[lkastonidwedsrer]

.... ஆனால் இவ்வுலக மக்களின் மேல் உள்ள கருணையினால், உடையவர் அங்கிருந்த கோவில் கோபுரத்தின் மேலேறி, ‘யாருக்கெல்லாம் ஸ்ரீ வைகுண்டம் போகவேணுமென்ற ஆசையிருக்கிறதோ அவர்களெல்லாம் கேட்டுக் கொள்ளுங்கள். ஸ்ரீ வைகுண்டத்தை அடைய வழி இந்த மந்திரமே’ என்று சொல்லி இந்த மந்திர உபதேசத்தை ஊருக்கெல்லாம் வழங்கினார்.

This story has entered the popular psyche of all SVs and even the general public. Some have installed two Ramanuja busts on top of the temple gopuram and the temple care-taker insists that was the very spot from which Ramanuja gave away upadesam of moola mandram.

But, if you visit the spot you would immediately see how very unlikely this story is. The day was supposed to have been an utsavam day. Anyone who has visited a temple on an utsavam day knows very well how crowded and noisy it is. In this general setting, it is hard to imagine Ramanuja making any sense at all even if he was shouting at the top of his voice from the top of the gopuram. (Aside: I am reminded of the Monty Python movie Life of Brian, a group of people standing in the crowd listening to Jesus Christ giving his sermon on the mount, unable to hear him properly, mishears "blessed are the peace makers" as "blessed are the bread makers").

The earliest SV text mentions this incident, but some important points to note are, (i) he did not go to the top of the Gopuram, but only to Nrisimhar Sannidhi, (ii) he did not address the general public, only what the text calls திருவோலக்கம், which means கோஷ்டி, i.e. a formal group of sishyas, and (iii) he only explained the esoteric meaning of Thiruvashtaksham, he did not initiate the mandram to anyone.

Shri sangom is providing a gripping account of how extraneous texts are surreptitiously inserted as works of well known acharyas. This happened with Ramanuja as well. For one thing, the biography of Ramanuja has gotten embellished like this gopuram episode. Further, Ramanuja says nothing about Saranagathi as an upaya for moksham in his Sri Bhashyam. Only in one place Ramanuja is supposed to have mentioned Saranagathy, and it is about invoking Lord's compassion. But Saranagathy is the central SV concept for moksha and they point to Gadya Thriyam of Ramanuja where Saranagathy is extolled as mokshopaya. This is very suspicious. This text -- quite a beautiful composition -- may have been put into Ramanuja's mouth to authenticate Saranagathi.

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