Page 49 - History of Tirupathi Balaji and comparison of Sri Vaishnava

Ramanujacarya

Introduction
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On the occasion of the most auspicious 1000 year anniversary of
Ramanujacarya’ appearance, it is appropriate to understand the profound
relationship of the Sri Vaisnava tradition with that of the Brahma Madhava
Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition. Both sampradayas have their origin from Lord
Krishna and His direct plenary expansion Lord Narayana.

The Sri Vaisnavas are following the Sri Laxmi sampradaya which has a
different disciplic succession than the Brahma Madhava Gaudiya sampradaya.
The disciplic succession (sampradaya) of each tradition may be different,
however, the siddhanta, the authoritative conclusions of the revealed scriptures
that convince one to fully surrender to the cause of Lord Krishna, are strikingly
similar. These conclusions enable one to deliver others from the clutches
of material existence so that they can enter into the eternal, transcendental
abodes (Vaikuntha and Goloka) of Lord Krishna. There are only a few
details of siddhanta that differ between the two traditions. These details were
discussed by Lord Caitanya and Venkata Bhatta and dramatically resolved.
Lord Caitanya proved that the siddhanta of the Sri Vaisnavas and the Gaudiya
Vaisnavas was essentially the same, and this was also reaffi rmed by His Divine
Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada and his disciple His
Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (referred to as Srila
Prabhupada). Krishna das Kaviraja, the principle biographer of Lord Caitanya
has said, siddhanta baliya citte na kara alasa | iha ha-ite krishne lage sudrdha
manasa – A sincere student should not neglect the discussion of such conclusions,
considering them controversial, for such discussions strengthen the mind. Thus
one’s mind becomes attached to Sri Krishna. (CC Adi 2.117) The discussion of
the similarities and slight differences of the philosophical underpinnings of the
Sri Vaisnavas and the Gaudiya Vaisnavas is therefore important to discuss in
order to strengthen the brotherly ties of these two great Vaisnava traditions. It
should be noted also that the two other Vaisnava disciplic successions, the Kumar
and Rudra traditions, are bona fi de and similar in philosophical correspondence.

Srila Prabhupada affi rms the compatibility of the Sri Vaisnavas’ philosophy
with that of the Brahma-Gaudiya Vaisnavas

Srila Prabhupada was specifi cally asked by Professor Hopkins “if the Sri
Vaisnavas represented by Ramanujacarya fi t into your, the Caitanya tradition… “ He
wanted to know if Prabhupada accepted the philosophical understanding of
the Sri Vaisnavas as compatible to Lord Caitanya’s understanding. Prabhupada
answered the following in a conversation with Professor Hopkins - July 13,
1975, Philadelphia:
Prabhupada: Just like in the Bhagavad-gita you’ll fi nd, mattah parataram
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