Bhakti List Archives

Re: Biographies of Sri Ramanuja

From the Bhakti List Archives

Govindarajan Varadarajan • Thu May 02 1996 - 08:42:00 PDT 


Sri. Sridhar Srinivasan writes....

>On another note, postings of Sri Ramaswamy on some of the Then-Kalai
>Acharyas is incorrect in some cases or has some important omissions.
>However, to highlight these in this forum, I am compelled to note, will
>inevitably bring censure from some of the 'evolved elders' here.  Still, I
>will proceed to state them with the belief that I will (and some of you
>might) learn from this exchange:
>

[.....]

>>Sri ManavaLa maamunigal got his Sannyas from Aadhi Van Satakopa Jeeyar of
>Ahobhila Mutt
>
>Sri MaNavaaLa MaamunigaL obtained his Sannyasam from Num PerumaaL and was
>named yatheendra PraNavar by RangaNaathar akin to the fact that Sri Ramanuja
>got his Sannyaasam from ThepperumaaL and was named Yatheendra by the Lord
>himself (Please see Yatheendra PravaNa Prabhaavam, Sudarsanam Printers,
>Putthur, 1961).
>

     I think the recent posting to the list by Sri. Sridhar Srinivasan, kind of 
summarises the thoughts that were prevaling in my mind.  While I do not
consider myself to be very learned/informed in every aspect of
vishistadvaitham, but 
having to listened to a few discourses by great scholars like Sri. U.Ve
Bhu-varahachar 
swamy, Sri. U.Ve VeLukkudi Varadaachar Swamy and Sri. U.Ve Krishna Premi
when I was in
Bangalore, I too was surprised by a few things that were stated in Sri.
Ramaswamy's 
articles on our Azhwars and Acharyas, as pointed out by Sri. Sridhar Srinivasan.


>I would like to commend and thank Sri Ramaswamy on his comprehensive effort
>detailing the lives and glories of our Acharyas, specifically Sri Vedantha
>desikan.  Sri Desikan also belongs to the lineage one of the 74 Acharya
>lineages established by Sri Ramanuja.  While it is not possible to overstate
>the significance or the genius of Sri Desikan's compositions and the
>importance of his role in establishing Visishtaadwaitha siddhaantham, I wish
>as much focus was also given in Sri Ramaswamy's laudable effort to other
>Acharyas such as PiLLai Lokaachaarya (whose Sri Vachana BhushaNam alone is a
>composition that boggles the mind in terms of its depth of thought and
>philosophical significance) or Sri MaNavaaLa MaamunigaL.


I think the above very rightly summaries my thoughts too.


With due respect to all Bhagavathas and Bhaktas

ADiyaen Ramanuja Daasan

Govindarajan Varadarajan