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Meaning of Philosophy

What is wisdom or true knowledge? A distinction is drawn by Tennyson between Knowledge and wisdom. The former is earthly, of the mind; but wisdom is heavenly, of the soul. Amarasimha says: “True and supreme knowledge is knowledge of deliverance; the other kinds of knowledge relate to other sciences and arts.” Mokṣha-Sāstra or science of deliverance is alone conducive to wisdom or true knowledge. The latest discoveries in sciences, constructions of air ships and destructive bombs and machines do not certainly constitute wisdom. Parāśarā  says: that “knowledge alone by which the spotless Supreme Being is known, seen and attained is true knowledge; and science and knowledge relating to other things is ajñāna or nescience”. “That alone is vidyā  or science which leads us to deliverance. The sciences will make anyone only skillful”. Philosophy thus means, Ātma-Vidyā , Brahma-Vidyā or Science of the Divine.

The end and aim of supreme knowledge, according to Hindus, is the alleviation of pain and promotion of happiness. The other kinds of knowledge only sub-serve this end. Even works on grammar, medicine etc., state that they sub-serve the attainment of mukti, or liberation and salvation. Vāgbhaṭa in his treatise on Medicine says in the benedictory stanza: “Salutation unto the oldest and earliest physician, Dhanvantri, an avatā r of Viṣnu, who uproots all kinds of disease of the mind, namely desire, anger and so on, which beget attachment, ignorance, aversion, etc.- diseases which ever persist whichever body is assumed”. Evidently, the author prays to God for the complete annihilation of the ills of samsāra or worldly existence. The central motive which must govern the whole life according to Hindu philosophy, is, how the soul may be freed from pain, how misery may be put and end to and how bliss may be attained and perpetuated infinitely. The chief defect of western philosophy lies in the fact that it is divorced from dharma or religion-law, which, in its perfection and completeness, is the supreme science-knowledge, chiefly directed towards the achievement of the desired happiness, here and here after by means of suitable actions done here. This idea was, in a way, present in mind of Socrates. Socrates was filled with the most intense conviction of the Supreme and overwhelming importance of truth, of the paramount duty of doing the right because it is right, on every occasion, whatever may be the consequence. He gave his first and superlative care to the perfection of his soul and those of others. His whole teaching rested on the doctrine, ‘virtue is knowledge’. And conversely, if virtue is knowledge, vise is ignorance. A man who knows what is right must always do the right. A man who does not know what is right cannot do the right. Knowledge is not a part, it is not even an indispensable condition, of virtue. It is virtue itself.

The Mahābhārata says: “the aim of all knowledge is the formation of character and conduct.” Unfortunately, western philosophy relegates this most important function to Theology or Ethics. But Hindu philosophy treats of metaphysics as pre-eminently goading as to action for reaching the goal. The comprehensive teaching of philosophy, in the Bhagavad Gitā, aims at the attainment of the Supreme Being, Brahman or Nārāyaņā, by means of constant practice of bhakti or upāsanā which can be achieved by karma, jñāna and vairāgya or this attachment, as beautifully summarized by Yāmunācārya in the first stanza of his Gitārthasaṅgraha. In the opening sentence of his Vedārthasaṅgraha, Bhagavān Śri Rāmānuja says: “You can reach God if, with intense love and devotion, you worship Him by mind, word and deed, by meditating on Him, by uttering His holy names, by offering flowers etc., by prostrating at His lotus-feet and so on, along with the performance of duty cast on you according to Varna (caste) and āśrama, with the correct and true knowledge of the relation between the individual soul and the Supreme Soul.” The idea contained in this sentence is developed throughout the whole work.

Unable to bear the sight of the sufferings of millions of souls in this worldly existence, four persons who were the personification of mercy, love and pity, trade for the complete annihilations of the ills of those souls. They are: Sage Parāśara, King Ranti Deva, Saint Nammāḻvār, and Bhagavān Śri Rāmanuja.

1. Parāśara prays at the end of Viṣṇupurāṇa: “Let lord Hari bestow on all souls that plenty and prosperity which is free from birth, old age, death and other ills.”
2. Ranti Deva saw the suffering of people during famine, cried aloud and prayed: “I do not desire to reach the place of the four-headed Brahma with all the yogic powers of animā, mahimā, etc. nor, do I covet that bliss called Mokṣa from where there is no return. But I do long to be inside all the souls and get the transference of all the sufferings and miseries of all the embodied souls unto myself; for, by my experiencing all their miseries, they may be freed from them.”
3. Similarly, Saint Nammaḻvar, in the first stanza of the first of his four works in Tamil, namely, Tiruviruttam, praise to God and appeals to him as follows; “Being unable to bear the sight of suffering millions, this is my petition to you, O, Lord! Let us not get again false knowledge, bad conduct and impure body, let us not get the miseries of births and deaths. This is my appeal to you on behalf of millions of sufferers.”
4. One of Śri Rāmānuja’s preceptors was Tirukkoṭṭiyūr Nambi. The guru tried the disciple 18 times to ascertain if he was a fit recipient of the sacred mantra of 8 letters. At last, the Nambi, in his grace, initiated him into the mysteries of the mantra and, at the same time wrested a promise from Rāmānuja that he would not reveal the import of the mantra to others. Ramanuja pondered over the mantra and its hidden meanings taught by his guru, overnight, and on the next day thought within himself that he could remove all the ills of humanity by openly broadcasting the sacred mantra and its meanings to the suffering humanity. Accordingly, he collected several people on the next day, and in front of the local deity at Tirukkoṭṭiyūr, preached to them the hidden meanings of the mantra. The guru heard of the disobedience of his orders, summoned Rāmānuja and asked him if that report was true. Rāmānuja replied that it was quite true. Then, the guru asked him if he knew the consequence of such a wanton disobedience. The disciples said: “Yes, I know that the worst of the hells awaits me.” “Why, then,” the guru asked him, “did you court the worst of hells?”. The reply given by Rāmānuja is most thrilling and discloses his universal love and mercy. He replied: “I alone shall go to hell as a result of my transgression of your command, while the rest of the suffering humanity, by virtue of their connection with your holy feet, by being virtually your disciples, will certainly reach heaven.” The guru was amazed by the broad mindedness, boundless love and mercy of Rāmānuja which were denied to him (the guru), extolled and pardoned the disciple.

This article is extracted from the book THE PHILOSOPHY OF ŚRI RĀMĀNUJĀ - VISIṢTADVAITA written by Sri V.R. Srisaila Chakravarti (Coimbatore) and published by V.S.R. Chakravarti, 24, Kasturi Ranga Iyengar Road, Madras - 18. The book is printed at Bharati Vijayam Press, Triplicane, Madras - 600 005 in the year 1974.