amanuja (traditionally, 10171137 CE) was a Hindu theologian, philosopher, and one of the most

important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition withinHinduism.[1][2] He was born in a Tamil
Brahmin family in the village of Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.[3] His philosophical foundations for
devotionalism were influential to theBhakti movement.[1][4][5]
Ramanuja's guru was Yadava Prakasha, a scholar who was part a of the more ancient Advaita
Vedanta monastic tradition.[6] Sri Vaishnava tradition holds that Ramanuja disagreed with his guru
and the non-dualistic Advaita Vedanta, and instead followed in the footsteps of
Indian Alvars tradition, the scholars Nathamuni andYamunacharya.[1] Ramanuja is famous as the
chief proponent of Vishishtadvaita subschool of Vedanta,[7][8] and his disciples were likely authors
of texts such as theShatyayaniya Upanishad.[6] Ramanuja himself wrote influential texts, such
as bhasya on the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, all in Sanskrit.[9]
His Vishishtadvaita (qualified monism) philosophy has competed with the Dvaita (theistic
dualism) philosophy of Madhvacharya, and Advaita (monism) philosophy of Adi Shankara,
together the three most influential Vedantic philosophies of the 2nd millennium. [10][11] Ramanuja
presented the epistemic and soteriological 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 (metaphysical, 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.[12][11][13]
Contents
[hide]

1Biography
o

1.1Hagiography

2Historical background

3Writings

4Philosophy
o

4.1Comparison with other Vedanta schools

5Influence

6Disciples

7Names

8See also

9References
o

9.1Bibliography
10External links

Biography[edit]
Part of a series on

Vaishnavism

Supreme deity[show]

Important deities[show]

Texts[show]

Sampradayas[show]

Philosophersacharyas[show]

Related traditions[show]
Hinduism portal

The details of historic Ramanuja are unknown. His followers in the Sri Vaishnava tradition wrote
hagiographies, some of which were composed in centuries after his death, and which the
tradition believes to be true.[2][14]
The traditional hagiographies of Ramanuja state he was born in a Brahmin family, to mother
Kantimathi and father Kesava Somayaji,[3] in a village near modernChennai.[15] They place his life
in the period of 10171137 CE, yielding a lifespan of 120 years.[16] These dates have been

questioned by modern scholarship, based on temple records and regional literature of 11th- and
12th-century outside the Sri Vaishnava tradition, and modern era scholars suggest that
Ramanuja may have lived between 1077-1157.[17][3][15]
Ramanuja married, moved to Kanchipuram, studied in an Advaita Vedanta monastery with
Yadava Prakasa as his guru.[4][6][18] Ramanuja and his guru frequently disagreed in interpreting
Vedic texts, particularly the Upanishads.[3] Ramanuja and Yadava Prakasa separated, and
thereafter Ramanuja continued his studies on his own.[2][18]
He attempted to meet another famed Vedanta scholar of 11th-century Yamunacharya, but Sri
Vaishnava tradition holds that the latter died before the meeting and they never met. [2] However,
some hagiographies assert that the corpse of Yamunacharya miraculously rose and named
Ramanuja as the new leader of Sri Vaishnava sect previously led by Yamunacharya. [2] One
hagiography states that after leaving Yadava Prakasa, Ramanuja was initiated into Sri
Vaishnavism by Periya Nambi, also called Mahapurna, another Vedanta scholar. Ramanuja
renounced his married life, and became a Hindu monk.[19] However, states Katherine Young, the
historical evidence on whether Ramanuja led a married life or did renounce and become a monk
is uncertain.[20]
Ramanuja became the priest at the Varadaraja (Vishnu) Srirangam temple at Kanchipuram,
where he began to teach that moksha (liberation and release from samsara) is to be achieved
not with metaphysical, nirguna Brahman but with the help of personal god and saguna Vishnu.[18]
[21]
Ramanuja has long enjoyed foremost authority in the Sri Vaishnava tradition. [22] He reformed
the Srirangam temple complex, undertook India-wide tours and expanded the reach of his
organization.[22]

Hagiography[edit]
A number of traditional hagiographies of Ramanuja are known, some written in 12th century, but
some written centuries later such as the 17th or 18th century, particularly after the split of
the rvaisn ava community into the Vadakalais and Tekalais, where each community created its
own version of Ramanuja's biography.[20] TheMuvyirappati Guruparamparprabhva by
Brahmatantra Svatantra Jyar represents the earliest Vadakalai biography, and reflects
the Vadakalai view of the succession following Ramanuja. ryirappati Guruparamparprabhva,
on the other hand, represents the Tenkalai biography.[citation needed] Other late hagiographies include
theYatirajavaibhavam by Andhrapurna.[20]
Modern scholarship has questioned the reliability of these hagiographies. [23] Scholars question
their reliability because of claims which are impossible to verify, or whose historical basis is
difficult to trace with claims such as Ramanuja learned the Vedas when he was an eight-day-old
baby, he communicated with God as an adult, that he won philosophical debates with Buddhists,
Advaitins and others because of supernatural means such as turning himself into "his divine self
Sesa" to defeat the Buddhists, or God appearing in his dream when he prayed for arguments to
answer Advaita scholars.[23] According to J. A. B. van Buitenen, the hagiographies are "legendary
biographies about him, in which a pious imagination has embroidered historical details". [18]

Historical background[edit]
Ramanuja was nurtured in the Tamil culture, in a stable society ruled by a strong Hindu Cholas
dynasty.[24] This period was one of pluralistic beliefs, where Vaishnava, Shaiva, Smarta traditions,
Buddhism and Jainism thrived together. In Hindu monastic tradition, Advaita Vedanta had been
dominant,[6] and Ramanuja's guru Yadava Prakasha belonged to this tradition. [18] Prior to
Ramanuja, the Sri Sampradaya was already an established organization under Yamunacharya,
and bhakti songs and devotional ideas already a part of south Indian culture because of the
twelve Alvars.[25] Ramanuja's fame grew because he was considered the first thinker in centuries
that disputed Shankara's theories, and offered an alternate interpretation of Upanishadic
scriptures.[24]
Some hagiographies, composed centuries after Ramanuja's death, state that he was expelled by
a Chola king Kulottunga II,[26] Ramanuja then moved to another kingdom for 12 years, converted

a Jain king to Hinduism after miraculously healing his daughter, and later returned on his own to
Tamil Nadu. However, verifiable historical evidence for these legends have been lacking, and
epigraphical evidence establishes that Kulottunga II came to power in 1133 CE, while Ramanuja
died in 1137 CE according to sources that claim Ramanuja was expelled. [26] According to John
Carman, Ramanuja and his Srivais n
ava disciples lived under the relatively stable and nonsectarian climate of the Chola empire, before its decline in the late 12th and 13th centuries. [27]

Writings[edit]
The Sri Vaisnava tradition attributes nine Sanskrit texts to Ramanuja
Vedarthasangraha (literally, "Summary of the Vedas meaning"), Sri Bhasya (a review and
commentary on the Brahma Sutras), Bhagavad Gita Bhashya (a review and commentary on
the Bhagavad Gita), and the minor works titled Vedantapida, Vedantasara, Gadya Traya (which
is a compilation of three texts called the Saranagati Gadyam, Sriranga Gadyam and the Vaikunta
Gadyam), and Nitya Grantham.
Some modern scholars have questioned the authenticity of all but the three of the largest works
credited to Ramanuja Shri Bhashya, Vedarthasangraha and the Bhagavad Gita Bhashya. [28][29]

Philosophy[edit]
Ramanuja's philosophical foundation was qualified monism, and is called Vishishtadvaita in the
Hindu tradition.[11][30] His ideas are one of three subschools in Vedanta, the other two are known as
Adi Shankara's Advaita (absolute monism) and Madhvacharya's Dvaita (dualism). [11]
Ramanuja accepted that the Vedas are a reliable source of knowledge, then critiqued other
schools of Hindu philosophy, including Advaita Vedanta, as having failed in interpreting all of the
Vedic texts.[31] He asserted, in his Sri Bhasya, that purvapaksin (previous schools) selectively
interpret those Upanishadic passages that support their monistic interpretation, and ignore those
passages that support the pluralism interpretation. [31] There is no reason, stated Ramanuja, to
prefer one part of a scripture and not other, the whole of the scripture must be considered on par.
[31][32]
One cannot, according to Ramanuja, attempt to give interpretations of isolated portions of
any scripture. Rather, the scripture must be considered one integrated corpus, expressing a
consistent doctrine.[31] The Vedic literature, asserted Ramanuja, mention both plurality and
oneness, therefore the truth must incorporate pluralism and monism, or qualified monism. [31]
This method of scripture interpretation distinguishes Ramanuja from Adi Shankara. [32] Shankara's
exegetical approach Samanvayat Tatparya Linga with Anvaya-Vyatireka,[33] states that for proper
understanding all texts must be examined in their entirety and then their intent established by six
characteristics, which includes studying what is stated by the author to be his goal, what he
repeats in his explanation, then what he states as conclusion and whether it can
be epistemically verified.[34][35] Not everything in any text, states Shankara, has equal weight and
some ideas are the essence of any expert's textual testimony.[32] This philosophical difference in
scriptural studies, helped Shankara conclude that the Principal Upanishads primarily teach
monism with teachings such as Tat tvam asi, while helping Ramanuja conclude that qualified
monism is at the foundation of Hindu spirituality.[31][36][37]

Comparison with other Vedanta schools[edit]

Ramanujacharya depicted with Vaishnava Tilaka and Varadraja (Vishnu) statue.

Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita shares the theistic devotionalism ideas with Madhvacharya's Dvaita.
[38]
Both schools assert that Jiva (human souls) and Brahman (as Vishnu) are different, a
difference that is never transcended.[39][40] God Vishnu alone is independent, all other gods and
beings are dependent on Him, according to both Madhvacharya and Ramanuja. [41] However, in
contrast to Madhvacharya's views, Ramanuja asserts "qualified non-dualism", [42] that souls share
the same essential nature of Brahman,[42] and that there is a universal sameness in the quality
and degree of bliss possible for human souls, and every soul can reach the bliss state of God
Himself.[39][43] While the 13th- to 14th-century Madhvacharya asserted both "qualitative and
quantitative pluralism of souls", Ramanuja asserted "qualitative monism and quantitative
pluralism of souls", states Sharma.[44]
Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita school and Shankara's Advaita school are both nondualism Vedanta
schools,[18][45] both are premised on the assumption that all souls can hope for and achieve the
state of blissful liberation; in contrast, Madhvacharya believed that some souls are eternally
doomed and damned.[46][47] Shankara's theory posits that only Brahman and causes are
metaphysical unchanging reality, while the empirical world (Maya) and observed effects are
changing, illusive and of relative existence.[21][30] Spiritual liberation to Shankara is the full
comprehension and realization of oneness of one's unchanging Atman (soul) as the same as
Atman in everyone else as well as being identical to the nirguna Brahman.[10][45][48] In contrast,
Ramanuja's theory posits both Brahman and the world of matter are two different absolutes, both
metaphysically real, neither should be called false or illusive, and saguna Brahman with
attributes is also real.[30] God, like man, states Ramanuja, has both soul and body, and all of the
world of matter is the glory of God's body.[18] The path to Brahman (Vishnu), asserted Ramanuja,
is devotion to godliness and constant remembrance of the beauty and love of personal god
(saguna Brahman, Vishnu), one which ultimately leads one to the oneness
with nirguna Brahman.[18][21][30]

Influence[edit]
Harold Coward describes Ramanuja as "the founding interpreter of [Sri Vaisnavite]
scripture."[49] Wendy Doniger calls him "probably the single most influential thinker of devotional
Hinduism".[4] J. A. B. van Buitenenstates Ramanuja was highly influential, by giving "bhakti an
intellectual basis", and his efforts made bhakti the major force within different traditions within
Hinduism.[18]

Major Vaishnava temples are associated with the Ramanuja's tradition, such as the above Srirangam
Ranganatha temple in Tamil Nadu.[18]

Modern scholars have compared the importance of Ramanuja in Hinduism to that of 13th-century
scholar Thomas Aquinas in Christianity.[50][51][52]
Ramanuja not only developed theories and published philosophical works, he organized a
network of temples for Vishnu-Lakshmi worship.[4] Ramanuja set up centers of studies for his
philosophy during the 11th- and 12th-century, by traveling through India in that era, and these
influenced generations of poet saints devoted to the Bhakti movement. [4] Regional traditions
assert that his visits, debates and discourses triggered conversion of Jains and Buddhists to
Vaishnavism in Mysore and Deccan region.[4][30]
The birthplace of Ramanuja near Chennai hosts a temple and is an active Vishishtadvaita
school.[18] His doctrines inspire a lively intellectual tradition in southern, northern and eastern
states of India, his monastery and temple traditions are carried on in the most important and
large Vaishnava centres the Ranganatha temple in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu, and
the Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.[18]
The Swaminarayan tradition of Gujarat also traces its acharya-parampara to Ramanuja
through Ramananda (who according to legend was administered pancha-samskaras by
Ramanuja).[citation needed]