R17. Siva And Vishnu Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

SRI RAMANUJA

The King Kulothunga Cholan
Gave orders that Saivism alone
Should be the sole religion
In his state as a strict condition.

He also summoned the leader
Of Vaishnavism to declare,
In writing, that the Lord Siva alone
Was worthy of worship by everyone.

To protect Ramanuja from danger,
Kuresa, with Mahapurna, went there
Impersonating himself as Ramanuja
But the King was told he was Kuresa.

When the King learnt the truth
He severely punished them both,
By blinding their eyes at once,
What a heartless King he was?

Mahapurna died on the spot,
But Kuresa from there went
To Madurai for taking shelter
In a Vaishnava Temple there.

Through the hilly regions
Of the long Western Ghats,
By God's grace Ramanujam
Escaped then from Srirangam.

He reached Mysore territory,
Ruled by the Hoysala dynasty
King Bittideva, a Jain by faith,
And briefed the King of the truth.

In the assembly of great scholars,
He defeated them all by his talks,
And also converted the King then
To worship Lord Vishnu alone..

The name of King Bittideva,
Became then as Vishnuvardhana,
And with the King's guidance
He converted many Jain followers.

At a beautiful place Yadavadri,
Later on known as Melkote,
He founded a great Temple,
Worshiped by many people.