Srirangam is the place where Ramanuja received the authority to write the Sribhashyam. It is more important as the centre where Ramanuja turned theory into practice.
2. For Srivaishnavas moksha means Nitya kainkaryam and Bhagavadguna anubhavam; eternal service and celebration of the countless auspicious qualities of the Lord. This is the central message of vedas. The Pranavam ௐ is the essence of three vedas . It is a single syllable of three components AUM. “A “denotes Vishnu in Sanskrit. In sankhya notation “M” stands for jivatmas, ourselves. U is the relationship, a bond thicker than any other. Azhwars sing “What infinite love Narayana bears for me! As if I am the only person in this world!”. This is the basis of bhakti. This subject is not supposed to be elaborated further ,as it is part of sacred communication by acharya to the disciple after panchasamskara.
3. The acid test for true Vaishnava is souhardam- “good heart”; the whole universe beating as one heart ; feeling others’ pain in one’s own heart. Narsi Mehta’s bhajan summing up this was made famous by Gandhi – “vaishnava janato…. “. Upanishad prays “..sarve bhadrani pasyantu. Ma kaschid du:kha bhagh bhavet”.
4. At Srirangam the Lord exemplifies vyuha souhardam. This is true wealth Srivaishnavasri , Sriranga Mangala Nidhi. This quality has been celebrated by all azhwars, especially eloquently by Kulasekhara Azhwar Perumal Tirumozhi 1-10.
5. While bhaktiyoga is as tough as advaita, bhakti abhyasa is simple, sweet and as essential as oxygen for everyone without exception .Sastras prescribe some simple requirements like eagerness (shraddha)to frequent divyadesams (mentally, if not possible physically) and doing aradhana at home in the mood of serving the Lord at Vaikunta in the presence of acharya. If possible an image may be set up and an offering of water, leaf or fruit made.(vide Gita IX-26,and Tiruvaimozhi I-6-1). That moment we are transported to our personal Vaikunta, and the object of worship becomes Narayana in paramapadam. We can also worship in the mental Vaikuntam in our hearts as Azhwar indicates in Tiruvaimozhi VII-10-5,6).
6. This personal Bhuloka Vaikuntam, on a larger scale is Srirangam temple. Originally it was right on the banks of Cauvery (Viraja river in Vaikuntam) on a high elevation sand bank, Cauvery flowing just below the rajagopuram. Residences were to the Nort-East of the temple on the banks of Kollidam, a perennial river. An ancient temple of Varahaswami once stood (not traceable now) in the centre of the residential quarters. Only a few temple employees lived around the Srirangam temple. Whenever Kollidam flooded and breached its banks, people temporarily came to stay around the elevated temple.
7. Srirangam naturally became the centre of Srivaishnava sampradayam and Yamunacharya settled there to head the Srivaishnava goshti. His Gitartha sangraha and Stotraratnam sum up Srivaishnava philosophy succinctly. At a ripe old age he looked for a successor, identified Ramanuja and sent for him, but passed away before the latter arrived. His followers apprised Ramanuja of the master’s wish that a new bhashyam for Brahma sutras should be compiled, and Ramanuja pledged to undertake the task. It is said three fingers on the charama deha of Yamunacharya unfolded on Ramanuja’s assurance.
8. We know the extreme efforts Ramanuja made to fulfill the task in letter and spirit. Having completed the task, his compassion compelled him to transmit his sarvAtma bhAva (This is the true essence of advaitam of the vedas. What advaitis of various schools profess today are intellectual creations) to all around him. He used his position of authority to introduce procedures which were revolutionary, unthinkable till then. Such measures would have been killed at start elsewhere, in places like ultra-orthodox Kanchi, Tirupati, or Melkote. But Srirangam was different, it had a precedent. Lord Ranganatha made Tiruppanazhwar, of asprusya caste into a Munivahana. The azhwar rode on the shoulders of a brahmin ArAdhaka into the Lord’s presence.
9. At Ramanuja’s time the populace were intoxicated with the musical rendering of azhwars’ verses rendered by Nathamuni’s descendants, who continue to this day as arayars. Ramanuja’s mission consisted of removal of the labels of language, class/caste, stri/purusha in matters of atmayatra, and assertion of atma sAmyam. This is recorded as “தென்னரங்கர் செல்வம் முற்றும் திருத்தி வைத்தான் வாழியே”. Volumes can be written about this achievement. We shall touch some examples to illustrate.
10. Inside the temple elders will advise you avoid treading on any grass or insects. These living beings are nityasuris who have stationed themselves there in the service of the Lord.
11. The entire population was encouraged to make the community’s contribution ,through their representatives, to temple, however humble, in cash,or kind or labour; especially as the products of their skills. Tillers offered paddy, cobblers offered sandals, and so on. This continues to this day. When the ceremonial offering is made, the Lord bestows his grace by his Srisatakopam. This is called maryada (which in Sanskrit means ‘limit’. In Tamil it is confused with another sense of the word , and taken to mean “temple honours”, a misunderstanding). The speciality of this ceremony is : the Srisatakopam is taken from the Lord’s feet, travels past the bowed heads of all elders, and offered exclusively to the particular craftsman and returns to the Lord’s feet.
12. Ramanuja kalakshepa goshti was thrown open to women, who were till then not participating in public discources. In exposition of rahasyas , or in panchasamskaras,he made no distinction on the basis of caste or sex. While returning after a dip in Cauvery, he often leaned on the shoulder of a non-brahmin.
The extent to which the spirit of these is upheld today is a moot question. But the awareness is there. I got to know these as a boy who roamed the streets of Srirangam around 1954, and later stays during 1978-80 and 2002-05.
About Sribhashyam 