Ramanuja
Ramanuja, also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and social reformer. He is one of the most important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition in Hinduism. His philosophical foundations for devotional practice were influential in the Bhakti movement.
Ramanuja's guru was Yādava Prakāśa, a scholar who, traditionally, is said to have belonged to the Advaita Vedānta tradition, but probably was a Bhedabheda scholar. Sri Vaishnava tradition holds that Ramanuja disagreed with his guru and the non-dualistic Advaita Vedānta, and instead followed in the footsteps of Tamil Alvārs tradition, the scholars Nāthamuni and Yamunāchārya. Ramanuja is famous as the chief proponent of Vishishtadvaita school of Vedānta, and his disciples were likely authors of texts such as the Shatyayaniya Upanishad. Ramanuja himself wrote influential texts, such as Sanskrit bhāsyas on the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita.
His Vishishtadvaita philosophy has competed with the Dvaita philosophy of Madhvāchārya, and Advaita philosophy of Ādi Shankara, together the three most influential Vedantic philosophies of the 2nd millennium. Ramanuja presented the epistemic and soteriological importance of bhakti, or the devotion to a personal God as a means to spiritual liberation. His theories assert that there exists a plurality and distinction between Ātman and Brahman, while he also affirmed that there is unity of all souls and that the individual soul has the potential to realize identity with the Brahman.
Early life
Ramanuja was born into a Tamil Brahmin community, in a village called Sriperumbudur under the Chola Empire. His followers in the Vaishnava tradition wrote hagiographies, some of which were composed centuries after his death, and which the tradition believes "at face value."The traditional hagiographies of Ramanuja state he was born to mother Kānthimathi and father Asuri Keshava Somayāji, in Sriperumbudur, near modern Chennai, Tamil Nādu. He is believed to have been born in the month of Chithirai under the star Tiruvadhirai. They place his life from 1017–1137, yielding a lifespan of 120 years. However, based on 11th- and 12th-century temple records and regional literature outside the Sri Vaishnava tradition, modern era scholars suggest that Ramanuja might have lived from 1077–1157. Paul syndor notes that "reconstructing his 'historical life' is nearly impossible," and such efforts as Carman's datings, although "well-reasoned," are speculative and "ultimately unverifiable."
Ramanuja married, moved to Kānchipuram, and studied with Yādava Prakāśa as his guru. Ramanuja and his guru frequently disagreed in interpreting Vedic texts, particularly the Upanishads. Ramanuja and Yādava Prakāśa separated, and thereafter Ramanuja continued his studies on his own.
He attempted to meet another famed Vedanta scholar of 11th-century Yamunāchārya, but Sri Vaishnava tradition holds that the latter died before the meeting and they never met. Ramanuja was the great-grandson of Yamunāchārya through a granddaughter. However, some hagiographies assert that the corpse of Yamunāchārya miraculously rose and named Ramanuja as the new leader of Sri Vaishnava sect previously led by Yamunāchārya. One hagiography states that after leaving Yādava Prakāśa, Ramanuja was initiated into Sri Vaishnavism by Periya Nambi, also called Mahapurna, another Vedānta scholar. Ramanuja renounced his married life, and became a Hindu monk. However, Katherine Young states that evidence on whether Ramanuja led a married or renunciate life is uncertain.
Career
Ramanuja became a priest at the Varadharāja Perumal temple at Kānchipuram, where he began to teach that moksha is to be achieved not with metaphysical, nirguna Brahman, but with the help of personal god and saguna Vishnu. Ramanuja believed that when scriptures such as the Vedas declare god as nirguna, they should be interpreted as saying that qualities such as pain, sorrow, mortality and age are absent in god. Ramanuja has long enjoyed foremost authority in the Sri Vaishnava tradition.Hagiographies
A number of traditional biographies of Ramanuja are known, some written in 12th century, some written centuries later such as 14th and 15th century, whereas some as far as the 17th or 18th century, particularly after the split of the community into the Vadakalais| and Teṉkalais|, where each community created its own version of Ramanuja's hagiography based on earlier primary writings. The ' by Brahmatantra Svatantra Jīyar represents the earliest biography, and reflects the view of the succession following Ramanuja. ', on the other hand, represents the Tenkalai biography. Other biographies include the Yatirajavaibhavam by Andhrapurna, who was the direct disciple of Ramanuja.Historical background
Ramanuja grew up in the Tamil culture, in a stable society during the rule of the Chola dynasty. This period was one of pluralistic beliefs, where Vaishnava, Shaiva, Smarta traditions, Buddhism and Jainism thrived together. In Hindu monastic tradition, Advaita Vedānta had been dominant, and Ramanuja's guru Yādava Prākāsha belonged to this tradition. Prior to Ramanuja, the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya was already an established organization under Yamunāchārya, and bhakti songs and devotional ideas were already a part of Tamil culture because of the twelve Alvārs. Ramanuja's fame grew because he was considered the first thinker in centuries that disputed Shankara's theories, and offered an alternative interpretation of Upanishadic scriptures.Early life
When Ramanuja and his guru Yadava Prakaasa parted ways due to their differences in interpreting the Vedic literature, Ramanuja became a devotee of the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kanchi. During this period, Ramanuja's discourses and fame reached far and wide. Yamunacharya, the Vaishnavite acharya and the religious head of the Ranganathasamy temple at Srirangam had been closely following Ramanuja from a very young age. When it was time to pass on the legacy, the acharya sent Mahapurna, a disciple assisting him in temple affairs, to Kanchi to invite Ramanuja to Srirangam.When Mahapurna met Ramanuja and informed him of his guru's desire, Ramanuja was overjoyed and they both immediately left for Srirangam. But bad news awaited them at Srirangam and they both learned that Yamunacharya had died. Heart-broken, Ramanuja then left for Kanchi and refused to worship Sri Ranganatha for he held him responsible for taking away Yamunacharya from this world. As for Mahapurna, he began to assist Tiruvaranga Araiyar, the son of Yamunacharya in managing the temple affairs. But as time passed by, Tiruvaranga Araiyar and other senior members of the Vaishnavite order felt that there was a vacuum after Yamunacharya's demise and that they lacked a person who could interpret the Vedas and Sastras like Yamunacharya. So it was finally decided that Sri Mahapurna should once again go and invite Ramanuja to Srirangam.
Meanwhile, in Kanchi, Ramanuja regularly met with Kanchipurna, a fellow devotee. Ramanuja decided that he would become Kanchipurna's disciple, but Kanchipurna politely refused, saying he was not of the same caste and that Ramanuja would find a more appropriate guru. Kanchipurna then left for Tirupati to worship Venkateswara and returned after six months. Upon his return, he conveyed that Lord Varadaraja wished Ramanuja to go to Srirangam and find solace in Mahapurna.
Induction into Vaishnavism
After it was decided that Mahapurna would go and invite Ramanuja to Srirangam, the acharya left for Kanchi with his wife. While on his way to Kanchi, Mahapurna and his wife decided to take some rest at Maduranthakam, a place that is located 40 km from present day Chennai. As fate would have it Ramanuja, who was on his way to Srirangam, arrived at the same place and to his joy found Mahapurna. They soon embraced each other and Ramanuja requested that he waste no time in initiating him into the Vaishnavite order. Mahapurna immediately obliged and Ramanuja received the Panchasamskaras.Persecution
Some hagiographies, composed centuries after Ramanuja died, state that a Chola king, Kulothunga II, had immense hatred towards Sri Vaishnavism. He was called Krimikanta Chola or "worm-necked Chola", so named because the king is said to have suffered from the cancer of the neck or throat. Historian Nilakanta Sastri identifies Krimikanta Chola with Adhirajendra Chola or Virarajendra Chola. Knowing the evil intentions of the king, Ramanuja's disciple, Koorathazhwan persuaded Ramanuja to leave the Chola kingdom. Ramanuja then moved to Hoysala kingdom, where he spent 14 years. During this period, he converted a Jain king, Bitti Deva, to Hinduism after miraculously healing his daughter. Bitti Deva changed his name to Vishnuvardhana. King Vishnuvardhana assisted Ramanuja in building a temple of Lord Thirunarayanaswamy at Melukote, which is now a temple town in Mandya district of Karnataka. Ramanuja later returned on his own to Tamil Nādu after the death of Krimikanta Chola. According to Sastri, Krimikanta or Adhirajendra Chola was killed in a local uprising of the Vaishnavas.According to "Koil Olugu" of the Srirangam temple, Kulottunga III was the son of Krimikanta Chola or Karikala Chola. The former, unlike his father, is said to have been a repentant son who supported Vaishnavism. Ramanuja is said to have made Kulottunga III as a disciple of his nephew, Dasarathi. The king then granted the management of the Ranganathaswamy temple to Dasarathi and his descendants as per the wish of Ramanuja. Some historians hold that Krimikanta, who persecuted Ramanuja, had a personal animosity towards Ramanuja and did not persecute Vaishnavites.
Reformation
The Sri Vaishnavite order prior to Ramanuja was not averse to people from other castes as both Kanchipurna and Mahapurna were non-Brahmins. When Ramanuja revolted against the discrimination that had crept into the caste system, he was following the same lines as the Alwars, helping those considered untouchables, to be absorbed into the Sri Vaishnava Bhakti Movement, and encouraging them to attain Spiritual enlightenment by teaching them Sri Alwar Divyaprabandham. He called these downtrodden classes as Tirukulattar, meaning "of noble descent" in Tamil, and was instrumental in admitting them into the temple at Melukote.Ramanuja's liberal views also led to the reorganization of rituals in Srirangam and the involvement of non-Brahmin people in the Vaishnava worship. This policy change contributed to the enhancement of social status for artisanal and other non-Brahmin caste groups, especially the weavers, who were one of the chief beneficiaries. After Ramanuja's period, the Sri Vaishnava community split on this issue and formed the Vadakalai and Thenkalai sects. Both sects believe in initiation into Sri Vaishnavism through Pancha Samskara. This ceremony or rite of passage is necessary for one to become a Sri Vaishnava. It is performed by Brahmins and non-Brahmins in order to become Vaishnavas.