The Life of Kuresan-9

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Dear friends,

 

After living in exile in Melkote for a decade and

more, a time came in history when Ramanuja was at last

in a position to return to SriRangam.

 

The Chola tyrant, King Krimikantha, died of a deadly

tumour that grew inside his neck. After his death, the

fanatic fringe of Saivism in the kingdom quickly lost

its militant edge and the land of the Cholas again

reverted to sanity and its high civilization.

 

Krimikanta Chola's successor was his son who turned

out to be a wise king utterly unlike his father. He

discouraged religious bigotry in his kingdom and

allowed freedom of faith and worship amongst all his

subjects.

 

Taking leave of his vast following in the Mysore

regions of Tirunarayanapuram, and at the ripe old age

of around 100, SriRamanuja finally decided to return

in triumph to his holy See in SriRangam.

 

The centenarian's re-entry into Srirangam was a

historic moment in the annals of SriVaishnavism.

 

A great gathering of SriVaishnava laity and orthodoxy

lined the streets of SriRangam to welcome their

beloved leader as he came in majestic procession with

his disciples. Pagaentry and fanfare, excitement and

expectation was rife in the air. Vedic chants and loud

"prabandhic" recitation filled the air as Ramanuja's

great procession wound its way slowly from the outer

ramparts of the Srirangam city into the inner

courtyards of the temple of Lord Ranganatha.

 

It was the grand return of the Hero of SriVaishnavism

to reclaim the papal throne that was rightly his!

 

******* ******** ********

 

After worshipping inside the temple of Lord

Ranganatha, Ramanuja went out again into his beloved

city of SriRangam to loud cheers ot the population.

The street sights and smells, the people and their

children, were all familiar to him...

He remembered the glorious days of the past .... a

happy and eventful past that had been peopled by so

many of his dearest gurus, mentors and

disciples....and so many, many wonderful memories...

 

Ramanuja's first stop in Srirangam was to call on the

house of his most beloved disciple, the blinded

Kuresan....

 

****** ******** *********

Having earlier learnt that his guru Ramanuja was

returning to SriRangam, Kuresan and his family, exiled

in Tirumalirunjolai for several years, had made the

greatest haste in themselves returning to their

homestead in Srirangam to await their Master's

arrival.

 

Someone rushed ahead of Ramanuja's procession to tell

the blind Kuresan that Ramanuja was himself heading

straight towards his home after worshipping at the

temple. Kuresan's heart leapt with joy. He

immediately asked his family to lead him out onto the

street outside his home. There he eagerly awaited his

guru's arrival.

 

When Ramanuja arrived, the Master and the disciple

faced each utterly transfixed... In each other's

presence they suddenly lost themselves in a flood of

distant recollections... of their young days together

back in Kanchi, of their times in Srirangam composing

the "sri-bhAshya", their travels together across India

to Kashmir and back .... and the many battles they had

together fought and won against ideological

adversaries like Advaitins and "mAyAvadins", Jains and

Buddhists....

 

Tears welled up in the Master's eyes as he looked at

Kuresan who, being eyeless, was unable to vent or shed

the tears of utter joy that seemed to inundate his

breast.

 

Kuresan tottered forward and fell at Ramanuja's feet

and clasped them both tightly to his eyeless and

scarred face. He lay there motionless and speechless

for several moments.

 

A great hush of silence descended on the large crowd

collected there! It stood dumb witness to probably

the most poignant moment ever in the entire history of

the SriVaishanavite movement.

 

Ramanuja was himself speechless for a while as tears

shook his now frail body and rolled down his aged

cheeks. Then the old, wizened "AchArya" bent down and

lifting Kuresa to his feet held him to his bosom

tightly.

 

"My child, my child," whispered Ramanuja to

Kuresan,"what have thee done! What have thee done! You

have given your eye... the eye of faith... for the

sake of Our faith!".

 

When he heard his Master's familiar voice again for

the first time after 12 long years Kuresan became

simply overwhelmed. But with effort, he somewhat

composed himself, recovered quickly and finally

replied,

 

"My Master, if I had to lose my eyes it was but in

atonement perhaps for some sin I may have committed!

Perhaps I may have once happened to pass by some good

SriVaishnavan and may have said to myself "How

clumsily this man has applied his "urdhvapundhram" on

his forehead! Hence, Sire, my punishment is rightly

deserved!".

 

Ramanuja said, "My beloved Kuresa! You and sin?!!

Never! Rather, my child, it is is all my sin for

which you have atoned all these years!"

 

"But let the past be bygone, Kuresa, come with me now!

You and I have lots of unfinished work yet to do!".

 

So saying Ramanuja proceeded to his own monastery in

Srirangam, personally leading his blind but happy

Kuresan by hand.....

 

All the crowds gathered there in SriRangam that day

watched in wide-eyed fascination as the old

RamanujachArya led the blind disciple to his papal

headquarters .... It was indeed the perfect and most

appropriate picture that anybody could have witnessed

on that most magnificent occasion ---- the picture of

"enlightenment" lovingly leading the "blind"....

 

(contd).

dAsan,

Sampathkumar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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