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was in answer to Sankara's denial of the authority of the Agamas. On this basiş Yāmuna justified the temple worship and rituals (Cf Agamaprāmnya).
2. Rejection of Sankara's doctrine of Advaita (monism) and expounding the doctrine of qualified monism (Visishțādvaita)
3. Rejection of Sankara’s concept of Nirguna-Brahman and description of the Lord as the embodiment of all auspicious qualities (Sarvakalyāna-guna Sampannaḥ).
4. Glorification Šri or Lakshmi as the embodiment of mercy and grace (Chatuśloki) and as complementary to the Lord.
5. Preaching of the Bhakti and prapatti-mārga as the only effective means of salvation (Stotraratna).
6. Glorification of the Tamil saints Āļvārs and their sacred hymns as revelations worthy of equal veneration. In one of the
verses in the Stotraratna, he describes Nammālvār as his father, · mother, consort, child, wealth and in short, everything. • Thus, Yāmua, following his preceptor Nāthamuni was profoundly influenced by the inspired Tamil hymns of Nammālvār and other Aļvārs and his works are replete with their teachings and ideas. Actually, some of the stanzas seem to be Sanskrit renderings of the Tamil hymns. All these ideas and precepts mentioned above inspired Rāmānuja and helped in the crystalli. şation of his philosophy. The galaxy of achāryas who followed Rāmānuja continued this tradition and expanded the Divyaprabandhas in the light of Rāmānuja's tenets. Thus, we can say that Rājarāja's period witnessed a very important and formative period in the history of Sri. Vaishnavism thanks to Yāmunāchārya's exposition. This was a prelude to a period which witnessed a new form of religion centering round the temple and the idol (arcā form) within it, reticent to the vedic orthodoxy and accepting the Āgama as also valid and authoritative, veperating Tamil saints Āļvārs and their inspired hymns as divine revelations preaching the path of devotionalism (Bhakti) and surrender which could be practised irrespective of caste status.
