Abstract

Theistic Vednta originated with Rmnuja, one of its foremost proponents, who was also an initiate of the srvai++ava sectarian tradition in South India. As devotees of the God Vi++u and his consort sr, the srvai++avas established themselves through various processes of legitimation as a powerful sectarian tradition. One of the processes by which the authority of the srvai++avas was consolidated was Rmnujaes synthesis of popular Hindu devotionalism with the philosophy of Vednta. This book demonstrates that, by incorporating a text often thought to be of secondary importance - the Vi++u Pur++a - into his reading of the Upaniads, which were the standard of orthodoxy for Vednta philosophy, Rmnuja was able to interpret Vednta within the theistic context of srvai++avism. Rmnuja was the first Brahmin thinker to incorporate devotional pur++as into Vednta philosophy. His synthetic theology called Vi>idvaita wielded tremendous influence over the expansion of Vi++u devotionalism in South India and beyond. Expanding on and reassessing current views on Rmnujaes theology, the book contributes new insights to broader issues in religious studies such as canon expansion, commentarial interpretation, tradition-building, and the comparative study of scripture.