Session 4 – Ramanuja and Nimbarka acharyas

1. Session 4 – Ramanuja and Nimbarkaacharyas Gopal haridasa

2. Alvars • Ramanujawas born in Tamil region, and grew up in the rich tradition of the Alvars • Alvar means, “one who dives deep.” • During first seven centuries after Christ, Buddhism and Jainism were taking over India, with the complete loss of Vedic Culture. • Kings were patronizing Buddhism and Jainism due to their novelty, because they rejected caste and ritual. • According to some scholars, the Alwarsappeared after this time • (7th to 9th century A.D., traditional accounts say 5000 years ago). • To preserve Vedic culture, they spread it in the local language. This way it would reach the people, and transcend the barrier of Sanskrit.

3. alvars Alvars • 12 in number • one was a woman • another an untouchable • some were non-brahmins (Kulashekara) • An emotional approach to God • Loving surrender to God is the means of approaching him • Focus of God’s grace, available for everyone. • Nammalvar is the foremost of the Alvars • He wrote four works Tiruviruttam, Tiruvasariyam, Tiruvaimoli and PeriyaTiruvandadi, which are equated by Sri Vaisnavas with the four Vedas • Nathamuni, appeared in year 824 A.D., collected the hyms of all Alvars • called Nalayiram (four thousand), and the DivyaPrabhanda • each group of thousand represent a Veda • DivyaPrabhanda contains the essence of the Upanishads • The Alvars dived deep into divine communion and gave sweet soul-stirring lyrics. Their devotion is similar to the devotion present by Chaitanya of the Gaudiyatradition. • The later acharyas, starting Natha-muni, began systematizing their philosophy.

4. Ramanuja Acharya – (1017-1137) Visistadvaita philosophy accepts three fundamental entities as ultimate reality: • They are acit (matter), • cit(individual self) and • Isvara(God).

5. Nimbarka Acharya (1162-unknown)

6. Nimbarkaacharya • Nimbarka'sphilosophical position is known as `Dvaita-advaita' or `Bhedabheda.' • The categories of existence, according to him, are three, i.e., `Cit,' `Acit,' and `Isvara.' • Citand Acit are different from Isvara, in the sense that they have attributes and capacities, which are different from those of Isvara. At the same time Cit and Acit are not different from Isvara, because they cannot exist independently of Him. • Difference means a kind of existence which is separate but dependent (`para-tantra-satta-bhava'), • While non-difference means impossibility of independent existence (`svatantra-satta-bhava'). • Nimbarka equally emphasisesboth difference and non-difference (as against Ramanuja, who makes difference subordinate to non-difference), • The relation between Brahman and the souls (`cit') and universe (`acit'), is a relation of natural difference-non-difference (`Svabhavika-bhedabheda'), • The examples he gives: the snake and its coil, the sun and its rays, and the earth and stones.

7. Nimbarka’s god • Brahman is Krsna or Hari, a personal God. • Brahman is both • the `Upadana' (material cause) and • the `Nimitta‘ (efficient cause). • Two aspects of Brahman • As creator and controller • As the abode of sweetness and beauty • Brahman – Krsna – appears as • The `vyuhas' (ie., Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha) and • As various incarnation (Matsya, Kurmaetc).

8. Nimbarka’s self • The cit or individual soul is of the nature of knowledge (`Jnana-svarupa) • The Jiva can be both knowledge and the possessor of knowledge at the same time, just as • the sun is both light and the source of light. • The Jiva can be both the qualified (`dharmin') and the quality (`dharma'), although they are still different from each other. • Thus, there is both a difference and a non-difference between the `dharmin' and `dharma‘. • Jiva is also Ego (`ahamarthah') • Jiva is active (`kartr') and is also enjoyer (`bhoktr'). • But the Jiva is dependent and controlled, whereas Isvara is not.

9. Nimbarka’s world • The `acit' is of three different kinds: viz. • `prakrta,' that which comes from prakrti • `aprakrta,‘ that which does not originate from prakrti • `kala.‘ time. • Purusottamacarya of the Nimbarkaschool, in his Vedantaratna-manjusadescribes `aprakrta‘ as the material cause of the `dham' (celestial abode) of Brahman • the bodies and ornaments etc. of Brahman and his associates. • Prakrti, or primal matter, is the stuff of the entire universe, is real and eternal like the individual souls, and like them, has Brahman for its cause. • Prakrti consists of three qualities • sattva (goodness, light), • rajas (passion, activity) and • tamas (ignorance, solidarity).

10. Nimbarka’s path to liberation To attain deliverance, the Jiva has to commence with a complete submission to the Paramatman, or `prapatti,' whose six constituents are: a) a resolution to yield (`anukulasyasamkalpah') b) the avoidance of opposition (`pratikulasyavarjanam') c) faith that God will protect (`raksisyatiityvisvasah') d) acceptance of Him as saviour (`goptrtva-varanam') e) throwing one's whole soul upon him (`atmaniksepah') and f) a sense of helplessness (`karpanya'). God's grace extends itself to those who are possessed of these 6 constituent of `prapatti,' i.e., who are `prapanna;' and by that grace is generated `bhakti' consisting of special life for him, which ultimately ends in the realisation (`saksatkara') of the Paramatman.

11. Nimbarka’s path to liberation (continued) Sri Nimbarka also refers to 4 other methods of sadhanas: (1) `karma' (performed conscientiously in a proper spirit, with one's varnaand asramathereby giving rise to knowledge which is a means to salvation) (2) `vidya' or knowledge (not as a subordinate factor of karma, but as an independent means) (3) `upasana' or `dhyana' (3 kinds) (a) meditation on the Lord as one's self, (b) meditation on the Lord as the non-sentient (c) meditation on Lord Himself, as different from the sentient and non-sentient (4) `gurupasatti' (devotion and self surrender to guru)