Ramanujacharya is a great Hindu philosopher and social reformer of India. With a firm belief in equality, he tirelessly worked to bring together people of different castes, creeds, and faiths. Ramanujacharya inspired masses on the path of Bhakti yoga. He traveled the length and breadth of India to propagate the devotional movement. He followed the Vaishnava tradition and worshipped Lord Vishnu his entire life. He believed that only through unconditional surrendering to Lord Vishnu, one will achieve Moksha (liberation).

About Ramanujacharya

Ramanujacharya propagated the theory of Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism) of the Vedanta philosophy. He encouraged everyone to follow the Bhakti. He was of the belief that even Shudras and outcastes could also attain moksha by completely surrendering to God.

Ramanujacharya is also seen as a social reformer. In his time, society had been divided into different caste systems. There was widespread discrimination among different castes. He worked hard in bringing unity to society. He taught everyone the Vedas and other scriptures and propagated the idea of equality through these scriptures.

There is a temple dedicated to him in his native village, Sriperumbudur, called Sri Ramanuja Swamy Temple.

There is a Ramanujar’s shrine inside Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple, where Ramanuja’s mummified body in a sitting position has been preserved. The body is protected with sandalwood paste and saffron without the use of chemicals. Additionally, Kumkum (Vermilion) and Karpuram (Camphor) are applied twice a year to maintain the body.

Early Life of Ramanujacharya

Ramanuja is born in a Brahmin family in a village called Sriperumbudur, which is presently in the state of Tamil Nadu. He is believed to have lived in the period between 1017 CE to 1137 CE.His father’s name was Kesava Somayaji and his mother was Kanthimathi. His childhood name was Illaya Perumal. He left his home and family at an early age to pursue sannyasa.

Ramanujacharya and His Guru

At the age of eight, Ramanuja was sent to gurukul in Kanchipuram for education. Under the guidance of his Guru Yadavaprakasha, he studied all the Vedic scriptures in the gurukul. Yadavaprakasha was a follower of Advaita Siddhanta of Adi Shankaracharya. Ramanuja thus began his Vedantic journey by learning Advaita Vedanta. However, he had some disagreements with his Guru in interpreting Vedic texts. So he separated from his teacher Yadavaprakasha. After parting ways with the guru, Ramanujacharya became a temple priest at the Varadaraja temple of Kanchipuram.

At that time another Vaishvavite philosopher and a profound scholar, Yamunacharya was heading a mutt at Srirangam. One of his disciples, Kanchipurna, serving in a temple at Kanchipuram. Kanchipurna's knowledge profoundly influenced Ramanuja. During that period, Yamunacharya also was getting older and looking for a suitable successor. He had heard of Ramanuja through his disciples and considered appointing Ramanuja as his successor. He called Ramanuja to meet him. Unfortunately, Yamunacharya passed away before they could meet. Ramanuja learned that Yamunacharya wanted him to spread Vishishtadvaita philosophy to the masses. Ramanuja was appointed head of the Srirangam Mutt as per Yamunacharya’s wish.

Ramanuja followed another saint of his time, Swami Kosthiyur Nambi in Madurai to receive the sacred mantra. Somehow, Swami was not willing to initiate Ramanuja easily. After denying Ramanuja eighteen times, he finally decided to initiate him with a promise to keep the mantra secret. But he came out and started chanting the mantra aloud. Being a compassionate man, Ramanuja wanted everyone should enjoy the eternal bliss of Lord Narayana.

Works of Ramanujacharya

Ramanujacharya wrote commentaries on the Brahma sutra, Bhagavadgita, and other scriptures. His major books were Vedartha Sangraha (on the Vedas), Sri Bhashya, and Bhagawatgeeta Bhashya.

After finishing his writings, Ramanujacharya traveled across Bharat to spread the message of Bhakti. He visited all the sacred places including Kashi, Badri, Kashmir, Tirupati, etc. Established temples in many places as the centers of Dharma.

It is believed that several ancient poets like Annamacharya, Thyagaraja, Meerabai, Bhakt Ramdas, and Kabir have taken inspiration from Ramanujacharya. Also, his teachings have inspired several schools of thought of the Bhakti movement.

What is Vishishtadvaita philosophy?

Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism) is one of the principal branches of Vedanta. Ramanujacharya was the main proponent of the Vishishtadvaita philosophy.

Brahman is eternal and the soul exists only through Brahman. It states that the soul, when united with the supreme God after getting liberation, still remains distinct. Lord Narayana is the ruler of the universe and Jiva is his servant.

Statue of Equality

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a 216-feet tall statue commemorating Ramanujacharya, on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The statue is made of ‘panchaloha’, a combination of five metals - gold, silver, copper, brass, and zinc. This is one of the tallest metallic statues in a sitting position.

The statue of equality signifies the vision of Ramanujacharya’s universal salvation through Bhakti irrespective of caste, creed, and gender.