Brilliant Article found by me in "Shree RangaNatha Mahimai" in SADAGOPAN.ORG edition.
I have split in 2 parts: part 01 - preambule, dwelling on Upanishadic Karikas and Pramanas of OM VishnuPad Ramanuja Maha Acharya; part 02 - dwells on our very much adored "Shree MahaNarayana-Upanishada".
Sri Raamanuja And Oupanishada-Parama Purushan
by Sri Nrusimha Seva Rasikan,
Oppiliappan Koil Sri.VaradAchAri SaThakOpan
AchArya RaamAnujA recognized Sriman naarAyaNaa as
the OupanishadaParama Purushan (the Supreme spirit revealed in the Upanishads).
He is the same Parama Purushan celebrated by Sri GeethOpanishad in the chapter on PurushOtthama Yogam.
This Supreme spirit of the Upanishads has been saluted by AchArya RaamAnujA as “Sruthi-sirasi Videepthan” (the shining crown of the VedAs).
The nectar churned out of the milky ocean of Upanishads by BaadarAyaNA’s Brahma sUthrams was interpreted by AchAryA RaamAnujA to strengthen the citadel Of Sri VisishtAdvaitham and fly high the flag of the supremacy of our Soulabhya Para VaasudEvan of Srirangam.
With great coherency and clarity, AchArya RaamAnujA commented on BaadarAyaNa sUtrAs in His Sri BhAshyam and elucidated “the philosophically central affirmations of the Upanishads”.
As an easier text for us to understand, AchArya RaamAnujA gave us VedArtha SangrahA, whose central purpose was to gather into focus the teachings of Upanishads.
Sudarsana Suri, the author of Srutha PrakAsikA, an elaboration of Sri Bhaashyam of AchArya RaamAnujA states that the great AchArya extracted the nectar of VedaanthA, meaning Upanishads.
With his effective and clear synthesis of the bhEda, bhedAbhEda and abhEda sruthis, AchArya RaamAnujA was able to establish a coherent doctrine of Brahman.
The essence of AchAryA’s thesis that is endearing and assuring is that the Brahman of the Upanishads is the paratattvA (Supreme Reality), parahitA (the supreme way to redemption) and ParapurushArthA (the supreme goal).
For AchArya RaamAnujA, “the ultimate spirit holds ALL things within it and abides as indweller in ALL things - such is the final substance and the entire message of the Upanishads, according to RaamAnujA.
For his way of thinking, the concept of Sriman NaarAyaNaa, properly comprehended, embodies in itself this philosophy completely.
Hence one may, as well, conclude that the whole teaching of the Upanishads stands summed up in a supreme synthesis in the concept of nArAyaNaa”.
PERSONAL GOD AND THE UPANISHIDIC BRAHMAN
Sri RamAnujA postulated a personal God and defined Brahman this way:
“By the word Brahman is denoted the highest person, who is, by nature, devoid of all evil, and is possessed of hosts of auspicious qualities, which are innumerable and unsurpassable in excellence”.
He accepted a world that is real distinctly different from the world of illusion of the advaitins.
Regarding the means of attainment, AchArya RaamAnujA accepted Bhakthi and Prapatthi, “wherein the Lord is considered both as a means and the object of attainment. Only he attains the Lord, whom he elects with grace”.
This is the essence of Sri VisishtAdvaitha Darsanam and Parama purusha prasAdham is central to it and the Samastha chidachidh vasthu sareeran as akhilAthman blesses us to gain Moksham.
These then are the conclusions of AchArya RaamAnujA that we cherish as the distillation of the essence of the Upanishads on the aupanishadic Parama Purushan reclining on His serpent bed at Srirangam.
THE SOURCE UPANISHADS FOR SRI RAAMANUJA’S SRI SOOKTHIS
The 15 upanishads quoted by AchArya RaamAnujA to develop his synthetic approach to reconcile the three categories of sruthis are:
1. Isa,
2. Kena,
3. Katha,
4. Prasna,
5. Mundaka,
6. MaandUkya,
7. aitarEya,
8. TaittirIya,
9. ChandOgya,
10. BrihadAraNyaka,
11. KaushItakI,
12. SvetAsvaatara,
13. MahOpanishad,
14. SubAlOpanishad and
15. MahA naarAyaNOpanishad.
Cited from
AV021 - Ranganatha mahimai v2
