| Sages,Rushis & Saints |
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| Biographies of Great Indians & Hindus |
RAMANUJACHARYA |
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| Ramanuja
Becomes "Yatiraja" Whenever Ramanuja wanted solutions to any philosophical questions, he would refer them to Kanchipoorna. The latter would often find it difficult to answer the questions, since Ramanuja himself was a profound scholar. On such occasions he stood before the deify and appealed for answers. He conveyed back to Ramanuja the response he received from god. Ramanuja was most happy with the answers. These became the basic tenets of Vishishtadvaita. Ramanuja left for Sriranga to meet his prospective guru Mahapoorna. At the same time Mahapoorna and his wife were on the way to Kanchi to persuade Ramanuja to take up the task left uncompleted by Yamunacharya. Their paths crossed and they both met on the way. Mahapoorna agreed to Ramanuja's guru. Ramanuja was taken to a place near a bakula tree, and after the preliminary rituals he was taught the philosophical intricacies of Vishishtadvaita. Ramanuja took his guru to Kanchi and kept him with him there. For nearly six months Ramanuja served his master and learnt from him the inner esoteric meaning of the 'Nalayira' (four thousand) Prabandha compositions. He learnt the essence of Vishishtadvaita contained in those hymns. Mahapoorna was not a brahmin. One day his wife was drawing water from the well, and inadvertently a few drops were splashed on the pitcher of Ramanuja's wife. The latter became angry that she had been polluted and started a row. Maha- poorna felt deeply hurt by her conduct. He decided to leave the place lest his presence create further estrangement between Ramanuja and his wife, and proceeded to Sriranga. Ramanuja came to know that his guru had left. His anger knew no bounds. How could he continue to live with such a wife? He cleverly dispatched her to her father's house and took to Sannyasa in the presence of Lord Varadaraja. Ramanuja thus became Yatriraja. His worldly bonds had been severed forever. |
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