Ramanujacarya (8)

[Guest guest]

April 7th, 2003, Monday (Pancami)

Appearance day of Sri Ramanujacarya

 

 

 

THE HIGH PRIEST OF THE TEMPLE

 

In this way the temple of Lord Ranganatha came to be built and was

famous as the largest temple in all of India. At the time of Ramanuja,

however, the high priest of the temple was not at all a devoted or pious

man. He had used his position to amass a fortune for himself, and he was

willing to remove any person who became an obstacle to his ambition.

Ramanujacarya now proved himself to be just such an obstacle.

 

The high priest-observed how people would offer respect and

veneration to Yatiraja and that his own position was now being overlooked.

That envious person could not tolerate this threat to his prestige and

status, and so he immediately began to consider ways by which he might be

rid of this dangerous rival. After formulating a plan, he went to Ramanuja

one day and invited him to take alms at his house. Then he quickly returned

home and instructed his wife, "Today I have invited Ramanuja to take alms

here. This is our opportunity to be rid of the scoundrel once and for all.

You know where the poison is to be found. Need I say more?"

 

The priest's wife was a woman of similar disposition to her husband,

and she gladly agreed to his proposal. The high priest then went back to the

temple, and at noon Yatiraja arrived at the house to take alms as he had

been invited. The wife of the priest received him with great courtesy,

washing his feet and offering him a nice sitting place. Although this woman

was known to be hard-hearted by nature, when she beheld the transcendental

appearance of the great devotee with his pure, guileless expression,

feelings of compassion began to arise within her.

 

When she brought the poisoned dish forward, she was unable to

restrain herself and, shedding tears, addressed Ramanuja, "My child, if you

want to save yourself, then go elsewhere to take your meal. If you take this

food you will die."

 

Yatiraja was shocked to hear these words, and he sat silently for

some time wondering what he might have done to bring out such hatred in the

priest. Eventually he rose and, leaving the house, walked slowly towards the

Kaveri. Seeing Gosthipurna there by the banks of the river, he ran towards

him and fell down at his feet. Gosthipurna raised him up and inquired as to

the cause of his distress.

 

Ramanuja narrated to him the whole story and then asked his

spiritual master, "I am so unhappy at the thought of his mental condition.

How can he be freed from such a great sin?"

 

"My child," Gosthipurna replied, "when you desire the Lord's mercy

for this sinful soul, there is no need to fear for him. Very soon he will

give up his evil ways and become a righteous man."

 

When he had left his guru, Ramanuja returned to the asrama, where he

found a brahmana waiting with various types of prasadam. He took a little

and distributed the rest to his disciples without telling anyone what had

befallen him at the house of the high priest. Sitting alone, he continued to

contemplate how the priest's sinful nature might be reformed.

 

In the meantime the high priest had returned to his residence and

discovered that his plot had been unsuccessful. He was extremely angry, but,

considering that a woman's heart is naturally soft, he excused his wife and

immediately began to devise another scheme to do away with his imagined

rival.

 

Every evening Yatiraja would visit the temple to see Lord

Ranganatha. That evening, when he was standing before the Lord, the high

priest came towards him, offering him caranamrta. Ramanuja gratefully

accepted and drank the caranamrta, even though he knew that it was mixed

with poison. Then he offered prayers to Lord Ranganatha, "0 ocean of mercy,

how great is your affection for your devotee. I am not worthy to accept such

nectar from Your lotus feet. Your mercy is causeless and unlimited."

 

When he had finished offering prayers, Ramanuja left the temple, his

body trembling in ecstasy. Seeing these emotions, the high priest mistook

them for signs that the poison was taking effect and was very pleased,

thinking that his mission was accomplished. He was convinced that the next

morning he would see the smoke of Yatiraja's funeral pyre, for he had put in

the caranamrta enough poison to kill ten men.

 

 

THE PRIEST'S REPENTENCE

 

However, in this he was to be disappointed. The next morning, as he

was going to the temple as usual, he heard the sound of many voices singing

joyful songs in praise of Ramanuja. The priest hurried to the place the

sound was coming from and saw there that all the people of Sri Rangam were

singing and dancing around Yatiraja, offering flowers at his feet. The

acarya himself was sitting on a low seat in a trance of ecstasy, his mind

fixed on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His pure features were more

radiant than ever, with tears of jubilation flowing from his eyes. As he

beheld that wonderful sight, even the stone-like heart of that evil priest

began to soften.

 

In an instant the high priest realized the folly of his envy towards

this great mahatma and rushed through the crowd towards him. Weeping

bitterly, he fell down at Ramanuja's feet praying, "You have descended to

enact the desires of Lord Visnu by destroying sinful men like me. Delay no

longer, my lord. Send me at once to the abode of Yamaraja. I am not fit even

to touch your feet, so please punish me immediately for all my sins. Only

then may I achieve relief from their reactions. Delay no longer! Throw me at

once under the feet of an elephant or into a blazing fire. I do not desire

to live for a moment more."

 

Having said this, the priest began to strike his head on the ground

so hard that the place became soaked with blood. The people all around tried

to restrain him, but he was so agitated that he began to strike his chest

until his whole body became covered with blood. Then Yatiraja returned to

external consciousness and pacified the priest by placing his hand upon his

head and saying, "Do not act in such a terrible way. Lord Ranganatha has

certainly forgiven all of your sins."

 

"How can you look with such kindness on a man as abominable as

myself!" exclaimed the priest. "0 savior of the fallen, this glory of yours

will be proclaimed by men for all time to come."

 

Ramanuja then blessed the high priest and bestowed his full mercy

upon him. From that day on, the priest was like a different person. He cast

far away all the enviousness which had polluted his heart and became a

humble servant of the Lord, completely devoted to his savior and guru,

Ramanujacarya.