Meaning of Philosophy

The sages of Greece used to be called Sophs (wise men); but Pythagoras thought the word too arrogant and adopted the compound ‘philosophia’ (I Love Wisdom), whence philosopher means ‘one who loves or courts wisdom’. Philosophy thus means ‘the science of wisdom’.

Meaning of Philosophy

What is wisdom or true knowledge? A distinction is drawn by Tennyson between Knowledge and wisdom. The former is earthly, of the mind; but wisdom is heavenly, of the soul. Amarasimha says: “True and supreme knowledge is knowledge of deliverance; the other kinds of knowledge relate to other sciences and arts.” Mokṣha-Sāstra or science of deliverance is alone conducive to wisdom or true knowledge. The latest discoveries in sciences, constructions of air ships and destructive bombs and machines do not certainly constitute wisdom. Parāśarā  says: that “knowledge alone by which the spotless Supreme Being is known, seen and attained is true knowledge; and science and knowledge relating to other things is ajñāna or nescience”. “That alone is vidyā  or science which leads us to deliverance. The sciences will make anyone only skillful”. Philosophy thus means, Ātma-Vidyā , Brahma-Vidyā or Science of the Divine.

The end and aim of supreme knowledge, according to Hindus, is the alleviation of pain and promotion of happiness. The other kinds of knowledge only sub-serve this end. Even works on grammar, medicine etc., state that they sub-serve the attainment of mukti, or liberation and salvation. Vāgbhaṭa in his treatise on Medicine says in the benedictory stanza: “Salutation unto the oldest and earliest physician, Dhanvantri, an avatā r of Viṣnu, who uproots all kinds of disease of the mind, namely desire, anger and so on, which beget attachment, ignorance, aversion, etc.- diseases which ever persist whichever body is assumed”. Evidently, the author prays to God for the complete annihilation of the ills of samsāra or worldly existence. The central motive which must govern the whole life according to Hindu philosophy, is, how the soul may be freed from pain, how misery may be put and end to and how bliss may be attained and perpetuated infinitely. The chief defect of western philosophy lies in the fact that it is divorced from dharma or religion-law, which, in its perfection and completeness, is the supreme science-knowledge, chiefly directed towards the achievement of the desired happiness, here and here after by means of suitable actions done here. This idea was, in a way, present in mind of Socrates. Socrates was filled with the most intense conviction of the Supreme and overwhelming importance of truth, of the paramount duty of doing the right because it is right, on every occasion, whatever may be the consequence. He gave his first and superlative care to the perfection of his soul and those of others. His whole teaching rested on the doctrine, ‘virtue is knowledge’. And conversely, if virtue is knowledge, vise is ignorance. A man who knows what is right must always do the right. A man who does not know what is right cannot do the right. Knowledge is not a part, it is not even an indispensable condition, of virtue. It is virtue itself.

The Mahābhārata says: “the aim of all knowledge is the formation of character and conduct.” Unfortunately, western philosophy relegates this most important function to Theology or Ethics. But Hindu philosophy treats of metaphysics as pre-eminently goading as to action for reaching the goal. The comprehensive teaching of philosophy, in the Bhagavad Gitā, aims at the attainment of the Supreme Being, Brahman or Nārāyaņā, by means of constant practice of bhakti or upāsanā which can be achieved by karma, jñāna and vairāgya or this attachment, as beautifully summarized by Yāmunācārya in the first stanza of his Gitārthasaṅgraha. In the opening sentence of his Vedārthasaṅgraha, Bhagavān Śri Rāmānuja says: “You can reach God if, with intense love and devotion, you worship Him by mind, word and deed, by meditating on Him, by uttering His holy names, by offering flowers etc., by prostrating at His lotus-feet and so on, along with the performance of duty cast on you according to Varna (caste) and āśrama, with the correct and true knowledge of the relation between the individual soul and the Supreme Soul.” The idea contained in this sentence is developed throughout the whole work.

Unable to bear the sight of the sufferings of millions of souls in this worldly existence, four persons who were the personification of mercy, love and pity, trade for the complete annihilations of the ills of those souls. They are: Sage Parāśara, King Ranti Deva, Saint Nammāḻvār, and Bhagavān Śri Rāmanuja.

1. Parāśara prays at the end of Viṣṇupurāṇa: “Let lord Hari bestow on all souls that plenty and prosperity which is free from birth, old age, death and other ills.”
2. Ranti Deva saw the suffering of people during famine, cried aloud and prayed: “I do not desire to reach the place of the four-headed Brahma with all the yogic powers of animā, mahimā, etc. nor, do I covet that bliss called Mokṣa from where there is no return. But I do long to be inside all the souls and get the transference of all the sufferings and miseries of all the embodied souls unto myself; for, by my experiencing all their miseries, they may be freed from them.”
3. Similarly, Saint Nammaḻvar, in the first stanza of the first of his four works in Tamil, namely, Tiruviruttam, praise to God and appeals to him as follows; “Being unable to bear the sight of suffering millions, this is my petition to you, O, Lord! Let us not get again false knowledge, bad conduct and impure body, let us not get the miseries of births and deaths. This is my appeal to you on behalf of millions of sufferers.”
4. One of Śri Rāmānuja’s preceptors was Tirukkoṭṭiyūr Nambi. The guru tried the disciple 18 times to ascertain if he was a fit recipient of the sacred mantra of 8 letters. At last, the Nambi, in his grace, initiated him into the mysteries of the mantra and, at the same time wrested a promise from Rāmānuja that he would not reveal the import of the mantra to others. Ramanuja pondered over the mantra and its hidden meanings taught by his guru, overnight, and on the next day thought within himself that he could remove all the ills of humanity by openly broadcasting the sacred mantra and its meanings to the suffering humanity. Accordingly, he collected several people on the next day, and in front of the local deity at Tirukkoṭṭiyūr, preached to them the hidden meanings of the mantra. The guru heard of the disobedience of his orders, summoned Rāmānuja and asked him if that report was true. Rāmānuja replied that it was quite true. Then, the guru asked him if he knew the consequence of such a wanton disobedience. The disciples said: “Yes, I know that the worst of the hells awaits me.” “Why, then,” the guru asked him, “did you court the worst of hells?”. The reply given by Rāmānuja is most thrilling and discloses his universal love and mercy. He replied: “I alone shall go to hell as a result of my transgression of your command, while the rest of the suffering humanity, by virtue of their connection with your holy feet, by being virtually your disciples, will certainly reach heaven.” The guru was amazed by the broad mindedness, boundless love and mercy of Rāmānuja which were denied to him (the guru), extolled and pardoned the disciple.

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This article is extracted from the book THE PHILOSOPHY OF ŚRI RĀMĀNUJĀ - VISIṢTADVAITA written by Sri V.R. Srisaila Chakravarti (Coimbatore) and published by V.S.R. Chakravarti, 24, Kasturi Ranga Iyengar Road, Madras - 18. The book is printed at Bharati Vijayam Press, Triplicane, Madras - 600 005 in the year 1974.

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Significance of Kaishika Ekadasi

In our Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya every Ekadasi (the 11th day of bright & black fortnight) has a special name. Accordingly during the Krittika month, the Ekadasi during the bright fortnight is called Kaishika Ekadasi. Learn about the significance of this Ekadasi day and listen to the story of Nambaduvan. This year Kaishika Ekadasi falls on the 28th of November, 2009.

In our Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya every Ekadasi (the 11th day of bright & black fortnight) has a special name. Accordingly during the Krittika month, the Ekadasi during the bright fortnight is called Kaishika Ekadasi (today some use the term Koushika Ekadasi, which is wrong; Sage Vishwamitra has nothing to do with this Ekadasi). Kaishika is a raga in music. How is this raga related with this Ekadasi will become clear in the course of this article!

What do we understand from this episode? Somasarma though a Brahmin became a Rakshasa, but Nampaduvan though a Chandala was able to expiate him of all his sins. Hence caste is not a criterion for us to salute a person. His deep devotion to the Lord, knowledge of the Lord and a total renunciation of all worldly pleasures are very important criteria. The caste is physical. It does not belong to the soul. Hence Nampaduvan was elevated to the highest order. In case of such holy men of that high order, consideration of the caste is an offence. They are equal to Nithyasooris. Hence our Acharyas equate Nampaduvan with Vishwamitra, Sri Vishnuchitta and ThondarAdiPodi Azhwar, all of whom sang divine songs in order to wake up the Lord (Thiruppalliyezhuchchi). The Lord (Sri Varaha) also showered on him love and affection and called him Nampaduvan (My Singer). Let us therefore be very careful in not committing Bhaagavata Apachara. This is what we learn from Kaishika Puranam.

Listen to Sri.U.Ve. M.A.Venkata Krishnan Swami reciting Kaishika Mahatmyam {audio}media/KaisikaEkadasi/KaisikaPuranam.mp3{/audio}

Listen to a upanyasam by Sri.U.Ve. P.T. Seshadri Swami on Kaishika Mahatmyam {audio}media/KaisikaEkadasi/KaisikaMahathmyamAndVarahaCharamaSlokam.mp3{/audio}

இராமாநுச நூற்றந்தாதி - 18

எய்தற்கரியமறைகளை * ஆயிரமின் தமிழால்
செய்தற்குலகில்வருஞ் சடகோபனை* சிந்தையுள்ளே
பெய்தற்கிசையும்பெரியவர்சீரை யுயிர்களெல்லாம்
உய்தற்குதவும்* இராமாநுசனெம்முறு துணையே

வேதந் தமிழ்செய்த மாறன் சடகோபனையே வாழ்த்தும் ஸ்ரீமதுரகவிகளின் பக்தரான எம்பெருமானார் நமக்கு உற்றதுணை யென்றாராயிற்று. இப்பாட்டில், ஸ்ரீமதுரகவிகள் பெரியவர் என்று சிறப்பித்துக் கூறப்பட்டமை நோக்கத்தக்கது. “புவியு மிருவிசும்பும் நின்னகத்த, நீ யென் செவியின் வழிபுகுந்து என்னுள்ளாய் அவிவின்றி, யான் பெரியவன் நீ பெரியை யென்பதனை யாரறிவார், ஊன்பருகு நேமியாயுள்ளு” [பெரிய திருவந்தாதி] என்று பெரிதான பரப்ரஹ்மத்தை உள்ளடக்கின பெரியவரையும் [நம்மாழ்வாரையும்] உள்ளடக்கின பெரியவரிறே மதுரகவிகள்.

இராமாநுச நூற்றந்தாதி - 4

என்னைப்புவியிலொருபொருளாக்கி* மருள் சுரந்த
முன்னைப்பழவினைவேரறுத்து* ஊழிமுதல்வனையே
பன்னப்பணித்த விராமாநுசன் பரன்பாதமுமென்
சென்னித்தரிக்க வைத்தான்* எனக்கேதுஞ்சிதைவில்லையே.

இராமாநுச நூற்றந்தாதி - 4

என்னைப்புவியிலொருபொருளாக்கி* மருள் சுரந்த
முன்னைப்பழவினைவேரறுத்து* ஊழிமுதல்வனையே
பன்னப்பணித்த விராமாநுசன் பரன்பாதமுமென்
சென்னித்தரிக்க வைத்தான்* எனக்கேதுஞ்சிதைவில்லையே.        

ஊழி முதல்வனையே    காலம் முதலிய ஸகல பதார்த்தங்களுக்கும் காரண பூதனான எம்பெருமானையே
பன்ன    (எல்லாரும் விவேகித்து) அநு ஸந்திக்கும்படி
பணித்த    (ஸ்ரீ பாஷ்ய முகத்தாலே) அருளிச்செய்த
பரன் இநாமாநுசன்    ஸர்வோத்க்ருஷ்டரான எம்பெருமானார்
புவியில்    இந்த பூமியிலே
என்னை ஒரு பொருள் ஆக்கி    (அபார்த்தமாய்க் கிடந்த) என்னை ஒரு பதார்த்தமாக்கி
மருள் சுரந்த முன்னை பழை வினை வேர் அறுத்து    அஜ்ஞான மூலகங்களாய் மிகவும் அநாதிகளான (எனது) பாவங்களை வேரற நீக்கி
பாதமும்    தமது திருவடிகளையும்
என் சென்னி    எனது தலையிலே
தரிக்க வைத்தான்    நான் உகந்து தரிக்கும் படியாக வைத்தருளினார்; (இவ்வளவு மஹாப்ரஸாதம் பெற்றேனான பின்பு)
எனக்கு    அடியேனுக்கு
ஏதும் சிதைவு இல்லை    எவ்விதமான ஹாநியும் இனி உண்டாக வழியில்லை.

* * * எம்பெருமானாருடைய நிர்ஹேதுக விஷயீகாரத்திற்கு ஆளான நான் இனி ஒரு நாளும் எவ்விதமான ஹாநியையும் அடையமாட்டேன் என்கிறார். பதார்த்த கோடியில் சேராமல் துச்சனாயிருந்த எனது கருமங்களையெல்லாம் வேரற நீக்கி, தமது பாதாரவிந்தங்களையும் என் தலைமேலே வைத்தருளினார் எம்பெருமானனர்; இப்பேறு பெற்ற எனக்கு இனி ஒரு குறையுமில்லை என்றாராயிற்று.
மருள் சுரந்த – அஜ்ஞாநத்தாலே செய்யப்பட்ட என்கை; மருளாலே சுரக்கப்பட்ட என்றவாற்; ஊழிமுதல்வனனயே பன்னப்பணித்த – ஊழிமுதல்வனான எம்பெருமானையே பரவும்படி அமுதனாராகிய தம்மைச் செய்தருளின – என்று அர்த்தமல்ல; பகவத்விமுகரா யிருந்தவர்களை யெல்லாம் உபதேசாதி முகத்தாலே பகவத் ப்ரவணராம்படி செய்தருளினவர் என்று பொதுப்படியாகச் சொன்னபடி. ஊழிமுதல்வன் – பிரளயகாலத்தில் முழுமுதற் கடவுளாயிருந்தவன் என்றுமாம்….                                    (4)