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Re: Sri. Mani's Response to Sankara Response

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Anand Karalapakkam • July 9, 1999 


SrI:
SrI Lakshminrusimha ParabrahmaNE namaha
SrI Lakshminrusimha divya pAdukA sEvaka SrIvaN-
SatakOpa SrI nArAyaNa yateendra mahAdESikAya namaha

 Dear devotees,
 namO nArAyaNA.

>
> 1. If one accepts Vis'istAdvaita Vedanta in its entirety, as the
> "most rational and perfect" detailed exposition on the nature of
> reality described in the vedas (and elaborated on in the vedantic
> texts), then the term origion becomes meaningless.
> For Vis'istAdvaita only elaborates on the beginningless
> truth (contained in the vedas.)  Once again I point out that the
> statement that Vedas are beginningless (i.e., without author)
> is a premise and not a dogmatic statement!  Premise is a key
> component of every sound theory.  This premise
> is rational, given Vis'istAdvaita is an unbounded  philosophy
> (i.e., individual souls, matter and the process of creation
> and dissolution are also beginningless.)
>
> 2. The jiva that took the avatar as Sri RamAnujAcharya is a
> nitya-mukta (who is not subject to the delusion from avidya-karma)
> who has and will always be established in bhramajnanam,
> so he need not borrow any ideas.
>
> If one approaches the issue from this angle,
> terms such as evolution of ideas and origin
> have no meaning, when used in relation to
> description of the nature of reality.


   Thanks to Sri Venkat for his excellent reasonings on this 
  issue. adiyEn would like to add few more points :

 a. It is well known that Bhagavad RAmAnuja didn't start a new 
    system of philosophy. Even in the previous yugAs, great
    sages like bOdhAyana, Dramida, Tanka and others were
    upholding VisishtAdvaita as the actual vEdAnta. Thus,
    VisishtAdvaita is not some "evolved" philosophy. 
 
 b. NammAzhwAr has already clearly putforth the teachings of
    vEdAnta alias VisishtAdvaita through His TiruvAimozhi ; 
    NammAzhwAr infact "experienced" / "intuited" the same. 

 c. Sri Vaishnava sat sampradAyam is eternal and SrIman nArAyaNA 
    is the first AchArya. For kali yuga, NammAzhwAr became the 
    pravartakar(propagator/initiator) of vEdAnta/Vaidhika matam 
    (religion). SrIman nAthamunigaL got the upadEsam of NammAzhwAr 
    and became the next AchArya in the line of Sri Vaishnava 
    (ie.Ubhaya vEdAnta) Guruparampara. Bhagavad RAmAnuja learnt 
    vEdAnta through this guruparampara (nAthamunigaL - UyyakkondAr 
    (pundareekAkshar) - MannakkAL nambi (Sri rAma mishra) - 
    ALavandAr (yAmunAchArya) - Peria nambi - rAmAnujar ).

    Bhagavad rAmAnuja gave the correct interpretations to Brahma 
    sUtras , important passages in Upanishads and bhagavad gIta, 
    using the valid pramAnAs and rigorous logic. Guruparampara's
    role/AchArya katAksham in this is very much to be understood.
    This achievement was easily made by bAshyakArar (rAmAnujar)
    because of the guruparampara (NammAzhwAr's katAksham etc).    
  
    It is the genius of Bhagavad rAmAnuja in synthesizing various
    things and giving wonderful commentries to brahma sUtras etc.
    The rigorous logic used, arguments against other philosophies/
    interpretations etc needs the usage of various tools which
    were used by other system of philosophies as well. It is in
    this area that one can think of some commonalities etc. Some
    arguments against a certain view point may be given already
    by Sankara. This doesn't mean that bhagavad rAmAnuja is 
    "evolving" VisishtAdvaita based on such principles of advaita
    and other system of philosophies. The core philosophical 
    part is eternal and was only "re-established" with a sound 
    footing by bAshyakArar, this being His avatAra rahasyam.  
     
    adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
    ananthapadmanAbha dAsan
    krishNArpaNam