Which of the following statements is not correct with reference to bha...
- Ramanuja, born in Tamil Nadu in the eleventh century, was deeply influenced by the Alvars. Ramanuja tried to assimilate bhakti to the tradition of the Vedas. Hence, option (b) is not correct.
- He propounded the doctrine of Vishishtadvaita or qualified oneness in that the soul, even when united with the Supreme God, remained distinct.
- According to him the best means of attaining salvation was through intense devotion to Vishnu. Vishnu in His grace helps the devotee to attain the bliss of union with Him. He argued that in order to attain salvation, the grace of God was more important than knowledge about Him.
- Ramanuja emphasized that the path of prapatti or total reliance on, or surrender to God was open to all, including the Shudras and the Dalits. Thus, Ramanuja tried to build a bridge between the popular movement based on bhakti, and the upper caste movement based on the Vedas.
- Ramanuja established the Emar Math (Embar Mutt) in Puri and suggested King Choda Ganga Deva to build a big temple for the deity of Puri-Jagannath, who had been in worship there for several years. Ramanuja’s influence on the temple is seen in the practice of giving rice as prasada to devotees.
View all questions of this test
Which of the following statements is not correct with reference to bha...
The correct answer is option 'B': He was deeply influenced by the Nayanars.
Ramanuja was a prominent Bhakti saint and philosopher who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries CE. He was a proponent of the Vishishtadvaita or qualified oneness philosophy, which emphasizes the idea of a qualified non-dualism between the individual soul (jiva) and the supreme soul (Brahman). Ramanuja's teachings had a significant impact on the development of Vaishnavism.
However, Ramanuja was not deeply influenced by the Nayanars. The Nayanars were a group of Tamil poet-saints who belonged to the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition and were known for their intense devotion to Lord Shiva. They composed devotional hymns in Tamil and played a crucial role in the spread of Bhakti movement in South India.
Reasons why option 'B' is incorrect:
1. Different philosophical traditions: Ramanuja and the Nayanars belonged to different philosophical traditions. While Ramanuja was a proponent of the Vishishtadvaita philosophy, the Nayanars followed the Shaiva Siddhanta philosophy. These two traditions had distinct theological and philosophical perspectives.
2. Focus on different deities: Ramanuja's teachings centered around the worship of Lord Vishnu and his incarnations, particularly Lord Rama and Lord Krishna. On the other hand, the Nayanars were devoted to Lord Shiva. Their hymns and devotional practices revolved around Lord Shiva and his various manifestations.
3. Different cultural and regional influences: Ramanuja hailed from the region of Tamil Nadu but was not deeply influenced by the Nayanars. While he drew inspiration from earlier Vaishnava saints and philosophers, such as Nathamuni and Yamunacharya, his teachings were primarily shaped by his own philosophical insights and interpretations of the Vedas and Upanishads.
4. Unique contributions: Ramanuja made several unique contributions to the Bhakti movement and Vaishnavism. He emphasized the importance of surrendering to the Lord through intense devotion (bhakti) as a means to achieve salvation. He also played a key role in organizing the worship practices in the famous Sri Rangam temple and suggested the construction of a temple for the deity of Puri-Jagannath.
In conclusion, option 'B' is not correct because Ramanuja was not deeply influenced by the Nayanars. While he made significant contributions to the Bhakti movement and Vaishnavism, his teachings and philosophy were distinct from that of the Nayanars.
To make sure you are not studying endlessly, EduRev has designed UPSC study material, with Structured Courses, Videos, & Test Series. Plus get personalized analysis, doubt solving and improvement plans to achieve a great score in UPSC.