What are teachings of Saint Ramanuja?

Answer 1

A very difficuly question, here is a very short introduction. Extensive reading is required to understand this fully. He explained the Vishta-Advita (Qualified Advaita) philosophy of Hinduism and the "Sri-Vaishnavite" world view. His primary teachings are as below :

1) Ramanuja does not agree with the Advita (Sri Shankara's View) that only the Para Brahman (God) is true and every thing else is Maya.

He groups everything into 3 groups Chit (Sentient), A-Chit (Non-Sentient) & Eshwar (Para Brahman). He interprets Advaitic vedic verses such that, Chit & Achit constitute the Body of the Para Brahman. Hence Chit & Achit are not "Maya", but physically exits.

Since "Chit & Achit" are the body - they are the "property" of of Para Brahman. And this Para Brahman who possesses the whole universe as his property is Advaitic, meaning there is no body to compare to him.

He also id not "Nirguna" but has innumerable "Kalya Guna" or superior qualities such as Karunya (pity), etc.

2) The Para Brahman is Sriman Narayana. SriaPathitvam (husband of Sri) is one of the most guna's of the Para Brahman. Sri is the manifestation of the Para Braman's "Ahamtha" (that which singularly identifies Para Brahman"

2) Attaining Moksha is the purpose of any soul. By moksha , he refers the soul physically existing the known universe which is part of the the creation-distruction cycle to "Vikunta" , where the souls achieve "Samyapathi" with equality with Sriman Narayanam 8 of his gunas. I unfortunatly cannot recollect these 8 gunas now.

3) Any soul, in whatever body she might have taken, (man, women, animal, plant etc.,) can achieve moksha. There is no discrimination.

4) He mentioned that in Kali Yuga, there are at best 2 methods of attaining Moksha. Bhakti (love of God) and Prapatti (complete surrender to him).

a) Bhakti is still dependent on the effort of the Bhakta, and she has to like the life as prescribed by the Vedas and think about God at the momment the soul leaves the body. Here the soul cannot be assured of Moksha at end of current birth.

b) Prapatti (Saranagathi) is acceptance of our inability to adopt any other method of achieving moksha, and perform complete surrender to him. The most important concept in parpatti is faith.

c) Prapatti has to be first to Sri (the mother) and then to Narayana (the father) for it to work.

d) Prapatti needs to be performed through a Sri Vaishnava archayar who ar ea part of the guru parampara (guru-shiya parampara) of the 72 archaya's identified by Sri Ramanuja