Ramanuja was a social reformer, guru, and Hindu philosopher from India. He was also known by his Sanskrit name, Ramanujacharya. One of the most influential proponents of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition that can be found within Hinduism, he is known for his work. His philosophical underpinnings for devotionalism were important to the development of the Bhakti movement.
Here you can read Ramanuja Quotes in English, Tamil and hindi language by using the language translator tool above on the top left.
Also Read: Madhvacharya Quotes
Ramanuja Quotes
What a person envisions themselves to be has a direct bearing on the goals and aspirations they have for their lives.
When the food is unadulterated, the sattva element in the body is also unadulterated, and a steady memory results.
To a limited extent and for a short period of time, cognitions of the nature of joy can be bestowed upon things other than Brahman; however, this privilege is not absolute. However, the nature of Brahman is such that knowing him brings an unending and everlasting joy. Since this is the case, the shruti [ancien Indian scripture] asserts that “Brahman is bliss” (Taittitriya Upanishad II.6.) The object of cognition is what determines its form, and since joy is a form of cognition, Brahman itself is joy.
Men who are not familiar with Vedanta are unable to comprehend the idea that everything, including each individual self, has Brahman as its own self. They believe that the meaning of all terms can be reduced to the signification of the various objects in and of themselves, despite the fact that these objects are only a component of the meaning of terms and not the meaning itself. Now, through the study of Vedanta, they have come to the realisation that all of these objects are the results of Brahman, that Brahman is the inner ruler of all of them, and that Brahman serves as the animating force within them as their very soul. As a result, they come to the realisation that all terms signify Brahman itself, with the entities serving as its modes; however, only the latter are the ones to which the terms are applied in everyday language.
Ramanujacharya Philosophy
The individual ego is prey to limitless ignorance, which has resulted in the amassing of karma, which can take the form of either good or bad deeds depending on how you look at it.
The torrent of such karma causes his entry into four different kinds of bodies, beginning with that of Brahma and progressing downwards. These bodies are heavenly, human, animal, and plant.
This ingression into bodies results in a false sense of one’s own identity being associated with those respective bodies (and the consequent attachments and aversions).
This delusion inevitably gives rise to all of the fears that are inherently associated with the state of existing in the world. The elimination of these phobias is one of the primary goals of Vedanta in its entirety.
They instruct their students to do the following in order to ensure their extinction:
- The aspect of the individual self that is fundamentally distinct from the physical body.
- The qualities that make up the person’s unique self.
- The fundamental aspect of the Supreme Being, which is the most fundamental controller of not only the physical universe but also the individual selves themselves.
- The characteristics of the All-Powerful.
- The pious focus on the Supreme Being in meditation.
- The destination that one arrives at as a result of such meditation.
- The purpose of Vedanta is to make known the goal that can be attained through such a life of meditation. This goal is the realisation, of the real nature of the individual self, and then after and through that realisation, the direct experience of Brahman, which is of the nature of bliss that is infinite and perfect.
Teachings of Sri Ramanujacharya
The happiest and most effective route to God is through complete and total self-surrender and devotion.
The seeker must first acquire a true knowledge of both the individual self and the Supreme; he must then devote himself to meditation, worship, and the adoration of the Supreme; finally, the seeker must combine this knowledge with discipline in order to realise the Supreme.
The path to the ultimate happiness in life is the blissful communion with Brahman through the practise of bhakti, which is an act of devoted and loving contemplation. This is made possible by leading a life of virtue and is established on certain philosophical understanding.
According to Ramanuja, there are three different kinds of souls: baddha, which means “bound,” nitya, which means “eternal,” and mukta, which means “free” (bound). The eternal souls have never been subjected to servitude in any form.
They have liberty for all eternity. They are in the presence of God in Vaikuntha. The liberated souls used to be bound by Samsara, but they have since achieved salvation and are now able to live with God.
The bound souls are entangled in the webs of Samsara and are working hard to free themselves from their prison there. They continue to repeat the same cycle of lives until they are finally saved. (As per Swami Sivananda Teaching)
Sri Ramanuja on Brahman
That supreme Brahman who is the ruler of everything, whose nature is opposed to all evil, whose plans come true, who has infinite good qualities like knowledge, bliss, and so on; who is all-knowing, all-powerful, and supremely merciful; from whom the creation, sustenance, and re-absorption of this world – with its many wonderful arrangements that can’t be understood by thought, and which includes the souls of everyone from Brahma to blades of grass.