For Bhakti Is Synonymous with Upāsanā

Abstract

The article "FOR BHAKTI IS SYNONYMOUS WITH UPASANA: RAMANUJA’S UNDERSTANDING OF UPASANA PARTICULARLY AS EXEMPLIFIED IN THE COMMENTARIES ON TIRUVAYMOLI" by Francis X. Clooney, S.J., explores Ramanuja's concept of upasana (meditation) and its equivalence with bhakti (devotion). The article begins by reviewing Ramanuja's definition of upasana as a continuous, intense memory akin to direct vision, a means to liberation that transcends mere textual knowledge. It then extends this discussion to the Srivaishnava commentarial tradition on Nammalvar's Tamil devotional text, Tiruvaymoli. Clooney analyzes how these commentators, including Pillan and Nampillai, interpret Tiruvaymoli as an extended act of upasana, demonstrating a progression of understanding and a constant quest for direct perception of the Lord. The article highlights the commentators' skepticism about human means to salvation, emphasizing total surrender (prapatti), while simultaneously showing how they meticulously read and reinterpret Nammalvar's verses as a practical guide to upasana, culminating in a deeper, more profound form of bhakti.