News: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 216-foot-tall statue of Vaishnavite saint Sri Ramanujacharya at Muchintal on 5th February 2022. Read the news here.
Let’s Understand in Simple Language:
Recently Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the statue dedicated to 11th-century Vaishnavite saint Sri Ramanujacharya. The Statue is situated in the premises of Chinna Jeeyar Trust in the Muchintal Village of Telangana. It is the second tallest sitting statue in the world. According to government sources, the entire project cost was estimated to be around 1000 crore rupees.
The Statue of Equality is built to commemorate the 1000th birth anniversary of Ramanujacharya. It is built on a 34 acre Chinna Jeeyar Trust premise. It was built of Panchaloha, a combination of gold, silver, copper, brass, and zinc, by Aerospun Corporation in China and shipped to India. It was the second-largest in the world in the sitting position of the saint.
In 2014, ascetic Chinna Jeeyar came up with the idea to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of Ramanuja’s teachings by building a statue. The statue of Equality depicts Ramanuja’s life and philosophy.
Watch this video here:
About Ramanuja:
Ramanuja is also known as Ramanujacharya. He was an Indian Tamil Hindu philosopher, Hindu theologian, social reformer, and one of the most important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism. Ramanuja was born into a Tamil Brahmin Community, in a village called Sriperumbudur (present-day Tamil Nadu) under the Chola Empire. His philosophical foundations for devotionalism were influential to the Bhakti movement.
Ramanuja is famous as the chief proponent of Vishishtadvaita subschool of Vedānta, and his disciples were likely authors of texts such as the Shatyayaniya Upanishad. Ramanuja himself wrote influential texts, such as bhāsya on the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, all in Sanskrit.
His Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism) philosophy has competed with the Dvaita (theistic dualism) philosophy of Madhvāchārya, and Advaita (non-dualism) philosophy of Ādi Shankara, together they are the three most influential Vedantic philosophies of the 2nd millennium.
About Vaishnavim:
Vaishnavism is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the Supreme Being, i.e. Mahavishnu. Its followers are called Vaishnavites or Vaishnavas and it also includes some other sub-sects like Krishnaism and Ramaism, which consider Krishna and Rama as the Supreme Being respectively. The Vaishnava tradition is the largest group within Hinduism.
About Shaivism:
Shaivism is one of the major Hindu traditions that worship Shiva, also called Rudra, as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions ranging from devotional dualistic theism such as Shaiva Siddhanta to yoga-oriented monistic non-theism such as Kashmiri Shaivism. It considers both the Vedas and the Agama texts as important sources of theology.
Difference Between Major Hindu Denominations:
| Vaishnava Traditions | Shaiva Traditions | Shakta Traditions | Smarta Traditions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scriptural authority | Vedas and Upanishads | Vedas and Upanishads | Vedas and Upanishads | Vedas and Upanishads | |
| Supreme deity | Vishnu as Mahavishnu or Krishna as Vishwarupa | Shiva as Parashiva, | Devi as Adi Parashakti , | None | |
| Creator | Vishnu | Shiva | Devi | Brahman principle | |
| Avatar | Key concept | Minor | Significant | Minor | |
| Monastic life | Accepts | Recommends | Accepts | Recommends | |
| Rituals, Bhakti | Affirms | Optional, Varies | Affirms | Optional | |
| Ahimsa and Vegetarianism | Affirms (Recommends and optional in Ekasarana Dharma) | Recommends,Optional | Optional | Recommends, Optional | |
| Free will, Maya, Karma | Affirms | Affirms | Affirms | Affirms | |
| Metaphysics | Brahman (Vishnu) and Atman (Soul, Self) | Brahman (Shiva), Atman | Brahman (Devi), Atman | Brahman, Atman | |
| Epistemology (Pramana) | 1. Perception 2. Inference 3. Reliable testimony | 1. Perception 2. Inference 3. Reliable testimony 4. Self-evident | 1. Perception 2. Inference 3. Reliable testimony | 1. Perception 2. Inference 3. Comparison and analogy 4. Postulation, derivation 5. Negative/ cognitive proof 6. Reliable testimony | |
| Philosophy (Darshanam) | Vishishtadvaita (qualified Non dualism), Dvaita (Dualism), Shuddhadvaita (Pure Non Dualism), Dvaitadvaita (Dualistic Non Dualism), Advaita (Non Dualism), Achintya Bhedabheda (Non Dualistic Indifferentiation) | Dvaita, Vishishtadvaita, Advaita | Shakti-Advaita | Advaita | |
| Salvation (Soteriology) | Videhamukti, Yoga, champions householder life | Jivanmukta, Shiva is soul, Yoga, champions monastic life | Bhakti, Tantra, Yoga | Jivanmukta, Advaita, Yoga, champions monastic life |
Questions related to the topic:
Q. Which of the following statements are correct about Alvars?
(1) They were the worshippers of Shiva.
(2) They preached their ideas in Tamil and Telugu.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 Nor 2
Ans. b
The Alvars and the Nayanars were the popular saints in Southern India who worshipped Vishnu and Shiva respectively
Q. Vaishnavite saint Shankaradeva was most popular in
(a) Kerala
(b) Karnataka
(c) Assam
(d) Orissa
Ans. c
Q. Consider the following statement (s) about Bhakti Movement
I. The leader of the bhakti movement focusing on the Lord as Rama was Ramananda.
II. Sri Ramanuja Acharya was an Indian philosopher and is recognized as the most important saint of Sri Vaishnavism.
Which of the following statement (s) is/are correct?
A. Only I
B. Only II
C. Both I & II
D. Neither I nor II
Ans: C
Q. Which of the following causes Bhakti Movement in India?
A. Caste Division
B. Untouchability
C. Ritualism
D. All of the above
Ans: D
Q. Find out the correct statement (s) related to the features of the Bhakti Movement?
I. Its proponents preached the ‘unity of the godhead and emphasized that ‘devotion to God’ and faith in him led to salvation.
II. It laid stress on the equality of all human beings and universal brotherhood.
A. Only I
B. Only II
C. Both I & II
D. Neither I nor II
Ans: C
Q. Which of the following Bhakti Saint popularised the Vaishnava cult in Gujarat?
A. Chaitanya
B. Narasi
C. Tulsidas
D. Sankar Dev
Ans: B
Q. Who among the following Bhakti Saint created Vinaya-Patrika and Kavitavali?
A. Chaitanya
B. Shankar Dev
C. Tulsidas
D. Narasi
Ans: C
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