Have any Ramanandi commentaries on the Brahma Sutras been translated into English?

Question

As, I discuss in this question, Vishnu is said to have taught the principles of Vaishnavism to four gods: Lakshmi, Brahma, Shiva and Sanatkumara. And they in turn started the four main Sampradayas or traditions of Vaishnavism: Sri Sampradayam, Brahma Sampradayam, Rudra Sampradayam, and Kumara Sampradayam. Now the Sri Sampradayam, the one started by Lakshmi, is most famous for containing the Sri Vaishnava sect (of which I'm a member). But this is not the only sect that traces its origins to the Sri Sampradayam. There's also the Swaminarayan sect, which I discuss here. And then there is the Ramanandi sect, which is the subject of my question.

The Ramanandi or Ramavat sect was popularized by Ramananda, who believed that Rama is the supreme being. It's similar to the ISKCON worldview, where Krishna is supreme and Vishnu is an incarnation of Krishna, except Krishna is replaced by Rama. Famous devotees of Rama like Tulsidas and Kabir belonged to this sect. In any case, Ramananda was in the disciplic succession of the Sri Vaishnava Acharya Ramanujacharya, which is why the Ramanandi sect considers itself part of the Sri Sampradaya. They even subscribe to Ramanujacharya's philosophy of Visistadvaita. In fact they claim that Baudhayana, whose ancient work Ramanujacharya relied on as I discuss here, was a Visistadvaita thinker belonging to their sect.

Now the Ramanandis, like the vast majority of Hindus, subscribe to the Vedanta school of philosophy, and the defining text of the Vedanta school is the Brahma Sutras, a work by Vyasa which summarizes and systematizes the philosophical teachings of the Upanishads. You can read the Brahma Sutras here; they're usually read with the help of a commentary. So my question is, are any Ramanandi commentaries on the Brahma Sutras available in English?

There seem to be at least four Ramanandi commentaries on the Brahma Sutras, all of uncertain origin. (EDIT: Now I found about a fifth! See below.) First there is the Janaki Bhashya, which was published in the early 20th century and attributed to some earlier Ramanandi named Ramprasada. I don't know who Ramprasada is, but Hanks Bakker's book "Ayodhya" claims that the Janaki Bhashya may not be an authentic work of Ramprasada:

Ramnarayanadas seemed to have been a reluctant follower of this movement, nevertheless he and Ramavallabhasharana are known in Ayodhya as the authors of several forgeries written in the first decades of the present century, such as the Ramarchan Paddhati ascribed to Ramanand and the Shri Janakibhashya, a commentary on the Vedanta sutras ascribed to Ramprasada.... [T]he Shri Janakibhashya was never acknowledged by the Mahants of the Bara Sthan and Ramprasada’s authorship is vehemently denied.

Then there is the Ananda Bhashya, which is attributed to Ramananda. It was published in 1921 by Raghubardas under the auspices of the Ramanandi Acharya Bhagavadacharya, but Bhagavadacharya eventually admitted that it was a forgery by Raghubardas; here is what this journal paper by Purushottam Agrawal says:

Bhagwadacharya rejected all such charges [of forgery] with vehemence at this point in time but, once he fell out with Raghubardas, he started condemning this Bhashya as ‘nothing but a forgery perpetuated by Raghubardas.’ In his autobiography, he gives the fascinating details of intrigues that went into ‘transforming the Janaki Bhashya of Ram Prasad into the Ananda Bhashya and attributing it to Ramanand’. He admits quite candidly, ‘being a new and fresh recruit to the cause, I inspired this act of injustice and fraud.’

And then this excerpt from a journal paper by William Pinch says that Bhagavadacharya subsequently published two more commentaries on the Brahma Sutras, first the Janaki Kripabhashya and then the Ramananda Bhashya attributed to Ramananda:

[I]n 1958, he published the ShriJanakikripabhashyasya (discourses of Shri Janaki, or Sita on life). In 1963 Bhagavadacharya authored yet another doctrinal-cum-philosophical treatise, entitled Shri Ramanandabhashyam (the discourses of Ramanand), which created considerable consternation among major Sampraday figures in Ayodhya and Banaras.

So all the commentaries have been of uncertain origin.

But have any of these four commentaries been translated into English, and if so are there online versions of them? The reason I ask is that I want to see how the Ramanandi sect's interpretation of the Brahma Sutras differs from Ramanunacharya's, given that both of them subscribed to some version of Visistadvaita.

EDIT: I've now found out about a fifth (!) Ramanandi commentary, the Shri Raghava Kripa Bhashyam written by the poet Rambhadracharya in 1998 and released by the then-Prime Minister of India Vajpayee. This looks like the most recent Ramanandi commentary on the Brahma Sutras, and also I think it's the only one that doesn't have any controversy about forgery. It is exactly what it claims to be, a commentary written in modern times.

Answer 1

सीतानाथ समारम्भां रामानन्दार्य मध्यमाम्। अस्मदाचार्य पर्यन्तां वन्दे श्रीगुरू परम्पराम् ।।

Ānand Bhāshya is a commentry on Brahmā Sütrā by Śrīmad Jagādgurü Ramānandacharya. He followed the physlosophy given by the early Ācharya of his lineage, Śrīmad Mahārishi Bodhāyan (Purushöttamāchārya). Ānand Bhāshya is completely based on Bodhāyan Vrittï as Maharishi Bodhāyan (Born in Mithila) who gave Vishistādwāit Philosophy is 9th ācharya of his Śrī Sampraday whose lineage starts from Śrī SītāRām, he was the deciple of Śrīmad Shūkachārya (Bhagwat commentator) and grand deciple of Mahārishi Vëd Vyās.

The scholar Mahacharya of Sri Ramanuja Sampradaya writes व्यासस्य एकान्तरित प्रशिष्यो बोधायनः in his Parasaryavijaya Granth and in this way supports the ancient tradition of Sri Sampradaya (Ramanand Sampradaya) by calling Śrī Bodhāyan a disciple of Śrī Vyās ji.

From where did Śrī Bodhāyan get the traditional knowledge? In addition to Sri Mahacharya, Upanishad commentator Sri Rangaramanuj Muni writes in the invocation of all his Upanishad commentaries – “Vyasam Lakshmanayogindram Pranamyanyan Gurunpi = व्यासं लक्ष्मणयोगीन्द्रं प्रणम्यान्यान् गुरूनपि" In this way, he first mentions Maharishi Ved Vyas along with Sri Ramanuja Swami ji and other Acharyas and salutes everyone because Brahmavidya came to Sri Ramanuja Sampradaya from Sri Vyas ji's Grand disciple Śrī Bodhāyan ji, Thus, by praising Sri Ved Vyäs, Sri Rangaramanuja Muni, the commentator on the Dashopanishads, also supports the most ancient tradition Śrī Rāmanada Samprādaya.

And as Śrī Ved Vyās ji is Ācharya of Śrī Sampraday whose lineage starts from Śrī SītāRām as mentioned in several scriptures;

ब्रह्माददौ वशिष्ठाय स्वसुताय मनुं ततः । वशिष्ठोऽपि स्वपौत्राय दत्तवान् मन्त्रमुत्तमम् ।। पराशराय रामस्य मन्त्रं मुक्तिप्रदायकम् । स वेदव्यासमुनये ददावित्थं गुरुक्रमः ॥ वेदव्यासमुखेनात्र मन्त्रो भूमौ प्रकाशितः । वेदव्यासो महातेजः शिष्येभ्यः समुपादिशत् ।।

(Śrī Agastyā Samhitā Chapter 133)

Many proofs are their, here is another one,

इममेव मनुं पूर्व साकेतपतिर्मामवोचत् अहं हनुमते मम प्रियाय प्रियतराय । स वेद वेदिने ब्रह्मणे स वशिष्ठाय स पराशराय । स व्यासाय । स शुकाय इत्येषोपनिषत् । इत्येषाग्रह्मविद्या ।

(Atharvavedā Shäkhayam Maithili Mahopanishad)

Here Śrimati Sītā Maharani is telling that she got Mantra from SāketPati Śrī Rāma after than she passed it to his beloved bhakt Śrī Hanumān after that Śrī Hanumān ji passed it to Brahmā ji from Brahmā ji to Vashistha, Vashistha to Parāshara from Parāshara to Vyäsa to Shūkachārya.

Śrīmad Vëd Vyās got initiated in Śrī saṁpradāya and Shadakshar Ram was given by Mahārishi Parāshara as said in Parāsharastakam;

राममन्त्रप्रदं श्रीमद्राममन्त्रार्थ कोविदम्। वन्दे पराशराचार्यं शक्तिपुत्रं जगद्गुरुम् ॥१॥ रामसेवारतं शश्वद् वेदव्यासस्य सद्गुरुम्। वन्दे पराशराचार्यं शक्तिपुत्रं जगद्गुरुम् ॥२॥ पराशरं वशिष्ठस्य पौत्रं धर्मविदांवरम् । रामप्रपन्नयोगीन्द्रः स्वाचार्य प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥३॥

Overall meaning is that Śrī Parāshara Muni is the giver of Śrī Rām mantra and he is the Guru of Vëd Vyās.

And Śrīmad Rāmanujācharya wrote in his Śrī Bhāshyam, “ भगवद् बोधायनकृतां विस्तीर्णा ब्रह्मसूत्रवृतिं पूर्वाचार्या संचिक्षिपुः तन्मतानुसारेण सूत्राक्षराणि व्याख्यास्यन्ते" In this way, remembering Mahārishi Shri Bodhayan ji with respect, he has pledged to present the Bhāshya of the Brahmā Sütrā according to his opinion.

So from here it has been clear that by following the Physlosophy of Śrī Saṁpradāya's 9th Ācharya Mahārishi Bodhāyan Purushöttamāchārya whole Vishishtadwait physlosophy of Śrīmad Rāmanujācharya was propagated for that reason only physlosophy of Śrī Saṁpradāy and Ramanuja Samprāday is same.

Maharishi Bodhāyan in his Purushöttamā Prapattishatkam says;

रामिति बीजवान् नाथ मन्त्रराजो हि तारकः तं जपामि तब प्रीत्यै पाहि मां पुरुषोत्तम ॥ 1 ॥ राम दोनोऽनुकूलोऽहं विश्वस्तोऽप्रातिकूल्यवान् । त्वयि न्यस्यामि चात्मानं पाहि मां पुरुषोत्तम ॥ 2 ॥ मामनाथे स्वशेषं च न्यासितं स्वार्थमेव हि । निर्भरं स्वभरत्वेन पाहि मां पुरुषोत्तम ॥3॥ यस्मिन् देहेऽहमानीतः कर्मणा स्वेन राघव । तदन्ते देहि सायुज्यं पाहि मां पुरुषोत्तम ॥4॥ न गतिजनकीनाथ! त्वां बिना परमेश्वर । परां गति प्रपन्नं त्वां पाहि मां पुरुषोत्तम ॥5॥ मोहितो मायया तेऽहं दैव्या गुणविशिष्टया । शरण्यं त्वां प्रपन्नोऽस्मि पाहि मां पुरुषोत्तम ॥6॥

He clearly states that he chants Śrī Rām MantrāRaj which is the seed of every mantra and saying Purushöttamā alone to Śrī Rāma.

Infact in the beginning of Vëd Rahashyam granth Mahārishi Bodhāyan says;

श्रीरामं परमं ब्रह्म व्यासं च परमं गुरुम् श्रीशुकं च गुरुं नत्त्वा वच्मि वेदरहस्यकम् ॥1॥

Here also he remembered his lineage and his Guru Shūkachārya!

In Dwadashuddhisamuchayah (द्वादशशुद्धिसमुच्चयः) also Mahārishi Bodhāyan Purushöttamāchārya remembers his Gurü Parampara (lineage) starting from Śrī SītāRām;

नत्त्वा रामं च सीतां च तथाऽऽचार्यपरम्पराम् । द्वादशशुद्धिबोधाय वक्ष्ये शुद्धिसमुच्चयम् ॥ 1॥ जगज्जन्मादिलीलस्य श्रीमदरामस्य शार्ङ्गिणः । कथायाः श्रवणात् पुंसां श्रोत्रशुद्धिर्हि जायते ॥2॥ सीतानाथस्य रामस्य वैष्णावानां गुरोस्तथा । पाद्पद्मरजःस्पर्शात् त्वचः शुद्धिः प्रजायते ॥3॥ अमोघदर्शनाद् दिव्याच्छ्रीसीतारामचन्द्रयोः । चक्षुषोर्जायते शुद्धिर्जनानां पुण्यशालिनाम ||4||

In his Bodhāyan Gita (Ramayan rahashya) also;

शुकदेवं गुरु नवा श्रीमद्व्यासं च राघवं । रामायणरहस्यं हि सद्बोधाय ब्रवीम्यहम् ॥ 1 ॥ जिज्ञास्य: शास्त्रयोनिश्च श्रुत्यन्वितोऽखिलेश्वरः । जगत्सृष्ट्यादिकर्त्ता श्रीरामो ब्रह्म परात्परम् ॥ 2 ॥ उपायश्चाद्वितीयोऽस्ति रामप्राप्तौ विनिश्चितः । प्रारब्धनाशिनी नणां श्रीरामशरणागतिः ॥ 3 ॥

Mahārishi Bodhāyan Purushöttamāchārya remembering his lineage and taking ultimate refuge of Paratpār Par-Brahmā Śrī Rām.

Infact the Grand deciple of Mahārishi Bodhāyan Purushöttamāchārya, Śrīmad Jagādgurü Sadānandachārya “Desik Samrat" (who was the Gūru of Pushya Mitra Sungha) wrote about him in his Śrī Bodhayanamatam,

रामो ब्रह्म परात्परं श्रुतिमतं भक्तवैव निःश्रेयसं शेषा येन च शेषिणो रघुपतेर्जीधा इति स्वीकृतम् ।

श्रतं युक्तियुतं मतं खलु विशिष्टाद्वैतकं यस्य स श्रीबोधायनवृत्तिकद विजयतां बोधायनः शाश्वतम् ॥4॥

All these proofs clearly in one voice says that Mahārishi Bodhāyan Purushöttamāchārya was the Ācharya of Śrī Sampraday whose adorable God were Śrī SītāRām. And following his previous acharya Śrīmad Jagādgurü Ramānandacharya wrote Ānand Bhāshya which is completely based on Vishishtadwait Physlosophy which was given by his early Ācharya.

Śrīmad Ramānandacharya said in the very Starting of his Bhāshya says;

एवञ्चाखिलश्रुतिस्मृतीतिहासपुराणसामञ्जस्यादुपपत्तिवलाच्च विशिष्टाद्वैतमेवास्य ब्रह्ममीमांसाशास्त्रस्य विषयो न तु केवलाद्वैतम् ।

(Ānand Bhashyā 1.1.1)

In this way, due to the harmony (consistency) of the entire Shruti, Smriti, Itihaas and Puranas etc., and by the power of evidence, Vishishtadvaita is the subject of this Brahmamimansa Shastra, not Advaita.

(भगवान् श्रीरामानन्दाचार्यजीने विशिष्टाद्वैतसिद्धान्त मानने में बोधायनवृत्तिकार श्रीपुरुषोत्तमाचार्य महर्षि वोधायन इत्यादि अपने पूर्वाचार्यका तथा उक्त आर्षमतका ही अनुसरण किया है ।)

Śrīmad Rāmcharit Mānas also follows same tradition of Mahārishi Bodhāyan Purushöttamāchārya i.e. Vishistadwāit Physlosophy;

सेवक सेब्य भाव बिनु भव न तरिअ उरगारि। भजहु राम पद पंकज अस सिद्धांत बिचारि॥ 1 ।। ईश्वर अंश जीव अविनासी। चेतन अमल सहज सुख रासी॥ 2।।

Above clearly says about Vishistadwāit Philosophy, now further more;

जौं अस हिसिषा करहिं नर जड़ बिबेक अभिमान। परहिं कलप भरि नरक महुँ जीव कि ईस समान॥

(श्रीरामचरितमानस, बालकाण्ड 69)

Meaning: If foolish men compete in this way out of pride of knowledge (that Brahmā and Jeeva are same), they fall into hell for a lifetime. Can even a living being be like God (completely independent)?

हरि सेवकहि न ब्याप अबिद्या। प्रभु प्रेरित ब्यापइ तेहि बिद्या॥ ताते नास न होइ दास कर। भेद भगति बाढ़इ बिहंगबर॥

O king of birds! Similarly, without the bhajan of Sri Hari, the suffering of the living entities is not erased. Ignorance does not pervade the servant of Sri Hari. By the inspiration of the Lord, knowledge pervades him. This does not destroy the Dās (दास) and increases the Bhed Bhakti (जीव और परमात्मा की भिन्नता).

भटकत पद अद्वैतता, अटकत ज्ञान गुमान। सटकत बितरन ते बिहठि, फटकत तुष अभिमान।।

(Tulsidas Satsai 4.26)

बहुतेरे मनुष्य अद्वैतवाद में भटकते हुए ज्ञान के गर्व में सब के साथ अटकते ( वाद-विवाद करते ) फिरते हैं परन्तु वितरन ( विशेष तारनेवाली, भक्ति ) से हठपूर्वक सटकते हैं और अभिमानवश तुष (भूसा) को फटकते हैं ॥

भावार्थ:- "तत्वमसि" इत्यादि वाक्यों के यथार्थ भाव न समझ जो लोग 'अहं ब्रह्मास्मि' की कपोल कल्पना करते हैं उन्हींके विषय में तुलसीदास जी का कथन है कि ऐसे लोगों से मुक्ति देनेवाली भगवद्भक्ति तो बन नहीं पड़ती केवल शुष्क वाद-विवाद में संलग्न रहते हैं अर्थात ऐसे मूर्खों से दूर रहे।

For that reason only our great acharya's always says alone Manas can give you the Sanatan Siddhant i.e. Vishishtadwait Siddhant. That's why to know the philosophy of great Maharshi's read Manas.

Coming back to point;

Till today many commentries had been written on Ānand Bhāshya, the one commentry on Ānand Bhāshya was Surdrum by Jagādgurü Śrīmad Saketniwasacharya Tilacharya (1515–1642). Infact to explain Ānand Bhāshya in very short he wrote SriRāmanada Vedantā Saar in 109 Shlokā,

प्रणम्य भाष्यकृद् रामानन्दं, गुरुं च राघवम् । श्रीरामानन्दवेदान्तसारं वक्ष्ये यथामति ।। 1 ॥ तत्त्वज्ञानं च मोक्षे हि मुमुक्षोर्हितकारकम् । 'तद्विज्ञानर्था' मित्येतच्छ्रतेरर्ज्यं च तद् गुरोः ।। 2 ।। प्रमाणप्रतिपन्नोऽर्थ बुधैस्तत्त्वं प्रकीर्त्तितम् । तत्त्वं च द्विविधं प्रोक्तं द्रव्याद्रव्यविभेदतः ॥ 3 ॥

This reference has been taken from the official book of Chatuh Sampraday.

Another commentry (not second) on Ānand Bhāshya was Surdrum Manjari written by Parivaracharya Śrī Mangalächarya (1785–1898)

Next commentry was written by Pandit Samraat Vaishnavacharya (1900–1986) called Vaishnavalankaar.

Another was written by Sri Raghuvaracharya ( 1946–2007) called Bhaashya padaanugaanaamak Svapadaanuroop.

And till today many commentries has been written.

Deciples of Śrimad Ramānandacharya has written many hyms for Ānand Bhāshyakār Śrīmad Jagādgurü Ramānandacharya, few of them I am mentioning here;

Śrīmad Sukhanandacharya who was the incarnation of Lord Shiva as said in Agastyā Samhitā Chapter 132 shloka 33,

तस्यामेव तुलालग्ने तादृशीन्दुरिवोग्रधीः । शम्भुरेव सुखानन्दः पूर्वाचार्यार्थनिष्ठकः ॥ 33 ॥

भगवान् शङ्कर ही उसी प्रकार वैशाख शुक्ल नवमी, शतभिषा नक्षत्र शुक्रवार को तुला लग्नमें सुखानन्दके रूपमें अवतरित होंगे।

He wrote in his Shrüti Sidhhant Dīpika,

नमस्कृत्य परं ब्रह्म सीतया सह राघवम्। आनन्दभाष्यकृद्रामानन्दाचार्यं समाश्रये ।।1।। पादपद्मं गुरोर्नत्त्वा संसारार्णवतारकम्। कुर्वे सिद्धान्तबोधाय श्रुतिसिद्धान्तदीपिकाम्॥2॥

Also in his another work Shiksha Battisi he writes;

बन्दि परात्पर ब्रह्म श्रीसीतापति रघुराज । वन्दौं रामानन्दगुरु भाष्यकार यतिराज।।1।। प्रातकाल उठि सुमिरिये सीताराम कृपाल । जासु नाम कीर्त्तन करे जनहिं न व्यापै काल॥2॥

This reference has been taken from the official book of Chatuh Sampraday.

Another disciple was Śrīmad Jagādgurü Narharyānandachārya Ji who was the incarnation of Śrī SanathKumar as said in Agastyā Samhitā Chapter 132 Shlokā 34/35,

व्यतीपातेऽनुराधाभे शुक्रे मेषे गुणाकरे । वैशाखकृष्णपक्षस्य तृतीयां महामतिः॥ 34 ॥ कुमारो नरहरियानन्दो जातधीर उदारधीः । वर्णाश्रमकर्मनिष्ठः शुभकर्मरतः सदा ॥ 35 ॥

वैशाखमासकी कृष्ण तृतीया, व्यतीपात योग, अनुराधा नक्षत्र, मेष लग्न, शुक्रवारको सनत्कुमार नरहरियानन्दके रूपमें अवतरित हुए। ये सदैव शुभ कर्मों में निरत तथा वर्णाश्रमधर्मनिष्ठ रहेंगे।

He wrote in his Anantatattvamritam,

रामं सूत्रकृतं व्यासं वृत्तिकृत्पुरुषोत्तमम् । आनन्दभाष्यकृद्रामानन्दाचार्यं नमाम्यहम्।।1।।

(Here he's has remembered his early Ācharya of his lineage like Śrī Rām, Ved Vyās, Sri Purushöttamāchārya (Mahārishi Bodhāyan) and Ānand Bhāshyakār Śrīmad Ramānandacharya)

पूर्वाचार्यान् नमस्कृत्यानन्तानन्दं गुरु तथा । कुर्वेऽनन्तपदं प्राप्तुं श्रीअनन्ततत्त्वामृतम्।।2।। प्रमाणप्रतिपन्नं हि वस्तु तत्त्वतयोच्यते। चिदचिदीशभेदात् तत् त्रिधा नित्यं तथाऽमृषा ||3||

Also in his another work Naam Pratap he writes;

नमि सियपति सियऔ हनुमाना। ब्रह्मा वशिष्ठादि सह माना।।

वन्दि जगद्गुरु रामानन्दा। जो त्रय भाष्य रचे आनन्दा ।।1।।

This reference has been taken from the official book of Chatuh Sampraday.

Another disciple of Ānand Bhāshyakār Śrīmad Jagādgurü Ramānandacharya was Śrīmad Yogānandācharya who was Incarnation of Kapil Muni as said in Agastyā Samhitā Chapter 132 Shlokā 36;

वैशाखकृष्ण सप्तम्यां मूले परिघसंयुते । बुधे कर्केऽथ कपिलो योगानन्दो जनिष्यति ॥ 36॥

श्रीकपिलजी योगानन्दजीके रूपमें वैशाख कृष्ण सप्तमी, परिघयोग, मूल नक्षत्रमें कर्क लग्नयुक्त बुधवारको अवतरित होंगे।

He wrote in his Bhagavatanushasanam;

नत्त्वा भाष्यकृतं रामानन्दाचार्यं च राघवम्।

कल्याणकारकं कुर्वे भागवतानुशासनम्॥ 1 ॥

आत्मीयमथ चात्मानं श्रीरामाय समर्प्यताम्।

रामे रम्यं ममत्वं च सर्वं त्याक्त्वा विधीयताम् || 2।।

Starting his hymn remembering his acharya Ānand Bhāshyakār Śrīmad Jagādgurü Ramānandacharya.

In his another work Bhaktirayanirupanam;

रामं सर्वेश्वरं चाथानन्दभाष्यविधायकम्।

गुरुं नत्त्वा च कुर्वेऽहं भक्तित्रयनिरूपणम्।।1।।

भक्तिः स राघवे स्नेहः सर्वेभ्यश्चाधिको हि यः ।

तयैव प्राप्यते मोक्षो नान्यथेति सुनिश्चितम् ॥2॥

Firstly remembering his acharya Ānand Bhāshyakār Śrīmad Jagādgurü Ramānandacharya and later on explaining Bhakti Yog !

This reference has been taken from the official book of Chatuh Sampraday.

Direct disciple of Ānand Bhāshyakār Śrīmad Jagādgurü Ramānandacharya was Srimad Anantānadācharya who was Incarnation of Lord Bramhā as said in Agastyā Samhitā Chapter 132, Shlokā 30;

आयुष्मन्! कृत्तिकायुक्तंपूर्णिमायां धनौ शनौ । स्वयंभूःकार्तिकस्याद्धाऽनन्तानन्दोभविष्यति ॥ 30 ॥

श्रीब्रह्माजीका अवतरण कार्तिक पूर्णिमा शनिवार कृतिका नक्षत्र धनु लग्नमें अनन्तानन्दके नामसे होगा।

He wrote in his Siddhant Deepak;

साकेताधीश्वरः श्रीमज्जानाकीवल्लभो विभुः ।

अव्याच्छाश्वतं रामो भक्ताभीष्टप्रदो हरिः ।। 1 ।।

आनन्दभाष्यकार श्रीरामानन्दजगद्गुरोः

सिद्धान्तो वैदिको मान्यो विशिष्टाद्वैतनामकः ।।2||

मारुतिं वीरवज्राङ्गं भक्तरक्षणदीक्षितम्।

हनूमन्तं सदा वन्दे राममन्त्रप्रवर्त्तकम् ॥3॥

रक्षकं श्रुतिशास्त्राणां यमदुःखस्य भक्षकम् ।

तक्षकं म्लेच्छयूथानां रामानन्दं समाश्रये ॥4॥

सीतानाथसमारम्भां श्रीबोधायनमध्यमाम् ।

अस्मदाचार्यपर्यन्तां वन्दे गुरुपरम्पराम् ||5||

Another disciple of Śrimad Jagadguru Ramānandacharya was Royal King Pipa Maharaj who was the incarnation of Manu as said in Agastyā Samhitā Chapter 132 Shlokā 38,

उत्तरा मनुः पीपाभिधो जात उत्तराफाल्गुनी युजी। पूर्णिमायां ध्रुवे चैत्यां धनवारे बुधस्य च ॥ 38 ॥

श्रीमनुजी ही पीपाजीके रूपमें चैत्रमासकी पूर्णिमा तिथि, फाल्गुनी नक्षत्र, ध्रुव योग में बुधवारको अवतरित हुए।

He wrote in his work Vaishnav Dharm Mangalam ;

सीतारामसमारम्भां श्रीबोधनायमध्यमाम्।

अस्मादाचार्यपर्यन्तां वन्दे गुरुपरम्पराम्।।1।।

नत्त्वा रामं तथा रामानन्दाचार्य यतीश्वरम्।

सर्वमङ्गलदं कुर्वे वैष्णवधर्ममङ्गलम्॥2॥

सदाचारयुता लोका रामभक्ताश्च यत्र हि ।

तस्मै वैष्णवधर्माय वैदिकाय सुमङ्गलम्॥3॥

धार्मिकाः साधवो यत्र करुणासिन्धवः किल।

तस्मै वैष्णवधर्माय वैदिकाय सुमङ्गलम्॥4॥

Another disciple was Śrī Keeldevacharya he wrote in his Sadhana Bhakti Darpanam;

नत्त्वा भाष्यकृतं रामानन्दं रामं गुरुं तथा। भक्तानन्दप्रदं कुर्वे साधनभक्तिदर्पणम्।।1।।

रामस्य तैलधारावद् विच्छेदरहिता स्मृतिः। पुरुषार्थात्मिका भक्तिस्तत्साधिका मता नव।।2।।

He has exactly said the same thing what is early Ācharya of his lineage Śrīmad Mahārishi Bodhāyan has said that Bhakti should be like a flow of oil “तैलधारावद्".

This reference has been taken from the official book of Chatuh Sampraday.

And so there are many many references about Śrī Sampraday and its sidhhant and it's acharya and their work in Scriptures !

Infact Ānand Bhāshyakār Śrīmad Jagādgurü Ramānandacharya has also written Bhāshya in Śrīmad Bhagwat Gita called as Gitā Ānand Bhāshya and lineage of Śrī Sampraday is also mentioned their as he has said;

श्रीरामं जनकात्मजामनिलजं वेधो वशिष्ठावृषी योगीशं च पराशरं श्रुतिविदं व्यासं जिता शुकम् ।

श्रीमन्तं पुरुषोत्तमं गुणनिधि गङ्गाधराद्यान्यतीन् श्रीमद्राघवदेशिकं च वरदं स्वाचार्यवर्य श्रये ॥

Here he is remembering his early Aacharya like Shri Ram, Shri Sita, Vashisht, Parashar, Vyas, purushotamaacharya, Maharshi Bodhāyan, Gangadharacharya and Raghavananadacharya.

His Gita Ānand Bhashyā clearly states;

अथादिपुरुष: साकेवाधिपतिः कल्याणगुणोदधिर्भगवाञ्छ्रीरामः साधुपरित्राण दिस्वावतारप्रयोजनान्यनुष्ठातुं वसुदेव गृहे श्रीकृष्णस्वरूपेणावतीर्य वसुन्धराभारभूतान स्वाश्रितद्विषोऽसुरस्वभावान् कंसादीन्निहत्य परमधर्म संरिरक्षयिषुर्भारनाख्यमहाहव व्याजेनस्वानन्यप्रपन्नमर्जुनं स्वमुखेनैव गीताशास्त्रस्य हार्दमुपदिशन स्वावतार ।।

(Śrimad Bhagwat Gita Ānand Bhashyā)

आदि पुरुष साकेत के अधिपति (स्वामी) कल्याण गुणके समुद्र समान सर्वेश्वर श्रीरामचन्द्र ने साधु पुरुषो का परित्राण(रक्षण) रूप स्वकीय अवतार धारण का जो प्रयोजन है उसका संपादन करने के लिये माथुरेय वसुदेव के घर में श्रीकृष्ण रूपसे अवतार लेकर पृथिवी के भारभूत स्वकीय आश्रित व्यक्ति के साथ दुश्मनी रखनेवाले, असुर स्वभाव वाले कंस प्रभृति साधु द्वेषियो को मारकरके सर्वोत्कृष्ट श्रीवैष्णवधर्म की रक्षा करने के लिये महाभारत रूप संग्राम के व्याज से अनन्य भक्त शरणागत श्रीअर्जुन को अपने मुख से ही गीताशास्त्र के अभिप्राय का वर्णन (उपदेश) करते हुए स्वकीय अवतार लीलाका विस्तार किया।

Śrīmad Ramānandacharya has also written Upänīshad Ānand Bhāshya on all Major Upnishads with the same physlosophy that was given by his early Ācharya Śrīmad Mahārishi Bodhāyan Purushöttamāchārya.

So Ānand Bhāshya has been written by Śrīmad Jagādgurü Ramānandacharya following the physlosophy of his early Ācharya i.e. Vishistadwait Philosophy.

To know Physlosophy of Sri Samprādaya please refer this answer.

To know the Proofs of Śrī Sampraday from scriptures please refer this answer.

To know the glory of Śrī Rāma Naam please refer this answer.

To know everything please Chant SitaRam SitaRam SitaRam SitaRam SitaRam

Hail to Priya Pritam Sarkar ❤️

Hail to Ānand Bhāshyakār Śrīmad Jagādgurü Ramānandacharya 🚩