Social and Ethical Realms of Vedanta put forward by Sri Ramanuja and Sri Aurobindo

Sri Ramanuja and Sri Aurobindo put forward an Idealism that also gives importance to the empirical level of existence. It can be seen that both of them were driven by the goal of deifying the entire human race. Both of them accept eternal and impermanent existence. Sri Ramanuja and Sri Aurobindo gives importance to the development of consciousness. Both Purnadvaitha and Visistadvaita succeeded in developing consciousness from ignorance and giving it the true nature of knowledge and connecting it to the transcendental essence. For this, both of them implemented the plan of evolution of the mind of the society.

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Both Sri Ramanuja and Sri Aurobindo gives importance to the development of consciousness. The aim of Purnadvaitha and Visistadvaita is to liberate the mind from ignorance and help the society to realise the essential nature of consciousness. To that purpose, both of them implemented the method of evolving the mind of the society. The process of removing the Ignorance of both marginalized and mainstream society is the aim of both thinkers.

The material life of man has developed day by day. The extreme consumption and indulgence of these sensual gratifications makes man inaccessible to realise or recognize his own spiritual, moral, intellectual and physical powers in a proper way. This leads to the deterioration of human resource. It affects the all walks of human life. It leads him to the world of machine, where man forgets his own real nature and essence.. In this crisis, we can apply these two darsana in a practical way for the recreation of society.

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Both Sri Ramanuja and Sri Aurobindo tries to rejuvenate the society through the development of the moral and spiritual powers of the individual, which is incapable due to ignorance. Both of them agrees that, by awakening the self – consciousness and its infinite possibilities, the human life is transformed into immortality. The aim of both the Purna- Visistadvaita is to the spiritualisation of the society. Sri Ramanuja creates a new society by elevating and enshrining the untouchables.

Sri Aurobindo presents the philosophy of Purnadvaitha in his work ‘ The Life Divine ‘. We can find revolutionary thoughts of Ramanuja in his work Sri Bhasya and Gita Bhashya.

Both Ramanuja and Sri Aurobindo do not accept this material world as maya or illusion. Aurobindo also strongly condemned the materialistic view that, everything that is not material is an illusion. He considered matter as the basis of the self. He also accept matter is also a reality as said in the Taittiriya, ‘annam brahmeti vyajanath’ which means matter is Brahman. This is the another similarity between Sri Ramanuja and Sri Aurobindo’ s Vedanta. Their philosophy gives importance to the material life.. Both Sri Ramanuja and Sri Aurobindo accept the view that consciousness and matter are the two aspects of same reality. Their message was to realise the salokya ( World of God) level of Transcendence while leading a social life with norms.

Both Sri Ramanuja and Sri Aurobindo did not considered Prapatti and Yoga as a means for their own self – realisation. They did not go to any cave or shrine with those methods. They came down to help to find the inner soul in the body of society without keeping attitude of parigraha ( possession) in their attainment of bliss they were making others to realise the self with the attitude of aparigraha. From this we can understand the importance of the biological structure of the physical body, organised by Vedanta.

Both the Vedanta considered this world as the manifestation of Ultimate Reality itself. Service to the humanity or this world as a whole itself is a service to the Ultimate Reality.

Both of them were engaged in the elevating society to the transcendental level. They shared the social vision that those who have attained the reality of God, should also help to the rest of the society for the realisation of God. Their social endeavor was the transform the bounded individual self to the level of Self – realised person. The aim of the both thinkers was to uplift those who do not experience the ultimate truth due to ignorance. The social message conveyed by the both Vedantins is that the self – realised persons should not remain silent in the society.

It is the their social responsibility to help the society in the time of crisis. The silence of the self – realised persons in the times of social crisis is a social injustice. According to Swami Vivekananda, “All knowledge is in every soul, even in the most ignorant, he has not manifested it, but, perhaps, he has not had the opportunity, the environments were not, perhaps, suitable to him. When he gets the opportunity, he will manifest it. The idea that one man is born superior to another has no meaning in the Vedanta.”1

Both Ramanuja and Aurobindo embracing ignorant people and bringing them into the mainstream of society. If the ignorant continue in that state, that may create conflicts in the society. The message conveyed through their social philosophy is that the existence of unity in the society is through the inter – relationship between the wise and the ignorant.

Sri Aurobindo considered Divine life as the highest state of life of evolution. Divine Life means that the integralism of reciprocity, identity and unity between all biotic and abiotic entities. It is the complete transformation from the lower level of material mind to the immortal, spiritual realm of mind.

Ramanujacharya was able to arise the ignorant minds of the Melkottai and Sri Perumbuthur and bring them in the proper place. Here, the Integral Non – Dualism and Qualified Non- Dualism are comprehensively combined. Both the Vedanta gives importance to the levels of consciousness. The greatness of a person does not lie in the position or fame. It lies in what a person becomes internally.

Philosophy of Aurobindo was prevalent even in the freedom struggle movements. Just as Sri Ramanuja influenced Gandhiji, Sri Aurobindo also influenced him. According to Dr. Velayudhan Nair in his book ‘Aravinda Darsanam ’, “Sri Aurobindo’ s philosophy was the inspiration for all the movements started by Gandhiji.”2

Sri Aurobindo’ s commentary of Gita brought freedom from colonialism and slavery. Gita Bhashya of Sri Ramanuja ensured liberation from ignorance. Through the methods of Yoga and Prapatti, Sri Ramanuja and Sri Aurobindo aims at the evolution of the consciousness. Sri Ramanuja modified the caste discrimination of his disciples from high caste. The methodology of Purna – Visistadvaita for the total liberation (sarva mukti) of all people.

When we accept the material world for our own existence,it also means respecting the diversity of all existence. The Philosophy of Visistadvaita also shared the same values. Diversity, difference, particularity, individual uniqueness, innate characteristics are the core ideas of Visistadvaita. According to Sri Aurobindo, the individual self can reach the ultimate consciousness through the higher mind, illumined mind, intuitive mind.

Now look at the physical nature…. Can we see the oneness of life, the oneness in the multiplicity?. If we can see, it means that we can integrate the society. Bhagavad – Gita also proclaimed this concept as ‘ not hateful towards any creature.’3 This is also Yajurveda says,‘keep the eyes of friendliness towards all’. Sri Aurobindo and Sri Ramanuja gives importance to the nourishment of spiritual and physical levels of individuals. The physical level includes happiness, responsibilities, purusharthas etc. The spiritual level includes the realisation of the inner power, expansion of consciousness and the realise the possibilities of will power. Only when these two levels are trained in equal measure, then the development of personality reaches its highest perfection. The welfare of the world can possible only through this kind of human beings. If the individual can exist only in the level of mind, senses, intellect, then the society faces many crisis. Both the thinkers tries to solve these crisis through their spiritual methodology. The individual faces many emotional and mental illness due to remaining at the level of the senses. The individual and society are confined to such a level, which creates many obstacles in the path of personal development.

In the Indian Knowledge Systems, Pravrti (action) and Nivrti (contemplation) are of equal importance. When the physical field of action and the inner fulfillment come together, then the integration of individual and society achieves its perfection. The path of pravrti in the absence of contemplation and the method of contemplation without pravrti are not conducive to the personal development and social mobility. Sri Aurobindo gives importance to the Divine life based on the spirituality with materialism. At the same time Sri Ramanuja gives significance to the Life of Service (Prapatti).

We should not be immersed only in the field of action. We should transcend our consciousness. According to Sri Sankaracharya, ‘if a self – ignorant person does not perform his obligatory duties, it is injustice.’4 The question raise by both of them for the social consciousness is that, should we obey the power that is within us or should we become the slave of the senses for the purpose of sensual enjoyments?

According to Sri Aurobindo, this world and the individual soul are the self – expansion of Saccidananda ( Reality). The evolution of the individual self into the realm of Saccidananda is the aim of Purnadvaitha. According to Aurobindo, matter, life, mind can evolute into the level of Saccidananda through the medium of supermind. He observed that all the matter, mind, life are the manifestation of Saccidananda.

The reality of this empirical world depends on the differentiation of the world. Sri Ramanuja also accept the particularity of the individual soul. When we consider this differentiation as the principle of unity, then the sustenance and integration of society is possible. We cannot consider this differentiation as the basis of division of society. Why did Sri Ramanuja and Sri Aurobindo gives importance to the evolution of consciousness? What is the social aspect of this evolution?. Because the ignorant person does not have the creativity of oneness. Only the individual, who can see the oneness of entire universe, then the creation of new society is possible. The society follows the immeasurable and undivided consciousness. According to Bhagavad – Gita, whatsoever a great man does, that the other men also do; whatever he sets up as the standard, that the world (mankind) follows.

Bibliography
1. Vivekananda, Swami, Jnanayoga, Advaitha Ashrama, Calcutta, 1899, p.461
2. Dr. Nair, Velayudhan, Aravinda Darsanam, Trust Publications, Trivandrum, 1981, p.64
3. Bhagavad – Gita, 1213.
4. Sri. Sankaracharyar, Gita Bhashya, 3.5

Dr. Ranjith. K.K.
Research Associate
Department of Spiritual Studies
Amrita University
Ph No: 9995856547
Gmail : [email protected]