Ramanujacharya’s feet – The Hindu

Sri Parasara Bhattar, the illustrious son of Kooratazhvan, was born in Srirangam. The name of Parasara was given to him by Ramanujacharya. Upon the instructions of Ramanujacharya, Parasara Bhattar went to Melkote, where there was a Vedantin named Madhavachar. Ramanuja wanted Bhattar to win him over to Visishtadvaita. Bhattar engaged in debate with Madhavachar, who became a follower of Bhattar, and was called Nanjeeyar from then onwards. Nanjeeyar wrote the thaniyan (special sloka) praising Bhattar.

Rangaraja Stava is one of the many Sanskrit works that Parasara Bhattar authored, said P.B. Rangaramanujam in a discourse. Kooratazhvan wrote five works, which are collectively referred to as Pancha Stava. Rangaraja Stava must have been inspired by Kooratazhvan’s works. Rangaraja Stava is divided into two sections — poorva and uttara. Bhattar begins the work by offering his salutations to his father Kooratazhvan. He says Kooratazhvan’s works were like a mangal sutra for the Vedas. His works showed that the Vedas extolled Lord Narayana as the Supreme One. The next verse of Rangaraja Stava is in praise of Embar, who was the (purvashrama) cousin of Ramanuja, and the Acharya of Parasara Bhattar. Although Kooratazhvan was a scholar himself, he wanted Embar to be his son’s Acharya. Parasara Bhattar praises Embar as the shadow of Ramanuja’s feet. A shadow never moves by itself. It moves only when the object of which it is a shadow, moves. Such was Embar’s devotion to Ramanuja, that Bhattar called him the shadow of Ramanuja’s feet. In the Sri Vaishnava tradition, Nammazhvar is seen as the feet of Lord Narayana. Ramanujacharya is seen as Nammazhvar’s feet and all subsequent Acharyas are to be revered as Ramanuja’s feet. That is what Parasara Bhattar is indicating in this verse.