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Re: Fwd: Re: History on Ramanuja

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • April 2, 2002 


Dear Members,

Continuing the discussion on Sri Yamunacharya's (Alavandar's)
unfulfilled wishes and Sri Ramanuja, we rely on what we 
know from hagiological accounts such as the Guru Parampara
Prabhava of Pinbazhagiya Perumal Jiyar. These accounts are
a mixture of fact and pious legend and have been embroidered
(to use a generous term) by various authors over the years.
It is very difficult to determine what exactly happened.

What we do certainly know is how Sri Ramanuja continued
the legacy of Alavandar:

  1) He wrote a commentary on the Brahma-Sutras of
     Badarayana-Vyasa based on the commentary of 
     Bodhayana, and along the lines of Alavandar's
     Siddhi Traya

  2) He propagated the memory of Parasara, the author of 
     Sri Vishnu Purana, and Veda Vyasa by giving their
     names to the sons of his disciple Kurattalvan.
     (Alavandar pays homage to Parasara in his Stotra-Ratna.)

  3) Through his cousin Kurukesa (Tirukkurukai Piraan Pillaan)
     he had a commentary written on Nammalvar's Tiruvaymoli.
     This commentary is remarkable in its usage of phrases from 
     Ramanuja's own works. (Alavandar pays homage to Nammalvar 
     as well in the Stotra-Ratna.)

  4) His three gadyas are closely modelled in emotion and
     phrasing on the Stotra-Ratna.

In addition, Sri Ramanuja cites Alavandar in each of his
major works and acknowledges his indebtedness to him several
times.

aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
Mani





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