Sri
Ramanuja Acarya appeared around 1017 A.D in a pious brahmana family. He
became the formost Acarya in the Sri Sampradaya and was reputed to be
the incarnation of Laksmana, the younger brother of Lord Ramacandra. He
was a boy of extraordinary intelligence and placed himself under the
charge of Yadavacarya, a renown Sankarite scholar. His guru was struck
with his marvelous intellect and became very uncomfortable on account of
his firm faith in Bhakti.
One day while taking a massage, Yadavacarya was explaining to Ramanuja a sutra "tasya yatha kapyasam pundarikamevamaksini"
(Chandogya 1.6.7), saying that according to Sankara, the two eyes of
Pundariksa are like two lotuses which are red like the nates of a
monkey. On hearing this interpretation with the unbecoming and low
simile, Ramanuja's soft heart, tender by nature and softened by
devotion, melted and as he was massaging, tears rolled down from the
corners of his eyes like flames of fire and fell on the thigh of Yadava.
Looking up at the touch of the hot tears, Yadava understood that
something troubled his disciple. Ramanuja explained his dismay at
hearing such an unbecoming explanation from his guru. He thought it
sinful to compare with the posterior of a monkey the eyes of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead - who is endowed with all gracious qualities and
who is the repository of all the beauty of the universe. Yadava was
angry at the boy's audacity and told him to explain the verse if he
could. Ramanuja analysed the word kapyasam to mean `blossomed by
the sun' and the verse to mean "The eyes of that Golden Purusa are as
lovely as lotuses blossomed by the rays of the sun."
After
a few more such incidents when Ramanuja corrected his guru, Yadavacarya
thought him to be a threat to the Sankarite line and plotted to kill
him. Later it came to pass that Yadavacarya was to become the disciple
of Ramanuja.
Yamunacarya,
the formost exponant of Vaisnava philosophy of the time, knowing of his
extraordinary ability and purity, called for Ramanuja with the intent
of placing him in charge of the mission after his disappearance.
Ramanuja was on his way to see Yamunacarya when he received the news of
Yamunacarya's departure from the world. Arriving at Srirangam, Ramanuja
went to have his last darshana of that great soul. There he noticed
three of Yamunacarya's fingers were clenched. Ramanuja then made three
vows: he would make the people surrender to God and initiate them by the
pancasamskara - he would write a commentary on the Vedanta sutra which
was later called Sri Bhashya - he would also write what is like an
encyclopedia on the Puranas and would name one greatly learned Vaisnava
after Parasara Muni who wrote the gem among the Puranas, the Visnu
Purana.
Later
Ramanuja took sannyasa and traveled throughout India vigorously
defeating atheists and impersonalists by preaching the Vasistadvaita
doctrine. He never failed to win over a rival in spiritual disputations.
His
philosophy is visistadvaita. Brahman is Narayana -(cit-acit-isvara),
Narayana with Laksmi - (transcendental form), Four Vyuha forms, Vaibhava
forms. The qualities of Brahman are both nirguna and saguna. The soul
is real, eternal, individual, not omnipresent, not independent of
Isvara, but part. Isvara is the efficient cause of creation. It is from
His will out of delight. The cause of bondage is beginningless karma.
The process of release is Bhakti based on Pancaratra and Visnu purana
followed by detached karma that brings jnana - Prapatti. The goal is to
attain the same nature of Isvara and companionship with Him. He does not
return and has no power of creation, etc.
Once
while Ramanuja Acarya was staying in Jagannath Puri he offered prayers
to Lord Jagannatha, who became very pleased. Lord Jagannatha appeared
before Ramanuja and said, "Ramanuja, go and visit Sri Navadwipa, for
very soon I shall appear there in the house of Jagannatha Misra. Sri
Navadwipa is My most beloved abode and is a part of the spiritual sky
manifest in this world. As my eternal servant and a leader amongst My
devotees, you should go there. Let your students stay here, for they are
absorbed in dasya rasa (servitorship in awe and reverence) and will not
understand the advanced devotional mood, so travel there alone. Any
living entity who does not go to see Sri Navadwipa has been born
uselessly. Just one portion of Sri Navadwipa contains Ranga Ksetra,
Venkatesvara and Yadava Acala. Therefore go to Sri Navadwipa and see My
form of Gauranga. After gaining the Lord's blessing go to Kurma Sthana
and rejoin your disciples."
Folding
his hands, Ramanuja humbly requested Lord Jagannatha, "My dear Lord,
You have mercifully told me something about Gauranga, but exactly who He
is, I do not know?"
The
Lord answered, "It is known to you that Lord Sri Krsna, the Lord of
Goloka, is the Supreme Absolute Truth. That much is well known to My
devotees. That same Supreme Personality of Godhead who resides in Sri
Vrindavana is fully manifest as Gauranga, and His beloved abode, Sri
Vrindavana, is manifest as the holy land of Sri Navadwipa. Navadwipa is
the Supreme spiritual abode and it is transcendental to the influence of
the material nature. In that divine land, Lord Gauranga eternally
resides. By My mercy that holy abode has come to exist within the
universe, but it remains completely unaffected by maya. This is the
verdict of the scriptures. If anyone thinks that Sri Navadwipa is only a
material location, then whatever devotion he has developed will wither
and perish. By My will, My inconceivable energy preserves this
transcendental abode within this material world. Simply by studying the
scriptures, one will not be able to understand the Absolute Truth. Only
by My mercy can My devotees understand."
Hearing
these words of Lord Jagannatha, Ramanuja was filled with love. "My dear
Lord," he said, "Your pastimes are truly astounding. The scriptures
cannot fully describe Your opulences. Why is Gauranga-lila not described
in the scriptures? Upon reflection, I find some hint of Gauranga tattva
in the srutis and puranas. Now, however, all my doubts are gone and I
am ready to execute Your will. If it is Your desire, I will go to Sri
Navadwipa and from there, I will set out to preach about Lord Gauranga
throughout the three worlds, giving evidences from the scriptures to
all, converting them to the devotional service of Gauranga. Please
instruct me. You have just to give me Your order."
Lord
Jagannatha replied, "Ramanuja, do not broadcast in this way. Keep these
secrets of Lord Gauranga's pastimes as they are for the present. Only
after He has concluded His pastimes will the people in general come to
understand them. Preach about me on the level of dasya rasa as you have
always done, but within your heart, worship Lord Gauranga constantly."
Following
Lord Jagannatha's order, Ramanuja secretly cultivated his attraction
for Sri Navadwipa. Being very merciful, Lord Narayana led him to
Vaikunthapura and showed him His transcendental form, worshipped by
manifestations of His different energies. Ramanuja felt himself most
fortunate to see this, but, as he watched, the Lord manifested His form
as Gauranga, the son of Jagannatha Misra. Ramanuja's mind became stunned
by the brilliance of His shining golden form. Lord Gauranga then placed
His two lotus feet upon Ramanuja's head and Ramanuja, filled with
inspiration, began to offer prayers.
Ramanuja said, "I must see Your pastimes when You appear here in Navadwipa My Lord. I shall never leave this place."
Lord
Gauranga replied, "Your wish will be fulfilled, O son of Kesava. When
My Navadwipa lila is revealed you will again take your birth here."
Lord
Gauranga then disappeared. Greatly satisfied by the Lord's promise,
Ramanuja returned to Kurma Sthana, where he joined his disciples.
During his life he preached devotional service to the Lord in the mood
of dasya rasa, or servitorship throughout the south of India, whilst
internally he was absorbed in meditating on the pastimes of Lord
Gauranga. By Lord Gauranga's mercy, he was born again in Sri Navadwipa
as a devotee named Ananta to assist in the Lord's pastimes. When Lord
Caitanya made His appearance in Sri Navadwipa, Ananta Vipra was already
quite old, He lived in a cottage which was situated beneath a huge old
banyan tree. There, within his humble abode, he would worship his
Deities of Laxmi-Narayana. None could describe the pure way in which he
worshipped Them.
Sri Ramanuja nació en Sriperumbudur, cerca de Kanci, en el año 1017,
como hijo de Asuri Kesava Somayajin y de Kantimati, hermana de Sri
Sailapurna, el nieto de Yamunacarya. Desde su infancia el mostró signos
de genio Vedantista y fue enviado a Kanci para tener un curso de
estudios en Vedanta bajo el gran maestro de la enseñanza advaita
Yadavaprakasa.
Ramanuja
nunca se reunió con Yamunacarya frente a frente aunque éste último
habia visto a Ramanuja y, no deseando perturbarle en sus estudios, le
bendijo desde lejos. Cinco de los discípulos de Yamunacarya impartieron
las enseñanzas de Yamunacarya al joven Ramanuja quien debía convertirse
el jefe propagador de las enseñanzas Visistadvaita. Para dedicarse
completamente él mismo a la causa de la religión y al servicio de la
humanidad, él se unió a la orden de sannyasa y se volvió yatiraja o el
principe de los sannyasis por cuenta de su vida austera y ascética.
El
retiro de Ramanuja a Melkote en este período crítico fue una época en
su historia religiosa, ya que conllevó la conversión de un gran número
de Jainistas y de Vitthaladeva, el rey de los Kausalas, y de seguidores,
siguió la construcción de la ciudad de Melkote y la construcción de un
templo para Yadavadri-pati.
Este
regreso a Sri Rangam en el año 1118 luego de una ausencia de dos
decadas fue acogido con gran felicidad por toda la comunidad Sri
Vaisnava y los años restantes de su vida fueron consagrados a la
consolidación de su obra misionaria mediante organizar la adoración en
el templo y establecer setenta y cuatro centros espirituales en
diferentes partes del país, presididos por sus discípulos, para
popularizar las enseñanzas Visistadvaita. Sri Ramanujacarya desapareció
de este mundo en el año 1137 lleno de honores luego de un largo período
de 120 años.
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