Ramanujacharya, also known as Ramanuja or Ramanuja Acharya:
was a great philosopher, thinker and a social reformer of India. He is known for his philosophy of central devotion, or bhakti, which had a major influence on the bhakti movement. Ramanuja is also sometimes called Ilaya Perumal, meaning radiant. It is believed that Ramanujacharya was born in 1017 AD and passed away in 1137 AD at the age of 120. Ramanujacharya's birthday is celebrated as Ramanuja Jayanthi, which is considered an important festival in southern India, especially in Tamil Nadu. Sri Ramanuja Acharya Jayanthi 2023 will be celebrated on Tuesday, April 25. Tell us how this day is celebrated, its significance and the life story of Sri Ramanujacharya. After Ramanuja's marriage, he moved to Kanchipuram and studied at the Advaita Vedanta Ashram with his guru Yadava Prakasa. Often disagreeing with his guru, Ramanuja left Prakasa and continued his studies on his own. Prakash is said to have become jealous of Ramanuja's growing fame and tried to kill him. However, he soon realized his mistake and became Ramanuja's disciple. Ramanuja later renounced the marriage, became a Hindu monk and started working as a priest at the Varadharaja Perumal temple in Kanchipuram, dedicated to Lord Vishnu. He then started teaching people the principle of moksha (liberation) and how to achieve it with the help of the personal God and Saguna Vishnu.
Shri Ramanuja Acharya promoted the wisdom of Bhakti by directing his followers to a special path away from Advaita principles. Shri Ramanuja was a great philosopher and thinker as evident from his philosophical works Vedanta Samgraha, Shri Bhasya and Bhagavad Gita Bhasya. Ramanuja Acharya presented the idea that devotees could choose their own style of worship and achieve the highest level of devotion through bhakti. Since Shri Ramanuja Acharya was a devout Brahmin, he suggested the most accepted method of attaining moksha. He is known as a teacher who guides believers on the path to Nirvana and helps them achieve it. Due to the uniqueness of his works, he is remembered not only by his followers but also by thinkers and philosophers who have a good understanding of Hindu culture and traditions. His work is very important today and he is consulted by scientists when needed.
