IAS Gyan

Daily News Analysis

Ramanujacharya                                                          

25th January, 2022 Art & Culture

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Context:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil a 216-foot statue of Ramanujacharya, described as the 'Statue of Equality in Hyderabad on February 5.

 

About the “Statue of Equality”

  • The statue is made of 'panchaloha', a mix of five metals - gold, silver, copper, brass, and zinc.
  • The complex has identical recreations of 108 Divya Desams, the 108 ornately carved Vishnu temples mentioned in the works of the Alwars, mystic Tamil saints.

 

About Ramanuja :

  • Born in 1017 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu.
  • Social reformer:
    • Ramanujacharya liberated millions from social, cultural, gender, educational, and economic discrimination with the foundational conviction that every human is equal regardless of nationality, gender, race, caste, or creed.
    • He opened the doors of temples to all people, including those subjected to extreme discrimination.
  • He was famous as the chief proponent of Vishishtadvaita subschool of Vedānta, and his disciples were likely authors of texts such as the Shatyayaniya Upanishad.
  • Literary contribution: Ramanuja himself wrote influential texts, such as bhāsya on the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, all in Sanskrit. Vedārthasangraha, Sri Bhāshya , Bhagavad Gita Bhāshya, and the minor works titled Vedāntadipa, Vedāntasāra, Gadya Trayam (which is a compilation of three texts called the Saranāgati Gadyam, Sriranga Gadyam and the Srivaikunta Gadyam), and Nitya Grantham.

The three of the largest works credited to Ramanuja – Shri Bhāshya, Vedārthasangraha and the Bhagavad Gita Bhāshya.

https://www.livemint.com/news/pm-to-unveil-216-foot-statue-of-equality-ramanujacharya-in-hyderabad-on-february-5-11642832514311.html