Ramanujacharya – Biography - ebooks - ISKCON desire tree

When Ramanuja had finished speaking, Dasarathi,Govinda, Andhrapurna, and some of the other leadingdisciples came forward and made this presentation to him."Your body, which is ever engaged in the service of theLord, can never be material. Our bodies are certainlytemporary, but you exist only on the platform of spirituallife. Therefore, our request is that we never be deprived ofthe sight of your transcendental form."Taking pity upon them, Ramanuja accepted hisdisciples' request and ordered that expert sculptors bebrought there to carve a stone deity in his likeness. Afterthree days the work was complete. Then the deity was bathedwith water from the Kaveri and installed upon a newlyconstructed altar. Yatiraja then came slowly up to the deityand filled it with his potency by breathing into the crownof the head.Turning to the disciples, he said, "This is my secondself. When I have cast off this body, you may worship thisform instead of me."Then he lay down with his head on Govinda's lap andhis feet on the lap of Andhrapurna. In this position, withhis eyes fixed on the wooden shoes of his own spiritualmaster, Ramanujacarya gave up his body and returned to theabode of Lord Visnu. It was noontime on the tenth day of thebright moon fortnight in the month of Magha in the year 1059of the Saka era (1137 A.D.). A few days later, Govinda,Ramanuja's cousin and life long companion, also departedfrom this world.The other devotees remained under the leadership ofSri Parasara Bhatta, the son of Kuresa, always endeavoringto follow in their master's footsteps by constantly servingLord Narayana. By serious practice of devotional service,they were able to feel Ramanuja's presence within theirhearts; thus their intense feelings of separation weremitigated. Parasara continued the mission of Ramanujacaryaby strongly preaching the doctrines of Vaisnavism. In agreat debate he overcame Vedantin Madhava dasa, the leaderof the impersonalist scholars, and made him into a devotee.Years later, after the disappearance of Parasara, this sameMadhava dasa became the acarya of the Sri Vaisnavas.109