Ramanuja Acharya
(1017-1137 A.D.)

Page 1–Ramanuja and Sri Vaisnavism

Note: In India there are many schools of Vaisnavism, and they are generally named after the particular founder that initially propounded them. Consequently, there is the Vaisnavism styled after Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha, Caitanya, Ramananda, Jayadeva, Jnanesvara, and so on. Each of these different schools of Vaisnavism has adapted itself to meet the local religious, social and language conditions where they developed. Together these schools form what has been called the bhakti movement of medieval Hinduism. Ramanuja’s particular form of Vaisnavism is the oldest of these schools and is often termed Sri Vaisnavism in order to distinguish if from that of Madhva and the other Vaisnava schools.

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The story of Ramanujacharya is actually the story Sri Vaisnavism in India. Unlike Madhva or Caitanya, who can justifiably be called the founders of their particular school of Vaisnavism, Ramanuja is not the founder of SriVaisnavism. Instead, he is an important member among a great succession of followers who trace themselves to the time of the Rg-veda. The school is known as Sri Vaisnavism because Sridevi, otherwise known as the Goddess Laksmi, is said to be its original propounder. In this system Sridevi holds an important theological position alongside Vishnu, and together they form the basis of ultimate reality. The descriptive name for the philosophy of SriVaisnavism is Visistadvaita.

The development Sri Vaisnavism can be divided into five historical periods: 1) the Vedic period 2) the period of the Agamas 3) the smrtis period 4) the period of the Alvars 5) and the period of the theologians (acaryas) including Sri Ramanuja.

The Vedic Period

Sri Vaisnavas argue that the philosophy, which underpins the Vedas, is monotheism. When the hymns of the Rg-veda address Indra, Agni, Vayu, Varuna, and any other devata, they are not intended for the particular deity, but for a Supreme Being who is the inner soul (antaryamin) for that deity. The various deities addressed in the hymns are simply different “faces” of this one Supreme Being. Despite its polytheistic appearance, the religion of the Vedas is, therefore, fundamentally monotheistic.

The hymns of the Rg-veda not only assert the existence of this one Supreme Being, but also describe the essential characteristics of this Being as the cause of all causes (sarva-karana), [1] the controller of all (sarva-niyamaka),[2] as immanent in the heart of every being (antaryamin), [3] as the ruler of the entire universe, [4] and as the giver of immortality. [5]   Such a Being is also described as omniscient (sarvajna), omnipotent (sarva-sakta), full of unsurpassed glory (sarvatisayi) and the greatest of all (sarva-mahima).

Above all the deities mentioned in the Vedas, Sri Vaisnavas identify Visnu as the original or prime face of this one Supreme Being, who is the foundation of the world and the gods. They quote numerous verses from theRg-veda and other Vedic texts to substantiate their position. [6] Perhaps the most important verse that is cited to establish the supremacy of Visnu above all others is the one that mentions the eternal abode (parama-pada) of Visnu: “As the blazing sun pervades the entire sky like an eye fixed in the heavens, so the divine seers eternally perceive that supreme abode of Visnu.” [7]Other mantras are also cited that identify Visnu as that Supreme Being, including the Purusa-sukta [8] which is regularly chanted during worship. In this way, Sri Vaisnavas trace their philosophic origins to the earliest Vedic period and assert that Sri Visnu is the foundation of ultimate reality.

The Period of the Agamas

Next to the Vedas there is another set of sacred literatures that Sri Vaisnavas call upon, not so much for their philosophic roots, but more for their religious and ritual importance. These are the Agamas. The date of the Agamas, like the Vedas, is in dispute between traditional and modern scholars and varies from 3000 BC to 800 AD. In general, however, we can safely say that theAgamas fall somewhere between the time of the Vedas and the smart literatures including the Mahabharata. The Vaisnava Agamas fall under two categories: Vaikanasa and Pancaratra. The Vaikanasa Agamas are derived from the sage Vikhanas, who, with the help of his disciples, was their compiler. Vikhanas claims to have taken his teachings directly from the Vedas. The Pancaratra Agamas claim to be based on the Sukla-yajur-veda (which is no longer extant) and also purports to be of Vedic origin. The Pancaratra Agamas, in particular, are extremely voluminous. The number of texts is in the hundreds, but the most ancient and authoritative Pancaratra texts are the Sattvata, Pauskara and Jayakhya Samhitas.

In general, the Vaisnava Agamas describe Visnu is the Supreme Being and the foundation of all existence. They describe the consecration of sacred images (murti-sthapana), the practice of image worship (murti puja), the building of temples, the observance of specific daily rituals and other festivals in these temples. Because of the emphasis on image worship, many scholars take the view that the Agamas are not Vedic in origin, but are representative of another tradition of ancient India known as the Sattvata orBhavavatas tradition. [9] Although there is much debate over this issue, there is little doubt that the Agamas are at least pro-Vedic and have had a major influence on the religious development of Sri Vaisnavism.

The Smrti Period

The next phase of Sri Vaisnava development comes from the later Vedic texts, the so-called smrti texts. These include the Ramayana, Mahabharata,Puranas and the Vedanta-sutras. The smrti texts naturally include theBhagavad-gita, which is a part of the Mahabharata. Sri Vaisnavas consider the Ramayana, the oldest and most authoritative of the smrti texts. TheRamayana describes how Visnu Himself incarnated on earth and played the role of a human being. The text describes the greatness of the Goddess Laksmi through the character of Sita and the devotional attitudes of service and surrender to God illustrated in the characters of Hanuman, Vibhisana, Laksmana and Bharata. For Sri Vaisnava the Ramayana is often called thesaranagati-sastra because it best shows the way of surrender to God  (prapatti), which is a key feature of Sri Vaisnava philosophy.

Next in prominence comes the Mahabharata, which is considered the encyclopedia of Vaisnava philosophy and religion. In the Mahabharata the single identity of Vasudeva, Narayana, Visnu and Krsna is established. The supremacy of Visnu over other deities including Siva and Brahma is also established. The Bhagavad-gita, as part of the Mahabharata, outlines the principals of karma, jnana, and bhakti yogas and like Ramayana teaches surrender to God (prapatti).

Among the eighteen Puranas, Sri Vaisnavas acknowledge the Visnu-puranaas the oldest and most authoritative. For them it presents the basic philosophic and religious foundations of Sri Vaisnavism. Later schools of Vaisnavas lay more emphasis on the Bhagavata-purana instead of theVisnu-purana.

The Period of the Alvars

 Sri Vaisnavism does not, however, base its authority solely on the Sanskrit Vedas, Agamas and smrti texts, but also on the Tamil writings of the Alvars. The twelve Alvar saints were born in different parts of south India and appear to span the dates 200 AD to 800 AD. Orthodox tradition, however, places the earliest Alvar saints at 4203 BC and the latest at 2706 BC.

The Alvars were mystic saints who immersed themselves in devotional experiences and expressed their divine experiences in Tamil verses that have been collection into 4000 stanzas call the Divya-prabandha or Divine Hymns. These sacred writings contain rich philosophical and religious material taken from the Upanisads, the Ramayana, Mahabharata and thePuranas and are accepted by many Sri Vaisnavas to be on par with the Vedas themselves.

The main teachings of the Alvars assert 1) that Sri Visnu along Sridevi forms the basis of ultimate reality 2) that self-surrender (prapatti) through acts of devotion (bhakti) is the means to attain salvation (moksa) 3) that service to God and godly souls is an essential duty for Vaisnavas 4) and that moksa or salvation from rebirth is the supreme goal of life.

Amongst the 4000 verses of the Divya-prabandha, the 1102 verses attributed to Namma Alvar are often considered the most important and are sometimes called the Tamil Veda. Based on the teaching of the Upanisads, these verses have inspired their own set of commentaries and sub-commentaries and have played a major role in the development of SriVaisnavism down to the present day. You may select the following link to hear a sampling of these hymns recorded in Malkote in 1986.

The Period of the Acharyas

The next stage in the development of Sri Vaisnavism brings us to more recent times (1000 AD) and is the development brought about by the acharyas or principal theologians amongst the Sri Vaisnavas. Three principleacaryas are named: Nathamuni, Yamuna and Ramanuja. By the time of the acharyas at the beginning of the ninth century, Sri Vaisnavism had to contend no only with rival philosophic and religious systems that included Buddhists, Jainas, Saivas, Sankhyas, Nyayikas, Vaisesikas, Mimamsa, but also the school of Sankara, advaita-vedanta. In order to defend the teachings of SriVaisnavism from these religious and philosophic schools there was an urgent need to consolidate and systematize Sri Vaisnavism as a coherent philosophical system and formal religious organization. This was the work of the acharyas, among which, the works of Ramanuja are the most comprehensive and well known.

Born in 824 AD, Nathamuni is the first of this group of theologians. Unfortunately his works are no longer extant. We only know of them through the references of Ramanuja and his later follower, Vedanta Desika. Nathamuni is most famous for having revived and edited the 4000 hymns of the Alvars. He was the one who arranged them into four sections and introduced their recitations as part of daily temple worship. Nathamuni also appears to have advocated the Alvaric doctrine of prapatti.

The next great acarya is Yamunacarya, who was the grandson of Nathamuni. Yamuna is also known as Alavandar. Born in 916 AD, he produced six major works that outline the principals of visistadvaita. His writings are the first extant works in Sanskrit by a Vaisnava acarya. In his writings he argues for the supremacy of Sri Visnu as the basis of ultimate reality and makes the case for the ontological status of Sri Devi, which in later Sri Vaisnavism became a topic of divisive controversy. Yamunacarya has also argued for the authority of the Agamas and like Nathamuni he promoted the doctrine of self-surrender (prapatti). Yamunacarya’s writings are today considered the starting point for Ramanuja’s great systemization ofvisistadvaita.

The Life of Sri Ramanujacarya

Like Madhvacarya, Ramanuja was born during a time when Sankara’sadvaita-vedanta had become a dominant philosophical force. In Sankara’sadvaita-vedanta ultimate reality is impersonal and devoid of qualities (nirguna). Advaita-vedanta in effect subordinated the personal God of the Vaisnavas to this impersonal reality. The Alvars and the acaryas, on the other hand, could not accept that ultimate reality was impersonal and devoid of qualities. Ramanuja’s mission was, therefore, to diminish Sankara’s teaching and to establish, on stronger logical foundations, the philosophy ofSri Vaisnavism. This was done primarily on the basis of the Upanisads,Bhagavad–gita and the Vedanta–sutras.

Ramanuja’s biographers inform us that he was born in the village of Sriperumbadur in 1017 AD. (See the photo of the temple established at this site.) Today this village is about 20 km north of Chennai (Madras). See the side map. Ramanuja received his upper level education, together with his cousin Govinda Bhatta, from the Advaitin teacher, Yadava Prakasa. Just prior to studying with Yadava Prakasa, Ramanuja had been married and so it is estimated that he would have been about age 16 at this time.

As with Madhvacarya and his teacher, Ramanuja’s biographers describe how he often disagreed with Yadava Prakasa over the interpretation of variousUpanisads verses. Yadava Prakasa interpreted the verses in a monastic way, whereas Ramanuja wanted to understand them a devotional way. We are told that the disputes became so intense that Yadava Prakasa apparently plotted to have Ramanuja drowned while on pilgrimage to Allahabad. Apparently Ramanuja’s cousin, Govinda, got wind of the plot and allowed Ramanuja to escape unharmed. Later Ramanuja was reconciled with his teacher and resumed his studies.

We are also told how Ramanuja’s great learning and objections to Yadava Prakasa monastic views caught the attention of Yamunacarya in Srirangam. Yamuna traveled to Kanci to observe Ramanuja in secret to see if he was fit to become his successor. Evidently Yamuna was pleased with what he saw and decided that Ramanuja should become his successor. Eventually Ramanuja fell-out with Yadava Prakasa and left for good. On hearing of this break-up, Yamuna sent one of his disciples, Mahapurnam, to bring Ramunaja to Srirangam. But as fate would have it, Yamuna died before Ramanuja could reach Srirangam.

It is said that Ramanuja was taken to the body of Yamuna for a final look at the great master when he noticed that three of Yamuna’s fingers were folded into the palm of his right hand. On inquiring, Ramanuja was told that the master had three unfulfilled wishes. Ramanuja understood that this was a sign left by Yamuna and pronounced the following three vows. 1) I vow to enter the Vaisnava faith and devote myself to the task of uplifting humanity by teaching the doctrine of surrender to God (prapatti). The first of Yamuna’s fingers opened. 2) I vow to collect the teachings of the Vedas and the acaryas into a commentary on the Vedanta-sutras and place the means of salvation within the reach of all. The second of Yamuna’s fingers opened. 3) I vow to perpetuate the name of Parasara Muni who, in the Visnu Purana, has revealed the position of God, His relation to the souls of this world and the path of liberation. The final finger of Yamuna opened. His hand was now wide-open.

Ramanuja was soon initiated into Sri Vaisnavism by Mahapura according to the panca-sanskara rites. (Select the link for an explanation of the panca-sanskara ceremony.) Sometime later Ramanuja relinquished his family life and became an ascetic (sannyasi). By this time he was about age 32. Afterwards he sought further initiation from Gosti Purna, another follower of Yamuna. Ramanuja’s biographers tell us that it took Ramanuja successive attempts before Gosti Purna would accept him for initiation. In the end Gosti Purna initiated Ramanuja into what was then the most secret and sacred of Vaisnava prayers, the eight syllable (astaksari) mantra: om namo narayanaya. The story goes that immediately after initiation Ramanuja proceeded to climb the temple tower at Tirukkottiyar and call this mantra and the teaching of Gosti Purna out to anyone who would listen. On hearing of this Gosti Purna became furious and condemned Ramanuja to hell. Ramanuja readily accepted, saying that if the sacred teachings of Gosti Purna could elevate everyone to the state of salvation (moksa), he would gladly sacrifice himself. On hearing Ramanuja’s explanation Gosti Purna blessed him. He had passed the test.

This point in Ramanuja’s life is really the beginning of his long life as a philosopher and preacher within the school of Sri Vaisnavism. He was now 40 and he was to spend the next 80 years preaching and writing SriVaisnava philosophy.

Ramanuja’s fame quickly spread far and wide. He soon undertook a tour to North India where he visited many the sacred places including Kashi, Kashmir, Badrinath, and even Puri. In Jagannatha Puri we are told how he tried to change the Deity worship from the rituals based on advaita-vedantato the Vaisnava pancaratra system, but was rejected from the temple for his attempt. On his return to the south he visited Tirupati where he found theSaivas and the Vaisnavas quarrelling with one another over whether the image of God in the Tirupati temple was a form of Siva or Visnu. Ramanuja again intervened in temple affairs and proposed that they should leave it to the Deity Himself to decide. The priests were told to leave the ornaments of both Siva and Visnu at the feet of the image and wait outside all night. In the morning, when they opened the doors, they found that the image was wearing the ornaments of Visnu. This decided that the temple was Vaisnava and it has remained so ever since.

Ramanuja finally returned to Srirangam where he settled permanently and continued to preach and write. Daily hundreds of people flocked to him to hear his lectures. By now he had a following of over 700 sannyasis and thousands of followers, who revered him as their guru. He had converted thousands of people to the path of devotion. He was now seventy years old and what would have been the end of a long career for most people was just the beginning for Ramanuja. He was destined to live many more years.

About this time the Chola king, Kulothunga I, came to power. He turned out to be a ruthless follower of Siva and tried to convert his kingdom to Saivism under the threat of force. When he ordered Ramanuja to subscribe to his faith or be prepared to face the consequences, Ramanuja called on two of his best disciples to go to the king and work out a compromise. They argued for tolerance but the monarch refused to consider their request and had their eyes put out.

As a result, Ramanuja was forced to flee to the Western Ghats, forty miles west of Mysore. There, after great difficulties, he established himself in the Mysore kingdom where he spent the next 22 years of his life in exile away from his beloved Srirangam.

The king of Mysore, Bhatti Deva of the Hoysala dynasty, was pleased to have Ramanuja in his kingdom and readily became his disciple. Thereafter, Ramanuja was allowed to construct Visnu temples in and about Mysore. In particular he constructed a temple at Melkote and created an active Vaisnava community that is still thriving today. (See photos.) Ramanuja’s labors were successful and his followers grew until they numbered hundreds of thousands in the Mysore kingdom.

Meanwhile, Kulothunga Chola 1, who had persecuted Ramanuja, died. The followers of Ramanuja at Srirangam immediately requested him to return. Ramanuja himself longed to go back to his followers in Srirangam and worship in the temple there. Buthis disciples at Melkote and other places in the Mysore kingdom would not let him go. So he constructed a temple for himself, installed his own image for worship by his disciples, and left for Srirangam.

Back in Srirangam his friends and disciples welcomed him. The successor to Kulothunga Chola I was favorable to Ramanuja so he was left undisturbed. During his final stage of his life Ramanuja completed is famous Vedanta-sutra commentary the Sri-bhasya.Through his Sri-bhasya he established the monotheistic principles of Sri Vaisnavism and opposed the philosophy ofSankara. He proclaimed to the world the doctrines of devotion and surrender to God (bhakti and prapatti). Ramanuja stands as an important milestone in the history of not just Sri Vaisnavism but Vaisnavism in general. The great Vaisnava teachers that succeeded him, Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha, Caitanya are indebted to Sri Ramanuja. In Srirangam Ramanuja continued his labors for another 22 years and finally closed his long career after attaining the remarkable age of 120 years.

Shukavak N. Dasa

Bibliography

Aiyangar, S. Krishnaswami; Chariar, Rajagopala; and Rangacharya, M, Sri Ramanujacharya: a sketch of his life and times and His Philosophical System, with an account of Ramanuja and Vaishavism. Madras: G. A. Natesan, 1911? (Microfiche)

Ramakrishnananda, Swami, The Life of Sri Ramanuja. Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1965.

Srinivasa Chari, S. M. Visistadvaita Vedanta. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1998.

Rangachari, Dewan Bahadur, The Sri Vaishnava Brahmans. Delhi: Gian Publishing House, 1986.

Dasgupta, Surendranath, A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume III. Delhi: Motilal Banasidass, 1975.

“Ramanuja.”  Encyclopedia Britannica 2003  Encyclopedia Britannica Premium Service.

30 Jan, 2003 http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=64159.

Srinivasa Chari, S. M. Vaisnavism, Its Philosophy, Theology and Religious Discipline. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 20

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Ramanuja Acarya

Ramanuja’s Dates	Year	Age
Birth	1017	0
Study with Yadava Prakasa	1033	16
Arrival at Srirangam to see Yamuna	1043	26
First Initiation	1049	32
Second Initiation	1057	40
Flight to Mysore to escape persecution	1096	76
Conversion of Bittadeva	1098	78
Establishing temple at Malkote	1100	80
Stayed in Malkote until	1116	96
Return to Shri Rangam	1118	98
Completed Sri-bhasya	1117-1127	97-107
Death	1137	120

Ramanuja Acarya
(1017-1137 A.D.)

Page 4 – Vadakalai/Tenkalai Doctrinal Differences

The divisions that developed within the Sri Vaisnava community in the centuries after Ramanuja are the result of doctrinal differences, the roots of which, can be traced back to the time of the Alvars and the acaryas. The actual split into two schools, the Vadakalai and the Tenkalai did not occur until the time of Manavala Mamuni in the 17th century. Sometimes the terms vadakalaiand tenkalai are translated as the Northern and the Southern schools, but no geographical distinctions are apparent today. In place of the terms “vadakalai” and “tenkalai,” the expressions “Kanchi acaryas” and “Srirangam acaryas,” have also been used. These expressions illustrate some of the post-Ramanuja history within Sri Vaisnavaism. They shed light on how the differences between the two schools may have developed. After Ramanuja two camps ofSri Vaisnava scholars arose. One group, located in Kanchi became known for its Sanskrit scholarship, probably because Kanchi was a great center of Sanskrit learning in ancient times.  People of all religious traditions lived there, and debate between Sri Vaisnavas and non-Sri Vaisnavas was active. Hence, the greater of use of Sanskrit and Sanskrit ideas by the “Kanchi acaryas,” the northerners who eventually became the “Vadakalai.”

The other group was located in Srirangam, which was a purely Vaisnava center. Here, popular Vaisnavaism was more prominent than the Sanskrit-oriented Vaisnavaism that had to constantly defend itself from opposing schools. Hence, there was more opportunity for the public use of the Divya Prabandhams and the general bhakti literature in Tamil. In this area the local Tamil language was at least as prominent as Sanskrit.

Naturally, with such differences in intellectual climate and language, came differences in philosophical interpretation. A work entitled, Astadasabheda-nirnaya by Vatsya Ranganatha describes eighteen points of doctrinal differences. Here I briefly list the ten important of these differences.

1. God’s Mercy.

Vadakalais emphasize the need of the individual soul to actually perform an act of surrender to God. Some positive gesture is necessary on the part of the soul to deserve the grace of God and attain moksa.

Tenkalais emphasize the greatness and overwhelming grace of the Lord to “save His own”, and therefore speak more of the attitude of surrender than the act of surrender. Tenkalais feel that performing “an act of surrender” is inappropriate since the soul is offering itself to God when in actuality it already belongs to God. Besides, not even the physical act of surrendering can force the Lord to save the soul. God saves the soul on His own initiative; and the devotee should not try to force Him. God’s grace is spontaneous and He can grant moksa to anyone He wishes.

2. The Status of Laksmi

Vadakalais believe that Laksmi is the means for attaining salvation as much as the Lord Himself and that she has the role as a mediator (purusa-kara). Like the Lord, She is infinite and partakes of the nature of the paramatma as much as the Lord.

Tenkalais believe that Laksmi is a jivatma like other souls and that she has no independent power to grant moksa. They do, however, accept that she is a special soul who can intercede on behalf of ordinary souls to recommend them for moksa.

3. Regarding Kaivalya (Oneness with God)

(Sri Vaisnavas regard kaivalya as a state of oneness with God wherein individual identity is lost.)

Vadakalais view kaivalya as a state that is inferior to residence in Vaikuntha.Kaivalya is a condition that is non-eternal and exists outside of Vaikuntha.

Tenkalaisaccept that kaivalya is an eternal position within realm of Vaikuntha. They say, however, that kaivalya only exists at the outer most regions of Vaikuntha.

4. Bhakti and Prapatti

Vadakalais accept both bhakti and prapatti as a direct means for attainingmoksa. They believe, however, that bhakti is more difficult and slow. Prapatti,on the other hand, is easy and immediate.

Tenkalais do not accept any means for attaining moksa because the individual soul is completely incapable of properly adopting bhakti or prapatti. Moksa can only be obtained through God’s causeless mercy.

5. Prapatti

ForVadakalais prapatti is a specific act of surrender by the soul to God (paramatma)

For Tenkalais no specific act is necessary. All that is required is knowledge of the nature of the soul and a mental acceptance of God’s grace in granting salvation (moksa).

6. Sin (papa)

Vadakalais believe that when a soul surrenders, the Lord forgives the sins committed by that soul and grants moksa.

Tenkalais believe that the sins of a soul are a source of joy for the Lord, who relishes them like a cow licking the dirt off the body of its calf.

7. Obligatory Duties such as Daily Prayers (sandhya-vandanam)

Vadakalais believe that obligatory duties are laid down by sastra. They are the Lord’s commandments. Neglect of such rules is a breach of instruction and will render the striving soul (prapanna) liable for punishment.

Tenkalaisbelieve that a highly evolved soul has no need to follow obligatory duties. Such a person does, however, continue to perform them in order to set an example for less evolved souls.

8. Interpretation of the words “sarva dharman parityajya” in thecarama-sloka (BG 18.66)

Vadakalais believe that dharma as it is used in this verse refers to the 32 vidyasof bhakti-yoga that have been relinquished up by the surrendered soul (prapanna).

Tenkalais interpret this to mean, ” First, give up your duties and then take shelter of God.”

9. The Lord’s Grief at the Suffering of Souls

Vadakalais say that one can have grief only when one cannot remove the suffering of another. But, since the Lord is capable of removing suffering, there is no need for Him to grieve.

Tenkalais say that God feels pain upon seeing the sufferings of souls. They cite examples from the Ramayana where Sri Rama grieves over the misery of others.

10. Vedic Statements Describing God as both Infinitesimal and Gigantic

Vadakalais say that statements that describe God as smaller than the atom is an example of God’s immanence (antar-vyapti). Those statements that describe Him as the greatest are understood in the sense that He pervades and surrounds everything. This is an example of God’s transcendence (bahir vyapti).

Tenkalais say that God’s seemingly contradictory nature as both minuscule and immense are examples of God’s special powers (agatitha-ghatana–samartya) that enable Him to accomplish the impossible.

Ramanuja Acarya
(1017-1137 A.D.)

Page 3 – Sri Vaisnavism after Ramanuja

As long as Ramanuja was alive, Sri Vaisnavas attached equal importance to both the Sanskrit and Tamil sides of their tradition. They stayed together as one group following the beliefs and practices of the acaryas and the Alvars. After Ramanuja however, certain teachers tended to emphasise the Sanskrit Vedas, while others emphasised the Tamil Divya Prabandhanas. The move toward the Tamil Divya Prabandhas was natural because Tamil was the mother tongue of the people, but the consequences of this division between the Sanskrit and Tamil sides of the tradition, led to differences of philosophical interpretation. This in turn eventually led to a split among the Sri Vaisnavas into two groups, the so called Northerners, the Vadakalai, and the so called southerners, the Tenkalai.

In theory the Vadakalai place greater stress on the Sanskrit side of the tradition, whereas the Tenkalai give more emphasis to the Tamil side. In actual practice however, the Vadakalai and Tenkalai connect themselves to Ramanuja through descendent lines running throught different theologians. The Vadakalai connect themselves through Vedanta Desika (1268-1369), where as the Tenkalai connect themselves through Pillailokacarya (1264-1369) [1] .

These two descendent lines from Ramanuja are shown below:

Vadakalai Sri Vaisnavas

Tenkalai Sri Vaisnavas

Although the seeds of this division can be traced back to the time of theacaryas and the Alvars, the actual split into Vadakalai and Tenkalai did not formally occur until the 18th century. The philosophical differences that developed between the Vadakalai and Tenkalai sides of the Sri Vaisnava tradition are shown on Vadakalai/Tenkalai Doctrinal Differences.Of the eighteen differences that are cited, two of the most important differences center on the nature of God’s mercy (svami-krpa) and the ontological status of Laksmidevi.

The Tenkalais take the view that God’s grace does not depend on the effort or merit of the devotee. If God had to depend on anything for the distribution of divine grace, even the sincerity of a devotee, God would be limited. It is the view of the Tenkalai that God’s grace was therefore, completely causeless. The Vadakalai, on the other hand, take the view that God’s grace depends on the good actions of the devotees, who must prepare and qualify themselves for divine grace. God’s grace was, therefore, directly related to the effort of the devotee. The Tamil speaking Alvars appeared to favor the former view, whereas, the Sanskrit based acaryas appeared to favor the latter view.

Regarding the ontological status of Laksmi or Sridevi, the Tenkalai hold that Laksmi is a jiva soul, albeit a very important one. In other words, Laksmi is a finite being and a servant of God just like all other souls. She can plead with God on behalf of the jivas, but she has no independent power to give liberation (moksa) on her own. The Vadakalai, on the other hand, consider Laksmidevi to be equal to God. She possesses all the powers of God (vibhutvam) and on her own she can grant moksa to the devotee. Laksmi is therefore, as important as God.

Apart from the Vadakalai/Tenkalai split that developed, other developments and important personalities arose after Ramanuja. One was the development of the manipravala [2] language that interspersed Tamil and Sanskrit words to form a Sanskritic Tamil prose. Those Tamil readers who were not well versed in Sanskrit could more easily understand this type of language. The literature of the manipravala language is mostly in the form of commentaries on the Sanskrit works of Yamuna and Ramanuja acaryas, as well as the Tamil hymns of the Alvars, the Divya Prabandha. The rise of the manipravala language marked the popularization of the teachings of the Alvars.

The two most important personalities that arose in the post Ramanuja era are Vedanta Desika and Pillailokacarya. Vedanta Desika (1268- 1369) is also known as Venkatanatha. He was an intellectual giant and a person who was distinguished in all branches of traditional learning. During his lifetime he wrote more than a 100 works in both Sanskrit and Manipravala on virtually every aspect of Visistadvaita philosophy and religion. Unlike most of his predecessors, including Ramanuja, Vedanta Desika remained a married man (grhastha) throughout his 100 years. He never adopted the ascetic lifestyle (sannyasa). He therefore showed that it was possible to become an important theologian within the Sri Vaisnava tradition without being an ascetic. In the hands of Vedanta Desika, Sri Vaisnavism was indeed strengthened beyond anyone’s imagination. Vedanta Desika is today associated with the Vadakalai side of the tradition.

Amongst the Tenkalais the name of Pillailokacarya (1264-1369) is most important. He also lived for over a 100 years. During this long lifetime he wrote 18 book in the Manipravala language and had a major impact in bringing the teaching of Visistadvaita and the Alvars to the common people. Pillailokacarya was a senior contemporary of Vedanta Desika and although the two theologians were on good terms, their views differed on important theological issues that later contributed to the Vadakalai and Tenkalai split mentioned earlier.

After the time of Vedanta Desika and Pillailokacarya many centers of learning developed associated with both the Vadakalai and Tenkalai communities. These were religious institution (mathas) similar in style to the mathas of the Madhvas. Amongst the Vadakalai there is the Ahobila, Paralala and AndovanMathas each headed by an eminent sannyasi for the propagation of Ramanuja’s teachings as interpreted by Vedanta Desika. The Tenkalai sect also set up centers of learning, chief of which, are the Vanamamalai Matha at Nanguneri, Tirumalai Jiyar Matha at Tirupati, the Sriranga-narayana Jiyar Matha at Srirangam and the Yatiraja Matha at Melkote. The mathas of both these groups continue to serve the needs of Sri Vaisnava philosophy and religion down to the present day.

Shukavak N. Dasa