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Vishishtadvaita
Vishishtadvaita (IAST '; ) is a school of Hindu philosophy belonging to the Vedanta tradition. Vishishta Advaita means "non-duality with distinctions" and recognizes Brahman (ब्रह्म) as the promordial quality while also acknowledging its existential multiplicity. This philosophy can be characterized as a form of qualified monism, or a qualified non-dualism. It upholds the belief that all diversity ultimately stems from a fundamental underlying unity. According to Vishishtadvaita, Vishnu is Brahman ( Param Brahman) is the Supreme Lord (Ishvara), who is the supreme person (Paramatman) and has noble attributes such as omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, and omnibenevolence. The universe depends upon God (Ishvara) for its being as well as for its qualities. Ramanuja, the 11–12th century philosopher and the main proponent of Vishishtadvaita philosophy, contends that the Prasthanatrayi ("The three sources"), namely the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ramanujacharya Idol In A Temple
Ramanuja ('; Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmānuja; 1077 – 1157), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and social reformer. He is one of the most important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition in Hinduism. His philosophical foundations for devotional practice were influential in the Bhakti movement. Ramanuja's guru was Yādava Prakāśa, a scholar who, traditionally, is said to have belonged to the Advaita Vedānta tradition, but probably was a Bhedabheda scholar. Sri Vaishnava tradition holds that Ramanuja disagreed with his guru and the non-dualistic Advaita Vedānta, and instead followed in the footsteps of Tamil Alvārs tradition, the scholars Nāthamuni and Yamunāchārya. Ramanuja is famous as the chief proponent of Vishishtadvaita school of Vedānta, and his disciples were likely authors of texts such as the Shatyayaniya Upanishad. Ramanuja himself wrote influential texts, such as Sanskrit bhāsyas on th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gita
The Bhagavad Gita (; ), often referred to as the Gita (), is a Hindu scripture, dated to the second or first century BCE, which forms part of the epic poem Mahabharata. The Gita is a synthesis of various strands of Indian religious thought, including the Vedic concept of '' dharma'' (duty, rightful action); samkhya-based ''yoga'' and '' jnana'' (knowledge); and '' bhakti'' (devotion). Among the Hindu traditions, the text holds a unique pan-Hindu influence as the most prominent sacred text and is a central text in Vedanta and the Vaishnava Hindu tradition. While traditionally attributed to the sage Veda Vyasa, the Gita is historiographically regarded as a composite work by multiple authors. Incorporating teachings from the Upanishads and the samkhya yoga philosophy, the Gita is set in a narrative framework of dialogue between the pandava prince Arjuna and his charioteer guide Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, at the onset of the Kurukshetra War. Though the Gita prais ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nammalvar
Nammalvar was one of the twelve Alvars, Alvar saints of Tamil Nadu, India, who are known for their affiliation to the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The verses of the Alvars are compiled as the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, Naalayira Divya Prabandham, where praises are sung of 108 temples that are classified as divine realms, called the Divya Desam, Divya Desams. Nammalvar is considered to be the fifth in the line of the twelve Alvars. He is highly regarded as a great mystic of the Vaishnava tradition. He is also considered to be the foremost among the twelve Alvars, and his contributions amount to 1352 among the 4000 stanzas in the ''Naalayira Divya Prabandam''. According to traditional scriptures, Nammalvar was born in 3059 BCE in Alwarthirunagiri; historically he flourished in 8th century CE. In Hindu legends, Nammalvar remained speechless from the moment of his birth, sitting under a tamarind tree when he first interacted with Madhurakavi Alvar, who saw a bright light shinin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Divya Prabandha
The Naalayira Divya Prabandham () is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses composed by the 12 Alvars. It was compiled in its present form by Nāthamuni during the 9th–10th centuries. The work, an important liturgical compilation of the Tamil Alvars who lived between 5th and 8th Century CE, marks the beginning of the canonisation of 12 ''Vaishnava'' poet saints, and these hymns are still sung extensively today. Description The ''Divya Prabandham'' sings the praises of Narayana (Vishnu) and his many forms. The Alvars sang these songs at various sacred shrines known as the Divya Desams. The Tamil '' Vaishnavites'', also known as ''Ubhaya Vedanti'' follow both the Sanskrit Vedas as well as the Tamil-language '' Tiruvaymoli,'' a work which devotees of Sri Vaishnavism regard as the Tamil Veda. In many temples — Srirangam, for example — the chanting of the Divya Prabandham forms a major part of the daily service. It is also recited in some North Indian Vaishnavite temples, su ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vaishnava
Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, '' Mahavishnu''. It is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. Its followers are called Vaishnavites or ''Vaishnava''s (), and it includes sub-sects like Krishnaism and Ramaism, which consider Krishna and Rama as the supreme beings respectively. According to a 2020 estimate by The World Religion Database (WRD), hosted at Boston University’s Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs (CURA), Vaishnavism is the largest Hindu sect, constituting about 399 million Hindus. The ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, and broadly hypothesized as a fusion of various regional non-Vedic religions with worship of Vishnu. It is considered a merger of several popular non-Vedic theistic traditions, particularly the Bhagavata cults of Vāsudeva-Krishna and '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acharya
In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a religious teacher in Hinduism and Buddhism and a spiritual guide to Hindus and Buddhists. The designation has different meanings in Hinduism, Buddhism and secular contexts. ''Acharya'' is sometimes used to address an expert teacher or a scholar in any discipline, e.g.: Bhaskaracharya, the expert mathematician. Etymology The Sanskrit phrase ''ācāraṁ grahāyati ācāraṁ dadāti iti vā'' means ''Acharya'' (or teacher) is the one who teaches good conduct to one's students. A female teacher is called an ''achāryā,'' and a male teacher's wife is called an ''achāryāni'' In Hinduism The term '''Acharya''' has numerous definitions. Hinduism frequently uses the terms "''acharya''" and "''guru''" interchangeably. According to the Dharmaśāstra, Dharma Shastras, ''acharya'' is the one who imparts knowledge of the entire Vedas, Veda to a student and performs upan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nathamuni
Nathamuni, also known as Sri Ranganathamuni, (823 CE – 951 CE), was a Vaishnava theologian who collected and compiled the ''Naalayira Divya Prabandham''.Srinivasa Chari, S. M. (1994). Vaiṣṇavism, p.22-24. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers./ref> Considered the first of the Sri Vaishnava a''charyas'', Nathamuni is also the author of the ''Yogarahasya'',Desikachar, T.K.V. (2010). The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice, p.231. Inner Traditions, Bear & Co./ref> and the ''Nyayatattva''. Biography Early life Nathamuni is generally considered to have been born in 823 CE and to have died in 951 CE. His birth name was Aranganathan; however, he was known as Nathamuni, which literally means ''Saint-lord'' (''Nathan'' - lord, ''muni'' - saint).Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri (1964). The culture and history of the Tamils, p.149Padmaja, T. (2002). Temples of Kr̥ṣṇa in South India: History, Art, and Traditions in Tamil Nadu. Abhinav Publications./ref> An altern ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chandogya Upanishad
The ''Chandogya Upanishad'' (Sanskrit: , IAST: ''Chāndogyopaniṣad'') is a Sanskrit text embedded in the Chandogya Brahmana of the Sama Veda of Hinduism.Patrick Olivelle (2014), ''The Early Upanishads'', Oxford University Press; , pp. 166-169 It is one of the oldest Upanishads. In the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads, it is listed as the ninth. The Upanishad belongs to the ''Tandya'' school of the Samaveda. Like ''Brihadaranyaka Upanishad'', the Chandogya is an anthology of texts that must have pre-existed as separate texts, and were edited into a larger text by one or more ancient Indian scholars. The precise chronology of ''Chandogya Upanishad'' is uncertain, and it is variously dated to have been composed by the 8th to 6th century BCE in India. As one of the most extensive Upanishadic compilations, it comprises eight ''Prapathakas'' (literally 'lectures' or 'chapters'), each divided into multiple sections containing numerous verses. The volumes include a diverse array of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Uttara Mimamsa
''Vedanta'' (; , ), also known as ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six orthodox ( ''āstika'') traditions of Hindu philosophy and textual exegesis. The word ''Vedanta'' means 'conclusion of the Vedas', and encompasses the ideas that emerged from, or aligned and reinterpreted, the speculations and enumerations contained in the Upanishads, focusing, with varying emphasis, on devotion, knowledge and liberation. Vedanta developed into many traditions, all of which give their specific interpretations of a common group of texts called the '' Prasthānatrayī'', translated as 'the three sources': the ''Upanishads'', the ''Brahma Sutras'', and the ''Bhagavad Gita''. All Vedanta traditions are exegetical in nature, but also contain extensive discussions on ontology, soteriology, and epistemology, even as there is much disagreement among the various traditions. Independently considered, they may seem completely disparate due to the pronounced differences in thoughts and reasonin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Purva Mimamsa
The Fourteen Purvas (meaning ancient or prior knowledge) are a large body of Jain scriptures that was preached by all Tirthankaras (omniscient teachers) of Jainism encompassing the entire gamut of knowledge available in this universe. The persons having the knowledge of purvas were given an exalted status of ''Shrutakevali'' or "scripturally omniscient persons". Both the Jain traditions, Śvetāmbara and Digambara hold that all the fourteen purvas have been lost.Jaini, Padmanabh (1998). ''The Jaina Path of Purification''. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. . According to tradition, the Purvas were part of canonical literature and deposited in the third section of Drstivada (the twelfth and last canon). Knowledge of Purvas became fairly vulnerable after Mahavira's nirvana (liberation) and on account of effects of famine, such that, eventually only one person— Bhadrabahu Svami had a command over it. In accordance with the prophecy of Mahavira, the knowledge of Purvas died within 1, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vedarthasamgraha
The ''Vedarthasamgraha'' (), also rendered ''Vedarthasangraha'', is a treatise by the Hindu philosopher Ramanuja, comprising his exegesis of a number of ''Upanishad''ic texts. The first of his three major works, Ramanuja propounds the doctrine of the Vishishtadvaita philosophy in this work and offers a discourse on the concepts of ''Brahman, bhakti'', and ''moksha'' in ''Vedanta'' philosophy. Etymology ''Vedarthasamgraha'' literally means "summary of the meaning of the Vedas" in Sanskrit. Content The ''Vedarthasamgraha'' begins with the exaltation of the deity Vishnu, traditional in Vaishnava works of his period. Criticism of Advaita The work is noteworthy for its criticism of Adi Shankara's Advaita philosophy. He offers a number of arguments to oppose the postulations of Advaita: * Ramanuja argues that since Advaita claims that all is ''mithya'' (illusory), there is nothing that is required to be known. He regards this to be incompatible with the Advaita notion that al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ultimate Reality
Ultimate reality is "the supreme, final, and fundamental power in all reality". It refers to the most fundamental fact about reality, especially when it is seen as also being the most valuable fact. This may overlap with the concept of the Absolute in certain philosophies. Greek philosophy Anaximander () believed that the ultimate substance of the universe, generally known as ''arche'', was apeiron, an infinite and eternal substance that is the origin of all things. Aristotle (384–322 BCE) held that the unmoved mover "must be an immortal, unchanging being, ultimately responsible for all wholeness and orderliness in the sensible world" and that its existence is necessary to support everyday change. Democritus (c. 460–370 BCE) and Epicureanism (c. 307 BCE) rejected the idea of ultimate reality, saying that only atoms and void exist, but they do have the eternal, unbounded, and self-caused nature of non- materialistic views of the concept. In Neoplatonism (3rd century CE ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
