Srila Ramanujacarya Disappearance

Sripad Ramanujacharya..

In the year 1017 A.D. Sripad Ramanujacharya., a partial incarnation of Lord Ananta Shesha and Laxman appeared on the 'sasthi', sixth lunar mansion of the light fortnight in the month of Chaitra, (April-May). He made his appearance in South India, Tundiradesha, at Sriperumbudur, about half way between Kancipuram and Madras. His fathers' name was Asuri Keshava Somayaji, also known as Sarvakratu Diksitar, who it is believed was either an advaitin, or a smarta. His mother was Kantimati, the grand daughter of the great Vaisnav Acharya Yamun Acharya. Sri Ramanuja was given the name Ilaya Perumal, by his parents and was trained in the various studies of the Alwar saints of South Indian. His education was mostly given by his father a pandit of the time. When he was fifteen he was taken to Kancipuram, where he and his cousin Govinda were sent to study under the Advaitin Acharya Yadava Prakash. As the years went by and Ramanujas' maturity advanced. Many times there were philosophical clashes between he and his 'advaitin' teacher to the point when Yadava prakash made arrangements for Ramanuja to be killed. Still unperturbed he preached what became his "new" philosophy the Vaisnava philosophy of 'Visisthadvaita', or qualified oneness. Sripad Ramanujacharya. directed his new philosophy to defeating the monistic views of Sankara. Instead of leaving understandings as some kind of impersonalistic blank, this is 'maya' or this is 'avidya', Ramanuja gave relationships to everything, that is, everything has a relationship to the Lord. He qualified everything. Sripad Ramanujacharya. gives some nice points on referring to the acceptance of, or usage of 'avidya'. Though Sripad Ramanujacharya. uses the word "ajnan" rather than 'avidya', the meaning is the same, ignorance. Being a personalistic worshipper of Sri Laksmi Narayana, Ramanujacharya. tackles everything as a personalist would. He points out the existence of 'ajnan' (ignorance) as a positive entity and as being directly perceived in such perceptions as "I am ignorant", "I do not know myself or others". This really refers to having lack of understanding of something due to not having any, or insufficient knowledge of what it is. So in Ramanujacharya.'s philosophy he simply throws the blame back on the perceiver, not on the subject that the infinitesimal perceiver is trying with his limited senses to perceive, like the 'mayavadis' do. He suggests that maybe we are not seeing things fully or in the right perspective.

The 'mayavadis' simply try to blame the knife for stabbing the man to death, neglecting the chance that someone may have been holding the knife, and maybe even with some intent to do something, either consciously or not. Once I observed one of my children, my then two year old, fall from the swing and clambering to stand up rebuked the swing, you're naughty swing. But the swing actually wasn't at fault, dare I say it was my child for not being co-ordinated. Sri Ramanuja clarifies one rather interesting point as well. He said that if ignorance is a perceivable thing (entity or specific item), then that cannot be ignorance for it is known. Ignorance can only refer to that which is unknown, or that which one is ignorant of. Also if ignorance is unknown, how can one have ignorance standing on it's own to be perceived, one would not know? If it is argued that 'ajnan' or ignorance is 'a-visada-swarupa' (Indistinct knowledge), then again Sripad Ramanujacharya. gives a good point that this is only to the fact that there is lack of distinct knowledge as to what it is. Even if their, (the 'mayavadis') philosophy of positive ignorance is admitted, it must be somehow related to something and that something must be known, which in its self is knowledge. In that way, if 'jnan' (knowledge) of any given subject such as the material world, or the Lord were there, the 'mayavadi' philosopher would have something to relate to. But they don't, therefore they are known as 'mayavadis' or 'ajnanavadis' due to their ignorance. This is understood by the Vaisnav Acharyas who are in full knowledge. The opposite to black being white, the opposite to ignorance being knowledge.

Sripad Ramanujacharya. clears up the theory of illusion as set by the Sankarites in the following way by saying that if one knows what is truth, one may, for a short period, be subject to illusion by which normal things appear different to what they should be. But it cannot be said that illusion has no cause other than illusion itself, or is unknown or just appears for no reason. Ramanuja goes on to say that if illusion were an inexpressible of an unidentifiable thing, again when or where would one even known it was illusion for one would be in illusion and would have nothing to compare with as real.
According to the 'avidya', 'advaitistic' philosophy of Sankara, the dream state, the wakeful state, and the state of self are all unreal and illusory. But according to Ramanujacharya. there is a real character in all these three states. Even dreams are not illusion entirely. During the waking state the self is awake, and it contacts the objects of the senses externally through the mind and senses. In the dream state, the self becomes detached from the external world of the senses and their objects. The mind, however, experiences a succession of images presented from the memory without really any necessity of logic or reason. Originally the objects were seen or touched, smelt or heard through the senses, and the mind stores the information. The mind acts in this way, that's its function, so definitely it cannot be called illusion or unreal for it is just a reflection of reality that the mind has come in contact with.

Sankara says that in the case of sleep one is the witness of 'avidya' (ignorance). After waking, one says, "I slept well, I was pure spiritual consciousness, free from all material conditioning, and a witness to 'avidya'." Sripad Ramanujacharya. however sheds a deeper light on this subject. He says that person who was sleeping is not only pure spiritual consciousness, but is a spirit soul, eternal servant of the Lord, and that pure spiritual consciousness is an attribute of the soul by which the soul can be perceived ('swarupopadhi'). So by this we can see that if the soul (self) did not remain conscious in sleep, then how could he then remember upon waking that he had been sleeping, or had slept well? Thus there would be a gap in his life, not knowing he had done anything what to speak of sleep, so what is this witness to 'avidya'. This is not a fact, for the soul has a sense of permanent consciousness carried by memory which tells him that he has done something or give the sense of fulfilment knowing he has taken rest for a set period.

The 'mayavadis' say that the perceptions one may have in a dream are all unreal in the same way scriptures are not real, as the written word cannot do justice to a spiritual reality. Sri Ramanuja refutes this saying, that, it is not true that dreams are unreal, but the circumstances are different, in as much as the activities may be there in a dream, and the same activities are there in a waking state. One could in fact say the activities are the same, in both states, but 'that is the only qualification to their one-ness' ('visistadwaita'). It is not that the dreams of subtle nature and the activities of the wakeful state are exactly one, however, there is a qualification to their one-ness. The activity may be of the same kind of act, and it is the same person who sees in relation with both. One could further say that the vision exists, but in the dreaming state not on a gross platform. The objects seen may not necessarily grossly exist, though certainly the objects do exist somewhere. An example may be given that one may see in a dream a golden mountain, and it is a fact that gold exists and a mountain exists, but to see a golden mountain?? Well maybe! Another example is that sometimes, due to our defective material vision, we may mistake a rope on the floor for a snake. Certainly ropes exist and snakes exists, but to fear a rope or pick up a snake, this kind of all one-ness can cause problems. The reason that one fears a snake that one sees in a dream even if it is a rope, is because of one's previous experience of the potency of snakes.

Another argument sometimes used is that of seeing silver in a pearl or that of a shell. If one has defective vision one could say that there is definitely silver in a shell or pearl. Silver is real and pearls and shells are also real, but when one's defect in vision is restored one can actually see what is actual silver and what is pearls colouration (mother of pearl in shells). Again, the perception was true but it was due to a particular circumstance. A conclusion can be drawn at this point that the qualification of oneness in different objects can be seen according to the perception of the seer. As with the pearl or shell, one can grasp what is there partially or totally depending on one's vision. So the practicality of discriminating in every day life proves that everything is not one, though due to everything having it's roots in the Lord, and the changeable nature of things in this material world one could say that, due to everything emanation from the Lord, it is one, but due to the practically unlimited varieties of temporary manifestations in the universe there has to be a qualification to the oneness, 'Visista adwaita', qualified oneness.

There are three ways of understanding the truth, out of the three ways Sripad Ramanujacharya. says, one must accept 'Sruti pramana', Vedic literature without doubt. 'Anuman pramana', inference or reasoning can also be accepted if it falls in line with 'Sruti', and 'pratyaksa pramana', sensual perception can also be accepted as an authority in this matter if it falls in line with 'Sruti pramana'. Though 'anuman' and 'pratyaksa' can be debated, Sruti must be accepted as absolute truth having come down from the Supreme Lord. This in essence is the summary of Sripad Ramanujacharya.'s philosophy of 'Visisthadwaita', everything being based on what the Lord has said or done.

Sripad Ramanujacharya. makes the statement in his Sri Bhasya commentary on Vedanta Sutra, "For those who accept God as the highest and ultimate reality, who has the power to create all of these unlimited universes whilst in a dreaming state lying in the Karana Ocean. Who is glorified through the Vedic literatures, who is omniscient and free from all defects, and is full in all good qualities personified, having a body made of eternity, knowledge and bliss, to these fortunate Vaisnavas, what can be achieved or proven simply by dull witted argument, or blunt senses? The Supreme Personality of Godhead created all the universes for His own pleasure, and the tiny living entities (the Jivas) can enjoy in this world by serving the Lord or engage in their own selfish pursuits and become criminally entangled and further conditioned in the world of birth and death. The Lord gives results of one's actions through the contact of the senses and the objects of the senses, the result being happiness or distress. Due to the action the concomitant result follows for a limited period of time."

"Thus the distinction between experiences that are contradicted (like dreams) and those that are contradicting (like wakeful experiences) is a distinction between objects of the senses that are experienced by everyone and those that are not (as in dreams)." This is an example of qualified oneness.(Sri Bhasya 1:1:1. 'opening verse'.).

Sripad Ramanujacharya. could not stand the way things were at the time, the so-called religion that was being practised, the cheating of priests ('Purohits') and the ignorant blind following of the people. Although he accepted the 'daivi varnashrama' system, it was not solely based on birth rite, but on quality and qualification, 'guna' and 'karma'. Some guide lines he laid down were as follows:- That a devotee, or for that matter everyone, should be like salt. That is, the same within and without, free from duplicity and cheating. He also gave an example how one should be even like a fowl, in as much as a fowl is able to pick out the wholesome things even from a stock-pile of rubbish. These are also examples used by other great teachers, 1) to take gold from a dirty place, 2) to separate milk from water, 3) to take a good wife from even a low class family and 4) even take good advice from a fool. Another famous saying of his was that one should be like a bird called the crane, who is very watchful for his prey. Expect the unexpected and don't be surprised when calamity comes.

Sripad Ramanujacharya. was a great propounder of and follower of the 'Pancaratriki' system of 'Puja', Deity worship. This system is so designed to invite the personal form, or image of God to reside in the temple, and then to render all kinds of opulent services to the Lord, that otherwise one would not be able to perform, for His pleasure. By doing so one can develop further one's own personal relationship with the Supreme Person by this simple process as laid down in the scriptures by such great devotees as Narada Muni. By such worship in the temple or in the home under the guidance of 'guru', 'shastra' and the devotees one' life can become perfect. There are various 'Pancaratric' texts which he followed (and to this day are followed by his followers), but basically the principal behind 'Pancaratra' is, giving the necessary rules and regulations, for purity, punctuality and use of exclusive privacy for 'puja' and preparations for the worshiping of the personal form of the Lord. In all of his institutions great care was taken daily to see to the worship of the deity in the temple, very high standards of personal service to the Lord were always followed, cleanliness and punctuality being of the utmost.

To establish his teaching he compiled the Sri Bhasya which was his commentary on the Vedanta Sutra. Also he made a commentary of Bhagavad Gita.

We can recap how Sripad Ramanujacharya. strongly attacks the philosophy of Sankara. Saying that the concept of 'Brahman' as being without qualities is meaningless or fiction as it cannot be seen, touched, spoken about or known. Sripad Ramanujacharya. goes on to state that it is not a fact that this world is false, but it is a fact that it is temporary, and originally comes from God and in that way, yes, everything is one because everything is coming from the Lord, and therefore that is the only qualification to its oneness.


"I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts."(Bhagavad Gita 10:8.).

Srimad Bhagavad Gita (14:27.) says:

An interesting story follows, showing how Ramanuja came to assist in the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this originally is found in the book of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur entitled Navadwipa Dhama Mahatmya and sheds the view of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas upon the mission, pastimes, and who came to help him, similar to how we are expressing here, but without the reasons, the concept of evolution of philosophy.

"Once whilst Sripad Ramanujacharya was staying in Jagannatha Puri he offered prayers to Lord Jagannatha Who became very pleased.

"Lord Jagannatha appeared before Sri Ramanuja and said, "Ramanuja, go and visit Sri Navadvipa, for very soon I shall appear there in the house of Sri Jagannatha Misra. Sri Navadvipa is My most beloved abode and is a part of the spiritual sky manifest in this world. As My eternal servant and a leader amongst My devotees, you should go there. Let your students stay here, for they are absorbed in 'dasya rasa' (servitorship in awe and reverence) and will not understand the advanced devotional mood (of spontaneous love of Godhead, 'raga-marg'). Travel there alone. Any living entity who does not go to see Sri Navadvipa has been born uselessly. Just one portion of Sri Navadvipa contains Ranga Kshetra, Venkateshvara and Yadava Acala. Therefore go to Sri Navadvipa and see My form of Gauranga. After gaining (My) blessings (there), go to Kurma Sthana and rejoin your disciples."

"Folding his hands, Sri Ramanuja humbly requested Lord Jagannatha, "My dear Lord, You have mercifully told me something about Gauranga, but exactly who He is, I don't know."
"The Lord answered, "It is known to you that Lord Sri Krishna, the Lord of Goloka, is the Supreme Absolute Truth. That much is well known to My devotees. That same Supreme Personality of Godhead who resides in Sri Vrindavana is fully manifest as Gauranga, and His beloved abode, Sri Vrindavana, is manifest as holy Navadvipa. Navadvipa is the Supreme spiritual abode and it is transcendental to the influence of the material nature. In that divine land, Lord Gauranga eternally resides. By My mercy that holy abode has come to exist within this universe, but it remains completely unaffected by 'maya'. This is the verdict of the scriptures. If anyone thinks that Sri Navadvipa is only a material location, then whatever devotion he has developed will wither and perish. By My will, My inconceivable energy preserves this transcendental abode within this material world. Simply by studying the scriptures, one will not be able to understand the Absolute Truth. Only by My mercy can My devotees understand."
"Hearing these words of Lord Jagannatha, Sripad Ramanujacharya. was filled with love. "My dear Lord," he said, "Your pastimes are truly astounding. The scriptures cannot fully describe Your opulence's. Why is 'Gauranga-lila' not described in the scripture? Upon reflection, I find some hint of 'Gauranga tattwa' in the 'Srutis' and 'puranas'. Now, however, all my doubts are gone and I am ready to execute Your will. If it is Your desire, I will go to Sri Navadvipa and from there, I will set out to preach about Lord Gauranga throughout the three worlds, giving evidence from the scriptures to all converting them to the devotional service of Gauranga. Please instruct me. You have just to give me Your order."

"Lord Jagannatha replied, 'Sripad Ramanuja, do not broadcast in this way. Keep these secrets of Lord Gauranga's pastimes as they are for the present. Only after He has concluded His pastimes will the people in general come to understand them. Preach about Me on the level of 'dasya rasa' as you have always done, but within your heart worship Gauranga constantly.'" "Following Lord Jagannatha's order, Sripad Ramanujacharya. secretly cultivated his attraction for Sri Navadvipa. Being very merciful, Lord Narayana led him to Vaikunthapura and showed him His transcendental form, worshipped by manifestations of His different energies. Sripad Ramanujacharya. felt himself most fortunate to see this, but as he watched, the Lord manifested His form as Gauranga, the son of Jagannatha Misra. Sripad Ramanujacharya.'s mind became stunned by the brilliance of His shining golden form. Lord Gauranga then placed His two lotus feet upon Sripad Ramanujacharya.'s head, and Ramanujacharya. filled with inspiration, began to offer prayers.
"Sripad Ramanujacharya. said, "I must see Your pastimes when You appear here in Navadvipa My Lord. I shall never leave this place."
"Lord Gauranga replied, "Your wish will be fulfilled, O son of Keshava. When My Navadvipa 'lila' is revealed, you will again take your birth here."
"Lord Gauranga then disappeared. Greatly satisfied by the Lord's promise, Sripad Ramanujacharya. returned to Kurma Sthana, where he joined his disciples. During his life he preached devotional service to the Lord in the mood of dasya rasa or servitorship through out the South of India, whilst internally he was absorbed in meditating on the pastimes of Lord Gauranga. By Lord Gauranga's mercy, he was born again in Sri Navadvipa as a devotee named Ananta to assist in the Lord's pastimes."
"When Lord Caitanya made His appearance in Sri Navadvipa, Ananta Vipra was already quite old. He lived in a cottage which was situated beneath a huge old banyan tree. There, within this humble abode, he would worship his Deities of Lakshmi-Narayana. None could describe the pure way in which he worshipped Them.
"Ananta was a very dear friend and neighbour of Sri Vallabha Misra. Sri Vallabha was very affectionate to him and treated him as his disciple.

"On the most glorious day when Lord Gaurasundara accepted the hand of Srimati Lakshmipriya at the Misra's house, a huge festival was held and Ananta was invited. As the Vipra stood watching Lord Caitanya and Srimati Lakshmipriya sitting together during their marriage ceremony, dressed in gorgeous silks and jewels, he realised that they were none other than his beloved Sri Lakshmi Narayana. Unable to control his spontaneous emotions he began to dance like a madman. His hair stood on end and his whole body trembled. Understanding, however, that his activities might seem a little inappropriate, he finally controlled himself and returned to his house. Entering his cottage, he sat down before his Sri Lakshmi-Narayana Deities and again became overcome with ecstatic love. He began to consider how his beloved Lordships had now manifested as Lord Gauranga and Srimati Lakshmipriya. He thought, "I am so fortunate to have personally seen Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I, who am so fallen and insignificant." As he sat there, Lord Gauranga, being very satisfied by his devotion appeared before him. The Lord was a beautiful golden colour and His bodily effulgence was brighter than millions of moons. He was dressed in first class silks and decorated with valuable jewels. He sat on a fabulous golden throne which was studded with gems and Srimati Lakshmi Devi at His side.

"Lord Gauranga could understand what Ananta was thinking and manifested His four armed Narayana form. Seeing his worshipable Lord Narayana standing before him, the 'brahmana' fell down at the Lord's feet to offer prayers. The Lord, being controlled by His devotee's love, smiled charmingly at him. "O My beloved devotee," the Lord said, "By My will you have seen this form. Anyone who sees My form has all his desires fulfilled." Then after placing His lotus feet on Ananta's head, the Lord departed. Ananta became totally absorbed in remembrance of the Lord's Sri Navadvipa pastimes."
One can see from incidences like these, that these personalities were no ordinary conditioned souls, or for that matter sinful living entities, but directly the Lord's intimate, and trusted devotees.

Once Ramanuja was walking along with his 5 top sannyasi disciples. Stopping by a pond, he took some prasadam and threw half of it in the water for the fish. Then he got up to walk on. Just then the fish who had taken the prasadam assumed four-handed forms and rose up in the air, returning home, back to Godhead. The 5 sannyasis stopped and begand to disrobe. Ramanuja turned and asked them why they were not following. They said, "We are thunder- struck. Please explain what we have just seen. Otherwise, how can we follow behind you in this condition?" Ramanuja answered, "You've seen the power of taking maha-prasadam." They answered, "But we are taking your maha-prasadam daily, and this is not happening to us." Ramanuja said, "These creatures have no free will, and therefore make no offense. So they get full benefit at once. But you with your free will and human intelligence make offenses, and thus you hinder your own progress."

Another time Ramanuja was talking with his sannyasi disciples, and they asked him how they would ever be able to understand the deep philosophy he had written. He said, "What I have written ultimately means simply one thing - prapatti (surrender)." But they continued to argue that they would not be able to fully comprehend his writings. Then he told a sannyasi disciple to bring one deaf and dumb tailor who was just walking by. When the man came, Ramanuja asked them all to leave him alone with this man. So they got up and left, but one disciple looked into the room from a window outside. Ramanuja stood up and motioned to the man to touch his feet. The tailor made full dandavats and began to tremble and cry in ecstacy as he touched Ramanujas lotus feet. When the disciples returned, they were amazed to see this man's ecstacy, symptomatic of the highest transcendental realization. They asked, "How could such a thing like this happen to him." Ramanuja answered, "He touched my feet in full surrender. Although he cannot understand one word of philosophy, being deaf and dumb, he has attained all perfection."

On another occassion someone asked Ramauj Acharya who was more attached, the householder in Krishna consciousness or the sannyasis in the mutt.
So he set out to reveal the truth. That night he entered with a few of his close associates into one of his renounced householder disciples homes. He then began to clean them out of everything that they owned. To the point that seeing the wife laying asleep with her gold earings and mangal sutram he began to remove them from her.
The husband saw that Ramanuja was doing this and remained laying there. The wife also stured and then in shock that someone was there with her let out a scream, and the "transcendental theif" was gone.

The husband then said to the wife, why did you disturb them, it was our gurudev, and he certainly must have had a higher plan - you should have rolled over to allow him to take the other ear-ring.
Hearing the response filtering back over the next few days Ramanuja set his next plan.

"Go to the mutt where the sannyasis live and in their ashram take their cloth and hide it". And so one disciple took to the ashram and while the sannyasis were all at their Sri Bhasya class the disciple began to take parts of their kaupins, and tear strips from their Vesthis (dhotis) as if kaupins had been made, and generally swap things around.
When they returned there was like all hell had let loose, "Where is my kaupin?" "Who has torn the end off my vesthis to make kaupin?" "Where is my anga-vaastra, has someone stolen it to make underwear?" and so on.

On of his sayings was that the Vaishnava should be like salt; in the middle salt, in the interim salt, and on the exterior salt - in this way he encouraged honesty among his disciples.

Ramanujacharya., just before leaving his body, gave 74 final instructions, all about serving Vaishnavas. For instance, one should feed them nice preparations and make them so happy they smile; one should massage their legs until they fall asleep; one should walk with them to the end of the village, and then nine steps beyond, and then faint due to intense separation at leaving the Vaishnavas......... His main instructions were two in number: surrender to guru, and serve the Vaishnavas.