Śrī Rāmānujācārya Disappearance Day

Who is Śrī Rāmānujācārya?

Śrī Rāmānujācārya is a pioneering ācārya of one of the four Sampradāya, Śrīsampradāya. There are four sects of worshipful devotees of the Lord, namely the Brahma-sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya and Śrī-sampradāya, and Kumārasampradāya. 

Excerpt from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 7.110 

Śrī Śaṅkarācārya, an incarnation of Lord Śiva, by the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, compromised between atheism and theism in order to cheat the atheists [such as Buddhists] and bring them to theism, and to do so he gave up the direct method of Vedic knowledge and tried to present a meaning which is indirect. It is with this purpose that he wrote his Śārīraka-bhāṣya commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra. One should not, therefore, attribute very much importance to the Śārīraka-bhāṣya. Unfortunately, if one is attracted to Śrī Śaṅkarācārya’s commentary, Śārīraka-bhāṣya, his spiritual life is doomed.

To defeat this kevalādvaita-vāda of Śaṅkarācārya, Śrī Rāmānujācārya presented his philosophy as viśiṣṭādvaita-vāda. Students of Vedic philosophy know very well how strongly Śrī Rāmānujācārya’s viśiṣṭādvaita-vāda contest the impersonal Māyāvāda philosophy.

Excerpt from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.10.11 

In his book Vedānta-tattva-sāra, Śrī Rāmānujācārya has described that this merging of the soul [viśiṣṭādvaita-vāda] means that after separating himself from the material body made of eight elements—earth, water, fire, air, ether, false ego, mind and intelligence—the individual soul engages himself in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His eternal form (īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ/ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1))

Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava and Rāmānuja-sampradāya

Excerpt from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam, 02-25-76, Mayapur 

The Rāmānuja-sampradāya Vaiṣṇavas worship Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. Everyone worships the Lord and His potency, spiritual potency. Just like we worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, similarly, the Rāmānuja-sampradāya, they worship Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa or Sītā-Rāma.

Excerpt from a letter by Śrīla Prabhupāda to V.S.R. Chakravarti, Nov 22, 1974 

Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava follow Śrīla Rāmānuja's philosophy almost in the same manner. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives the identification of jiva soul as the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa and is situated as marginal potency of the Lord based on the philosophy of acintya-bhedābheda-tattva. This is almost similar to viśiṣṭādvaita-vāda. Vaiṣṇava philosophy is now being pushed on all over the world under the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, and we feel Śrīpāda Rāmānuja a great support for the Vaiṣṇava philosophical understanding.

Temples related to Śrī Rāmānujācārya that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited

Kūrma-kṣetra

Excerpt from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 7.113 

When Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to the holy place known as Kūrma-kṣetra, He saw the Deity and offered prayers and obeisances. 

Kūrma-sthāna is a well-known place of pilgrimage. There is a temple there of Kūrmadeva. In the Prapannāmṛta it is said that Lord Jagannātha took Śrī Rāmānujācārya from Jagannātha Purī and one night threw him to Kūrma-kṣetra. Kūrma-kṣetra is situated on the line of the Southern Railway in India. One has to go to the railway station known as Srikakulam Road. From this station one goes eight miles to the east to reach the holy place known as Kūrmācala. Those who speak the Telugu language consider this holy place very important. This statement is reported in the government gazette known as Gañjāma Manual. There is the Deity of Kūrma there, and, as mentioned above, Śrīla Rāmānujācārya was thrown from Jagannātha Purī to this place. At that time he thought that the Deity of Kūrma was Lord Śiva's deity; therefore he was fasting there. Later, when he understood that the Kūrma-mūrti was another form of Lord Viṣṇu, he instituted very gorgeous worship of Lord Kūrma. This statement is found in the Prapannāmṛta (Chapter Thirty-six). The holy place of Kūrma-kṣetra, or Kūrma-sthāna, was actually re-established by Śrīpāda Rāmānujācārya under the influence of Lord Jagannātha-deva at Jagannātha Purī. Later the temple came under the jurisdiction of the king of Vijaya-nagara. The Deity was worshiped by the Vaiṣṇavas of the Madhvācārya-sampradāya [Brahma-sampradāya].

Śrī Raṅgam

Excerpt from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 9.79, 81, 82 

After bathing in the river Kāverī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw the temple of Raṅganātha and offered His ardent prayers and obeisances. Thus He felt Himself successful. In the temple of Raṅganātha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanted and danced in ecstatic love of Godhead. Seeing His performance, everyone was struck with wonder.

Śrī Raṅga-kṣetra (Śrī Raṅgam) is a very famous place. It lies in the district of Tiruchchirāpalli, about ten miles west of Kumbhakonam and near the city of Tiruchchirāpalli, on an island in the Kāverī River. The Śrī Raṅgam temple is the largest in India, and there are seven walls and seven roads surrounding it. The ancient names of these roads are the road of Dharma, the road of Rājamahendra, the road of Kulaśekhara, the road of Ālināḍana, the road of Tiruvikrama, the Tirubiḍi road of Māḍamāḍi-gāisa, and the road of Aḍa-iyāvala-indāna. The temple was founded before the reign of Dharmavarma, who reigned before Rājamahendra. Many celebrated kings like Kulaśekhara and Yāmunācārya (Ālabandāru) resided in the temple of Śrī Raṅgam. Yāmunācārya, Śrī Rāmānuja, Sudarśanācārya and others also supervised this temple.

Śrī Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa was a Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa and an inhabitant of Śrī Raṅga-kṣetra. He belonged to the disciplic succession of Śrī Rāmānujācārya. Śrī Raṅga is one of the places of pilgrimage in the province of Tamil Nadu. The inhabitants of that province do not retain the name Veṅkaṭa. It is therefore supposed that Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa did not belong to that province, although he may have been residing there for a very long time. Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa was in a branch of the Rāmānuja-sampradāya known as Vaḍagalai. He had a brother in the Rāmānuja-sampradāya known as Śrīpāda Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. The son of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa was later known in the Gauḍīya-sampradāya as Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, and he established the Rādhāramaṇa temple in Vṛndāvana. More information about him may be found in a book known as the Bhakti-ratnākara, by Narahari Cakravartī.

Śrī Rāmānujācārya visits Navadvīpa

Excerpt from Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma Māhātmya, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, chapter 15

Once, Śrī Rāmānujācārya came to Jagannātha Kṣetra. He pleased Lord Jagannātha with numerous prayers, and Jagannātha mercifully came before him. Coming before him, the Lord said, “Visit Navadvīpa Dhāma. Very soon, I will appear in Nadīyā in the home of Jagannātha Miśra. Navadvīpa is My dearmost abode. The spiritual world of Vaikuṇṭha is situated within one portion of it. You are My eternal servant, and foremost amongst My devotees. You must see Navadvīpa Dhāma. Let your disciples remain here immersed in dāsya-rasa. You must go. O wise Rāmānuja! The birth of those who obtain a body but do not see Navadvīpa is meaningless. Śrī Raṅgam, Śrī Veṅkaṭa, and Yādavācala are simply minor parts of Navadvīpa. Therefore, O Rāmānuja, go to Navadvīpa and see the form of Gaurāṅga. You came to the earth to preach devotion. May your birth be successful by the mercy of Gaura. See Navadvīpa and then go to Kūrma Sthāna. You will meet your disciples there.” 

Hearing this, Śrī Rāmānujācārya joined his palms and prayed to Lord Jagannātha. “O Lord, by Your mercy I have now heard about Gaurāṅga, but I do not know who He is.” Jagannātha mercifully replied to Rāmānuja, “Everyone knows that Kṛṣṇa is the Lord of Goloka. Lord Nārāyaṇa is a form Kṛṣṇa assumes to perform pastimes. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme being, and His abode is Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa also exists fully and eternally as Gaurahari, and Vṛndāvana also exists fully and eternally as Navadvīpa. In Navadvīpa, I am eternally present as Gaurāṅga-sundara. Navadvīpa is the best abode in the world. By My grace, Navadvīpa Dhāma is present on the earth, and all the scriptures say that there is no trace of māyā there. If you think that Navadvīpa is degraded because it is present on the earth, then your devotion will diminish day by day. By My will, My inconceivable energy has manifested this spiritual abode within the realm of Māyā. The scriptures do not ascertain truth that is beyond reason. Only devotees understand it, by My grace.” 

Hearing the words of Lord Jagannātha, the sober Rāmānuja became overwhelmed with divine love for Śrī Gaurāṅga. He said, “O Lord, Your pastimes are extremely astonishing. The Vedic scriptures do not know Your glories. O Lord Jagannātha, why did the scriptures not specifically describe the Pastimes of Śrī Gaurāṅga? Only when I look at the Vedas, Purāṇas, and other scriptures in a deeper way do I find revelation of Gaurāṅga. Receiving Your order, I have left behind my doubts. The ecstasy of the pastimes of Gaura has arisen in my heart. If You order me, I will go to Navadvīpa and then preach about the pastimes of Gaura throughout the three worlds. I will reveal hidden scriptures, enlighten everyone, and make every soul within the three worlds a devotee of Gaura! Please speak.” 

Seeing the eagerness of Rāmānuja, Jagannātha said, “O Rāmānuja, do not speak this way. My pastimes as Gaura are very confidential; keep them secret. Only after they are unmanifest will everyone receive them. Preach dāsya-rasa, and always worship Gaura within your heart.” 

Receiving this instruction, Śrī Rāmānujācārya secretly came to Navadvīpa. So that the pastimes of Gaura were not manifest prematurely, Nārāyaṇa took Śrī Rāmānujācārya and kept him in Śrī Vaikuṇṭhapura. Seeing this place, Śrī Rāmānujācārya was charmed. Nārāyaṇa, who is served by His śrī, bhū, and līlā energies, then very mercifully revealed Himself to Śrī Rāmānujācārya. Seeing His worshippable Lord, Śrī Rāmānujācārya felt himself to be most fortunate. Śrī Rāmānujācārya then suddenly saw the beautiful, enchanting, golden form of the son of Jagannātha Miśra. Śrī Rāmānujācārya fainted in the lustre of the Lord’s form, and Śrī Gaura put His feet on Śrī Rāmānujācārya’s head. With divine knowledge, Śrī Rāmānujācārya then prayed, “May I behold Your manifest pastimes in Nadīyā.” Saying this, Śrī Rāmānujācārya cried with divine love. Then he said, “I will not leave Navadvīpa.” Mercifully, Gaurahari said, “O Śrī Rāmānujācārya, your desires will be fulfilled. When My pastimes in Nadīyā manifest, you will be born again in Navadvīpa.” Saying this, Gaurahari disappeared. Satisfied, Śrī Rāmānujācārya departed. Eventually, Śrī Rāmānujācārya arrived in Kūrma Sthāna and met his disciples there. He proceeded south and preached about dāsya–rasa while thinking of Navadvīpa and Śrī Gaurāṅga within His heart. By the mercy of Gaurāṅga, Śrī Rāmānujācārya took birth in this eternal abode of Navadvīpa as Śrī Ananta Ācārya.