Page 13 - Ramanuja and Equality Book.pmd

hills where Kongil Piratti was living. As the touring party needed
a place to stay and food to eat, she arranged for that, but the
travellers understood her to be a kind and humble person and
did not really know who she was. One of the people travelling
with Ramanuja saw her devotion and told Ramanuja. Ramanuja
understood who she was, and He declared “just like Rama tasted
Sabari’s fruits, and Lord Krishna dined in Vidura’s house all of you
partake the food cooked by Kongil Piratti.” Thus was Ramanuja’s
greatness who only looked at a person’s devotion and sincerity
and not their gender.
Respect for ALL devotees from ANY background

Great devotees should be offered the sincerest service:
It is a practice to invite great persons worthy of reverence, to
one’s home, offer services to them, offer them the best possible
food, and eat the remaining portions after the great person
eats. This is called sesha prasadam. Ramanuja, during his days in
Kanchipuram, invited Kanchipurna to his home so that he could
eat his sesha prasadam. Kanchipurna came home and partook
the food prepared. Ramanuja was not at home at that time as he
was late coming from the temple finishing his duties. Ramanuja’s
wife distributed the remaining portions of the food eaten by
Kanchipurna as per the practices of those days and started cooking
new food for Ramanuja. Ramanuja came home and asked “Why
are you cooking food again? Where is the sesha prasadam of
the great acharya.” His wife replied that she followed customary
practice and is cooking new food for Ramanuja to eat. Ramanuja
replied “Alas what a sin you have committed. You deprived me
the fortune of eating the sesha prasadam of a great acharya and
devotee.”Ramanuja was greatly disappointed by this practice. He
passionately believed that all true devotees should be respected
and revered, irrespective of their background
Religion of Birth does not matter for a great devotee:
Once Sri Ramanujacharya, on the way to Thondanur, in the
Mysore area, was looking for thiruman kappu, the white clay
used for pundram and thilakam, the Sri Vaishnavite markings.
He dreamt that he found the clay along with a deity of the

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