Ramanujacharya

Sriperumbudur and Kanchipuram

Ramanuja was born, by tradition, in 1017 at Sriperumbudur, near today's Chennai, into a Brahmin family. Britannica gives "c. 1017"; some recent scholarship proposes 1077 instead. Either way, his life is known mostly through later hagiographies of the Sri Vaishnava tradition, and the stories below are told as that tradition holds them.

As a young man he went to Kanchipuram to study Vedanta under Yadavaprakasha. Teacher and student disagreed over the meaning of the Upanishads. Tradition says the disagreement grew so sharp that the teacher even plotted against his life.

At Kanchipuram he also befriended Kanchipurna, also called Thirukkachi Nambi, a temple servant of a lower caste. Custom said a Brahmin should not learn from such a man. Ramanuja learned from him anyway, and Kanchipurna became his early mentor.

Yamunacharya's three fingers

At Srirangam, the Sri Vaishnava community was led by Yamunacharya, also known as Alavandar. Ramanuja set out to meet him, but Yamunacharya died before he arrived. Devotees recount that three fingers of the dead teacher's hand were folded, and these were understood as three unfinished wishes. Ramanuja vowed to fulfil them, and the fingers opened.

He became Yamunacharya's spiritual heir without ever meeting him alive. He was initiated by Periya Nambi, also called Mahapurna. Later he took sannyasa (formal renunciation) at Kanchipuram and became known as Yatiraja, "king of ascetics".

Srirangam and the mantra from the tower

Ramanuja moved to Srirangam and led the community there. He reorganised the worship at the temple. At Thirukoshtiyur he received the eight-syllable mantra from Thirukoshtiyur Nambi, and, tradition says, proclaimed it from the temple tower to all.

He wrote the Sri Bhashya, his commentary on the Brahma Sutras, and other works, and travelled across India to debate. Scholars regard three works as securely his: the Sri Bhashya, the Vedartha Sangraha and the Gita Bhashya. The authenticity of some shorter works is still debated.

Exile at Melukote

Tradition holds that a Chola king turned against him and persecuted the community. Ramanuja fled to Karnataka. Devotees recount that his disciple Kuresha went to the king's court in his place, wearing his robes, so that the master could escape, and that Kuresha was blinded for it.

In Karnataka, Ramanuja lived about 12 years at Melukote, also called Thirunarayanapuram, under the patronage of the Hoysala kings. There, devotees recount, he opened the temple to people of all castes.

Return and last years

In time he returned to Srirangam. By tradition he passed away there in 1137, which would make his lifespan 120 years; revised scholarly dating places his death around 1157. His preserved form, known as "Thaan-aana Thirumeni", is venerated in a shrine at the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple.

Tradition says he left 74 simhasanadhipatis (lineage-holders) to carry on his teaching. On 5 February 2022, the 216-foot Statue of Equality near Hyderabad was dedicated to mark his 1000th birth anniversary.