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From: Narendran Thaiyar (thaiyar_at_enuxsa.eas.asu.edu)
Date: Wed Apr 08 1998 - 12:24:03 PDT
Dear Members of the Bhakti List, I received the following message a few days ago from Sri Sadagopan. I'm forwarding this message to the list as per his request. Thanks. Narendran ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 5 Apr 1998 10:12:42 -0400 (EDT) From: Sadagopan <sgopan@computer.net> To: Narendran Thaiyar <thaiyar@enuxsa.eas.asu.edu> Subject: Re: Introduction and more... Dear Sri Narendran : Welcome to the Bhakthi Group ! Here is the brief summary of Acharya Ramanuja"s nine granthams : 1. Sri Bhaashyam :Magnum Opus of Our AchAryA ********************************************* This is a voluminous work critiquing the interpretaions on the BrahmasUtrAs of Sage BadaraayaNA ( VyAsA ) by Adhi Sankara"s advaithA , BhaskarA's BhedAbhEdhA and other schools of VedanthA .The lengthy commentary on the first sUtrA lays the foundation for the Sri VisishtAdvaitha darsanam firmly and clearly . 2. Sri GitA BhAshyam : This is a Substantive commentary on the Bhagavad Gita based on the shorter grantham ( GithArtha Sangraham ) by his AchAryA's AchAryA ( ALavanthAr/Yaamuna Muni). Bhakthi Archives has postings on AlavanthAr's work . 3. VedArtha SangrahA : A detailed Critique of the rival schools and the exposition of the tenets of Sri VisishtAdvaitham with special attention to Tattva , HithA and PurushArtham .It also repudiates the views of MimAmsakAs . 4. VedAntha DeepA : A brief commentary on the purport of each of the Brahma sUtrAs . It is shorter than Sri Bhasyam because it does not include the criticisms of the rival systems . 5. VedAntha SaarA : This grantham is for those , who might find Sri Bhaashyam and VedAntha DeepA too terse and tough . It brings out the essence of Brahma sUtrAs and the AdhikaraNAs . Our AchAryA did not want to frighten away those , who might have difficulty scaling the intellectual heights of Sri BhAshyam . 6.Gadya Trayam (1) : SaraNAgathi Gadhyam-- This deals with the most important SaraNAgathi ( Prapatthi )doctrine , which is cardinal to Sri VisishtAdvaitham . 7.Gadhya trayam (2) : Sriranga Gadhyam-- This grantham is in the form of a soul-stirring prayer to Sri RanganAthA . 8.Gadhya Trayam (3) :Sri Vaikunta Gadhyam --A glowing description of the celestial abode ( Sri Vaikuntam ) of Sriman NaarAyaNA and the supreme bliss ( MokshAnubhavam ) of the Muktha and Nitya Jeevans . 9. Nithya Grantham or Bhagavdh AarAdhana PrayOgA :Following the instructions given by GeethAchAryA in the twelfth chapter of GitA , AchArya RaamAnuja insists on the need for a VishNu BhakthA to engage in the religious observances enjoined in the VedAs , Smrithis and PurANAs . A summary of the three Gadhyams is available in the archives of SaraNAgathi Journal , courtesy Sri MadhavakkaNNan . Through these nine granthAs in Sanskrit , AchArya RaamAnuja built on the foundations laid by his predecessors ( natha Muni and ALavanthAr ) and built the citadel of Sri VaishNavam . His successors (74 SimhaasanAdhipathis) intrepreted the above nine granthams and created the Vast Sri VaishNavite literature that we are blessed to possess as our Kula Dhanams today . Sri Mani VaradarAjan's excellent introduction to Sri Vaishnavam in the Sri VaishNavA home page and the Archives of AchAryAL's work maintained by Sri Ilayavalli will provide you more details on the tenets of our system of VedAnthA known as Sri Bhagavdh RaamAnuja SiddhAntham . Since you are not too far from Denver , You might have an opportunity to learn from Sri Tridandi Jeeyar about our Darsanam during the end of May . Sri Mohan Sagar can provide you more details on that opportunity . With best wishes , V.Sadagopan