Ramanuja

Ramanuja Biography

Ramanuja was a Hindu theologian, philosopher and scriptural exegete from Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. He is also known by the names, Sri Ramanujacharya, Udayavar, Ethirajar, Emberumannar and Lakshmana Muni. He was an important teacher of Vaishnavism tradition of Hindu belief. He was the leading expounder of Vishishtadvaita, one of the classical interpretations of the dominant Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy. Swami Ramanuja incorporated teachings from 5 gurus - Peria Nambigal, Thirukkotiyur Nambigal, Periya Thirumalai Nambigal, Tirumalai Aandaan and Azhwar Thiruvaranga Perumal Arayar.

According to historians, Ramanuja lived during the period, 017–1137 CE. He was born Ilaya Perumal to Asuri Keshava Somayaji Deekshitar and Kanthimathi in a Brahmin family in the village of Perumbudur. From a younger age, Ramanuja showed traits of his intellectual knowledge as well as philosophy. He took initiation from Yadavaprakasa, a renowned Advaitic scholar. Though his new guru was highly impressed with his analytical ability, it subsequently resulted in clashes due to difference in ideas. Yadavaprakasa decided to kill young Ramanuja. But he escaped from the plot with the help of his cousin Govinda Bhatta. In another popular belief, one of Yadavaprakasa's students plotted to kill Ramanuja as a means of pleasing their teacher. However he was asked to leave by his guru.

As suggested by his mentor, he decided to meet Yamunacharya, a philosopher of the remergent Vishishtadvaita School at Srirangam. But Yamunacharya died before Ramanuja reached. Followers of Ramanuja relate the legend that three fingers of Yamunacharya's corpse were curled and that Ramanuja interpreted its meaning. He was assigned three tasks and Ramanuja vowed that he will complete them. Those tasks include - Write a Visishtadvaita Bhashya for the Brahma Sutras of Vyasa, perpetuate the name of Parasara and Saint Sathakopa and write a commentary on the Tiruvoimozhi. Ramanuja accepted Yamunacharya as his Manasika Acharya and spent next six months to learn Yamunacharya's philosophy from his disciple, Mahapurna.

As he found that his wife and his principles are just contradictory, he sent her to her father and set for a pilgrimage. He participated in philosophical debates in different Vishnu temples and accepted many people as disciples who lost to him. He also faced threats from some Shaivite Chola rulers who were religiously followers of Shiva. He often took lower caste people to temples at a time when it was strictly prohibited. Hence he is also known as a social reformer.

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Updated: January 28, 2014