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Srimate Ramanujaya namah
Ramanuja is regarded as the greatest theologian of the Srivaishnava Lineage (Sampradaya) which is one of the two theistic Schools of Vedanta following the philosophy of Visishta-advaita — the other being the Dvaita system. The Srivaishnava Sampradaya arose in the Tamil region of South India, and as a tradition, had its origin with twelve mystics known as the Alvars (meaning those who are drowning in the depths of divine love). These Alvars composed hymns in Tamil expressing their love and devotion to God, particularly in the form of Krishna. According to modern scholarship, they lived, from about the 2nd to the 8th century CE., but ancient tradition ascribes to them a period from 430 BCE. downwards. Their lives and compositions encompassed all forms of intense love for a personal God. This devotional approach has been categorised in later times by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu; attitudes known as dasya (servitude), apatya (sonship). Sakhya (comradeship), Vatsalya (affection for a child), and Madhurya (conjugal). It is noteworthy that some of these Alvars were also great men of action. It was one of them, Tirumangai Alvar who renovated and enlarged the great temple of Ranganatha at Srirangam. The Srimad Bhagavatam XI:5:38 predicts the advent of the Alvars;
For more devotees of Narayana are born in the Kali Yuga than in any other Yuga. Especially in some parts
of the Dravida regions through which the Tamraparni, Kritamala, Payasvini (palar) and the very holy Kaveri
and the great west-flowing Mahandi (periyar) have their course, devotees of the Lord will specially abound.
The first of the great acharyas of the Srivaishnava, Nathamuni was a Brahmin from a family with
a tradition of Sanskrit scholarship. Nathamuni, is said to have taken the first steps towards a
collation of Vaishnava philosophy and theology. The names of his two Sanskrit works are
remembered and quoted, but neither has survived. Nathamuni also compiled the hymns of the
Alvars, into a collection of four thousand verses (Nalayiru Divya Prabandham) which are
popularly known as the "Tamil Vedas". He also made arrangement for these "Tamil Vedas" to be
chanted along with the Sanskrit Vedas during the services in the greatest temple of Vishnu in
India at Srirangam. He is also renowned as the last great master of Hatha Yoga. Yoga is the
achievement of liberation from the cycle of bodily existences through a difficult process of
mental and physical disciplines.
The organization of the Vaishnava community was achieved by Nathamuni's grandson
Yamunacharya who was an accomplished Vedic scholar as well as a Vaishnava savant. Adopted
into a royal family he lived a luxurious life in early days, but was converted and took to an
ascetic life through a trick devised by Nathamuni. He succeeded in consolidating the Vaishnavacommunity and establishing Srirangam temple as their headquarters. It was his great ambition to
dovetail the devotion of the Alvars with the Vedantic methodology which had become current
after the advent of Sankaracharya through extensive commentaries on Vedantic texts. He could
not himself achieve this ambition but towards the end of his life he met Ramanuja and
recognised in him the competent Vedic scholar who could do it. The mission was entrusted to
Ramanuja through his five principle disciples. Today there are over 700 Srivaishnava
monasteries in all parts of India.
1. Birth of Ramanuja
Sri Ramanuja (Udayavar) was the only child of a learned Yajur Vedi Brahmana of the Harita
clan named Asuri Kesava Dikshita and his wife Kantimati. (Kantimati was the sister of Saila-Purna
[Tirumalai Nambi] who was one of the disciples of Yamunacharya. Kesava Dikshita was
known by the title of Sarvakratu, meaning the performer of all Vedic sacrifices, by way of
recognition of his expertise in Vedic rituals. He lived in the village of Sriperumbudur situated
about 30 miles to the south-west of the modern city of Madras. This village is famous for the
great temple of Sri Adikeshava Perumal.
Keshava Dikshita had no children even after several years of marriage. Finally he decided to seek
the grace of the Lord Partha-sarathi residing at a place called Tiruvallikeni (Lily-lake), today
known as Triplicane in Madras. There he performed the sacrifice known as putra-kameshthi.
Krishna appeared to him in a dream and said "O Sarvakratu, I am extremely pleased with your
observance of Dharma and steadfast devotion. Fear not, I Myself shall be born as your son.
Motivated by selfish intentions and deluded about the true purport of the teachings of the
Scriptures, some men posing as religious mendicants are considering themselves to be the
Godhead, and out of pride they are becoming wicked and perverse. So unless I incarnate Myself
as an acharya, they are doomed. Go back home with your wife and in time your desire will be
fulfilled in time".
Accordingly, a year later in 1017 on Thursday the 12th of Chaitra (the fifth day of the bright
fortnight, when the sun was in Cancer during the asterism of Ardra) Kantimati gave birth to a son
with the auspicious marks of Vishnu on his body, he was named Ramanuja, which was a name
of Lakshmana, the younger brother of Rama. Lakshmana was considered to be the incarnation of
a part of Vishnu called Adi-shesha who is the foremost servant of the Lord in His transcendental
Realm of Vaikunta. Kantimati's younger sister also gave birth at this time to a son who was
called Govinda and would later play a very significant role in the life of his cousin Ramanuja.
2. Early Life
From his early childhood Ramanuja demonstrated a prodigious intellect. He could master lessons
even after hearing them only once from his teachers. As he grew up, his devotional potentialities
too, expressed themselves in the form of a great attraction that he felt towards the devotees of
the Lord. A great devotee named Kanchi-purna would daily pass Ramanuja's house on his way to
Kanchi from his home at Poonamallee, a neighbouring village, for the worship of the Deity
Varadaraja at Kanchi. Ramanuja, realising what a saintly character he was, befriended him and
one evening invited him to dinner. Being a member of the Sudra caste, Kanchi-purna at first
declined the invitation, but after Ramanuja had repeatedly insisted he finally accepted. After Kanchi-purna had taken his meal, a place was prepared for him to rest, and while he was resting,
Ramanuja overcome with joy at having such a great devotee in his home tried to massage his
feet. Kanchi-purna was alarmed and protested that he would not allow such a high born Vedic
Brahmin like Ramanuja to serve him in this manner. Ramanuja's reply to this protest was; "Pray,
is it merely the wearing of a sacred thread that makes one a brahmin? No! one who is devoted to
God alone is a brahmin. Everyone knows how Tirupan-alvar born in the Sudra caste is now
worshipped by brahmins because of his Love of God!". From this incident we can recognise that
Ramanuja was an enlightened saint and so liberal that he had no regard for the social rules of
caste. After this Kanchi-purna and Ramanuja became close friends.
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