DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0131
Vaishnavism. The Ramanuja Sect. 119
course on the philosophical views of the sect to which he
belongs (see p. 95). One point requires to be well under-
stood in comparing the Vaishnava religion with Christianity—
namely, that God, with Hindu Theists, can only be propi-
tiated by works. He may be called merciful, but He only
shows mercy to those who deserve it by their actions, and
if He accepts faith it is only because this also is a meritorious
act. Every man's hope of heaven depends on his own self-
righteousness and on the amount of merit he has been able to
accumulate during life. We must also bear in mind that
although Vishnu is supposed to be a Creator as well as a
Saviour, yet he is not so in the Christian sense of the word;
for all the sects believe in some material cause (upadana)—
some eternal substance out of which the Universe is formed.
Let us now advert to the principal points of difference
between the more conspicuous Vaishnava sects, beginning
with that founded by the celebrated reformer, Ramanuja.
Sect founded by Ramanuja.
Ramanuja, or as he is often called Ramanujacarya, was
born about the twelfth century at Stri (Sri) Parambattur,
a town about twenty-six miles west of Madras. He is
known to have studied and taught at Kanc'l-puram (Conji-
varam), and to have resided towards the end of his life at
Sri-Rangam, on the river Kaveri, near Trichinopoly, where
for many years he worshipped Vishnu in his character of
Srirahga-nath. The distinctive point of his teaching, accord-
ing to the* Sarva-darsana-sarigraha (translated by Professors
Cowell and Gough), was his assertion of the existence of
a triad of principles (padartha-tritayam),—namely, 1. the
Supreme Being (Isvara); 2. soul (cit); and 3. non-soul (a-cit).
Vishnu is the Supreme Being; individual spirits are souls;
the visible world (drisyam) is non-soul. All three principles
have an eternal existence distinct from each other.
course on the philosophical views of the sect to which he
belongs (see p. 95). One point requires to be well under-
stood in comparing the Vaishnava religion with Christianity—
namely, that God, with Hindu Theists, can only be propi-
tiated by works. He may be called merciful, but He only
shows mercy to those who deserve it by their actions, and
if He accepts faith it is only because this also is a meritorious
act. Every man's hope of heaven depends on his own self-
righteousness and on the amount of merit he has been able to
accumulate during life. We must also bear in mind that
although Vishnu is supposed to be a Creator as well as a
Saviour, yet he is not so in the Christian sense of the word;
for all the sects believe in some material cause (upadana)—
some eternal substance out of which the Universe is formed.
Let us now advert to the principal points of difference
between the more conspicuous Vaishnava sects, beginning
with that founded by the celebrated reformer, Ramanuja.
Sect founded by Ramanuja.
Ramanuja, or as he is often called Ramanujacarya, was
born about the twelfth century at Stri (Sri) Parambattur,
a town about twenty-six miles west of Madras. He is
known to have studied and taught at Kanc'l-puram (Conji-
varam), and to have resided towards the end of his life at
Sri-Rangam, on the river Kaveri, near Trichinopoly, where
for many years he worshipped Vishnu in his character of
Srirahga-nath. The distinctive point of his teaching, accord-
ing to the* Sarva-darsana-sarigraha (translated by Professors
Cowell and Gough), was his assertion of the existence of
a triad of principles (padartha-tritayam),—namely, 1. the
Supreme Being (Isvara); 2. soul (cit); and 3. non-soul (a-cit).
Vishnu is the Supreme Being; individual spirits are souls;
the visible world (drisyam) is non-soul. All three principles
have an eternal existence distinct from each other.