Synthesis of Yoga in Vaisnavism of Ramanuja

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soul from bondage should incorporate all these ideas and present a consolidated doctrine of sadhana. As will be seen later, such a perfect synthesis of yoga is brought about only by Ramanuja in the Vaisnavism developed by him, unlike the other schools of Vaisnavism of the post-Ramanuja period. Briefly stated, Bhakti-yoga, according to Ramanuja, is the direct means to moksa. This view is based on the authority of the Bhagavad-gita which explicitly states that the Supreme Deity in the name of Lord Krsna, who is the very Brahman of the Upanisads, cannot be attained by any other means than ananya-bhakti. But according to some Upanisads, jnana which is also termed as Vedana is the direct means to Brahman. Thus states the Mundaka Upanisad: Brahma-veda brahmaiva bhavati - "he who knows Brahman becomes Brahman". The Svetasvatara Upanisad explicitly states that other than the knowledge of Brahman, there is no other means of escape from human bondage. Thus it says: tamevam viditva atimrtyum eti, na anyan pantha vidyate ayanaya. On the authority of these Upanisadic teachings, Samkara maintains the theory that only by means of knowledge of Brahman, the Supreme Goal is to be attained. The jnana or the knowledge conceived as the means (upaya) does not refer to mere verbal knowledge derived from the study of scriptural texts (sravana), the reflection over what is studied to gain conviction (manana) and meditation on the truth (nididhyasana), but the intuitional knowledge (aparoksa-inana) in the form of the realization of the identity of jivatman and Brahman (atmaikya-jnana). In view of this Samkara admits that the jnana-yoga taught in the Bhagavad-gita is itself the direct means to the Supreme Goal. The term Vidya employed by Badarayana as the direct means to moksa^ is interpreted by Samkara to mean that only through atmaikya-jnana, the Supreme Goal (purusartha) is attained. There are also several Upanisadic texts which affirm that upasana, also termed as dhyana and nididhyasana which means unceasing meditation on Brahman is the direct means to the attainment of Brahman. The scriptural injunctions such as upasita, dhyayika, mididhyasitavyah tes refer to the observation et meditation m Brahman 3 Bg. XI-53and 54. na'ham vedair na tapasa na danena no ce'jyaya sakha evamvidho drastum drstavan-asi mam yatha bhaktya-tu ananyaya sakya aham evamvidho'rjuna jnatum drastum ca tattvena pravestum ca parantapa * See V.S.III-4-1 purusartho atah (vidyatah) iti badarayanah sabdat as the means to the Supreme Goal. Ik How then Ramanuja is justified in advancing the Theory 1 Rhakti-yoga as the dired Sadhana to moksa? Further the term