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THE PUBPOSE AND THE PLAN

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000' THE PURPOSE AND THE PLAN

Chapter Contents Page

I The Three Questions 1

II The Temple - Centre of Social Activities 7

III Devotion and Prayer 13

IV The Great Trio 18

7 - Our Soul and Saviour 31

VI The Plan 34

Books Consulted 46 I THE TBBEE qUESTIOSS

Experimenta in philosophy and religion could be as exciting as experiments in the field of science* The energetic personalities in any walk of life represent an adventure in living. When we examine the principal ideas imbedded in a system of philosophy, we find that the procession of a man's thoughts can be as thrilling a spectacle as the moving scenes of a modern novel* It is Just as enchanting to plunge into new ideas as it is to penetrate into new lands* Our world becomes wider, our imagination richer and our life more colourful and more Zestful as the result of our union with the travellers of the spirit and the pioneers of thought* -2- « LiliiB all of us, there are three vital questions put by all the philosophers of the world; and also answered: 1. What are we; What is this world in which we live? 2, Mho put us here? J. Vhy? What is the way-out?

Every nan has to live his own life, in spite of the dogmas in religion and philosophy, as well as in social set-up* Yours is not to question Mhy.* - was the order of the old-day preceptors» But every thinking nan, at every tine, makes his own observations and conclusions to solve the problems of his life* Vhen the problems of a man are greater and stronger than the man himself, he stands perturbed, unable to move further, seeking refuge in a spiritual head, which could lead him further* Here lies the duty of the great scriptures - the , as Sdyanacharya says -

Vhen there are no means to understand a thing through perception or inference, a man is perplexed, and here comes the Veda to equip him with the knowledge he requires; because the Veda is the storehouse of all knowledge* The Veda leads him unto Light from the path of Darkness, Tbe Vedic Mantras, contained in various , were visualised by great seers by their inner power of deep penance, devotion and quest for knowledge. As is said in Sgveda, the Be seers were engrossed in contemplation to solve any single mystery in life, in the hollow caves of the mountains or at the confluences of rivers, and as if in a flash, the idea couched in words came forth, solving the mystery, and thus an intellectual was born:

But, is this thought of the intellectual static or stagnant? No, The philosophy of life is practised daily in thought, speech and action. When an action is performed by an individual, not only for his own benefit, but for the good of the society, with devotion, the action reaches its height in a kind of sacrifice; because, life is not only a battle~field, but a sacrificial altar also. Thus, our individual actions done with the spirit of service to humanity is nothing but service to our Great Master, our God,

There is nothing like my God and your God, He is one, in many forms and in many names, in different nations, in the whole Universe, In short. He is the Universe, To understand the Universe is to know Him, '4'

What i9 the use of all these fedas - Samhttas, Brahmanast and - to us, when ve are not practically connected with themf asks the modern youth, A very significant question, indeed. When our rituals - Vedic or worldly - have become a farce, conducted by Purohits who are themselves ignorant of the inherent meanings and the nuances of the words in the Mantras, it is natural that our youths have no fascination for them.

As Br, S,Sadhakrishnan states in his preface (page 11) to The 's^ The classics should be not only guardians of the past but heialds of the future. They are dead if they are mechanically and unthinkingly accepted. They are •live if each generation consciously decides to receive them. Any system of thought should satisfy two basic requirements; it should state the truth and interpret it for each new generation. It must Ko&e back and forth between these two poles, the eternal and the temporal. Truth is expressed in a human language formed by human thinking. The consciousness of this leads to a continual clarifying and full understanding of the truths, Ve may not accept the scientific thought of those days, but the suggestions about the ultimate questions of philosophy and religion which they set forth with philosophic depth -5- and enanctpation from the transient preoccupations of the current hour are of palue to us epen today,"

This is true of all the systems of philosophy and religion on earth; and the subject which I had undertaken for research in my present thesis is not an exception to this.

In Southern India were born the three great philosophers who answered the Three Great Questions in their own way: Sankara, Bamanuja and Madhva, who are greatly revered to this day, and whose followers interpret and practise their teaehif^s to make even modern scientific life, happy and useful to mankind.

Of all the three systems of philosophy, Ram&nuja's teachings are greatly misunderstood even in the scholarly circle: because, they are based not only on Samskrit Vedas, Upanishads, Brahmasutra, Gita, etc, but also on temple worship everywhere throughout the country on the lines of Agamas, and the Tamil Vedas of the sung in temples along with Samskrit Vedas, and the synthesis of the Tamil and Samskrit , called Ubhaya-'Vedanta, To understand Bamanuja in full, a scholar requires mastery in the Vedas and Ubhaya^Vedanta, This Srivaishnavite literature is very wide in volume, and -5- haa deep significance in ite interpretations, as there are Sauskrit and nanipravala (in nixed Sanskrit and Tamil style) commentaries on most of the classical works by celebrated Acharyas. Sribhashya alone of Bamanuja has more than ten Samskrit commentaries to its credit, and his other works viz* Yedarthasangraha, Gitabhashya, Gadyatraya and Mityagrantha are commented by Acharyas like Sudarsana~ suri, Periaoachanpillai, Yedantacharya etc* Siuyaprabandhams of Alvars have elaborate commentaries by Srivaishnava Vedic Acharyas, which are studied even to this day* There­ fore, every Srivaishnava Acharya has two titles added to his name: 1) Srimad-vedamarga-^pratishthapanacharya and 2) Ubhayavedantacharya*

I therefore consider it purposeful and meaningful to introduce and display the essential ingrediants of Samanuja's popular system, which had not only brought its followers from all over the world, but also delved deep into many other systems of Indian philosophy, with some variations, as ia the teachings of Madhva, Ram^nanda, Nimbarka, , Obaitanya etc* I have tried my best to put my ideas in a nutshell in simple and flowing Samskrit so that every reader could understand the subject* -7-

II THE TEMPLE CENTBE OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

A popular Tamil prowerb says: Koil ilia uril kudi- yirukka vendam: Do not live in a willage where there is no temple** The temple was and is to this day the centre of social activities in all the villages in Southern India. The structure of the temples and modes of worship are unique, and different from those in the northern region. Every village has temples dedicated to and Siva separately. Temples of Mariamman and village deities are situated at the border of each village. The Vishnu temple (as well as Siva's) has gopurans on all the sides-or at least on one side -, prakaras (boundary walls), dhvajastambha, ardha mandapa, maha^nandapa, antarala, garbhagriha, vimana, special shrine for the Consort of Vishnu (or Siva) called Srimata*s (Tayar or Amman) Sannidhi, and small shrines for all Alvars (Mayanmars in Siva*s temple) and Acharyas. These temples are built in granite, with bricks and mortar in some places. They are built as prescribed by Pancharatra (or Saiva) Agamas. Vaishnavas and Saivas go to their respective temples for prayers and pujas. The common people go to both, in large numbers during special and annual festivals. The people assemble in lakhs during Otsava, Ratha Utsava etc. -5-

Every Vishnu temple has five features: U the name of dtvyadesa, as sung by Alvars, 2, the name of the deity, J. the name of the Consort of the principal deity, 4*. the name of Yimana, and 5* the name of the puskarini ie, the tank attached to the temple. For example: 1, , 2. Sriniuasa, J. Alarmelmangai Tayar (Padmavati), 4, inanda-^ nilaya Vimana and 5* Svami Puskarini, There are 108 temples, celebrated and sung by Alvars, the great Vaishnapa saints, vhich are held in high esteem.

The temples at , Tirupati, Kanchi and Melkote (Karnataka) are deemed to be very important centres of worship. There are also some temples, small in number, which are famous because the important Acharyas were born, or lived there. For example: Sriperumbudur, the birth-place of Bamanuja, Madurantakam, the place where Bamanuja received initiation (Pancha-Samskara) from Mahapurna, etc.

The great temples in the south were built mostly by the kings of Pandya, Chola and Pallava dynasties, the rulers of njayanagar empire and the Naiks of Madura etc. These temples required the services of eminent sculptors, artisans, carpenters, masons, engineers, priests well-versed in Agamas, Yedic scholars, reciters of Divyaprabandhas, musicians, potters, cooking utensils, expert cooks and temple servants for all kinds of works from lighting to cleaning. Folk-arts '9' like mustc, dance, drama, puppet'Sbows etc* flourished, as the people thronged to relish then in great numbers^ under tte spacious mandapaus or open theatres in the temple, Free residence, food, clothing and medicine were provided for all who served Qod. Everyone in the village had some work in the temple, along with his individual daily routine duties- Disputes were settled in the temple by the leaders of the village* Every problem concerning the common man was dis~ cussed and solved by conferences held in the temple* Valuable and important public documents were kept in the granite vault of the temple. The lands donated by the rich were cultivated by the farmers, and a major portion of the proceeds went to the temple. The rich who had no progeny gave away their properties including Jewels to the temples* Thus, the temple was the centre of social activities everywhere*

The idol worship in India is as old as the Vedas* The Sgveda speaks of the image: Pratima - Kasit prama pratima • ¥bat could be the correct dimension and what could be the idol?* (lO^IO-'lJO) fide also Sayanacharya's commentary on this: Havihpratiyogitvene miyate nirmiyete iti pratima devata - the idol of the deity to whom oblation is given'* The Taitttriya Samhtta, while dealing with agnicayana, speaks of a golden image of a man's size: hiranmayam purusam upadadhati yajamanalokasya vidhrtyai* (S-S'^?*) Taaka also refers to images in his (7-6), when he speaks of the forms of , with limbs such as those of men. Such quotations can be multiplied; but suffice it to say that idol worship has come to stay, as a necessary step in the spiritual adoancewient of man. No Indian sculptor ever spared his efforts to make the image extremely pleasing and appealing to the people, Meedless to say that these icons are greatly liked even by the materialists throughout the world.

As for the origin of Pancharatra Agama, on which are based the modes of worship in the Vishnu temples in the south, it was called in the B,Cs, Sri Sankaracharya while considering the authenticity of Pancharatra refers to it as the Bhagavata view, in Sutra 2''2'-42, He does not object to the theory that Vasudeva is the Highest self, higher than the undeveloped, and the self of all, that he appears in manifold forwis, and that by devotion and meditation we reach the Highest Being, He only objects to the doctrine of origination of Sankarsana from Vasudeva, This objection is refuted and clearly answered by the Vaishnava Acharyas from Hathamuni to Samanuja, holding that the two (II"2''42 & 43) represent the prima facie view, and that the next two Sutras refute the view set forth in the two previous Sutras, The Bhagavata doctrine thus stresses the importance 0/ devotion and praise of God*

The Besnagar (old Gvalior State) inscription of the last quarter of the second centure B,C. refers to the setting up of a qaru'dadhpaja, at Vidisa, in honour of Vasudepa, the greatest 0od« by his Greek devotee Heliodoros of Tahsasila in Qandhara, »be called himself a worshipper of Vasudepa* Another inscription from Besnagar refers to the erection of*a Garuda column for a temple of Yasudeva, The Ghosundi (Sajcsthan) inscription of the first century B»C» records the construction of an enclosure for the sacred stone: Salagrama, by a Bhagavata who had performed the Asvamedha sacrifice in honour of Sankarsana and Vasudeva* The Gupta emperors were the m}st influential advocates of the Bhagavata form of Yaishnavism*

The temple worship in the south was given a definite form, on the authority of Paneharatra Agamas, from the days of the great Vaishnava Acharya (A.J), d24-'924) from the ninth century A*D» Jfathamuni was the first Acharya to expound the scriptural validity of the Paneharatra system of worship in the temples, as is recorded by Tamunacharya in the concluding sloka of his Agawuipramanya*• Yamuna was the grandson of Nathamuni, and succeeded him in the line of Acharyas* Be proved by scripture and logic that the texts of Paneharatra Agama have an authority equal to that of the Vedas, because they are God's direct revelation. In his Sribh­a, Bananuja not only followed Yamuna in establishing the authority of Pancharatra Agama, but also organised the system in the temple rituals; and his orders are followed to this day in every temple by singing his

Uj^ir^ liAwJ?i ^^^TT?: ^'fj •MT

Hay Samanuja's divine commandment grow glorious and more glorious* let it spread on all directions, because it strives for the welfare of humanity.

Temples are thus holy places, praised and sung by great saints like Alvars, and in them resides our Saviour, to whom people flock together to get redress from their troubles, God lives there for us, to make our life godly. In miseries, people pray to Him, who lives for them. Even in ircha form (image). He has spoken to many, either through the priests, or in visions. Temple is a place for worship, devotion and prayer.

There are also some Vishnu temples in the south - as the famous temple of Tirupati - with the modes of worship as specified by Vaikhanasa Agamas, To the Vaikhanasas, Vishnu is the Supreme Being, In common with all Sripaishnauas, they also accept the three entities: Icit, Git aad Isuara, But generally they do not worship the Alvars, Acharyas and Matiuidhipatis, as the Pancharatrins do, let, in many temples images of Alvars and Acharyas are set up under Vaikhanasa 4gama worship. The Vaikhanasas themselves do not recite Tamil Dipyaprabandhams, but allow the reciters of the Tamil fedas in their temples,

Advaitins in the south are not engaged in temple worship directly; they pray in Vishnu temples in the morning, and Siva temples in the evening, Vorship in Saguna form of is only a means for them in the attainment of the self, whereas for Vaishnavas the Saguna is God Bimself in Divine form, in life and spirit, and our Way and Goal, if hen He is attained, there remains nothing to be achieved in humin life,

III DSfOTIOK AND PBATSB

The Bhagavata religion referred to already was also called as Narayaniya, Satvata, Ekantika or Pancharatra religion. Its main sources are: Narayaniya section of the , , , with elaborate commentaries, Pancharatra Agamas and Bhaktisutras of Sandilyaand , -74-

Sandilya especially is an authorised and celebrated author in Pancharatra literature* His Bhaktisutras and Smrti are highly esteemed as greatest authorities by Srivaishnavas* Every aspirant in the path of righteous­ ness has a desire to know and cultivate devotion to God, Devotion is nothing but the highest love for God:

Devotion even when directed towards the manifestations of the Supreme Being, like Avataras of , or Archamurti is really the highest, because it is said in the Vedas that the knower of the Lord*s births and actions has no more births. And His birth is divine, because it is produced solely from His own power. The chief reason for His taking birth in this world is indeed His .

Devotion to God leads a man to service to humanity, because a devotee considers this world to be the very form of the Almighty, A true devotee surrenders his all to his Creator and Saviour,

Devotees go to the temples and pray. Some of them pray chanting the Vedas or from Puranas, But this is not possible for common people who do not know Samskrit and who could not chant Vedic mantras with "15' appropriaU svaras, Thertfore, Matbamuni, the first of the Srivaiehnava Aeharyae discovered and popularised the Tamil hymns of the Aluars, called the Divyaprabandham, and succeeded in rescuing the Tamil hymns, four thousand in number, from oblivion. He divided the Divyaprabandham into four parts of one thousand hymns each, and introduced it set to tmsio to be sung in the temples. He also installed the images of the Alvars within the temple precincts, and conducted the recitation festival throughout the Srivaishnava shrines* His object was to reconcile the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Gita with the Divyaprabandham. By giving it the status of the Vedas, he proved that the holiness of the hymns of the Alvars in Tamil, was not in any way inferior to the Vedas in Samskrit. Thus, Divya­ prabandham cams to be, like the Vedas, an essential part of a Srivaishnava*s education, and the exhaustive commentaries of Divyaprabandham by Acharyas grew into a vast literature in later times. Because of this, the Srivaishnava Acharyas were given the title of ffbhayavedantacharyas.

The Alvars are twelve in number. They belonged to all castes. Perialvar and his daughter Goda were . Tiruppan Alvar was of the depressed class. Mammalvar was a Vellala and Tirumangai Alvar a Kalla by caste. Some were and mad after God. The greatest of the Alvars was "16^

Nammalvar or Parankuaa, who was held in high esteem as Kulapati* and Prapannajanakutattha* by the great Sriuaishnaua Acharyas who were eminent Vedic scholars* The idols of these Altars were worshipped in all temples, by people in all walks of life.

Of course, there are many such saints singing the glory of God, throughout India, but these Alvars have a unique place in Srivais?inaua temples, as they were highly praised as Sod-men by Vedic Acharyas and worshipped along with God* Their festivals are regularly conducted in each temple, singing their hymns in sonorous voice, in street processions, as well as within the temples* This was a people's movement by Nathamuni, and men of all castes and creed Joined in singing the glory of the Almighty in Tamil, understood and experienced emotionally by all. The hymns are simple and appealing prayers to the different local archamurtis of Vishnu* The fundamental doctrines of Srivaishnava faith as practised to this day are imbedded in Divyaprabandham*

Everyone has to perform his duty perfectly for God*s sake, unmindful of the fruits thereof. Service to the Lord is not for the benefit of the devotee, but for the sake of the Lord* The body given to us by God is very useful, because it reveals the Lord's grace to us* It is the '17' privilege 0/ ««n to experience various ills ia this body and seek the Lord in the midst of them. This path of devotion is open to all sorts of people*

This innovation of Nathamuni, effected a silent revolution in temple worship, as it raised the status of the Divyaprabandha to the level of the Veda, and liberalised the meaning of Revelation* By incorporating the Tamil Veda among the sacred scriptures in the mode of daily worship, orthodox tradition was able to ally itself to the popular movements which had a tendency to break away from Brahmanism, and to be itself revivified by them. Thus, everyone found a place in congregational prayers in the temples, either as adhyapakas or bhajana'kirtanakaras.

In his booklet: Three notes of the verses of the Alvars* (Page 3) S»S, Sampat Tatachariar says: More and more people will discover that they have to turn to the Alvars and their poetry to interpret life for them, to console them, to sustain them, to ennoble them* The Alvars are the kings of the realm of philosophic thought as well, as their poetry is a mosaic composed entirely of thoughts gleaned from the Upanishads* These thoughts of the Alvars compress and fit them in with extraordinary skill in their verses** Though Mathamuni collected the hymns of the Alvars, it was given to Tamunacharya to expound the inner secret meanings of the hymns* Only from his days, the Kalakshepa- goshthi* was formed* The Acharya used to render his views on the stanzas to his disciples, in the gatherings of the selected learned audience, to have good time in experien^ eing the glories of the Lord, , Thisform of Kalakshepa^ goshthis survives to this day. People in thousands attend to these Divyaprabandha discourses, when the present-day Acharyas explain commentaries written by the old Acharyas*

Some of the scenes from Dtvyaprahandha are also enacted as dance-dramas by eminent artistes in the temples*

The south Indian temple as such, is not only a centre of social activities, but also a divine home, where people approach the Lord with devoted mind, chanting prayers and get solace from the afflictions of the mechanised world*

17 THE GREAT TBJO

1* Mathamuni (A*D* 824-924) Mathamuni was born at Viranarayanapuram, in South Arcot District in Tamilnadu, in 824 A*D* Be was a born yogin, with extra-ordinary capacity to synthesise many systems of religions, gracefully and symmetrically* He -19' was the first Acharya to hold Srirangan as the nerve-centre, for preaching and spreading Vashnava literature to other temples in the South, As already pointed out, the authenticity of Pancharatra Agamas was established by him, and he combined the chanting of Divyaprabandha with the Vedas* He was instrumental in starting a new era of activity and expansion.

Two of his works: -rahasya and Nyayatatva, were known to later Acharyas; but both are lost to us today, Nathamuni was the first to explain the transcendental meditation - the yoga of making the mortal body divine during the worship of the Lord - in his Yogarahasya, He propounded the doctrine of Prapatti - self-surrender to the Lord - the most important means to attain His feet. He instructed his followers to conduct debates on spiritual and metaphysical subjects dispassionately. In one of his sentence quoted by Vedantadesika, he says:

'^Yada is dialectical discussion carried on, in the manner in which one would instruct his own pupil with a view to enabling the listener to ascertain the truth,"

Tada is a serious discussion undertaken, not with a view to scoring an advantage over an adversary, but with the sole aim of discovering the truth of the matter. -20-

Sence it avoids sophistical tricks, futile objections and other devices of that sort often employed by people with the main intention to win at any rate. The argument is never one-sided; since it proceeds by way of thesis and counter-thesis* It may be called a dispassionate debate*

Mathamuni paved the way for his grand-son Tamuna- charya to prove the tenets of Visistadvaita with clear logic and argumentative analysis*

2, Yamunacharua (A,D* 918-1038) Tamunacharya was so called because he was born soon after his parents went on a pilgrimage to holy places on the banks of Yamuna, praised by association with the lilas of Krishna. took and settled at Srirangam, leading an exemplary life of saintliness and rectitude. Except for a visit to Kanchi to see the young Bamanuja on whose worthy shoulders he wanted the mantle of leadership to fall, and a pilgrimage to Tiruvanantapuram (Trivandrum) to worship Lord Padmanabha, Yamunacharya stayed at Srirangam, which was a great centre of Vaishnava thought and faith,

Mathamuni*s Nyayatatva, a veritable treasure-house 0/ pbtlosophic wiad&M, has furnished the guide liaes for Yamnacharya*s works. In his Siddhitraya, Tamunacharya establishss the visistadvaitie conception of soul, God and consciousness, after a critical consideration of rival views. These polemical works: Atmasiddhi, Isvara^ stddhi and 3aMpit''Siddhi - are conceived on the model of the great Siddhis of idvaitic school, such as Brahma-'Siddhi, Ishta-stddht and Naishkarmya Siddhi. Some of the views set forth in these Siddhis of the advaita school came for critical examination in Siddhitraya. In Atma-siddhi some statements from Ishta-'Siddhi are cited and criticised. (Atma-siddhi, Page 32, Prof. R.Bamanujacharya, 1972.)

Sis Agamapramtnya is devoted to vindicating the authoritativeness of Pancharatra Agamas. Mahapurusha" nirnaya (which is not available now), is designed to show that the ultimate Seal is the Supreme Purusha: Sriman-^ . Gitarthasangraha is a marvellous epitome of the teaching of the Bhagavadgita which is one of the cardinal texts for the students of Yedanta. Chatus- sloki and -ratna are his brilliant gems in praise of and Lakshmipati. Be has thus composed six works, which are vital to understand the Jisistadvaita philosophy in depth.

Tamunacharya used to explain to his disciples the -22- mystic experiences of the Alvars and the subtle expressions of the Divyaprabandham, and especially Tiruooimozbi (Sahas- ragiti of Parankusa). His original interpretations of some of the hymns have been recorded as Yamuna's views* in the commentaries of the Divyaprabandham*

Bamanujacharya studied the inner significance of Divyaprabandham from Maladhara, who had himself learnt from Tamunacharya* Maladhara, in course of time, found to his dismay that had a clearer insight into Tawunacharya*s mind than he himself could claim. Ramanuja said that he was to Yamuna as Ekalavya to Dronacharya.

Yamunacharya influenced Ramanuja, the next Acharya, to a great extent. In his Sribhashya Ramanuja has fully utilised Siddhitraya either quoting from it or paraphra­ sing it. The superb manner in which disputed passages from the Upaniehads are interpreted, and the several aspects of Vedantic thought synthesised in Vedarthasangraha bears distinctive marks of the impact of the principles and procedures employed by Yamuna charya in Samvit-siddhi, Gitarthasangraha has furnished the basis for Ramanuja*s -bhashya, In his Hityagrantha, which lays down the code of daily conduct of Srivaishnavas, he has emphasised the importance of Panchakalika , a vital feature of Pancharatra Agama, Sections of Sarangati~gadya and Sriranga-gadya are modelled on Yamunacharya*s stotras. '23-

Ve find thus in Bamanuja's works an amplification, explication and systematisation of Yamunacharya*s works, J* RananuJacharua (1017-1137) The great Ramanufa was born at Sriperumbudur in Qhengalpattu District in Tamilnadu, He gave nine brilliant gems to the world: Vedarthasangraha, Vedantasara, Vedantadipa, Sribhashya, Gitabhashya, Sarangatigadya, Srirangagadya, Vaikunthagadya and Nityagrantha*

Nathamuni set Visistadvaita vedanta on a new and glorious phase of its career; Yamuna strengthened it considerably by his writings; and Ramanuja systenatised and fortified it, Kuresa, disciple of Ramanuja pays reve/itial homage to the illustrious line of Acharyas commencing from Lakshminatha and ending with his own preceptor, Ramanuja, with Nathamuni and Yamuna at the centre:

Ramanuja was not only a great spritual leader, but also a great social reformer. He framed rules and regulations for the routine and special worships at important temples at Srirangam, Tirupati, Melkote etc. He allowed the people of depressed class to enter the temple at Melkote for a day in a year, which was a revolution in those days of strict Vamasrama dharna system. All devotees in temples were treated as equals, as the sons of God, They partook of the food dedicated to the Lord, wore clothes given back by the Lord, and had free accommodation and medical aid. The physician in charge at the temple of Srirangam in the days of Bamanuja, was Garudavahanapandita, the author of Divyasurieharita - a fine kavya on the lives of the Alvars and early Acharyas,

Bamanuja established seventy four 3 imhasana-adhi-^ patifjB to propagate the tenets of Visistadvaita, His Sribhdshya^ the commentary on Brahmasutras, is widely read and universally acknowledged,

George Thibaut, the translator of Sribhashya, under Sacred Books of the East Series, observes in his it- introduction to Vedanta^Sutras (Vol,34, pagejxxii), 1973 edition:

It thus appears that, that special interpretation of the Vedanta-sutras with which the Sribhashya makes us acquainted is not due to innovating views on the part of Bamanuja, but had authoritative representatives already at a period anterior to that of Sankara, This '25' latter point, moreover, receives additional confirmation from the relation in which the so-called Samanuja sect stands to earlier sects* It is generally acknowledged that the Samanufas are closely connected with the so'called or , who are known to have existed already at a very early time* This latter point is proved by evidence of various kinds. In the opinion of the best commentators the Bhagavatas, the direct forerunners of the Samanujas, are mentioned in the Sutras themselves, and hence must not only have existed, but even reached a considerable degree of importance at the time when the Sutras were composed. And considering the general agreement of the systems of the earlier Bhagavatas and the later Samanujas, we have aifull right to suppose that the two sects were at one also in their m&de of interpreting the Yedanta-sutras,"

In his introduction to his Sribhashya edition (1916), Mahamahopadhyaya Vasudevashastri Abhyankar says: ± The earlier portion ofrthe Vedic literature requires man to lead a pious and simple life of actions by observing all the rites and ceremonies enjoined by Veda; while the later portion requires men to live a life of solemn meditation and renunciation in order to obtain t?ie real knowledge of the world and its Creator, As a consequence, the injunctions of the first portions and those of the latter seen contradictory in nature to a superficial observer, but really speaking they are not so, and it is a work possible for master^ minds alone to remove the differences of views between the two, and to show that both of thsm aim at one and the same thing - the final, supreme and unending bliss of man. No portion of the ancient Vedic literature, that has come down to us, handles this problem of compromise. It is only in later times that Bodhayana, the author of Yedantasutravritti, made a synthesis of two Mimamsas as shown by the quotation from him in the Sribhashya: '^This sariraka doctrine is connected with 's doctrine as contained in sixteen adhyayasf this proves the two to constitute one body of doctrine**"

Thus, the doctrine of action and the doctrine of meditation are considered to be the two sides of the same Sastra, proceeding from one to another,

What is fisistadvaita? - Explaining this, Dr, S,Radhakrishnan, in his introduction (page 46) -27-

to the Brahma Sutras, writes:

Samiauja is the chief exponent of the doctrine of 7isistadvaita, The uisesanas or adjectives are different from the substance which is not a mere assemblage of attributes* The substance is something over and above the attributes, and both the substance and the attributes are real, being parts of a whole* The relation between the Supreme Being and the particular beings is that of visesya-visesana. Qualified non~dualism is not a correct rendering of Visistadvaita, It is Visistasya advaitam*, the non-dualism of the differenced. It is the unity of the conscious and the non-conscious with and in God whose body they constitute* Perhaps the first commentators of the Brahma-sutras were advocates of Yisistadvaita or non- dualism with a distinction. The Bhagavadgita for example, mentions the Brahma-sutras as supporting its own view. Badarayana seems to be a theist more than an absolutist."

This explains as to how the pan-theism of Bamanuja came to existamce, on the basis of scriptures and old commentaries on the Brahma-sutras.

In his article on Historical evolution of Sri in South India*, (The Cultural Heritage of India, fol.17, page 175)p Prof. Y.Rangacharya, writes -28' on Sribhashya and Advaita of Sankara*: The Visiatadpaita philosophy as expounded by Sauanuja in his Sribhashya is less intellectual and more euotional than the philosophy of Sankara. Again, while Sankara taught idealism, Bamanuja was an advocate of realism* A further point of contrast is that one is for a pantheistic neuter Brahman, while the other advocates a personal deity possessed of all auspicious attributes and capable of giving salvation to devotees in reward for their devotion. Lastly, the individuality of the Jiva is preserved in Bamanuja*s system even after moksa, while it is lost in Brahwuin according to Advaita. It is true that, so far as practical life is concerned, Sankara's Saguna Brahman theory provides for a life of devotion! but Bamanuja advocates this for the realisation of moksa itself, while Sankara regards it as secondary to the intellectual method of meditation, which brings complete identity with Brahman. Bamanuja*s doctrine regarding the soul's innate dependence on God's grace and its getting salvation through devotion, and his insistence on the reality of existence, in contrast to Sankara*s advocacy of the phenominal (vyavaharika) existence through , appealed to minds which were "29- not satisfied with the teachings 0/ Advaita*

The steps which Bamanuja took in order to populaize his teachings indicate that he was as great a practical organizer as he was a thinker* He divided the Yaishnava world into a number of Acharyie diocesses, over each of which he appointed a pious householder as the head, or '^simhasanadhipati' as he was called, A set of seventyfour spiritual leaders took up the work of teaching Visistadvaita in the villages and homes throughout the land**

Such was the organising capacity of Ramanuja, that not only Samskrit Vedas and Upanishads, but also the Tamil Divyaprabandham and their elaborate commentaries in Manipravala style found their way especially in Andhra and Karnataka where people studied these printed Tamil works in their own scripts. Even today many of these old commentaries are available only in Telugu script, and not in Tamil and Grantha scripts* Thus a Vaishnava has to learn many scripts to study the Ubhayavedanta works by Acharyas. Finally I may add some salient observations made by Stephen Neill, in his book: : Hindu and Christian' (page 64): -JO-

Sawuinuja is rightly regarded as one of the three great thinkers of the classtcal period of Indian philosophy. Be may be inferior to the earlier waster» Sankara, also a South Indian, in sheer rigidity of logical thought* In width of understanding and skill in argument he is his equal* In religious power he surpasses both Sankara and Madhva* Because of the divine initiative, to which Bamanuja gives the name grace*, Budolf Otto has given to his careful study of the theology of Bamanuja the title: India's Beligion of Grace*, and has affirmed that at this point the religion of India comes nearer to the Christian understanding of life than at any other,"

Bamanuja toured over the whole of India, along with the seventyfour spiritual leaders appointed by him, and with thousands of his devotees belonging to allcastes, and a lot of common people who were pleased to serve him. Be defeated controversialists in various places and established local monasteries to keep his teachings alive.

No Vaishnava temple is considered perfect without his image, no festival proper without the celebration of his greatness, no ceremonial occasion adequately solemn without the invocation of his blessing and favour, and no letter holy without the superscriptions -t^^ ^TW^J^^ ^^'" '31'

y GOD' OUB SOUL AND SAflOUR

Devotion or BhaHti leads to wisdom, or Jnana, For Rawanuja, even self'Surrender or prapatti is a form of Jnana, When the devotion glows, the Lord dwelling in the soul imparts to the devotee by Sis grace the light of wisdom* The devotee feels united intimately with tfie Supreme, who is experienced as the being in whom all antithesis vanish* Me sees God in himself, and himself in God* For the devotee, the higher freedom is in surrender to God* Participation in God's work for the world is the duty of all devotees. Those who give up their duties and simply proclaim the name of the lord, Rama, Krishna etc*, are verily the enemies of the Lord and sinners, for the very Lord tias taken birth for protecting righteousness.

When the devotee truly surrenders himself to the Divine, God becomes the ruling passion of his mind, and whatever the devotee does, he does for the glory of God* Devotion is to believe in God, to love Him, to be attached to Him, to enter into Him* It is its 9*n rejoard* Such a devotee has in him the content of the highest knowledge as well as the energy of the '32' perfect man*

The relation of the body and the soul (aarira and saririn), formulated by Viaiatadvaita aa existing between God and the world of sentient and non-sentient beings, brings out the synthetic co-ordination of all ultimate values. The Jiva as the essential and eternal self is distinct from the body;-but as the saririn, it makes the body live, controls and co-ordinates its functions, and uses it as an instrument for its own satisfaction. In the same way. Brahman (the Lord) is the saririn or soul of the universe, because It is the source and sustenance of all beings in the world, and because the functioning of the cosmos is an expression of its satisfaction.

The relation of body and soul harmonises the three relations, vie. the relations of support and the thing supported (adhara and adheya), the controller and the controlled (niyamaka and niyamya), the Lord and his servant (aeain and aeaa). The relation of support and the thing supported is from the point of view of metaphysics which defines Brahwuin as real (), conscious (jnana) and infinite (ananta). This relation emphasizes the inner unity of reality. The relation of the controller and the controlled brings out the trans- -53' cendental goodness of God and His redemptive impulse. The relation of the Lord and His servant satisfies the highest demands of ethics and aesthetics by defining God as the supreme Lord for whose satisfaction the world of sentient and non-sentient beings lives, moves and has its being. T?ie relation of body and soul combines all the three together, and serves as an analogical representation of a spiritual truth. Thus, God is the life of all life* is the central idea of Tisistadvaita.

Visistadvaita guarantees God and salvation to all finite beings, human, sub-human and celestial. It is therefore a religion of harmony and hospitality. It does not stop with affirming the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. It goes a step further and asserts that God is the inner life and soul of all beings. Its idea of God as the soul of the world brings out- the immanence of God in all beings, spiritual intimacy, and the goodness of God. It also inspires the feeling that the God of all religions is ultimately one, though t?ie seers and sects my describe the Lord in different ways.

A Vaishnava is defined as one whose heart bleeds at the sight of another's misery; he tries his best to alleviate the sorrows of mankind, because he sees "34" everyone in his own image, as a part of God's body* &od is the universe. Every human body is part of God's mind. Each of us is an intimate part of God,

This doctrine is more than a mere theory. It has tremendous practical and ethical implications. For, if all humanity is one body and one soul, it follows that no individual can hurt others without injuring himself, Ve are members of a single human entity which in turn is an integral part of the divine essence of God,

Thus, the Lord is always with us inseparable, being our Soul and Saviour,

71 THE PLAN

The first chapter of my thesis in Samskrit explains the relevance of a practical philosophy even in this mechanical and material world, where God is always with us with His helping hand, A working hand is God, So one could live without work; but every work is to be perfectly accomplished, as God's work and as a service to Him, This brings us contentment and happiness, Vork and knowledge go together, because t?iey are supplementary to one another. Money follows work. Our relatives such -35" as father, mother, wife, children, brothers etc, cone to us as destined by the Lord* Any thing by nature is not loved or hated by any one. The same thing is loved or hated as it gives us pleasure or pain* So, there is no such thing which gives us permanent pleasure or pain. To love and live with God is a source of perennial bliss. The temple as the abode of God, in every village, is a uniting social and economic force which brings all the people into one brotherhood, by devotion and prayers*

The second chapter deals with the first line of divine Acharyas of Yisistadvaita philosophy, Narayana with Sis consort Lakshmi is the first preceptor who not only delivered us the Vedas, the code of conduct for all mankind, but also revealed the Pancharatra Agamas, the code of worship to be followed in the temples, with elaborate descriptions of temple- architecture, the arts, music, dance, recitation of scriptures etc. This worship is a method of trans­ cendental meditation, where by a spiritual process the human body is turned into divine, for the Lord*s worship, logic exercises and deep meditations are part of it* -J5-.

The Divine Trio: Jfarayana, Lakshmi and Vishvakaena (Senapati of the Lord) are the Acharyas who were initiative in propounding the path of devotion and service to God, with a regulated and perfect action, making life sublime*

The third chapter deals with the advent of the Alvars, who were the fore-runners in the path of devotion and self-surrender. These Alvars, twelve in number, called Divyasuris, sang of the glories of the Lord enshrined in Divyadesas, the holy places, and the collection of their works is called Dlvyapra- bandham, Alvars belonged to all castes, and their idols are worshipped in each south Indian Srivaishnava temple, along with those of the Lord and Mis consort, by Vedic Acharyas. The Tamil Divyaprabandham is on par with Samskrit Veda, and it is chanted before the Lord in procession, whereas the Samskrit Veda follows the Lord, yet in search for Him, Alvars, the first god-men, realised the glories of the Almighty; they explained the tenets of Visishtadvaita in elegant and sweet words in Tamil, to be studied by all the people, Parankusa and Parakala are chief of the Alvars, Parankusa*s ^Sahasragiti* (Tiruvoimozhi in Tamil) is the *Bible* of Vtsistadvaita philosophy, which has more than ten old commentaries to its credit* This collection is called Bhagavadvishaya*, because this literature deals only with the nature, glory, divine qualities and the Archa forms of the Lord, Divine bliss, with service to humanity, is to be achieved in this birth and here*

Chapter four depicts the evolution of the Yisistad- vaita system of philosophy as expounded and advanced by the three Great Acharyas: Mathamuni, Tamunacharya and Ramanufacharya, Acharyas were not only devotees, but also erudite scholars who gave this system a scientific outlook with logic and practical wisdom. Along with Samskrit Vedic literature, they gave equal validity to Pancharatra and Divyaprabandham, and thus Ubhayavedanta (Samskrit and Tamil Yedanta) formed the basis for their monumental structure of this practical philosophy, which had lived gloriously all these centuries. These three Acharyas are the first to write classical treatises, on which stands a colossal monument of Srivaishnava literature in both Samskrit and Tamil, produced by later Acharyas, The significance of the books of this trio and their greatness are elaborately described. How -J8- these Acharyas who were adept in all the Sastras brought this religious cult to be practised by all the people, without affecting their routine material life, is also clearly pictured.

Chapter five answers the questions: Vhat is to be sought for? Vhat are the authoritative books on which we have to rely to find this?"

Chapter six describes our goal to be reached, and its nature, in detail*

Chapter seven puts the questions Mho enjoys God and How?" and answers elaborately*

Chapter eight discusses about the different paths to achieve our goal, and arrives at the conclusion that only devotion and self-surrender will pave the way for a Godly life, with worldly action perfectly done.

Chapter nine analyses the results gained by achieving the goal. What do we wean by Divine Bliss? Mhat is its nature? How is it proved? - these are the questions answered by our eminent Acharyas,

Chapter ten deals with the impediments to our way of philosophic life, and the methods by which we could overcome them and go forwqrd to achieve our goal. '39'

We had so far in these chapters discussed the nature of Reality () i,e» the Supreme Being, the means (Hita or ) to reach Him, and the Supreme ideal of life (Purushartha).

Brahman is the Supreme Tattva or Reality, According to Ramanuja, the term ^Brahman* signifies the Supreme Person () mho transcends all imperfections and abounds in infinite classes of auspicious qualities of unsurpassed excellence, Ramanuja defines Brahman, in his commentary on the second sutra thus:-

That Supreme Person who is the ruler of all; whose nature is antagonistic of all evil; whose purposes come true; who possesses infinite auspicious qualities such as knowledge, bliss and so on; who is omniscient, omnipotent, supremely merciful,; from whom the creation, subsistence, and re-absorption of this world - with its manifold wonderful arrangements, not to be comprehended by thought, and comprising within itself the aggregate of souls from Brahtm down to blades of grass, all of which experience the fruits of their previous deeds in definite points of space and time - proceed is Brahman: Such is the meaning of the Sutra,"

The question of Hita or Means pertains to the individual '40-

soul or Jiva, Sri Ramanuja expounds the nature of the Jiva in his Sribhashya thus:" Jiva is uncreated, is of the nature of a conscious principle and enjoys powers of free volition conferred by God, The plurality of the individuals is real and eternal. Uniqueness and self-consciousness are fundamental in Jiva's nature. The Jiva is neither separate from God nor wholly identical with Him, The Jiva is a part (amsa) in the sense of forming an adjectival mode.

In all its mundane states the individual soul is infected with evil of the nature of suffering brought about by ignorance and evil-doing, I spirit of renu­ nciation therefore, is called for, Vhen it looks to its inward Soul, the Paramatman, it sees in Him infinite perfections in spite of His immanence. Seeking Him is the road to its own perfection. He is its final goal and also the power that could effectuate its final blessedness. Paramatman is to be attained by knowledge, which is of the nature of Bhakti or loving meditation, cultivated in ever-increasing intensity, which leads the soul to self-surrender or Prapatti - a sure pathway of God.

And, what is the supreme ideal of life i.e. Purushartha? It is a release from all the binding -41'

Karma of the past, it is a release of the soul into the abundance of its innate nature, and it is the fulfilment of this nature in the blissful experience of Brahman, its own inmost soul. This unipeded Joy of existence is the eternal destiny of the Jiva. It is the supreme ecstasy of life in God,

The concluding chapter sums up all of these discussions in a nutshell and summarises the teachings of Alvars, who were the path-finders for Bamanuja's philosophy, based on Tamil Vedanta as well as Samskrit Yedanta,

The first three Alvars - Saroyogi, Bhutayogi and Mahaddhvaya - were the embodiments of Parabhakti (the desire to know God by devotion), Parafnana (the knowledge of God by self-surrender) and Paramabhakti (the real­ isation of God by extreme devotion), Bhaktisara, as his name itself denotes, was an exemplary devotee of the Lord, looking only to Him for sustenance, Kulasekhara, a Ohera king by birth, was attached to the Lord as a son to his mother, Vishnuchitta took the form of lasoda emotionally, and enjoyed the Joyful plays of child Krishna, as a mother. His foster-daughter Goda - in Tamil - -42- loved the Lord as her husband and attained h£r goal by marrying Lord at Srirangan* Bhaktdnghrirena was a devotee of God's devotees* Yogivdha was a Pana, belonging to the depressed class, and by his innate yearning for God, he attained Him, Par'anhusa or was the king among the Ilvars, His works are called Tamil Yedas* He was the foremost in laying the foundations of the Visistadvaita philosophy, and was also the guiding spirit for Raaanuja, Madhurakavi was devoted only to Par&nkusa, proving that the preceptor is as great as the Lord himself, Parakala sang of the praises of the archd- ie* idols worshipped in the temples. Thus these twelve Jlvars were the preachers of devotion and self-surrender to God.

Ramanufa imbibed the spirit of the teachings of these Alvars, acquired devoutly all that Yamuna's tradition could give him on the Sutras, studied ancient notes on the Sutras such as the works of Bodhayana, Tanka and Dramida, soaked himself in the Vedic literature, particularly the Upanishads, acquired an authentic understanding of the commentaries of Sankara, Bhaskara and Yadavaprakasa and shaped his own vision of Vedanta and an appropriate style, before he addressed himself -4J-

to the literary mission of his life.

As S,S,Saghavachar puts it (in his foreword to Sribhashya): No wonder the Sribhashya is a stupendous and masterly work, its style matching its substance, Sri Bamanuja chooses the hard way on every issue, that of thoroughness, and he is massive in the statement of Prima facie views and also in his vindication of his own findings. The language of exposition is lucid as well as grand* In the compass of vision, fullness of execution, and splendour of style the Sribhashya reaches heights of excellence,"

Bamanuja was not only a great philosopher, but a friend of humanity* He treated all alike. Se stressed the importance and value of labour. One of his disciples who was a hunter and served at the court of a local chief, gave away his earnings to Bamanuja for the service of the devotees. The chief, learning that the hunter was in service of Bamanuja, refused to take any work from the hunter, but paid his usual wages* Bamanuja knew of this and rejected the money given by the hunter saying: 'The money earned by toil is gold; money obtained without work is poison. So throw this away," '44'

Bananuja was of the opinion that knowledge is common to all* Be had to go to his Guru at Tirukko- ttiyur, eighteen times, with folded hands and extreme reverence to undergo this training. He preached this hard'earned knowledge to all the people, in spite of his (ruru*s warning that the secrets of spiritual knowledge should not be imparted to all alike. Such was the magnificence that made him great,

Samanuja treated even his foes like friends with smiling face, and those who came to scoff remained to ik pray. Such was the case of^adavaprakasa, who was Ramanufa's preceptor in his youth. The teacher was Jealous of his pupil and even conspired to drown him by taking him to Ganges, Ramanuja escaped unhurt and in later years, the preceptor himself turned into a pupil of Ramanuja, by taking Sannyasa,

Ramanuja was the first in India to allow BariJans into the great and pious temple at Helkote, He named them as Tirukkulattor i,e, , They were instru' mental in helping him to bring back the idol of Sampatkumara, which was stolen and taken to Delhi by the then ruler, Ramanuja treated the idol as his own child and installed it back at Helkote, "45-

Thus Bamanuja was great at heart, and no wonder, that his philosophy preaches a religion of heart. He y>as an architect in organising the method of proper worship in the temples, which is still followed with accuracy and reverence*

He was also a great social reformer who won the hearts of all sections of people, and was universally acclaimed.

In Tamilnadu, the Advaitins and Dvaitins study only the Samskrit Vedas and they give no importance to the Tamil Vedas in their worship* The Saivas chant their own Tamil in their homes and temples, but they do not even touch the Samskrit Vedas, Only the Visistadvaitins, the followers of Bamanuja cult, treat both the Samskrit and Tamil Vedas as their two eyes, and chant both equally at their homes on all occasions, as well as in temples. Such was the combining effect of both the Vedas (Ubhayavedanta), which brought into its fold a multitude of people who respected both the languages equally.

Even today there are several religious teachers belonging to the clan of seventyfour simhasanadhipatis established by Bamanuja, who initiate the people in the Vaishnava mode of living. -46-

The Kalakshepa group, expounded by Yamuna and developed by Sananuja exists till today, propagating the religious tenets and the teachings of Visistadvaita philosophy.

Many scholars coming from traditional way of learning are spread throughout, and give discourses on all topics concerned with this system of philosophy.

The need of the hour is:-

To bring out critical and handsome editions of all the standard works of Ramanuja*s philosophy;

To present in simple and elegant style the essentials of Visistadvaita, and to codify the vedic way of life in the light of and suited to modern scientific outlook, inculcating in our youths the spirit of this system of philosophy, thereby removing all differences and rigid restrictions between man and man, and creating a natural, sustained and helpful love towards each other to lead a happy life, because Visistadvaita is universal and beneficial to mankind, now and for all times to come. -An-

Books consulted

Bhakti: Hindu and Christianity, Stephen Neill, Christian Literature Society, Madras; 1974

Brahmasutras according to Sri Ramanuja by Swamy Yireswa" rananda and Swani Adidevananda, Aduaita , Calcutta-14: 1978

Fragments of Nyayatattua - Prof, R,BamanuJachari, M,A,; Prof, K,V.Bangaswami Aiyengar Commemoration Volume, Madras; 1940

Badhakrishnan Reader, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay; 1969

The Brahma-sutra, Dr, S.Badhakrishnan, George Allen & Unwin; I960

The Cultural Heritage of India, Vols III and IV, The Mission Institute of Culture, Calcutta; 1969

The Philosophy of Visistadvaita by P,N,Srinivasachari, The Adyar Library, Adyar; 1943

Three notes on the verses of the Alvars, S,R,Sampath Thathachariar, Srirangam; 1973

Vedantasutras with Ramanuja*s Commentary, George Thibaut, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi; 1971