Melukote: The Buried Narayana and the Princess Who Loved Him

Bhagavad Ramanuja was thus employed. Not only did he expound the deep truths of the Vedanta in Lord Narasimha's temple at Thondanur — he also converted thousands of alien faiths to the royal road of Vedantic Vaishnavism.

While so engaged he ran short of Tiruman — the holy white earth with which Sri Vaishnavas must mark their foreheads. To go without this distinguishing mark is, for a Sri Vaishnava, the greatest misfortune. Naturally he was concerned.

He had a dream in which Lord Sri Narayana of Melukote appeared and spoke: "I am very near you, Ramanuja, on the Yadugiri hill, awaiting your arrival. There you shall also find your Tiruman. Come soon."

Bhagavad Ramanuja awoke and told his companions the wondrous dream, and sent for King Vishnuvardhana to deliver the message. Marvelling, the king at once ordered gangs of men to clear the forests in the direction Bhagavad Ramanuja indicated. As the Acharya advanced, the king followed devoutly behind.

They reached the foot of the Yadugiri hill, climbed it, and came to the fountain called Veda-Pushkarini. Sighting the holy slab (paridhana-sila) where of old Dattatreya had worn his ascetic robes, Bhagavad Ramanuja bathed in the fountain, laid aside the white garments of Kuresa that he had worn since fleeing Srirangam, and once again put on the colored ascetic robes of a Sannyasin. The date of his entry into Yadugiri is recorded as the Bahudhanya year, in the month of Tai — about 1090 C.E., when Bhagavad Ramanuja was about eighty years of age.

From the Veda-Pushkarini they walked silently in search of where Lord Narayana lay hidden. They did not find the place that day. But in a vision Bhagavad Ramanuja saw that the Lord lay covered by an anthill, between a Champaka tree and a Vakula tree, to the southwest corner of the Kalyani pond — the anthill overgrown with sacred basil. He also saw that the Tiruman lay deposited at the northwest corner of the same pond. He heard, as if spoken by the Lord, that fragments of basil leaves would be strewn along the path between himself and the places indicated.

Bhagavad Ramanuja awoke from his reverie and followed the signs. They led to Kalyani, and thence to the anthill — covered with basil as foretold. Transported with joy, he prostrated and removed the earth. The statue of Sri Narayana lay beneath.

Inexpressible joy animated the devout band. They danced, chanted, sang praises, clapped their hands. Together with King Vishnuvardhana, they celebrated with trumpets, drums, and all instruments of music — one united burst of spiritual fire. Pails of milk were emptied over the Holy Idol, followed by every detail of ritual prescribed in the Pancharatra Sastra. Bhagavad Ramanuja himself personally worshipped the Deity for three days. Sri Narayana was thus reinstalled after ages of oblivion. The decad of St. Nammazhvar beginning with Oru-Nayakam (Tiruvaymozhi V-i) was dedicated to this Deity, for Bhagavad Ramanuja was the rightful inheritor of the spiritual wealth of all preceding apostles, and thus the authority to interpret their forgotten traditions.

Bhagavad Ramanuja next proceeded to the northwest corner of the Kalyani pond and made a furrow with his holy staff. The ground revealed beds of white clay. Thus the second part of his vision was fulfilled, to the wonder of all present. He obtained the holy earth, marked himself with it on the twelve parts of the body prescribed, and rejoiced greatly.

The jungle on the summit of Yadavagiri was cleared. Streets were laid, rows of houses built, a temple raised over the anthill for Lord Narayana, and a series of festivals — monthly, annual, and so on — instituted.

But an utsava (processional) image was lacking — one cast from a compound of five select metals in fixed proportions. This seemed a hard problem, and Bhagavad Ramanuja fell into deep thought.

Again he was given a vision. Sri Narayana appeared and said: "Ramanuja, our moveable representative is alive, named Rama Priya. He is now in Delhi with the Turk emperor Emmadu Raya. Go there and bring Him."

Bhagavad Ramanuja at once prepared and journeyed all the way to Delhi. Meeting the king, he prevailed upon him to grant his request. The Turk king ordered that Bhagavad Ramanuja be taken into the apartments where his plundered treasures were hoarded. Many idols stood there, but Ramapriya was not to be found among them. He fell into troubled thought.

That night, Ramapriya appeared in a dream and said: "I am with the daughter of the king. She has made a plaything of me. To her caresses, I am a living person. Come and find me."

Bhagavad Ramanuja awoke and told the king that the idol was with the Sultani (the king's daughter). The king's curiosity was stirred — and more than curiosity — respect and adoration for the holy saint who could reveal such things. He personally took the Sannyasin Ramanuja into the queen's palace, where no other man dared enter. And there — wonderful to relate — Ramapriya was found, fondled by the Sultani, who treated Him as a living husband.

Bhagavad Ramanuja entered, called the Lord by His name — and, lo, the image jumped down from the couch, walked to where the Acharya stood, and came forward in all the glory of an incarnate Deity, embellished in every grace of form. Bhagavad Ramanuja embraced the advancing Divine Beauty with the fondness of a parent finding a long-lost son, and in commemoration called Him by the endearing name Selva-p-pillai — in Sanskrit Sampatkumara — the name by which the image is still known.

The king, having witnessed all this, was astonished beyond measure. He loaded Bhagavad Ramanuja with gifts and honors and sent him on his way.

But the Sultani could not endure separation from her living doll. She wanted Him back.

"It is their God, daughter," said her father. "How can we claim Him?"

"Then," she cried piteously, "send me with my God."

"Most cheerfully." The father sent her off with untold wealth, telling Bhagavad Ramanuja: "Holy hermit, your God does not go alone — He goes with a wife as well, a precious wife. I consign her to your care."

Bhagavad Ramanuja reached Yadavagiri in due time with his Divine treasure. He inaugurated Sampatkumara with full ceremony and instituted every festival to be celebrated throughout the year, with the necessary establishment to conduct them for all time to come.

Bhagavad Ramanuja assured all who made Yadavagiri their holy residence that they would attain the same spiritual state as himself.

The holy hill of Melukote is called Narayanadri in the Krita age, Vedadri in the Treta, and Yadavadri or Yadavagiri in the Dvapara. In the Kali age, having been restored by the Yati (ascetic) Ramanuja, it is called Yati-Saila. So it is written in the Satvata-Samhita of the Pancharatra.

[In the tremendous work of instituting this holy shrine, the Panchamas or Pariahs — the low-caste Hindus downgraded in Hindu society — were of great help to Bhagavad Ramanuja. He gave them the title Tirukkulattar — "the Blessed Descendants" — and further allowed them the privilege of entering the holy temples to certain limits: up to the outer gate near the altar (Dhvaja-sthambha or Bali-pitha). This practice remains in force to this day in the temples of Srirangam, Melukote, and Belur. They are allowed to bathe in the holy ponds attached to the temples. Bhagavad Ramanuja also opened the doors of religious instruction for these classes, as well as certain modes of ritual and other privileges peculiar to Sri Vaishnavas — such as the Pancha-Samskara, the five holy Vaishnava sacraments.

It is thus evident how seriously Bhagavad Ramanuja had considered the elevation of the lower classes with respect to their eligibility for salvation. He also confirmed in his own day what his predecessors had ordained — the enshrinement of saints in the temples, to whatever caste they belonged.]

Bhagavad Ramanuja established at Yati-Saila a monastery of his own, called the Yatiraja-math, where a Sannyasin is always to live and manage the affairs of the shrine. The building still stands intact, and the monastery has had a line of illustrious successors to this day. An old Badari tree still grows within it.

During the time of his high pontificate, Bhagavad Ramanuja is said to have gone to Padmagiri and engaged the Bauddhas (Buddhists) in philosophical controversy, in which he succeeded in subduing the atheists.