Sri Bhashyam. The one text Emperumanar asked every disciple to master. In this free 60-minute session with Sri. U.Ve. Raghavan Swami, grasp its essence in plain Tamil, with every Sanskrit term opened up as it arrives, and see the pasurams of Azhwars and Rahasyas as you never have before.
Registration required. For practising Sri Vaishnavas. Admission closes once the room is full.
Why Swami Ramanuja commanded every one of his disciples to study Sri Bhashyam.
How Sri Bhashyam is the key that unlocks the pasurams of Azhwars and Rahasyas.
Where it sits in the ladder of our texts: Vedantam, Divya Prabandham, and Rahasyas.
What Sri Bhashyam truly is, and how the entire text is structured.
The essence of the whole text, held within a single shlokam.
How you can grasp that essence with every Sanskrit term opened up for you, in just a few hours a week.
You recite Divya Prabandham. You revere Rahasyas. But the reasoning that holds them up, the philosophy Swami Ramanuja set down in Sri Bhashyam, has stayed inside dense shastra, within reach of only a few. Emperumanar gave his energy to this text and asked every disciple to study it, yet most of us never get the chance. This session is where that changes. The essence of Sri Bhashyam, in clear Tamil, in a way you can actually follow.
This session is intended for those who have received pancha samskaram and follow the Ramanuja Sampradayam. To honour the sanctity of the vidya, participants are kindly requested to attend in the manner of the sampradayam.
Composed by Swami Ramanuja himself as the auspicious opening of Sri Bhashyam, this verse offers praise to Sriman Narayana, the creator, sustainer, and protector of all the worlds, the one revealed at the crown of the Vedas. It prays that the mind itself may take the form of devotion to that Supreme. In a single verse, it holds the philosophical essence of the entire text, and it is one of the things you will come to understand in this session.
Swami came to the shastras from a career in software. From a software professional, to a devoted student of the shastras, to a teacher of Sri Bhashyam itself. He trained under several acharyas in Tarka (logic), Vyakarana (grammar), Mimamsa, the Vedanta shastras, Bhagavad Vishayam, and Rahasya granthas, and has mastered the 4000 Divya Prabandham. He performs Vachika Kainkaryam at many Divya Desams and founded Ramanuja Vidya in 2024. His own path is proof that a working professional can learn this deeply, part time.
Adiyen was a bit reluctant, as adiyen has zero Sanskrit knowledge and limited free time. Swami's classes took adiyen by surprise. The concepts were explained with patience and the deep sampradaya meanings were clearly brought out. Swami would repeatedly explain the key elements, enabling one to grasp even the esoteric ones easily.
Initially adiyen felt that Sri Bhashyam would be very difficult to understand. Through Swami's lucid explanations and patient guidance, adiyen gained the confidence that if adiyen could learn Sri Bhashyam, then anyone with sincere interest can certainly learn it.
The formidable barrier of the Sanskrit language often hinders us from diving deeper. Swami delivers the nectar of these teachings in simple Thamizh, ensuring that the essence of every adhikaranam is meticulously unveiled. His spontaneous and relatable analogies permanently etch complex topics in our memory.
Adiyen came to know about Sri Bhashyam 25 years ago. After a long wait, through Sri. U.Ve. Raghavan Swami's Ramanuja Vidya classes, adiyen could understand the details of Sri Bhashyam in Tamil. That too with minute details from Sruthaprakasika.
Before joining, adiyen always felt overwhelmed by the depth of this text. Swami's immense compassion and simple, lucid explanations have beautifully illuminated its profound essence. He makes the core tenets of Vishishtadvaita simple to grasp for anyone.
Adiyen thought Sri Bhashyam is hard to understand, but Swami made it so interesting with his explanations. Swami's Ramanuja Vidya class made adiyen more involved to learn and more committed. His kainkaryam towards our sampradayam is boundless and speechless.
For someone like adiyen, who has only recently entered the fold of our sampradayam, Swami has made the profound knowledge of our great acharyas remarkably simple, lucid and accessible. His ability to present these deep truths in such a palatable manner has enabled adiyen to understand and assimilate the teachings with greater clarity.
Lucid explanation and patient answers to all questions are the hallmarks of the course. The approach makes even a tough lesson easy to understand. But for this, adiyen would not have been able to grasp the foundational aspects of this great sampradayam.
Adiyen joined on the spur of the moment, and was pleasantly surprised with the style and ease with which the course was taught to one and all. Immensely benefited, and still enjoying the live sessions and discussions after several years. A must towards understanding, appreciating and practising sampradayam.
Swami's upanyasam is like the crane in the Azhwar's pasuram, pullin pillaikku irai thedum, choosing a fish small enough for its young. Sri Bhashyam, which we could not even imagine following, is now within reach through Swami's lucid explanation and kind heart.
Swami's YouTube videos, uraiyadals with adiyars, WhatsApp audios and the resources on the Ramanuja Vidya website complement one another perfectly, creating an ideal learning environment for beginners and for those already well versed in our sampradayam alike.
Swami's dedication, profound insight and patience during the classes have made this complex and sacred text accessible to adiyen. Learning this sacred philosophy from the videos and from the interactive sessions is a true privilege.
Swami's simple, clear and practical way of explaining our sampradayam makes even deep topics easy to understand and appreciate. Adiyen is truly grateful for this opportunity to deepen an understanding of our Sri Vaishnava sampradayam.
Past discourses are archived on the Ramanuja Vidya YouTube channel.
The ladder of our texts. Vedantam, Divya Prabandham, and Rahasyas, and where Sri Bhashyam stands.
Why Sri Bhashyam is essential to understanding Azhwars' pasurams and Rahasyas.
Emperumanar's command. The energy Swami Ramanuja gave to this text, and his instruction to every disciple to study it.
What Sri Bhashyam is, and how the whole text is structured.
The essence of all of Sri Bhashyam, held within a single shlokam.
From software to the shastras. Swami's own journey, and how a working professional can learn this part time.
Where this study leads, and how you can take it forward.
What Swami received from his acharyas, he passes forward. That is the whole intent of this sitting. Come with shraddha, stay for the full hour, and carry away something that stays with you. What you receive here is yours to keep, and yours to give onward.
Sri Bhashyam asks for steady attention, and this first hour is where that discipline begins. Swami keeps the room small on purpose, so every question is answered and nobody sits at the back. Admission closes once the room is full, so please register only if you can be present for the whole sitting.
One live sitting. Admission closes once the room is full. Register now, and come ready to give the whole hour.