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Re: Ramanuja

From the Bhakti List Archives

Jaganath.Bharadwaj • October 10, 1996 


Whether one reads the invocatory references in the Vedartha Sangraha,
Geeta Bhashya or the Gadya traya, Ramanuja pays His respects to
Yamunacharya, His Guru whom He never met.

While Ghoshtipurna, Mahapurna, Sailapurna and others may have taught
Ramanujacharya the various rahasyarthas etc, Ramanujacharya's
realization and understanding of these meanings was because of a
Prapatti done by Yamunacharya.  Prapatti as is understood today is
done only for moksha.  But Prapatti can be done for securing other
fruits as well, as in the case of Draupadi, who did so for the safety
of her husbands.

In the case of Yamunacharya, He did a special prapatti to obtain
Ramanujacharya as a successor and a leader of the Srivaishnava
community.  All the Gurus that Ramanujacharya met in his lifetime and
the teachings obtained by Him were the result of this Prapatti.

In gratitude for this, Ramanujacharya meditated on Yamunacharya and
not on the feet of Ranganatha or Ranganayaki at the time of His
departure from Bhuloka.

Jaganath.