Swami Ramanuja - The Master of “MaxSuccess”

Swami Ramanuja (1017 A.D – 1137 A.D) is an epitome of nobility, eminent crusader of equality, ocean of compassion, redeemer of the masses, consummate visionary and integrator-par-excellence.  He not only integrated people across all walks of life, he also integrated philosophies. His was an integrated view of our scriptures. 

Swami Ramanuja’s life was his message to the world. His teachings are the very store-house of all scriptural knowledge required to master the art and science of successful living.  Incredible conviction that there are no “high or low” in the eyes of God was the very hallmark of Ramanuja.  

He gave solace to people of all castes and all walks of life. He gave a new direction to the age-old practices of temple worship. He reformed some of them, reinforced some, renovated some and substituted a few by new methods, without at the same time, disturbing the fine fabric of tradition and convention. 

With tremendous compassion for the oppressed and depressed classes of society, he took the epoch-making and daring step of throwing open the temples to the so called “untouchables”. 

In his life and teachings, Swami Ramanuja upheld that all humans are born equal and that caste, gender or social status has no role in determining one’s relationship with God. He accepted Kanchi Purna, who was not a Brahmin, as his guru. 

One of his most worthy disciples, Dhanurdasa, was from a lower caste. For Ramanuja, a Vaishnava (man of God) is worthy of respect; but he defined as a true Vaishnava only one who has abundant love for God. He proclaimed the meaning of the “AshtAkshari” Mantra (the very essence of all scriptural knowledge), considered a secret and exclusive to a chosen few, openly to all, against the wishes of his own preceptor, Goshti Purna. 

“What is wrong if I alone am damned as a result of proclaiming the sacred mantra that would beget “Moksha” to everyone else?” Swami explained to his enraged preceptor. Wondering at his selflessness, Sri Goshti Purna embraced Ramanuja calling him “Emperumaanaar”- the exalted one. In the history of India, we can mark one characteristic since the time of Swami Ramanuja – the opening of the door of spirituality to one and all…without any restrictions.

Vedas are akin to a high-powered focus lamp illuminating the glorious form and the boundless auspicious qualities of the Supreme Being. Swami Ramanuja, the Master dispeller of darkness, incarnated for the primary purpose of restoring this lamp to its pristine glory and fine-tuning its focus to show up the Lord in His entire splendor. 

Through his Magnum Opus, Sri Bhashya and other treasurable works, he lit up an eternal flame of “Bhakti-rupApanna JnAna”, by the light of which the Lord shines out magnificently, even to our mundane eyes. 

His unsurpassed works like Sri Bhashya, Vedaartha Sangraha,  Vedanta Deepam, Vedanta Sara, Gadya Trayam (Saranagathy Gadyam, Sriranga Gadyam, Vaikunta Gadyam) and Gita Bhashya decisively clarify the unfathomable depths of our scriptures (Vedas, Upanishads, Brahma Sutras, Bhagawad Gita, etc.), demonstrating conclusively that all parts of our scriptures declare in unison only one common message, “The Ultimate Reality , Brahman (Paramatma / Purushottama / Sriman Narayana / Bhagavan), is the glorious transcendent repository of infinite perfections and holds as its own embodiment the totality of the universe of all sentient and insentient”. 

Ramanuja remains one of the greatest figures in philosophy, renowned for astute synthesis of ardent devotion with intense intellectual inquiry.

Swami Ramanuja’s greatness as the guardian and redeemer of the Vedic way of life & living is immeasurable. We should be eternally grateful to the supreme Master for the scriptural treasure that he bequeathed to all of us and further, for throwing open the essence of all scriptures to the entire universe – all irrespective of caste, gender or creed - the Prapatti Marga (path of complete surrender with unwavering love and devotion to the Lord), which had been the preserve of only a chosen few before the life and times of Ramanuja.