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THE LIFE AND WORKS OF ACHARYA RAAMANUJA- part 2

NINE Sri Sookthis of AchArya RaamAnujA

Highlights of AchArya RaamAnujA's Sri Sookthis

(1) Sri Bhaashyam, the magnum opus of AchArya RaamAnujA is the 
greatest commentary on Brahma SoothrAs of BadarAyaNA and is based on 
the BodhAyana Vrutthi, TankA's VaakhyA, DramidA's BhAshyam on 
TankA's VaakhyA, Saankhyasapathi of IsvarakrishNA, PaancharAthra 
samhithA,
AaLavandhAr's Siddhitrayam and Aagama PrAmANyam

With the help of select Sruthi, Smruthi and Saathvika  PurANam 
passages, AchArya RaamAnujA effectively  crticizes the other 
commentaries on Brahma SoothrAs based on SankarA's AdhvaithA and 
BhAskarA's BhEdAbhEdA as untenable and establishes the accuracy of 
Sri BhAshyam rooted in Sri VisishtAdvaitham .

The essence of Sri Bhaashyam (Four Synoptic propositions)  has been 
summarized by Sro AdhidEvAnandA this way :

(a) It is a reasoned and critical reconstruction of the philosophy 
of the Upanishads with due appreciation of other sources of 
knowledge such as perception and inference and the supplementary 
scriptures.

(b) The reconstruction presents Ultimate Reality, Brahman, and the 
Supreme Spirit, as the transcendent repository of ALL perfections 
and as holding as its own embodiment the totality of finite 
existence, sentient and insentient.

(c) The pathway to the final good of life is the blissful communion 
with Brahman by way of devout and loving contemplation named 
BHAKTHI, facilitated by a life of virtue and founded on assured 
philosophical understanding.

(d) The end attained through that means is the eternal experience of 
Brahman, with all the plentitude and eternity which only that 
experience can bring to the individual personality .It is the 
supreme ecstasy of Life in God. 


(2) The GitA BhAshyam is an elaboration of AaLavandhAr's GithArtha 
sangraham. The individual verses are explained in the light of the 
VisishtAdhvathic tenets: "Reality is personality with countless 
auspicious attributes and that it is a qualified whole of which 
Isvaran is the Soul, and the Jiva and the Jagat (Prakrti) form the 
body in inseparable relation with the Whole, but there are internal 
divisions of the nature of modes in It." 

The saadhanas that an aspiring human being should adopt for Moksham 
are explained by AchArya RaamAnujA here .Moksham in the complete 
sense is explained as occurring with the fall of the physical 
body, "after which the released soul is clothed in a body of suddha-
sattvA with which it is able to commune with God and experience His 
overpoweringly august but loving presence through eternity ". This 
is described as the experience of ParipUrNa BrahmAnandham in the 
abode of Sriman NaarAyaNA at Sri Vaikuntam.

3. VedArtha SangrahA: This elaborate treatise is an important 
commentary on the correct meanings of the important passages of 
VedAs and Upanishads .This
grantham points out the deficiencies in the rival schools of 
VedanthA in general and AdhvaithA in particular .This grantham pays 
a lot of attention to the VisishtAdhvaithic intrepretations of Tattva
(Reality), HithA ( Means of attaining 
Brahma) and PurushArtham (Supreme Goal of Life)

4. VedAntha DipA : This grantham is a shorter commentary on Brahma 
SoothrAs. The essential purport of each of the SoothrAs is given. It 
stays away from the scholarly arguments of Sri Bhaashyam and does 
not include the critique of the rival systems.

5. Vedantha SaarA: This is yet another brief commentary on Brahma 
SoothrAs for those of average familiarity with VedAthic doctrines. 
This grantham gives the meaning of each soothram and AdhikaraNam.

6. SaraNAgathi Gadhyam: This is one of the three Gadhyams bequeathed 
to us by AchArya RaamAnujA. This gadhyam explains the nature, 
importance and method of performance of Prapatthi at the sacred feet 
of the Divya dampathis.

7. Sriranga Gadhyam: Here AchArya RaamAnujA prays to Lord RanganAtha 
and Sri RanganAyaki with Parama Bhakthi and utter humility.

8. Sri Vaikunta Gadhyam: This is a moving description of Sri 
Vaikuntam visualized by AchArya RaamAnujA during his divine ecstasy 
following his Prapatthi on a Panguni Uttharam day in presence of the 
Divya Dampathis of Srirangam. The depth of AchArya RaamAnujA's 
mystical experience of Sri Vaikuntam and the supreme bliss enjoyed 
there by the MukthAs and Nithya Sooris is unparalleled.

9. The Nithya-GranthA: This practical grantham instructs us about 
the proper form of worshipping Sriman NaarAyaNA. Hence, this 
grantham is also known as Bhagavadh-aarAdhana PrayOgA. Fifteen 
points are stressed in this Grantham. Our great AchAryan insists 
that a VishNu Bhakthan MUST perform Aaradhanam to the Lord to 
qualify as His devotee as described in the twelfth chapter of 
BhagavadhgitA .

HIS KAIMKARYAM FOR SAMPRAHAYA PRAVARTHAKAM:

After his return to Srirangam from ThirunArAyaNapuram, AchArya 
RaamAnujA as a great administrator established 74 SimhAsanAdhipathis 
to grow the Darsanam and gave them each a set of Sankham and Chakram 
for performing Pancha SamskArams. He handed over copies of SrikOsam 
on Sri Bhaashyam to
ThirukkuruhaippirAn PiLLAn, NdAdUr AzhwAn, KidAmpi AacchAn and 
MudaliANDAn and asked them to continue with the pravachanam of Sri 
Bhaashyam and made them Sri Bhaashya SimhAsanAthipathis.He singled 
out ThirukkuruhaippirAn PiLLAn to initiate Bhagavadh Vishaya 
KaalakshEpam and made this special sishyan (His Jn~Ana Puthran) a 
Ubhaya SimhAsAnAthipathi.

In addition to the above 74 simhAsanAthipathis, there were 700 
Jeeyars and 12,000 EkAnthis and thousands of Kainkarya- parALs, who 
sought the sacred feet of AchArya RaamAnujA for refuge.

Out of his infinite compassion, AchAryA RaamAnujA in his last days 
gave us a five point guideline to follow (yathA sakthi) that would 
assure us the grace of 
Sriman NaarAyaNA:

(a)Perform KaalakshEpam of Sri Bhaashyam and spread its message to 
others.

(b) If that is difficult, perform KaalakshEpam of AzhwAr's 
aruLiccheyalkaL and spread their messages.

(c) If that proves to be diffcult, perform daily Kaimkaryams at 
Divya Desams through offering NaivEdhyam to the Lord, lighting lamps 
in sannidhis,
SamarpaNam of ThuLasi and flower garlands to the Dhivya dampathis et 
al

(d) If that proves to be not possible, recite the Manthra Rathnam, 
Dhvayam, and contemplate on its meaning.

(e) If none of the above is beyond one's sakthi,then seek Sri 
VaishNava sathsangam and become the Thiruvadi of BhagavathAs to 
attain the bliss of 
Moksham

CONCLUDING SALUTATIONS TO NAMPERUMAL AND ACHARYA RAAMANUJA

AdiyEn will conclude this short summary of the life and works of 
AchArya RaamAnujA with the three slOkams uttered in presence of Sri 
RanganAtha at the conclusionof the AdhyayanOthsavam conducted by 
AchArya RaamAnujA :

sarvadEsa dasAkAlEshu avyAhata parAkramA
RaamAnujArya dhivyAj~nA vardhathAm abhivardhathAm
                                                             ---- 
ThirukkuruhaippirAn PiLLAn 

RaamAnujArya DhivyAj~nA prathivAsaramujjvalA
DhiganthavyApini BhUyAth saa hi LokahithaishiNi
                                                                     
     ---- MudaliANDAn

Sriman Srirangasriyam anubhadravAm anudhinam samvardhaya
Sriman Srirangasriyam anubhadhravAm anudhinam samvardhaya
                                                                     
            --- AchArya RaamAnujA 

May we seek the blessings of the Parama DayALu AdhisEshAvathaarar, 
Sri RaamAnujA and the Guru paramparai established by him on the 
occasion of the release of this Special CD ROM celebrating his 
immortal gifts for us and conclude with His Taniyan:

yO nithyam Achyutha PadhAmbhujayugmarugma
vyAmOhatha: tadhitharANi thruNAya mEnE 
asmath GurO:BhagavadhOsya dayaikasindhO:
Raamaanujasya CharaNou SaraNam prapdhyE 

DaasAnu Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradchAri Sadagopan 











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