Life Of Sri Ramanujacharya - Part 8

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An amazing story of selfless sacrifice and intense devotion is told about Ramanuja's disciples called Karpasarama and his wife Lakshmi. Ramanuja, after receiving initiation into the Narayana Mantra returned to Srirangam and was living with his disciples. He was teaching the Tamil Prabandhas which praise the holy place of Tirupati (with the famous Balaji temple on Tirumala hilltop, located in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh) as Vaikuntha on earth (abode of Lord Vishnu).

Ramanuja went on a pilgrimage to Tirupati along with his disciples and halted on the way in a village called 'Ashtasahasra' where two of his disciples lived. One was a rich merchant called Yajnesa and the other a poor priest called Varadacharya or Karpasarama, who lived on alms with his beautiful looking wife Lakshmi. Ramanuja sent two of his disciples in advance to Yajnesa, announcing their arrival. Overwhelmed at the news of his Guru's sudden arrival, Yajnesa ignored the messengers completely and got busy with lavish preparations to receive his Guru with pomp, befitting his wealth. Puzzled and let down by his neglect, the messengers returned to Ramanuja and reported everything to him.

Ramanuja decided not to accept his service as neglect of his disciples amounted to disrespect to all Vaishnavas. Accompanied by his disciples, he went instead to the house of the poor Karpasarama and called out to him.

Karpasarama had gone out for his daily round of begging. His wife was then drying her only piece of cloth after her bath and hence was not in a position to appear in front of her Guru. She indicated this by clapping loudly from inside the house, drawing Ramanuja's attention to her condition. Ramanuja threw his upper garment inside in response and the lady wrapped herself in it and came out to prostrate in front of her guru with deep devotion.

She offered water to them and asking them to relax for a while, went inside to see if she could cook some food for them. To her dismay, there was not a particle of rice in the house. In this difficult predicament, she remembered the overtures of a wealthy merchant who lived in the neighbourhood and tried to woo her through bribes and threats. She recalled the scriptural injunction that 'even a sin committed for the sake of God and the Guru amounts to virtue,' and decided to seek the merchant's help in return for her body. The merchant was surprised at the lady's offer and sent her all the materials that she required for serving her Guru and the disciples, along with a handsome amount of gold as a gift!