Ramanujacharya – Biography - ebooks - ISKCON desire tree

challenged by some of the local scholars, who were followersof Sankaracarya. However, by citing many verses fromdifferent scriptures, he completely nullified theirarguments. All the panditas of Kumbakonam then surrenderedto Ramanujacarya and became devotees of Lord Narayana.Next, Yatiraja and his followers travelled toMadurai, which in those days was the capital of the Pandyakingdom as well as a center for all types of scholars.Before a great assembly of learned panditas, Ramanuja spokeabout the philosophy of devotion. His presentation was soconvincing that at once everyone accepted his teachings andagreed to become devotees of Lord Visnu.After remaining for a few days in Madurai, the partyof Vaisnavas travelled on to the city of Kuranga and fromthere to Kurakapuri. In both these places Deities of LordVisnu were being worshipped, and all the devotees tookpleasure in singing devotional songs in the temples.From there they journeyed across to the west coast ofIndia to the city of Trivandrum in Kerala, where they wereable to behold the beautiful features of Lord Padmanabhalying on His bed of Ananta-Sesa. Then they travelled all theway up the west coast to Dvaraka, from there across toMathura and Vrndavana, to Salagrama, Saketa, Naimisaranya,Puskara, and Badarikasrama.In these holy tirthas Ramanuja preached thephilosophy of loving devotion to the Supreme Lord, and allthose who heard him were convinced to become devotees. Manytimes logicians, Buddhists, and the impersonalist followersof Sankara came before him to present their own arguments,but in every instance he was able to point out thedeficiencies in these different doctrines and establish thesupremacy of the Vaisnava philosophy. Eventually they cameagain to Sarada-pitha in the province of Kashmir, whereYatiraja and Kuresa had previously endeavored to obtain acopy of the Bodhayana-vrtti.The scholars of that place came to try to defeatRamanujacarya, but none of them could match his solidarguments. Being overcome in debate, they then resorted tothe art of black magic in which they were also adept. Theychanted various mantras with the intention of bringing aboutthe death of their opponent. However, because of Yatiraja'sspiritual potency, the spells were unable to affect him andreturned to afflict those who had cast them. Thus all thepanditas of Sarada-pitha fell sick and were on the point ofdeath.At this time the King of Kashmir heard of what washappening. He hurried to Sarada-pitha and fell at Ramanuja'sfeet, begging him to forgive those sinful brahmanas.Yatiraja accepted this appeal and cured all of them, afterwhich they became his disciples along with the king.JAGANNATHA PURI80