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 It is general opinion that a saint's life is one of peaceful renunciation. One cannot find fault with this, as what strikes one in a saint is stillness and calm. But this veneer, deceptive as it is, hides a ferment of thought and action aimed at realisation of truth and performance of good. Few lives exemplify this more than that of the Saint of
Sriperumbudur, Ramanujacharya. If one is amazed by the hagiography of
Ramunaja, the legends surrounding the construction of the Sri Adhikesava temple are astounding. In the forecourt of the main shrine, one can see four huge pillars supporting the high roof. The pillars are 25 feet in circumference, with
"yalis" carved on them. They are so gigantic one wonders how humans could have hoisted them without lifting equipment like high capacity cranes. Legends say the temple builders tried to erect the pillars but owing to the size and weight they failed and gave up at nightfall. Next morning when they woke up, to their astonishment, they found the pillars up. The job had been done by giants or
"bhootas". The town is in fact named after these "bhootas". Little wonder that the saint who was born in such a place wrought miracles at various planes of life: physical, temporal and spiritual.
 The princess of Kanchipuram was possessed by a Brahmarakashasa and no exorcist could cure her. Ramanuja asked the Brahmarakshasa to let her go. The rakshasa wanted the saint to keep his feet on his (the rakshasa's) head and bless him. The saint agreed on condition that the spirit left the princess and showed proof too. The spirit agreed and Ramanuja placed his feet on the princess' head. The spirit left, breaking the topmost branch of a nearby tree in the process! Performance of temporal duties for general good is an ordained responsibility of a pontiff. This was exemplified in his life. Ramanuja constructed a huge tank at Thondanur (on the Bangalore-Mysore route), an early example of rainwater harvesting. It was here that he cured the ailing daughter of a Jain king. In gratitude, the king built a temple for Lord Vishnu there.
 During his stay near Mysore at Melkote (Thirunarayanapuram), Ramanuja restored the grand temple of Chellapillai and Sampathkumara. While a potentate is content with providing the material wellbeing of his subjects, the saint works for their spiritual salvation as well. This aspect of Saint Ramanuja's life can be best illustrated by the Thirukkottiyur puranam. Mahapurna, who was Ramanuja's guru at Srirangam, advised him to learn the Vaishanava mantra from Goshtipurna who was residing in Thirukottiyur.
Ramanuja made 18 trips to Goshtipurna and was turned back each time. Ramanuja was distraught and thought he was suffering from some impurity of the mind, causing Goshtipurna to consider him unworthy of hearing the great mantra. The mantra is such that it can save a being from the repeated birth and death cycle.
 Tradition says one of the priests of the Srirangam Ranganatha temple told
Goshtipurna, at the behest of the lord himself, to impart the mantra to
Ramanuja. To this Goshtipurna replied, "Oh my lord, you have made the law that this mantra is never to be spoken by thee to one who is devoid of austerity or devotion, nor to one who does not render service, nor to one who cavils at thee". The reply came, "You do not know Ramanuja's purity. He is the saviour of humanity". After sometime Goshtipurna did impart the sacred
eight-syllabled mantra with its mystic meaning, but with the stipulation, "None but Sri Vishnu is aware of its glory…whoever hears this will attain liberation and go to Vaikunta after his death. So do not give it to anyone else."
Upon hearing the mantra "Om Namo Narayanaya", Saint Ramanuja felt blessed and a powerful feeling arose in him to share it with the people so that they too could attain peace and strength. He proceeded to gather people from far and near and when a substantial number had gathered he climbed to the top of the temple gopuram at Thirukkotiyur and shouted out the mantra to the huge congregation. Authors say that at that point of time the people were so joyous Thirukottiyur appeared like Vaikunta.
Goshtipurna was outraged. When Ramanuja approached him to worship at his feet, he called him a sinner and cursed him that he would rot in hell. A calm Ramanuja said, "My lord I don't mind rotting in hell if so many suffering thousands can reach
Vaikunta". 
Goshtipurana at once realised his folly and fell at the feet of Ramanuja. It was a case of the student teaching the master!
Ramanuja lived up to the age of 120 and attained samadhi at Srirangam, leaving behind the priceless legacy of a system of philosophy called Visishtadvaita. Ramanuja admitted three kinds of entities: matter ("acit"), soul ("cit") and God ("Isvara"). Though equally real, matter and soul depend on God. God is the central reality of soul and matter and neither can exist without HIM. They exist in HIM and are absolutely inseparable. There is thus an element of distinctiveness underscored by inseparability and dependence. According to Adi Shankara, whose philosophy is called "Advaita", identity is primary and difference secondary. Ramanuja expounded that difference is primary and identity secondary, thereby highlighting the supremacy of God.
Ambujam Anantharaman
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