From a Sri Vaishnava conference- www.srivaishnava.org

[Guest guest]

Sri Ramanuja was the one who brought about the total integration of people —

in the way he looked after the temple of Srirangam.

 

 

THE RAJAGOPURAM: Srirangam temple where the Acharya's guidelines are still

followed.

 

Another ten years and we will be celebrating the 1,000th birthday of Sri

Ramanuja.

 

How does one describe Sri Ramanuja? Scholar nonpareil? Ideal disciple?

Sterling leader? Intense bhakta? The very personification of humility?

Friend of the marginalised? Bold reformer far ahead of his times? Hero of

the spirit? The great Vaishnava Acharya transcends all such

compartmentalisations. In fact, the very fort walls of Srirangam echo his

words, the streets remain sanctified by his touch, long, long after he has

withdrawn from the physical. His dedication to temple ritualism went hand in

hand with his intensely practical outlook. He was the one who brought about

a complete integration of people belonging to various castes and creeds. The

manner in which he functioned while looking after the Srirangam temple

reveals the ideal administrator as well.

 

It was Yamunacharya who first discovered the genius of Sri Ramanujacharya.

Although Yamunacharya was not alive when Sri Ramanuja entered Srirangam as a

young sanyasi to help administer the temple, he must have been immensely

gratified by his perfect choice. Sri Ramanuja was allotted the Cheran Madam

close to the temple of Goddess Ranganayaki. He took the help of Kurattazhvan

and Mudaliyandan to assist him in his work which included spirituality,

philosophy, religious ritualism, medical health, education and social work.

Those were the days when a temple drew its income from the lands offered to

the deity. This meant Sri Ramanuja had to keep a tab on income from the

lands and safeguard paddy, pulses and spices that came to the temple in huge

quantities.

 

Arduous task

 

 

In the Kottaram area of the Srirangam Temple, huge granaries can still be

seen (although in a state of disrepair). There was then the even more

arduous task of apportioning the income to the temple festivities and daily

rituals. Pillailokam Jeeyar says that Sri Ramanuja settled the servants of

the temple close to the area so that they would be available day and night

to fulfil their duties. An important manner of integrating the populace was

by drawing from all castes to work for the temple and receive appropriate

honours on special occasions.

 

 

 

 

 

Sri Ramanuja.

 

The temple was thus made into a hub of varied activities. There were the

items of cooked food that was prepared in the temple kitchens, the garland

makers in charge of decorating the Lord and the temple with flowers, and so

on. Not only did he allot each group (kothu) a particular set of duties, but

he also made everyone remain on their toes by an intricate system of

accountability. This continues to be effective, and that is why people in

Srirangam proudly say that the activities of the temple do not get postponed

for trivial reasons.

 

When the Lord is holding court, the ``vinnappam seyvor" (reciters) are

called one after another, and they are always standing ready to come forward

and recite their allotted text (the four Vedas, Purana). All these services

instituted as hereditary by Sri Ramanuja, have been continued by families

for generations. Thus, the Vainika parampara of the temple goes back by more

than forty generations.

 

All may not have been smooth-sailing for Sri Ramanuja when he tried to

reform temple administration and this seems to have resulted in his

self-exile at Melkote for about eight years. When Kulothunga I became king,

Sri Ramanuja was able to return to Srirangam and take the temple complex to

greater heights of glory. Great acharyas sought to make the temple city

their permanent residence because Sri Ramanuja was not only administering

the temple but he also happened to be the supreme teacher for all the

aspirants of Srivaishnavism