One of Yamunacarya’s chief sannyasi disciples was Sri Saila-purna. He had two sisters, the elder named Kantimati and the younger named Diptimati. Kantimati was married to a very pious brahmana known as Asuri Kesavacarya. Because of his expertise in the performance of all five kinds of fire sacrifice, he was also known as Sarvakratu.
Years passed by, and the couple lived happily in the village of Bhutapuri, but, because they still had no children, Kesavacarya became disturbed at heart. He decided to perform a fire sacrifice to please the Lord and thus beg Him for the gift of a son. For this purpose he journeyed with his wife to the temple of Sri Partha-sarathi on the shores of the ocean, in what is now the city of Madras. There they performed sacrifices together, begging the Lord to be merciful to them and grant them the benediction of a son.
Certainly Lord Visnu was pleased by their prayers, for about one year later Kantimati gave birth to a baby boy, who bore all auspicious marks on his body. This was in the year AD 1017, and it was this child who grew up to be renowned all over the world as Sri Ramanujacarya, the great devotee of Lord Narayana.
At about the same time, Kantimati's younger sister, Diptimati, also gave birth to a son. On hearing the news of the births of his two nephews, Saila-purna, the intimate disciple of Yamunacarya, came to visit them. He was astonished to see all the auspicious marks on the body of Kantimati's son, and he gave him the name Ramanuja, a name of Laksmana which means the younger brother of Rama. To Diptimati's son he gave the name Govinda.
MEETING WITH KANCIPURNA
As Ramanuja grew, the brilliance of his intellect soon became apparent. When he began to attend school, he could easily remember anything he was taught, even after hearing it only once. All the teachers in the school loved the boy, not only because he was a brilliant scholar, but also because of his gentle, courteous nature.
At that time there was a famous devotee of the Lord named Kancipurna, who lived in the nearby city of Kancipuram. He was a disciple of Yamunacarya, and, although he was born in a sudra family, his intense devotion to the Lord was so apparent that even strict brahmanas would offer him all respect. Every day he would travel from the city of Kanci to the village of Poonamalle to worship the Deity there. As Bhutapuri was midway between the two places, he would daily pass by Ramanuja's house.
One evening as Ramanuja was returning home from school, he met Kancipurna face to face and was immediately attracted by the demeanor of this holy man. With great humility Ramanuja invited Kancipurna to come to his house for a meal, and the great devotee readily agreed, being very much attracted to this gentle brahmana boy.
After his guest had finished his meal, Ramanuja began to massage his feet. At this Kancipurna protested, "I am nothing but a low-born sudra and am thus your servant. It is not proper for a brahmana like you to deal with me in such a way."
Ramanuja replied, "If my position as a brahmana prevents me from worshipping a great soul such as yourself, then I consider my birth to be the most inauspicious. Is it just the wearing of a cheap thread that makes one a brahmana? Only that person who is fully devoted to Lord Visnu is a real brahmana, no one else."
Kancipurna was filled with wonder and delight to hear the boy's firm faith in devotional service. Long into the night the two of them sat up discussing topics about the Lord and the ways of devotion. That night Kancipurna stayed at Ramanuja's house and proceeded on his journey the next morning. From that day forth both of these great devotees were bound together by the love that each bore for the other.
MOVING TO KANCIPURAM
When Ramanuja was only sixteen years old, his father, Asuri Kesavacarya, wanted to get him married. Accordingly, he selected a beautiful young girl to be his son's bride and made all the arrangements for the wedding celebration. The festivities lasted for an entire week and all the poor people of the neighborhood were satisfied by the distribution of large amounts of prasadam. After the couple had been married for only one month, however, tragedy struck the family - Kesavacarya left this world. Kantimati was afflicted with terrible grief, and for Ramanuja also it was a time of great sorrow. Now that Kesavacarya had left them, Bhutapuri was no longer a happy place for the family, and they decided to move to the city of Kanci. Ramanuja went first to construct a residence for them, and when it was completed they all moved there.
AT THE SCHOOL OF YADAVAPRAKASA
At that time a very learned scholar was living at Kanci. His name was Yadavaprakasa, and the fame of scholarship had attracted a large group of disciples to him. Being desirous of understanding the Vedic literatures, Ramanuja also became his student, and his pleasant nature and quick intelligence soon endeared him to the great pandita. However, this relationship did not last for very long, for despite his learning and knowledge of the scriptures, Yadavaprakasa was a firm adherent of the mayavada philosophy of absolute oneness. He taught that the all-pervading Brahman was the Absolute Truth and that the personal God, Lord Visnu, was illusory. Ramanuja was a pure devotee of the Lord, and so he was pained to hear the statements of Yadavaprakasa, that denied the supremacy of his beloved Lord. Out of humility and respect for his guru, Ramanuja would not point out the defects in these impersonalist teachings, but the situation gradually became impossible to tolerate.
THE FIRST CONFRONTATION
One day when the other students had gone home to take lunch, Yadavaprakasa asked Ramanuja to massage his body with oil. At that time one of the other students returned to the school to discuss with his teacher a passage from the Chandogya Upanisad they had been studying that morning. In particular he inquired about the word kapyasam, which occurs in the first chapter, part six, verse seven. Therein it is stated, kapyasam pundarikam evam aksini.
Following Sankaracarya's interpretation, Yadavaprakasa began to explain that kapyasam referred to the rear-end of a monkey and that the whole passage meant that the Supreme Lord had eyes like lotuses as red as a monkey's rear-end.
On hearing this horrible explanation of the appearance of his beloved Lord, Ramanuja, who was still massaging his guru, was filled with such intense grief that hot tears immediately began to pour from his eyes. When Yadavaprakasa felt the touch of these tears, he looked up in surprise. Seeing Ramanuja's distress, he asked what was causing him such pain. To this inquiry Ramanuja replied, "0 master, it causes me such suffering to hear this terrible explanation from a great soul like yourself. How sinful it is to compare the beautiful lotus eyes of the Lord to the posterior of a monkey. I never expected to hear such a thing from my teacher."
Yadavaprakasa was angered by this challenge from one of his own students, and he replied sharply, "I also am very aggrieved. Impudent words from an inferior are never praiseworthy. If you have become so proud that you think yourself a better teacher than me, then let us hear your explanation of the passage."
"By your mercy everything is possible" replied Ramanuja.
Yadavaprakasa smiled derisively. "Now we are going to see this boy outdo the great Sankaracarya," he said.
Ramanuja remained peaceful, and when he spoke it was in a very humble way. "Instead of understanding the posterior of a monkey from the word kapyasam, " he said, "another meaning is possible. Ka-pi can be taken as kam jalam pibati, that which drinks up the water, or, in other words, the sun. The word asam also means to blossom, so the whole word kapi-asam can be understood as that which blossoms under the sun, or, in other words, the lotus flower. Thus we can understand the mantra of the Upanisad to mean that the Lord has eyes as beautiful as the lotus flower."
Yadavaprakasa was very surprised to hear such a clever explanation from one of his own students and he realized that Ramanuja was a staunch adherent of the devotional philosophy of dualism. The devotees understand that the perfection of life is to worship Lord Visnu without any personal desire, and so they never aspire for oneness as the mayavadis do. This philosophy was directly opposed to the teachings of Yadavaprakasa and after this incident his affection for Ramanuja began to wane.
MORE CONFLICTS AT SCHOOL
A few days later when Yadavaprakasa was instructing his students from the Taittiriya Upanisad, he made the statement that the Supreme Brahman is Truth, Knowledge, and Infinity. On hearing this impersonal idea of God, Ramanuja could not contain himself. He immediately objected to his teacher’s explanation, saying, "No, this verse means that the Supreme possesses Truth, Knowledge, and Infinity, but still He has His own existence beyond these attributes."
Angered by this unexpected interruption, Yadavaprakasa replied, "You presumptuous child, if you won't accept my explanations, then why do you come here? Why not go home and start a school of your own?" When he had composed himself somewhat, he went on more quietly, "Your explanation is not in accordance with Sankaracarya or any of the previous acaryas, so kindly keep your impertinence to yourself."
By nature Ramanuja was humble and meek, and so he tried to avoid such confrontations with his teacher. However, he was also absolutely devoted to knowledge of the truth: thus, when he heard the misleading monist interpretations being put forward by Yadavaprakasa, he was sometimes unable to contain himself. In the presence of the other students Yadavaprakasa used to make light of these challenges, but in his heart there began to arise a growing fear and hatred for the boy. "As he grows older," he contemplated, "this boy will strongly establish the dualistic philosophy of devotion. This must not be allowed to happen. I will do whatever is necessary to protect the doctrine of monism, even if it means that I have to kill him."
YADAVAPRAKASA'S PLOT
Actually, Yadavaprakasa was very envious of Ramanuja, seeing in him both a purer heart and a greater intellect than his own. One day, therefore, he called all his other students to a secret meeting. There he addressed them, "My dear children, none of you has ever found fault with my teachings, but this impudent Ramanuja has repeatedly challenged my explanations. He may be an intelligent boy, but all his ideas are based on the false doctrine of dualism, seeing a difference between the self and God. He is a complete heretic who will cause havoc in society through his teachings. We must find some way to be rid of him."
"Sir, surely you could just forbid him from coming to the school," suggested one student.
"But then our master's worst fears would be realized," responded another, "for he would open his own school and go on propagating his falsehoods all the more. Already he has written a commentary on the mantra: satyam jnanam anantam brahma, which contradicts everything we have learned from our teacher." This was true, for Ramanuja had effectively refuted Sankara's explanations: and his writing had been widely read and appreciated by Vaisnavas in south India, including Yamunacarya at Rangaksetra.
After discussing the matter for some time, they all agreed the only way to stop Ramanuja was to kill him. They then began to consider how this could be done secretly without anyone discovering their crime. Eventually Yadavaprakasa made a proposal, "Let us all go on pilgrimage to bathe in the Ganges. On the way there are many remote areas, where we can put an end to this heretic without anyone knowing anything about it. By bathing in the sacred Ganges we will free ourselves from the sin of killing a brahmana and when we return we will simply say he felt sick and died on the journey."
All the disciples readily accepted their teacher's suggestion and set out to induce Ramanuja to accompany them on their journey. Ramanuja was delighted at the idea of bathing in the Ganges and happily accepted their invitation. Govinda, Ramanuja's cousin, was living with his aunt in Kancipuram at this time, and he also studied at the school of Yadavaprakasa. When Ramanuja announced that he was going on pilgrimage to North India, Govinda immediately decided to go with his beloved friend and relative.
DANGER IN THE FOREST
Kantimati was unhappy at the prospect of being separated from her son for so many months, but, understanding the meritorious nature of such a venture, she gave him her permission to go. So it was that, at an auspicious moment, the band of disciples, headed by Yadavaprakasa, started out on the pilgrimage. After a few days traveling they came to a desolate region near the Vindhya Hills. Yadavaprakasa considered that this would be a suitable place to put his evil plan into operation, and he told his disciples to prepare themselves. However, while they were discussing the final preparations, Govinda was in the forest nearby, and he heard everything they said. As soon as he had the opportunity, he informed Ramanuja of the great danger he was in.
When he understood the wicked intentions of his teacher and fellow students, Ramanuja left the party and fled into the forest. When his absence was noticed, Yadavaprakasa sent some of the boys into the forest to search for him, but when no one replied to their calls, they concluded that Ramanuja must have been killed by some wild beast. Although secretly very pleased by this apparent turn of events, because of Govinda's presence, they all pretended to be very much aggrieved. Yadavaprakasa spoke to Govinda, instructing him about the temporary nature of the body and bodily relationships, thus revealing his cunning and treacherous nature.
MEETING WITH THE HUNTER
When Ramanuja heard from Govinda of the plot that was threatening his life, he was at first stunned and completely bewildered, it was just half an hour before nightfall: he was a young man of only eighteen years, alone and friendless in a land far from his home. Then suddenly he felt great strength and courage enter his body. "Why should I be afraid?" he considered, "Is Lord Narayana not the protector of His devotees? Therefore what have I to fear from the darkness of the forest?" Thinking like this, he turned his face resolutely towards the south and began walking quickly through the forest. Sometimes he thought he could hear faint voices calling him in the distance, but he never hesitated and continued on his course.
He travelled for most of the night, until eventually, exhausted by hunger and fatigue, he rested beneath a large tree. He awoke the following day, refreshed and vigorous once more. Already it was afternoon, and so he prepared to continue on his journey. While he was considering which direction he should take, he saw a fowler couple approaching him. The hunter's wife said to him, "Is it because you have lost your way that you are sitting here alone in the forest? You look like the son of a brahmana. Where is your home?"
"My home is far from here," replied Ramanuja, "way to the south. Have you heard of a place called Kancipuram?"
"How is it that you are so bold as to journey alone through this dense forest, which is infested with robbers and wild animals?" asked the hunter. "I know Kancipuram very well, and, as it happens, we are also going in that direction" Ramanuja was very surprised to hear this, and so he asked, "Where are you from and for what reason are you going to Kanci?"
"We are forest dwellers," came the reply, "and live in a small village near the Vindhya Mountains. Because we have made our livelihood by catching birds, we are now going on pilgrimage to Ramesvaram and Kancipuram to free ourselves from the reactions to so many sinful activities. It seems that the Supreme Lord, who gives shelter to everyone, has brought you to us for protection."
At first Ramanuja was a little afraid of the tall, dark-skinned stranger, but there was something about the affection in his face and the sweetness of his words that quickly dispelled all the misgivings from the young brahmanas mind. As it was by now almost evening time, the fowler said, "Let us go quickly through this forest region, and then we can camp for the night near an underground river that is not too far from here"
They set off at once and about an hour later came to the banks of the river. The fowler collected some pieces of wood and lit a fire. Then he prepared a camp site, so that they could spend the night there. Just before he fell asleep, Ramanuja heard the fowler's wife say to her husband, "My dear, I am feeling very thirsty. Can you look for some water for me?"
"Now the night has come," said the fowler, "and it would be foolish to leave the shelter of the firelight. Tomorrow you will be able to quench your thirst with the cool waters of a well that is just near here."
THE LORD PROTECTS HIS DEVOTEE
Early the next morning they rose and continued on their journey. Soon they came to the well the fowler had spoken of, and Ramanuja went down the steps to collect water for the wife of the fowler. Three times he brought water to her, but still her thirst was not satisfied. When he came back for the fourth time, there was no trace of the couple to be seen. They had completely disappeared. It was only then he realized They were in fact Laksmi and Narayana, who had taken the forms of a fowler and his wife just to protect Their devotee and guide him through the dangerous forest.
Seeing the towers of temples and a cluster of houses nearby, Ramanuja asked a passerby, "Sir, what is the name of this town?"
The man looked at him in amazement. "Can't you recognize the reputed city of Kancipuram?" he replied. "Why are you speaking like a stranger? I know that you are one of Yadavaprakasa's students, and I have seen you many times in the city."
Saying this the man continued on his way without waiting for a reply. At first Ramanuja was taken completely by surprise at this unbelievable news, but gradually he began to realize how Laksmidevi and Lord Narayana had bestowed their mercy upon him. Then his heart became filled with the ecstasy of divine love, and with tears rolling down his cheeks he began to offer prayers:
namo brahmanya-devaya
go-brahmana hitaya ca
jagad-dhitdya krsnaya
govindaya namo namah
RAMANUJA'S RETURN
For over an hour Ramanuja remained at the well, rapt in ecstasy, reciting Queen Kunti's prayers from the Srimad-Bhagavatam in glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Eventually three women carrying water pitchers approached the well, and, upon seeing them, Ramanuja controlled his emotions and proceeded on towards Kancipuram.
Ever since her son had set off on the pilgrimage to northern India, Ramanuja's mother, Kantimati, had been in a state of constant lamentation, shedding tears of separation. Thus, when he suddenly appeared at the doorway of the house, she could not at first believe it was actually him. Only when he paid obeisances and spoke to her was she fully convinced. Then she was filled with happiness and began to inquire from him, "My dear child, how is it that you have returned so soon? Where is Govinda? I thought that it would be at least six months before you returned from your pilgrimage to the holy Ganges"
When the whole story had been related to her, Kantimati was horrified by the evil intentions of Yadavaprakasa, but also delighted to hear of the great mercy the Lord had shown her son. At that moment Ramanuja's aunt, Diptimati, the mother of Govinda, came to the house along with Ramanuja's young wife. They were also overjoyed to see he had returned safely. They then began to cook offerings for Lord Narayana, and, just as they were serving prasadam, Kancipurna, who had heard of Ramanuja's arrival, came there. The two devotees warmly embraced one another, and Ramanuja invited Kancipurna to take prasadam as their honored guest. That night the feelings of joy in that small house were practically unlimited.
STUDIES RESUMED
Ramanuja continued to study the scriptures at home, and he asked his mother and aunt to tell no one about Yadavaprakasa’s treacherous dealings. Some months later the acarya returned to Kancipuram along with all his disciples, except for Govinda. When Diptimati asked Yadavaprakasa about her son, he told her that after Ramanuja's disappearance they had journeyed to Benares, where they took darsana of Lord Visvanatha and bathed in the Ganges. They had stayed there for two weeks. One day whilst taking bath in the river, Govinda had discovered a Siva linga in the water. Seeing this as the will of the Lord, Govinda had immediately begun to worship Lord Siva in this form.
As he continued his worship, day by day his devotion to Lord Siva had become more and more fixed. Thus, when they arrived at Kalahasti on the return journey, he told his teacher and the other students that he no longer wanted to return to Kancipuram. He had decided to stay in that holy shrine of the Saivites and dedicate his life to the worship of Lord Sankara.
Diptimati was not an ordinary woman, and, rather than feeling distress at hearing this news, she became completely joyful, considering herself blessed to have such a saintly son. Soon after this she went to Kalahasti to visit Govinda, and, on seeing how he was completely absorbed in worship of Lord Siva and freed from material hankering, her happiness increased many times over.
At first Yadavaprakasa was fearful when he saw that Ramanuja was still living, but he thought the young man must be unaware of the plot he had made to kill him. In the presence of Kantimati he pretended to be overwhelmed with joy at finding her son safe and sound. "You cannot imagine," he told her, "the suffering and anguish all of us underwent when we were unable to find him in the forest."
In actuality the teacher was feeling very ashamed of his wickedness now that he saw Ramanuja's humble behavior. Turning to the young man, he spoke affectionately, "My child, from this day you should come once more to study with me. May the Lord continue to shower His blessings upon you." From that day on Ramanuja resumed his studies with Yadavaprakasa.
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