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       Sri Ramanuja (a) Sri Emberumanar (a) Sri YathiRaja



Thaniyan

Birth place:Sriperumpudur
Birth date:950 years ago, Kali, Pingala Year, Chittirai Month, Thiruvadirai Star 

Sri Ramanuja is like the central pendant or stone in the garland of our Acharya lineage.  He is one of the most famous acharyas who established Sri Visishtadvaita doctrine in a firm ground, according to the wishes of Sri Alavandar.

He started his in-depth studies, as an advaita student under Sri YadavaPrakasar of Kanchipuram.  Govindha Battar, his cousin, also joined Sri Ramanujar during his studies.  Sri Ramanujar excelled as a student and even corrected Sri YadavaPrakasar's explanations of Upanishads.  This brought about a tinge of unpleasantness in Sri YadavaPrakasar's attitude towards Sri Ramanujar.  The famous incident, where Sri Ramanujar gave a superior explanation to Sri YadavaPrakasar's explanation of the word "Kapyasam" fueled this unpleasantness to the extent that the Guru plotted to kill his illustrious student.  He invited both Sri Ramanujar and Sri GovindhaBattar to accompany him to Ganga Yatra and plotted to kill him there.

Sri GovindaBattar got to know about the plot and warned Sri Ramanujar, who ran away from the group and tried to go back to Kanchipuram.  On his way back, Sri Varadaraja Perumal and Sri Perundevi Thayar, the Divine Dampathis themselves, came disguised as a hunter couple and helped him reach Kanchipuram.

In the meantime, Sri Alavandar visited Kanchipuram and felt very happy by Sri Ramanujar's radiance and prayed Sri Varadaraja Permual to make Sri Ramanuja come into the Sri Vaishnava fold.

At this time, the Divine Dampathis decided to bring to light, Sri Ramanujar's greatness.  The king's daughter became possessed by a "Brahma Rakshasa", a formidable evil spirit.  On king's request, Sri Yadava Prakasar and his main students (including Sri Ramanuja) visited the palace to cure the king's daughter.  Sri Yadava Prakasar tried to cure the princess, but in vain.  The evil spirit informed Sri YadavaPrakasa that it would move out, if Sri Ramanujar instructed him to do so.  Sri Ramanujar instructed the evil spirit to leave and it left the princess' body.  Sri Ramanujar became famous.

Sri Ramanujar started doing "Theertha Kainkaryam" (fetching water from a well for temple use) at Sri Varadaraja Perumal Koil, based on orders from Sri Varadaraja Permual himself.  This was conveyed by Sri ThiruKacchiNambigal to Sri Ramanujar.   At the instruction of Sri Alavandar, Sri Peria Nambigal (one of Sri Alavandar's sishyas) visited Kanchipuram and made Sri Ramanujar come with him to visit Sri Alavandar.

At that time, Sri Alavandar was in his deathbed and Sri Ramanujar made three promises ( to write vishnu Purana Bhasyam, Sri Bhasyam and explanations for Sri Nammalwar's works).

After returning to Kanchipuram, Sri Ramanujar asked Sri Thiru Kacchi Nambigal to find out answers from Sri Varadaraja Permual to clear his doubts.  Sri Varadaraja Permual gave the famous "Six words" that formed the basis of Sri Visishtadvaita philosophy and Sri Ramanujar's magnum-opus work: Sri Bhasyam.  One of the six words also instructed Sri Ramanuja to be a student under Sri Periya Nambigal.  So, Sri Varadaraja Perumal himself gave the roots of our philosophy to Sri Ramanujar.

Sri Ramanujar underwent "Pancha Samskaram" by Sri Periya Nambigal in the Sri Kodanda Raman Temple at Madurantakam.

Sri Ramanujar's wife committed three "Bhaghavata Apacharams" (sins committed against Sriman Narayana's bhaktas) and due to that, Sri Ramanujar left her and undertook "Sanyasa Ashramam" in Kanchipuram.  Sri Varadaraja Permul gave him the title of "YathiRajar".

Later Sri YadavaPrakasar himself became his Sishyar (student)  and got the title of Sri "Govinda Jeeyar".

When Sri Ramanujar visited Sri Rangam, Peria Permual himself asked him to attend to SriRangam Koil Kainkaryam and called him "Udayavar".  Later he visited Sri Thirukoshtiyur Nambi and requested him to bless him with explanations for the three important mantras of Sri Vaishnavism: Sri Moola Mantram, Dvyam and Charama Slokam.  In order to let the world know about Udayavar's conviction, Sri Nambigal turned him down seventeen times before giving him the explanations.  Sri Nambigal also got a promise from Ramanujar that the latter will not reveal the explanations to anyone.  Sri Ramanujar, with lots of compassion for other Sri Vaishnavas, immediately called Sri Kooratalwan and others and gave out the "Mantraartam" (explanations for the Mantras).

After this, Sri Ramanuja went on to write the famous "Sri Bhasya" and many other Granthams.  Due to this, he got the title "Sri Bhasyakarar".

He also traveled to Tirumalai-Tirupathi and proved that the main idol (Moolavar) of the temple is "Archa Moorthy" of Sri Vishnu himself and not that of Shiva or Parvathi Devi, as widely suspected at that time.

After performing many such miracles and establishing Sri Visishtadvaitam in a firm base, Sri Bhasyakarar established 74 Simmasanthipathis (heads of various Mutts) to propagate Sri Vaishnavism for ever.  After giving all the responsibilities to Sri Pillan, Sri Ramanuja left this world and went to Sri Vaikuntam to serve the Divya Dampathis.