Ramanuja (1060-1118).
The earliest exponent of the Bhakti movement was
Ramanuja who was appointed the successor of his teacher Yamunamuni. He
travelled all over India and ultimately settled down at Srirangam. He established
Vaishnavism on a sound foundation. He founded Visistadvaita Siddhanta or
qualified monism and according to him, the way to salvation lies through Karma,
Gyan and Bhakti. He wrote Sribasya, Gitabhasya, Vedanta dipa, Vedantasara. He
was born at Sriperumbudur near modern Chennai in the 12th century. He
opposed the mayavada of Shankara and advocated the philosophy of Vishista
Advaitavada (qualified monism), and founded the Shrivaishnava sect. According
to him, God is Saguna Brahman. In Vishista Advaitavada, Brahman is a personal
god with omniscient qualities. Brahman as defined by Ramanuja is an entirely
personal God. Ramanuja considered Brahman to be Vishnu or one of his avatars.
The practice of religion in Vishista Advaita is similar to Dualism, and the only
difference is that mankind enjoys a higher status than in pure dualistic worship
and is nearer to God. Thus in Vishista Advaita, although both the world and
Brahman are considered equally real; they have not considered two separate
entities as in Dualism. He also advocated prabattimarga or the path of selfsurrender
to God. He invited the downtrodden to Vaishnavism and advocated
salvation by Bhakti.
Nimbarka: The next leader of the Bhakti movement was Nimbarka, a younger
contemporary of Ramanuja. He was worshipper of Krishna and Radha. He
founded Dvaitadvaita or dualistic monism. He wrote Vedanta Parijata-saurabha,
a commentary on Brahmasutras. He settled in Mathura. He was a younger
contemporary of Ramanujam who propounded the Dvaita Advaita philosophy
and the philosophy of Bheda Abheda (difference/ non–difference). According to
him, Brahman or the supreme soul transforms itself into the souls of the world,
which are therefore real, distinct, and different from Brahman. Preacher of
Vaishnavite Bhakti in the Telangana region. Worshipper of Krishna and Radha
and established his ashrama in Braja (Mathura).He also founded the Sanak
Sampradaya.
Madhavacharya: He ranks with Sankaracharya and Ramanuja as one of the three
principal philosophers of the Vedanta system. He propounded Dvaita or dualism.
According to him, the final aim of man is the direct perception of Hari which
leads to Moksha or eternal bliss. In the 13th century, Madhava from the Kannada
region propagated Dvaita or the dualism of the Jivatma and Paramatma.
According to this philosophy, the world is not an illusion but a reality, full of real
distinction. According to Madhava, Brahman and the world are considered to be
two equally real entities and not related in any way. He also founded the Brahma
Sampradaya.
Vallabhacharya: Vallabhacharya was the next great saint of the Krishna cult of
Vaishnavism. He was born at Varanasi in 1479. He travelled much and he took his
residence in Varindaban where he started prieaching the Krishna cult. He
worshipped Lord Krishna under the title of Srinath ji. Like kabir and Nanak, he
did not consider married life a hindrance to spiritual progress. He was the author
of a number of scholarly works in Sanskrit and Brijbhasha. Vallabhacharya's
philosophy centres round the conception of one personal and loving God. He
believed in the marga (path) of pushti (grace) and bhakti (devotion). He looked
upon Sri Krishna as the highest Brahma, purushotama and parmanand (the
highest bliss). In the expression of pushtimarga, the word marga means path or
way and the word pushti means grace of God Mukti or salvation can be attained
by it and in no other way. Devotion or bhakti must be without any object in view
and without any desire of fruit. It should be accompained by love and service. He
lived at the court of Krishnadeva Raya. He propounded the Shudhadvaita (pure
monism). He founded Rudra Sampradya. According to him, God is omnipotent
and omniscient and cause of all that is there in the universe. Surdas was the
disciple of Vallabhacharya who was blind but he was largely instrumental in
popularising the Krishna cult in north India.
