Ramanuja
Ramanuja was the first propagator of Visishtadvaita
philosophy on a national scale. Many of the great mediaeval reformers of
India drew inspiration from his teachings. He revolutionised the thought
process of tradition-bound brahmins by preaching mantras and their meanings
to seekers and devotees, irrespective of their caste. through his masterly
work, Sri-bhashya(a commentary on the Brahma Sutras), he combated the absolutist
philosophy of Sankara's Advaita and established that jnana and bhakti
are not different and so bhakti would be the most effective means of
salvation. His followers are known as Sri Vaishnavas. Ramanuja was the first
to effectively synthesize the teachings of the Vedas, Brahma Sutras and
the Gita with those of the divine Prabhandams in Tamil. Just as Sankara
is taken to be an avatara of Siva, Ramanuja is taken to be an avatara of
Lakshmana or Sesha, the 1000 hooded serpent-seat of Lord Vishnu.
