M Karunanidhi's tele-serial echo at Sri Ramanuja's 1000th birth anniversary celebs
CHENNAI: Fervent pleas to “complete” the mega television serial on the life and times of the ‘revolutionary saint’ Sri Ramanuja, the 11th century philosopher-teacher of ‘Vishistadwaita’, penned by the DMK President and former Chief Minister, M Karunanidhi for a Tamil TV channel, resonated loudly at a function in the city on Friday to celebrate the 1000th birth anniversary of the patron-saint of ‘Sri Vaishnavism’.
The abrupt “discontinuance” of Karunanidhi’s Tamil serial on Sri Ramanuja, since the DMK patriarch’s indisposition, was seen as “unfortunate” by many Vaishnavites, particularly, “when we are in the midst of celebrating the great revolutionary saint’s millennium year”, and efforts should be made to complete the teleserial,” Prof M.A. Venkatakrishnan, renowned scholar who had headed the Department of Vaishnavism at the Madras University, urged.
His plea was also strongly backed by another budding young scholar of Vaishnavism, Sri Akkarakanni Srinidhi Swami, at the daylong celebrations of the ‘Bhagavath Ramanujar 1000th Thirunatchathira Peruvizha’, in the presence of Dr S Jagathrakshakan, a former Union minister and founder-president of ‘Aazhwargal Aaivu Maiyam’ which organised the celebrations along with Bharath University.
Prof. Venkatakrishnan, who gave a lucid lecture on how Sri Ramanuja had been one of the earliest and original contributors to the “triple aspects of Tamil language- Iyal, Isai, Natakam-” by giving the foremost place to the daily recitations from the ‘4000 Divya Prabhandham’ (collection of devotional hymns in Tamil of the Aazhwars) at all temples, said television being a powerful medium, a serial like the one on Sri Ramanuja should not be left incomplete, as people then would not get the full message about the saint’s life.
“There may be several Vaishnavites including me who may not agree with all that the tele-serial penned by Karunanidhi sought to convey, but to leave a project like this unfinished is quite painful too,” Prof Venkatakrishnan said. “We will be only too happy if Mr. Karunanidhi himself could, on regaining his health, come back and pen the rest of the great saint’s life; but if his health does not permit, people like Jagathrakshakan should make efforts to ensure that the remaining part of the script for ‘Sri Ramanujar’ is written, filming of the tele-serial completed and broadcast for the benefit of people at large.” This would be a special tribute to the great saint in his millennium year, he added.
Scholars, artistes and eminent personalities from various fields paid rich tributes to Sri Ramanuja’s multi-faceted contributions. The foreign dignitaries from various countries like USA, South Africa and Australia to the occasion included the Vice President of Mauritius, Dr Paramasivam Pillai Viyapuri, whose ancestors were from Tamil Nadu. Tamil scholar and former vice-chancellor of Tamil University, Dr Ouvai Natarajan made a telling point about Sri Ramanuja’s inclusive approach, to embrace all sections of society in showing how ‘bakthi’ or the path of devotion, could lead to freedom from human bondage and suffering and realization of God. Mahatma Gandhi coining the endearing term ‘Harijans’ to welcome the Dalits into the mainstream Hindu-fold was inspired by Sri Ramanuja’s all-embracing concept of ‘Thirukulathan’, Dr Natarajan said, adding, the epithet, “a revolutionary among religious saints” will always apply to Sri Ramanuja.
Recalling Ramanuja’s contributions to “initiating the Bakthi movement” in a tumultuous South India of his times, the Mauritius Vice President Dr Paramasivam Pillai said, “let us use Ramanuja’s teachings to reform society for a better world.” Tamil people in general do not like to go to war even when they seek to fight for justice, he said, referring to a cultural attribute tempered by the teachings of “most evolved souls” like Sri Ramanuja.
Women scholars including Ms Girija Ramaswamy, Ms Desamangaiyarkarasi, a student of the late Sri Krupanandavariyar, and Dr Sudha Seshaiyan, evocatively highlighted Sri Ramanuja’s specific contributions in reforming and systematizing the worship practices in the hallowed shrines for Maha Vishnu at Alagarkovil, Tirupati-Tirumala and Srirangam respectively. Pontiffs of various Vaishnavite Mutts also offered their salutations to Sri Ramanuja on the occasion.
