Q.        Based on the Vedanta Sara explain how Sri Ramanuja rejects the fallacies in other systems of philosophy and establishes the Visistadvaita philosophy?

Ans. The beauty of Visistadvaita lies in its conception of a Godhead of attributes or gunas whose playground is the entire universe from whom all the animate and inanimate emanate and in whom all merge ultimately. This goes as a compromise between absolute monism of Adi Shankara and the distinctive separation of deva and jiva of Ananda thirtha the famous Madavacharya.

Another important aspect is that if Shankara’s advaita preaches salvation through discard of vices and worldly aspects and realization of the Godhead through introspection. The Visistadvaita accepts the social obligation of jeeva as a dehin and teaches the way to be away from the phenomenal world but to live within it  by surrendering the fruits of action at the feet of that supreme bliss manifested in the form of Sriman Narayana.

The fundamental doctrines of all the visistadvaita philosophy as declared by all the Upanishads is…..

1.      Narayana the consort of Sri is our Lord who has all being and things as His body.

2.      He gives moksha or release from bondage.

3.      He is the object of blissful enjoyment for those who have attained moksha.

Sri Ramanuja wrote nine works in Sanskrit on the philosophy of visistadvaita of these the “Vedanta Sangraha “ occupies a unique place. This work mirrors a total vision of the Upanishads, discussing all the controversial texts in a relevant and coherent manner. It is said to be an independent exposition of the philosophy of the Upanishads. This work was expounded in the form of a lecture before Lord Srinivasa of Tirumala. This is the first work of Sri Ramanuja. This is also called the summary of the Vedas, as thye Vedas themselves aim at conveying the meaning of the Upanishads. (Vedanta) the wok is titled Vedanta Sangraham, meaning the summary of the Vedas.

This philosophy was first expounded by Sri Nathamuni developed to a great extent by Sri Yamunacharya in his works and the same was perfected by Sri Ramanujacharya in his works like the Sri Bhasyam and Vedanta Sangraham, after refuting the controversial views of the opponents. Of all the Sanskrit commentators of the Brahma Sutra’s Ramanuja is unique, he proved that the relation between Brahman on one side and the soul and matter on the other is that between soul and body, (sarira sariri bhava) so that all the scriptural texts on the bheda abheda shruthis could be sensibly interpreted. Bhedha abheda and sorting them was Ghataka Sruthi. Sri Ramanuja states that he has followed the teachings / treatises of the predecesors like Bodhayana, Dramida, Guha and Tanaka. Sri Ramanuja held that the 12 chapters of purvamimamsa, 4 chapters of samkarsakanda and four chapters of Brahma Sutras constitute one system of philosophy. The authors though different deal with one subject. Sri Ramanuja says that Bhakti yoga is the means for the realization of the self and the attainment of Moksha which constitutes eternal bliss. It is synonymous with uppasana or meditation. That Bhakti (devotion) results wholly from Viveka (discrimination) vimoksa (freedom) abhyasa (practice) Kriya (work) kalyana (auspiciousness) anuvasada (absence of weakness) and anuddharsa (absence of excessive merriment) and there is scriptural authority to that effect.

The Brahma Sutras consist of 4 Adhyayas and each of the Four adhyaya or chapter consists of four Pada’s (parts) the First chapter is called Samanvayadhyaya, and it determines that Brahman is the cause of creation, sustanance and destruction of the universe. The second chapter is called the Avirodhadhaya and it removes the inconsistency that may arise and also establishes firmly what the first chapter states. The third chapter is called the sadhanadhyaya and it mentions the means of attaining Brahman. The last chapter is called Phaladhaya and as the name mentions it treats the results obtained by the means. Thus the first two chapters are quiet distinct from the last two chapters.

Vedanta sara begins with a benedictory verse meaning “ I bow unto Vishnu who has for his body all the sentient and nonsentient beings, who is the self of all objects, who is associated with goddess Sri, who is the ocean of Bliss untainted with impurity”

1 Adhyaya System of philosophy is established.

First pada deals with 1. Then Therefore an enquiry unto Brahman, the small purvapaksha, the small siddhanta, the great purvapraksha and the great siddhanta, there is no proof of non differenced substances, sabda proves differences, pratyaksha --- even of the nirvikalpaka kind proves differences, the bhedaabheda views is untenable, inference also teaches differences, perception does not reveal mere being, plurality is not unreal, Being and consciousness are not one, the true meaning of svayamprakasatva, consciousness is not eternal, there is no consciousness without object, consciousness is capable of change, consciousness is an attribute of the permanent conscious self, the view that the conscious subject is something unreal, due to the ahankara, cannot be maintained, the conscious subject persists in deep sleep, the conscious subject persists in the state of release. In cases of scripture conflicting with perception, scripture is not stronger, the true cannot be known through the untrue, no scriptural text teach a Brahman devoid of all differences nor do smriti and purana teach such a doctrine. The theory of Nescience cannot be proved, All knowledge is of the real, neither scriptures nor smriti and purana teach nescience, scripture does not teach that release is due to the knowledge of a non qualified Brahman, the meaning of tat, tvam, asi, summary statements as to the way in which different scriptural texts are to be reconciled, nescience cannot be terminated by the simple act of conscing Brahman as the universal self, the vedantin aiming to accertain the nature of Brahman from scriptures.

2. Brahman is that from which the origin of this world proceeds.

3. Because the Scriptures is the source of knowledge of Brahman.

4. the connection of scriptures with the highest aim of man.

5. Seeing that which is not founded in scriptures.

6. -----the word seeing has a secondary meaning (figurative)

7. Because release is taught of him who takes his stand on it

8. and because there is no statement of its having to be set aside

9. and an account of the contradiction of the initial statement

10.on account of the individual soul going to the self

11.on account of the uniformity of the view,

12. And because it is stated in scriptures,

13.the self consisting of bliss is the highest self on account of multiplication if,

14. an account of its being a word denoting an effect,

15.and because he is declared to be the cause of thntra,

16.and because that (Brahman) which is referred to in the mantras,

17.not the other on account of impossibility,

18.on account of the declaration of differences,

19.and an account of desire, there is no regard to what is inferred

20.and scriptures teaches the joining of this with that,

21. the one within the sun and eye,

22.and on account of the declaration of   differences,

23.either is brahman.

24.for the same reason breadth is brahman,

25. the light is brahman,

26. If it be objected that Brahman is not denoted,

27.and thus also because thus only is the designation of being,

28.If it be said that brahman is not recognized.

29.prana is brahman.

30.If it is said that brahman is not denoted.

31.The instruction given by Indra about himself.

32.It is said that brahman is not meant.

Second Pada.
1, Everywhere: because there is taught what is known,
2.And because the qualities meant to be stated are possible in brahman,
3.But on account of impossibility not the embodied soul,
4. And because there is a seperate denotation the object and the agent,
5. On account of the difference of words,
6. and on account of smriti,
7. Should it be said that the passage does not refer to brahman,
8. Should it be said that there is attainment of fruition,
9. The eater is the highest self on account of their being taken all that is movable and immovable.
10. And on account of the topic of the whole section.
11. The two entered into the cave.
12. And on account of distinctive qualities.
13. The person within the eye is the highest self.
14. And account of the statement as to abode.
15. And on account of the text referring to only what is characterised by pleasure.
16. For that very reason that eather is Brahman.
17. And on account of statement of the way of him who has heard the Upanishad.
18. Not any other, on account of non permanency of abode, and of imposibility.
19. The internal ruler is the highest self.
20. And not that which smrithi assumes.
21. For both also speak of it as something different.
22. That which possesses the quality of invincibility.
23. Not the two others on account of distinction and statement of differences/
24.  and on account of description of its form.
25. Vaisvavara is the highest self.
26. That which the text refers to is the highest mark thus.
27. Should it be said that it is not so on account of the word.
28. For the same reason not the divinity and the element.
29. Gaimini thinks that there is no objection to the word agni.
30. On account of definiteness thus armarathya opines.
31. On account of meditation Badari thinks.
32. On account of imaginative identification thus Gaimini thinks.
33. Moreover they record him in that.
Third Pada:
1. The abode of 

 to be continued.