The Sri Bhashya and the Great Works

Kuresa, Dasarathi, Devarat, and Embar (Govinda) were the most loyal and learned of Sri Ramanujacharya's disciples, among countless others in his congregation. Daily classes on theology were held. One day, while they were reading St. Nammazhvar's Tiruvaymozhi, they came to the verse:

i-lingat-titta-Purnattirum, Samanarum Sakkiyarum... (IV-10.5), that is, the diverse faiths taught by the Linga-purana, the Samanas (Jains), the Sakhyas (Bauddhas), and others.

They discussed the defects of these systems, as well as the advaita (non-dual) teaching that liberation (moksha) is made sure by the mere knowledge of the meaning of such Vedic texts as Tat tvam asi, "You are That," that is, "You, soul, are That, God."

None of these systems, they argued, had grasped the true spirit of the Vedic religion, that is, the Vedanta. The conclusion was that a true, systematic interpretation of the Vedanta had to be made. Sri Ramanujacharya accordingly sat down to prepare a standard work containing a thorough refutation of advaita and similar theories, and a defense of Visishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism).

Kuresa was chosen to help Sri Ramanujacharya in this great task. Before they began, Sri Ramanujacharya told Kuresa that if, while writing down his dictation, he should find anything not in agreement with the master's views, he should stop. So the Sri Bhashya, the standard work on the Visishtadvaita philosophy of Vedanta, a commentary on the Brahma-Sutras, was begun.

As the work progressed, Sri Ramanujacharya dictated a passage in which he defined the soul (atma, or jivatma) as that which is conscious, or that which has cognition alone as its distinguishing attribute.

At this, Kuresa ceased writing. Though valid, such a definition was to him no definition at all, because the most essential mark of the soul, namely, its seshatva, its allegiance or belonging to God, had been seriously left out. Such an all-important omission was, in effect, the same as defining the soul as the body itself. No basis for true religion could be built on the soul merely as something with consciousness, unless the soul was also seen as the sole possession of the Universal Soul, God.

Defining the soul as having consciousness alone, with no reference to its being essentially related to God, as quality is related to a thing, as property to its base, as mode to substance, as light to the sun, as scent to the flower, was to silently ignore that essential relationship. Without that relationship to God first firmly asserted and defended, anything said of the soul was meaningless. A soul without God is non-existent, just as without the sun, light is non-existent. What makes the soul truly soul is its indissoluble relation to God; otherwise it does not exist. And where is the beauty or use in loading such a separated soul, orphaned of God, with any number of attributes such as consciousness and bliss?

Such were Kuresa's thoughts; and so when Sri Ramanujacharya defined the soul simply as "that which is conscious," Kuresa stopped transcribing. But Sri Ramanujacharya, absorbed in his own thoughts, went on dictating. Finally noticing that Kuresa had stopped, he was displeased and cried, "Sir, if you mean to write the commentary on the Vyasa-Sutras (the Brahma-Sutras), you may do so!" He even kicked him, and stopped dictating.

Kuresa was neither startled nor ruffled; he remained perfectly calm. But his friends pressed him, "How do you take this insult?" "Comrades," he replied, "I have no view except that I am my master's property, which he is free to use or treat as he thinks fit."

By this time Sri Ramanujacharya had reflected on the matter in his retreat, and it flashed on him that his omission to define the soul as the belonging of God was a grave mistake, for that essentiality of the soul was the very foundation of his theology. Miss this, and the entire structure was built on air.

Kuresa had done right to stop writing. What Sri Ramanujacharya had dictated was at variance with the right view, which Kuresa, perfect scholar that he was, knew. Kuresa's conduct after the harsh treatment also illustrated the very view he so rightly held. These reflections turned Sri Ramanujacharya's anger into repentance. He lovingly called Kuresa to his side and said, "Son, you are right. Now pray write down the true nature of the soul as that which is God's, and let us go on with the rest of our work."

In this way Sri Ramanujacharya composed the great works: Sri Bhashya, Vedantha Dipa, Vedantha Sara, Vedantha Sangraha, and the Bhagavad Gita Bhashya. And so he fulfilled one of the three wishes of Yamunacharya.