Page 55 - History of Tirupathi Balaji and comparison of Sri Vaishnava

to explain how to understand the real identity of the absolute truth in CC Adi
7.140.

Partial realization of the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman denies the complete
opulences of the Lord. This is a hazardous understanding of the Absolute Truth. Unless one
accepts all the features of the Absolute Truth — namely impersonal Brahman, localized
Paramatma and ultimately the Supreme Personality of Godhead — one’s knowledge is
imperfect. Sripada Ramanujacarya, in his Vedartha-sangraha, says, jnanena dharmena
svarupam api nirupitam, na tu jnana-matram brahmeti katham idam avagamyate. He
thus indicates that the real identity of the Absolute Truth must be understood in terms of
both His knowledge and His characteristics. Simply to understand the Absolute Truth to be
full of knowledge is not suffi cient. In the Vedic literature (Mundaka Up. 1.1.9) we fi nd the
statement yah sarva-jnah sarva-vit, which means that the Absolute Truth knows everything
perfectly, but we also learn from the Vedic description parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate that
not only does He know everything, but He also acts accordingly by utilizing His different
energies. Thus to understand that Brahman, the Supreme, is conscious is not suffi cient. One
must know how He consciously acts through His different energies. Mayavada philosophy
simply informs us of the consciousness of the Absolute Truth but does not give us information
of how He acts with His consciousness. That is the defect of that philosophy.

From the above it is clear that the siddhanta of the Sri Vaisnavas and the
Madhava-Gaudiya Vaisnavas is fundamentally the same.

Srila Prabhupada quotes Yamunacarya’s teachings
In the following morning walk conversation Srila Prabhupada indicates that
the Sri Vaisnava tradition of Vaisnavism emphasizes “Lakshmiji Pada-sevanam
- Sravana kirtana vishnu smarana pada-sevanam” and that Ramanujacarya is
the most prominent acarya (bona fi de guru) in the Sri Vaisnava tradition. This
means that Lakshmi, the eternal consort of Lord Narayana is always serving
His Lotus Feet. One should always hear and chant the holy names of the Lord
like “Vishnu Sahasranama Strotram” – the 1008 eight names of the Lord – and
other bona fi de mantras that are comprised of the names of the Lord, and always
serve the Lotus Feet of the Lord with complete surrender to the will of the Lord.

A verse from the prominent Alvar saint Yamunacarya, the guru of
Ramanujacarya, is quoted by Srila Prabhupada who connects it to the famous
teaching of Lord Caitanya who explained to Sanatana Goswami that the
eternal position of the “jiva” (the minute individual soul) is to eternally serve
Lord Krishna. Yamunacarya says the same thing by referring to the jiva soul as
“sanatha jivitam,” who can only attain peace by fi xing his mind on following the
orders of the Supreme Lord. Then he becomes the eternal servant of the Lord
and lives joyfully because he has accepted the Lord as his master.

Morning Walk -- November 24, 1975, Bombay:
Prabhupada: Yes. The whole world is suffering on this misconception. The horse also.
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