Ramanujacharya (Deified)

Ramanujacharya (1017–1137 CE) is the foremost exponent of Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism), a school of Vedanta that affirms the reality of a personal God (Vishnu-Narayana) and the eternal distinction between the individual soul and the Supreme. Born in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, he is deified by Sri Vaishnavas as an incarnation of Adishesha, the serpent couch of Vishnu, as recorded in the Sri Vaishnava tradition. His magnum opus, the Sri Bhashya, is a commentary on the Brahma Sutras that systematically refutes Advaita and establishes Brahman as a personal, qualified reality. The Gita Bhashya and Vedartha Sangraha further elaborate his theology, emphasizing bhakti (devotion) and prapatti (self-surrender) as the means to liberation.

According to the Bhagavata Purana (11.5.38-40), the path of devotion for the Kali Yuga is exemplified by the Alvars, whose hymns Ramanuja revived. The Mahabharata (Shanti Parva) also underscores the supremacy of Narayana, which Ramanuja integrates into his system. Iconographically, Ramanuja is depicted in a saffron robe, with Sri Vaishnava tilak (urdhva pundra) on his forehead, a lotus in hand, and a compassionate expression, often seated with disciples. His life story includes his pilgrimage to Tirupati, his reform of temple rituals at Srirangam, and his initiation of the 'Nalayira Divya Prabandham' as the Tamil Veda.

Regional worship is centered in Tamil Nadu, especially at Srirangam, Kanchipuram, and Melkote, where his shrines are venerated. Ramanuja Jayanti is celebrated on the 10th day of the Tamil month of Chittirai (April-May). In Hindu cosmology, Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita reconciles the impersonal Brahman of the Upanishads with the personal deity of the Puranas, affirming that the universe is the body of God, a concept rooted in the Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.8). His legacy endures as the architect of Sri Vaishnavism, influencing later acharyas and devotional movements across India.

Depicted in saffron robe, often with Sri Vaishnava tilak. Wise, compassionate expression. Sometimes shown with his disciples.