HISTORICAL FULFILMENT OF SPIRITUAL DEBTS

ANDAL Jayanti 2024 was on August 7.

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Ramanuja, the profoundly influential 11th-12th century Vaishnava saint, was himself influenced by the 8th century girl-saint Andal, sharing her creed of intimate personal devotion to Vishnu. It marked a popular shift from Adi Shankara's ancient philosophy of Advaita or non-dualism, which held that 'every living soul or jivatma is part of the supersoul, the all-pervading impersonal Paramatma'.

But the human need to love a 'face' proved overpowering and Ramanuja modified Shankara's Advaita to Visishtadvaita or qualified dualism—that while a devoted human soul can attain the supersoul, it is subservient to it, who is Vishnu. To know more, we must go back to a morning in 11th-century Tamil Nadu.

The temple of Srirangam rose monumentally in the early dawn on its island between the Kaveri and Kollidam. A chorus of young girls entered, singing songs composed by Andal. A group of Vaishnava ascetics listened in deep spiritual pleasure as the girls sang Andal's vivid poems of her longing to merge her soul in Vishnu.

Tears began to flow down the cheeks of their leader, Ramanuja. He had made his own bold journey of love for Vishnu. Born in the temple town of Sriperumbudur, he was taught the powerful eight-syllable mahamantra 'Om Namo Narayanaya' by his guru. The spell merely appeared to state, 'I praise Lord Vishnu'. But its vibrations had an immensely empowering effect.

Only a spiritually evolved guru could impart this mystic mantra, and only to a pupil who was worthy.