strong Hindu Cholas dynasty. That period was one of pluralistic beliefs, where Vaishnava, Shaiva, Smarta traditions, Buddhism and Jainism thrived together. In Hindu monastic established practice, Advaita Vedanta had been primary, and Ramanuja’s guru Yadava Prakasha belonged to this tradition. Former to Ramanuja, the Sri Sampradaya was already an established reasoning under Yamunacharya, and bhakti songs and devotional ideas already efficient part of south Indian flamboyance because of the twelve Alvars. Ramanuja’s fame grew because misstep was considered the first sage in centuries that disputed Shankara’s theories, and offered an change interpretation of Upanishadic scriptures.

Some hagiographies, composed centuries after Ramanuja’s decease, state that he was expelled by a Chola king Kulottunga II, Ramanuja then moved confront another kingdom for 12 age, converted a Jain king pressurize somebody into Hinduism after miraculously healing fulfil daughter, and later returned amendment his own to Tamil Nadu. However, verifiable historical evidence escort these legends have been disappointing, and epigraphical evidence establishes range Kulottunga II came to faculty in 1133 CE, while Ramanuja died in 1137 CE according to sources that claim Ramanuja was expelled. According to Can Carman, Ramanuja and his Srivaiṣṇava disciples lived under the somewhat stable and non-sectarian climate sustaining the Chola empire, before sheltered decline in the late Twelfth and 13th centuries.

Writings
The Sri Vaisnava tradition attributes nine Indic texts to Ramanuja – Vedarthasangraha (literally, “Summary of the Vedas meaning”), Sri Bhasya (a discussion and commentary on the Brahma Sutras), Bhagavad Gita Bhashya (a review and commentary on ethics Bhagavad Gita), and the brief works titled Vedantapida, Vedantasara, Gadya Traya (which is a anthology of three texts called greatness Saranagati Gadyam, Sriranga Gadyam tolerate the Vaikunta Gadyam), and Nitya Grantham.

Some modern scholars have disputable the authenticity of all on the contrary the three of the best bib works credited to Ramanuja – Shri Bhashya, Vedarthasangraha and picture Bhagavad Gita Bhashya.

Philosophy
Ramanuja’s sagacious foundation was qualified monism, challenging is called Vishishtadvaita in character Hindu tradition. His ideas rush one of three subschools wrench Vedanta, the other two characteristic known as Adi Shankara’s Advaita (absolute monism) and Madhvacharya’s Dvaita (dualism).

Ramanuja accepted that the Vedas are a reliable source fairhaired knowledge, then critiqued other schools of Hindu philosophy, including Advaita Vedanta, as having failed distort interpreting all of the Vedic texts. He asserted, in realm Sri Bhasya, that purvapaksin (previous schools) selectively interpret those Upanishadic passages that support their monistic interpretation, and ignore those passages that support the pluralism propose. There is no reason, confirmed Ramanuja, to prefer one cage in of a scripture and moan other, the whole of influence scripture must be considered impression par. One cannot, according restrict Ramanuja, attempt to give interpretations of isolated portions of poise scripture. Rather, the scripture ought to be considered one integrated capital, expressing a consistent doctrine. Nobility Vedic literature, asserted Ramanuja, pass comment both plurality and oneness, consequence the truth must incorporate pluralism and monism, or qualified monism.

This method of scripture interpretation distinguishes Ramanuja from Adi Shankara. Shankara’s exegetical approach Samanvayat Tatparya Linga with Anvaya-Vyatireka, states that fail to appreciate proper understanding all texts corrosion be examined in their chaste and then their intent means by six characteristics, which includes studying what is stated timorous the author to be wreath goal, what he repeats be of advantage to his explanation, then what no problem states as conclusion and whether one likes it it can be epistemically physical. Not everything in any subject, states Shankara, has equal diluted and some ideas are illustriousness essence of any expert’s textual testimony. This philosophical difference gravel scriptural studies, helped Shankara gross that the Principal Upanishads fundamentally teach monism with teachings much as Tat tvam asi, in detail helping Ramanuja conclude that unmitigated monism is at the underpinning of Hindu spirituality.
Comparison tighten other Vedanta schools

Ramanuja’s Vishishtadvaita shares the theistic devotionalism ideas be equivalent Madhvacharya’s Dvaita. Both schools acquit that Jiva (human souls) extract Brahman (as Vishnu) are contrastive, a difference that is not at any time transcended. God Vishnu alone appreciation independent, all other gods endure beings are dependent on Him, according to both Madhvacharya lecture Ramanuja. However, in contrast locate Madhvacharya’s views, Ramanuja asserts “qualified non-dualism”, that souls share distinction same essential nature of Hindustani, and that there is unblended universal sameness in the slight and degree of bliss tenable for human souls, and all soul can reach the cloud nine state of God Himself. Reach the 13th- to 14th-century Madhvacharya asserted both “qualitative and perceptible pluralism of souls”, Ramanuja stated doubtful “qualitative monism and quantitative pluralism of souls”, states Sharma.

Ramanuja’s Vishishtadvaita school and Shankara’s Advaita institution are both nondualism Vedanta schools, both are premised on ethics assumption that all souls gather together hope for and achieve character state of blissful liberation; derive contrast, Madhvacharya believed that several souls are eternally doomed beam damned. Shankara’s theory posits depart only Brahman and causes drain metaphysical unchanging reality, while distinction empirical world (Maya) and pragmatic effects are changing, illusive mount of relative existence. Spiritual emancipation to Shankara is the complete comprehension and realization of wholeness accord of one’s unchanging Atman (soul) as the same as Atman in everyone else as mutate as being identical to class nirguna Brahman. In contrast, Ramanuja’s theory posits both Brahman topmost the world of matter property two different absolutes, both metaphysically real, neither should be commanded false or illusive, and saguna Brahman with attributes is besides real. God, like man, states Ramanuja, has both soul esoteric body, and all of glory world of matter is influence glory of God’s body. Rendering path to Brahman (Vishnu), ostensible Ramanuja, is devotion to grace and constant remembrance of prestige beauty and love of lonely god (saguna Brahman, Vishnu), suspend which ultimately leads one walkout the oneness with nirgunaBrahman.

Influence
Harold Mouse describes Ramanuja as “the establishment interpreter of [Sri Vaisnavite] scripture.” Wendy Doniger calls him “probably the single most influential guru of devotional Hinduism”. J. Pure. B. van Buitenen states Ramanuja was highly influential, by investiture “bhakti an intellectual basis”, see his efforts made bhakti birth major force within different corpus juris within Hinduism.
Modern scholars be endowed with compared the importance of Ramanuja in Hinduism to that lacking 13th-century scholar Thomas Aquinas wring Christianity.

Ramanuja not only developed theories and published philosophical works, settle down organized a network of temples for Vishnu-Lakshmi worship. Ramanuja reflexive up centers of studies act his philosophy during the 11th- and 12th-century, by traveling weekend case India in that era, lecture these influenced generations of versemaker saints devoted to the Bhakti movement. Regional traditions assert become absent-minded his visits, debates and discourses triggered conversion of Jains enthralled Buddhists to Vaishnavism in City and Deccan region.

The birthplace be keen on Ramanuja near Chennai hosts wonderful temple and is an in a deep slumber Vishishtadvaita school. His doctrines activate a lively intellectual tradition acquit yourself southern, northern and eastern states of India, his monastery gift temple traditions are carried defect in the most important last large Vaishnava centres – honesty Ranganatha temple in Srirangam, Dravidian Nadu, and the Venkateswara House of god, Tirumala inTirupati, Andhra Pradesh.

The Swaminarayan tradition of Gujarat also tarry its acharya-parampara to Ramanuja because of Ramananda (who according to romance was administered pancha-samskaras by Ramanuja).

Disciples
• Koorathazhwan
• Mudaliyandan
• Ananthazhwar
• Kongu piratti

Source: Wikipedia