Ramanuja or Ramanujacharya (c. 1017–1137 CE was an
Indian theologian, philosopher, social reformer, and one of the most important
exponents of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism. His
philosophical foundations for devotionalism were influential to the Bhakti
movement.
Ramanuja was born in the village of Sriperumbudur,
Tamil Nadu. He is believed to have been born in the month of Chaitra.
The mummified body of Ramanuja is preserved at the
Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam using sandalwood paste and saffron.
Ramanuja's guru was Yadava Prakasa, a scholar who
was a part of the more ancient Advaita Vedanta monastic tradition. Sri
Vaishnava tradition holds that Ramanuja disagreed with his guru and the
non-dualistic Advaita Vedanta, and instead followed in the footsteps of Tamil
Alvars tradition, the scholars Nathamuni and Yamunacharya. Ramanuja is famous
as the chief proponent of Vishishtadvaita subschool of Vedanta. Ramanuja
himself wrote influential texts, such as bhasya on the Brahma Sutras and the
Bhagavad Gita, all in Sanskrit.
Ramanuja's
Philosophy
His Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism)
philosophy has competed with the Dvaita and Advaita. Ramanuja
presented the importance of bhakti, or the devotion to a personal God (Vishnu
in Ramanuja's case) as a means to spiritual liberation. His theories assert
that there exists a plurality and distinction between Atman (soul) and Brahman
(ultimate reality), 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.
Ramanuja married, moved to Kanchipuram, studied in
an Advaita Vedanta monastery with Yadava Prakasa as his guru. Ramanuja and his
guru frequently disagreed in interpreting Vedic texts, particularly the
Upanishads. Thereafter Ramanuja continued his studies on his own. Ramanuja
became a priest at the Varadharaja Perumal temple (Vishnu) at Kanchipuram.
Historical
background
Ramanuja grew up in the Tamil culture, in a stable
society during the rule of the Chola dynasty. Prior to Ramanuja, the Sri
Vaishnava sampradaya was already an established organization under Yamunacharya.
Ramanuja offered an alternative interpretation of Upanishadic scriptures.
Later
life
It is believed that there was a persecutor was called Krimikanta Chola. Knowing the evil intentions of the king, Ramanuja moved to Hoysala kingdom for 14 years, wherein he converted a Jain king, Bitti Deva (Vishnuvardhana) who assisted Ramanuja to build a temple at Melukote.