Sri:

Creating Institutions in public and social

space, A case study of Srirangam Temple
as structured by Sri Ramanujacharya.
Lecture delivered on 10.7.2016 at
11:00 - 11:45 a.m.:
Sri Vaishnava Sri. A. Krishnamachari.
Editor Panchajanyam, Srirangam.
SriRamanuja was born in the year 1017 A.D. at
Sriperumpudur near Chennai. He lived for 120 years
and attained Paramapada in the year 1137 A.D. In the
year 2017 we are celebrating the millenium.The scholastic, philosophic, philanthropic, social, administrative establishment of various institutions in public
and social space and humanistic contributions made
by SriRamanuja to the society in general and Sri
Vaishnavism in particular are magnificent.
His compassion towards one and all was unparalleled. He was not a mere Vedantin, but a prominent Acharya of Sri Vaisnavism, an able reformer of
Temple administration-both secular and religious and
a great authority on Ubaya Vedanta - (Sanskrit Vedas
and Tamil Vedas of Azhvars). He worked for the social upliftment of the masses and was instrumental
in uplifting the society econimically and spiritually.
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SriRamanuja is revered by millions of people

the world over for his scholastic abilities in the
Vedantas, for his administrative acumen, acharyabhakti, social consciousness and managerial ability.
Management is basic to all activities, without exception, are specifically managed by those who execute
them. One can hardly imagine an activity that need
not be managed or is not managed suitably.
The legacy that SriRamanuja left behind deserves close scrutiny if one has to determine what
he contributed to the progress of the world on a permanent basis. There was nothing mystic or magical
about the way in which SriRamanuja developed his
personality and influenced the society around him.
His aspiration was the welfare of the masses. The
benefit of the Vedanta teaching was made available
to the masses and a 'World within the world' was introduced in which men could live and function with
joy and contentment. It is just a change of attitude
towards life. The aim is not to run away from the
world, but to create paradise on the earth.
Har
mon
y and co-oper
ation ar
e the essential
Harmon
mony
co-opera
are
features of the society:
He evaluated all aspects of social life and
evolved a system in which the prevailing principle
was harmony and co-operation. Co-ordination could
not be ignored. With this view SriRamanuja turned
to the world phenomenon and presented the world
as a home of happiness. This outlook of SriRamanuja
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urged him to lift society from the condition of gloom

to a state of charm and glow.
Religious experience helps mankind to an
awareness that man is but a small speck in the social organism. The rituals arranged in the Temples
by Sri Ramanuja reflect the practice of religion together in company, an event or an opportunity reminding mankind that society is a homogeneous organism. Humility, devotion, sympathy and affection
are the main traits that mark the gathering in the
Temple. This is the social value of gathering in the
Temple for worship and rituals.
How Sri Ramanuja derivied his authority:
Administration is the method of enlisting members to function in a way to maintain the spirit and
structure of society unhampered. SriRamanuja was
a great religious leader whose writ prevails even today at the Temples of Srirangam, Melkote, Thirumala
and other places. SriRamanuja was not an officer appointed by the King but was in-charge of the religious
order as a formal leader of the mass. His nephew
Mudaliandan (Dasarathi) was in-charge of the administration pertaining to the religious activities (known
as inner Temple administration) of the Srirangam
Temple. Mudaliandan's followers held positions in
the Srivaishnava-variam. ''The Srikaryam officers was
assisted by a body called Alvarkanmigal consisting
of two groups of six elected members each called
Srivaishnava-variyam and Sribhandara-variyam and
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an officer called Srivasnavakanakku (Temple accountant).

All the Alwarkanmis who find a place in the inscriptions of Kulotunga I, (1071-1122 Vikrama Chozha
- 1118-1135 A.D. Kulottunga II - 1133-1150 A.D.) were
the representatives of SriRamanuja and hence
SriRamanuja had a control over the administration
of Srirangam Temple irrespective of the fact that X or
Y was the Srikaryam Officer. The Srikaryam Officers
were appointed at the will and pleasure of the Kings.
But the real administration was carried out by
Srivaishnava variyam and Sri Pandara variyam
whose members were the disciples of SriRamanuja.
From these facts, it is proved beyond doubt that
SriRamanuja was the religious leader who controlled
the Srirangam Temple administration.
Defining the role of a Manager and the principles of management as adopted by
SriRamanuja.
In this World, everyone is a manager. One who
manages the activities is known as a manager. The
knowledge on management is not restricted to the
theoretical portion of the principles and many do not
understand the significance of these theories.
SriRamanuja throughout his life adopted the principles of management to achieve the goals. At his time
the theoretical principles of management were not
enunciated. SriRamanuja had all the qualities of a
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great manager namely administrative ability which

includes planning, organizing, motivating, coordinating, controlling and operating. He was well aware of
the behaviour modification which is known as an approach to motivation that uses the principles of operating, conditioning, and achieving the individual
learning by reinforcement. By adopting conflict resolution theories, he solved several conflicts that arose.
Leadership qualities of Sri Ramanuja:
His decision making process aimed at evaluative judgments which included the cognitive activities of memory, thinking and information processing.
A leader should process adequate conceptual understanding for taking any sound decision. A manager
should have a firm belief in the delegation of authorities. SriRamanuja was an outstanding example of
managerial effectiveness which refers to the optimal
relationship of persons involved in social, religious
activities and Temple administration. He was a firm
believer in the feedback system, the ability of a man
to analyze and take corrective actions by improving
the system of communication among the members
of the various groups of the society from top to bottom. Making arrangements for the continuance of the
work without break by tapping people and resources
is known as fallback arrangement. SriRamanuja in
designing the Temple reforms and creating institutions gave utmost importance to this management
principles.
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SriRamanuja realised the importance of the

theory of hierarchical needs which further states that
his esteem needs are also to be satisfied.
Sri Ramanuja's Style of economic functioning and management of resources:
For the first time in the line of leaders interested in the welfare of society, we come across a
person who evolved a system of providing the
masses with food and shelter, an institution which
was later named Ramanuja KuTas.
It is pertinent to mention at this juncture a management theory on motivation known as Maslows
hierarchy of needs. It starts with the physiological
needs of an individual, ones physical needs for food,
shelter, clothing and other bodily needs. Safety is the
next need of the individual. It is the need to be free
from physical danger and the need for physical, mental and emotional security. The need for belonging
and love, to feel part of a group or organization and
to belong or to be with someone else implicit in it is
the need to give and receive love to share and to be
part of the family.
Esteem needs of every individual has to be
satisfied after meeting the social needs. The esteem
needs fall into two closely related categories. Self
esteem and respect for others. The first includes our
need to respect ourselves, to feel personal worth,
adequacy and competence. The second embraces
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our need for respect, praise, recognition and status

in the eyes of others. Finally, self-actualization needs
are fulfilled. The individuals potential and desire to
help others is brought out.
SriRamanuja had in mind these principles even
though they were not known as Maslows hierarchical principles in his time, we can today call these principles as SriRamanujas principles of hierarchy of
work motivation. He himself applied the principles of
this hierarchical work management by introducing
various social and administrative institutions in the
Srirangam Temple.
SriRamanuja is a pioneer in this social reformation and he himself brought about social reformations which included Temple reforms, motivated the
common man to come regularly to the Temple. He
made arrangements for distribution of holy water
with tulasi which is of great medicinal value. It has
been proved through scientific studies that, Tulasi
soaked in water kept in a copper container is an antidote to even dreaded diseases like cholera and
other water borne diseases.
Esteem needs of the individual - How it was
tak
en car
eb
y Sri R
aman
uja.
taken
care
by
Raman
amanuja.
The esteem needs of the individuals were fulfilled by offering special honours before the Lord in
presence of learned persons. The offering of Sataari
Mariyaadha and the offering of the garlands that were
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worn by the Lord with a little amount of sandal-paste

is the greatest honour an individual could receive.
The individuals esteem needs are thus satisfied
which makes him a worthy person in the society. This
was introduced by SriRamanuja as a part of the hierarchical needs satisfaction. Then comes the self actualization process. The desire to serve Lord and
his devotees comes to the individual as a part of the
self actualization process and the individual realizes
the ultimate purpose of life is to serve the society
especially the devotees of Lord Sriman Narayana and
thereby attain moksha so that he could continue the
kainkarya at Srivaikunta.
Job Description
Job description of any working group is a must
to have the full benefit of the groups activities. It is
defined as a written statement of what the job holder
does, how it is done, and why it is done. It should
accurately portray job content, environment, and
conditions of employment. It is desirable to define
the responsibilities of a job (job description) and to
specify the qualifications necessary to fill the particular job (job specification). His various administrative
reforms at Thirumala, Srirangam and Melkote are
outstanding examples of the job description activity.
The division of Srirangam Temple
Kainkaryaparas into 20 different groups known as
kothus and appointing aimbathiruvar for various
Temple activities at Melkote including its administra8

tion speak volumes of his knowledge on job description. The Temple reorganization and the introduction
of Temple reforms at Thirumala, Srirangam, Melkote
and other holy places took into consideration many
managerial principles which needs an elaborate presentation.
This instituitional ar
ement w
as kno
wn
arrrang
angement
was
known
as Udayavar Thittam (detailed plan of action)
The Koil Ozhugu describes the duties of each
of the ten groups of Temple servants assigned by
SriRamanuja. From the days of Tirumangai Azhwar
the Kainkaryaparas were divided into five fold i.e. the
Kovanavar (Pn), Kodavar (Ph),
Koduveluduppar (Pk Gk), Paduvar
(k) and Thazhaiyi duvar (uk). Later,
these five groups were expanded into ten groups by
SriRamanuja. In the Srirangam Temple the priests
were hereditary servants who received their lands
and assignments from Kings and chieftains on a
permanent basis. Their duties were defined and supervised by the Senapathi Duranthara (\v
xu), who was all powerful.
The following are the Brahmin group consisting of ten groups: First group is called Kovanavar,
second Tiruppaniseivar, third kodavar, fourth
Bhagavata Nambis (Archagas), fifth Ullurar
(E), the sixth Thazhaiyiduvar, seventh
Tirukaragakkaiyar (vUPPUP), eighth
Vinnappam-saivar (A), ninth Aryabhattal,
9

tenth Dasanambis and Vettirapaanis. These Ten

groups along with the Bhattal have all their respective duties. The Bhattal have no place in these
groups. (The Bhattal group consists of persons
drawn from various groups like Kovanavar,
Thazhaiyiduvar, Ullurar, Tiruppani-sivar, and
Bhagavata Nambis. )
When SriRamanuja took over the affairs of the
Temple, he appointed Mudaliandan as Senapathi
Duranthara. From his days, the Temple, besides being a place of worship, also became the venue of religious and philosophical discourses, discussions
and debates. Before SriRamanujas emergence, the
Tamil Prabandhas were recited and Puranas read,
which seldom attracted the intellectuals.
But the picture changed with the association
of many of SriRamanujas disciples by systematising
and elaborating the administrative machinery of the
Temple. He reformated and rendered it more meaningful. SriRamanuja brought a degree of co-operation between the Vedic scholars, the Temple oriented
Srivaishnavas and the reciters of Tamil Prabhandam.
He cultiveted the Ubaya Vedanta culture where by
he brought the fusion of in between the Tamil and
Sanskrit Literature. The identity known as Ubaya
Vedanta culture is peculiar to Sri Vaishnavism where
both Tamil hymns and Sanskrit works are given equal
treatment.
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Duties of non-brahmin groups:

1. First group - Duties of the Vellalas: The duty
of the Kaaralappaan (one who measures with the
marakkal (a measuring unit consisting of roughly 5
kgs) is to measure grains in the store house and measure out the necessary grains required for daily use
in the Temple. The duty of Koil Katha Perumal (the
guard) is to guard the gateway of the Rajamahendran
enclosure. The duty of the Vilupparaiyan (the accountant) is to maintain accounts. These are the
Vellala servants among the non-brahmins.
2. The second group was known as the
Kaikkolamudali, Seruvattavan the piper.
3. The third group was known as
Emberumanadiyar (Devadasis By a legislation enacted in 1953 the Devadasis system was abolished
in Tamil Nadu and all services rendered came to an
end).
4. The fourth group was known as the
Thiruvelakkaarar.
5. The fifth group consists of the sculptor
(silpachari) belonging to the group of artisans
(kammaalas).
6. The sixth gruop consists of needleworkers
(tailors), carpenters and silkweavers.
7. The seventh group was known as
washermen group.
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8. The eighth group consists of the potters.

9. The ninth group consists of boatmen.
10. The tenth group consists of musicians.
Thus the ten groups of Srivaishnavas,
ekangis, Sattadamudalis, the Kulasekharattiraivanigar (the business class which travels overseas
to acquire wealth), the miscellaneous Temple servants and the ten groups of the non-brahmin
parijanas, doing their sacred duties in the Temple
were created and their duties were fixed by Udayavar.
Conducting the sacred services, the worship, the
daily, fortnightly, monthly, annual and the great festivals according to the tenets laid down in the
Parameswara Samhita of the Pancharatra, Udayavar
had, thus all the important celebrations done for Peria
Perumal.
The collapse of the Udayavar Thittam:
The code of regulations laid down by Udayavar
was strictly adhered to for nearly two centuries until
it received a rude shock from the Muslim invasions
in the first half of the 14th century. It may be noted
that the Ozhugu not only mentions the various duties of the groups of the Temple servants in the time
of Udayavar but traces their later history. In each case
the Muslim invasion (tulukkaavanam) seems to have
seriously disturbed the peaceful pursuits of the hereditary functions in the Temple by the hereditary
servants.
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Udayavars code (Udayavar thittam), says the

Ozhugu, collapsed utterly when the Vijayanagara
chieftains assumed direct control over the administration of the Temple and appointed their own officers in charge of various departments.
Daily discussion with the sub-ordinates on the
progress of any work or the problems faced by them
had to take place to have a smooth administration.
This is the fundamental duty of any manager.
Srirangam Temple with all its activities throughout
the day and year, was bound to have many administrative problems. Keeping this in mind, SriRamanuja
would hold daily discussions in the Chandana
mandapa with Araiyars, Kovanavar, Archakas known
as Bhaagavatha nambimaar, Thazhaiiduvar kothu,
Temple guards, garland suppliers, torch bearers, gardeners etc.
Ir
ukar
aika
ppan - a special PWD w
or
k ffor
or
ce:
Irukar
ukaraika
aikappan
wor
ork
orce:
Making arrangements for the continuance of
the work without break by keeping people and resources in reserve is one of the functions of the manager to carry on the administration without any hindrance. The holy town of Srirangam is flanked by
river Kaveri on the Southern and Northern sides.
During the days of Sri Ramanuja, there were no dams
across river Kaveri and any rain water on the western direction of Srirangam and beyond would increase the flow of water. Very often breaches on the
13

river Kaveri especially on the northern bank would

take place due to heavy in flow.
Temple rreno
eno
vation w
or
k as a contin
uous
enov
wor
ork
continuous
process:
Sri Ramanuja had a reserve public works department personnale to tackle and take remedial
measures whenever such breaches take place. They
were named as Iru karai kaappaan meaning guards
of the river-bed on either side. Sri Ramanuja used to
walk along the river bed with the workers of iru karai
kaappaan group and inspect the condition of the
river bed. Wherever the river bed was found weak
and needed re-enforcement, he would instruct the
workers of iru karai kaappaan to strengthen the river
bed and keep in readiness damage control materials
like Sand bags, bamboos etc. In modern management
terms this is known as Risk Management.
Meeting the w
or
k ffor
or
ce - ffor
or better adminiswor
ork
orce
trative control:
He would meet the members of the following
groups everyday around 10am.
*
Those people who were in charge of guarding the holy city of Sriranga known as Paadi
Kaappaan (iP) and Thalaiyaaris
(uP).
*
People who undertake the maintenance and
repair work of the streets where Lord Ranganatha
14

goes on a procession were known as Thiruveedhi

seppaniduvaar (vv \k).
*
There was a separate force known as
Thirumanjana vazhi thiruthuvaar (vg\
vzx). Their duty was to clean daily the
pathway by cutting the extra growth of the branches
of the trees and removing the thorns on the pathway.
*
There were (are) numerous sub-temples inside
the Srirangam Temple complex. There was a separate PWD (Public Works Department) unit to take care
of the repairs on a regular basis.
*
Gold smiths who used to make different types
of ornaments and carry out repairs as and when
needed, were also engaged in making ready the
metal vessels needed for daily Araadhana and the
preparation of the holy prasadams.
*
There were permanent labourers who used to
attend to the repairs of the Gopuras, sculptures, and
murals.
*
Dancing girls and the teacher to train them was
another group of people engaged in the service of
Lord Ranganatha.
y indi
vidual Ho
w
Food - the basic need of an
any
individual
How
it was met:
The Srirangam Temple is a huge complex with
thousands of people visiting everyday. More than this,
hundreds of workers known as kainkaryaparas were
15

engaged by the Temple authorities to carry out the

various festivals and daily Aradhana. All these people
are to be provided with the holy prasadam at appropriate hours. Food, shelter and clothing are the fundamental needs of any individual. As pointed out
earlier, unless these basic needs are satisfied, no individual would be willing to do any job. SriRamanuja
was well aware of this condition which was natural.
The holy prasadam in plenty was offered for
all the worshippers and the kainkaryaparas were allowed to take more prasadam which was known as
Swanthanthiram (_uv) which means the legal
eligibility of that individual for having done the service. SriRamanuja also introduced a system known
as Vittavan vizhukkaadu (mh UPk) i.e.
a larger quantity of prasadam for having created that
endowment.
Feedbac
k system as de
vised b
y SriR
aman
uja:
eedback
devised
by
SriRaman
amanuja:
The grocery merchants known as Chetti
Vyabaarigal (\mi P) and those who
supply large quantity of milk and ghee would meet
Sri Ramanuja after ascertaining the quantity to be
supplied from the members of Sribhandaara
vaariyam. It was a daily routine for Sri Ramanuja to
meet them and ascertain from them whether they had
received payment for the previous supplies. This act
of SriRamanuja resulted in maximum customer satisfaction. In todays management, customer feedback
16

and customer satisfaction are the vital elements to

ascertain the success of the marketing.
Moti v a tion T heor y as pr acticed b
y Sri
by
Ramanuja:
While going around the Temple Treasury he
would reach the granary where the labourers would
be cleaning the paddy and store them in the huge
warehouses. (These warehouses could be seen even
today and in each warehouse thousands of kalams
of paddy - Kalam is a measure consisting approximately 50kg of paddy.) While loading the paddy
manually the labourers would be singing some folk
songs (Naadodi Paadalgals). It was a daily routine of
Sri Ramanuja that he would stand and listen to the
chorus music of the labourers. When the labourers
knew that a great personality like Sri Ramanuja was
listening to their music, their joy knows no bound.
This was the greatest motivating factor which enabled them to do the work with more perfection and
speed.
Another incident which is narrated in
Nampillais Eedu which reflects the broad vision of
SriRamanuja in choosing the right person for the
right job. Among his disciples SriRamanuja chose
Sri Parasara Bhatta to ascend the Acharya Peeta in
future. He advised his followers before Lord
Ranganatha to hold Bhattarya on par with himself;
and bestow on him love and regard in an equal measure. SriRamanuja was well aware of the ability of
17

Sri Parasara Bhatta to nourish and take

Srivaishnavism to greater glory.
Conf
lict rresolution
esolution - con
ver
ting a thr
ea
Conflict
conv
erting
threa
eatt into
an oppor
tunity:
opportunity:
Converting a threat into strength is considered
as the greatest ability of a manager. The incident of
persecution was a threat to Sri Ramanuja but he converted that threat into strength. Melkote is today considered as a Jnana Mandapa, a seat of knowledge.
The spread of Srivaishnavism in the region of
Karnataka was a result of the persecution of Sri
Ramanuja, but for this incident Melkote,Thondanur,
Belur, Talakkad, Mandya and in other regions Jainism
would have had its upperhand.
Sri Rama was in exile for fourteen years, and
these fourteen years resulted in the annihilation of
evil forces like Kabanthan, Ravana, Vaali,
Surpanakha, Kumbakarna etc., Jatayu and Sabari attained moksha, Sugriva and Vibhisana had their respective kingdoms, the Dandakaranya rishis had the
dharsan of the Supreme Lord SriRama. Similar was
the benefit that society received due to Sri
Ramanujas exile in Karnataka.
e planner
Sri R
aman
uja - A long rrang
ang
amanuja
ange
planner::
Raman
Sri Ramanuja was also a great intellect and a
scientific thinker. Under the tutelage of a number of
teachers, Sri Ramanuja was able to pool all the knowl18

edge available. Being intelligent and a scientific

thinker, he gave a scientific explanation of Sri
Vaishnavism in his famous Sri Bhashyam.
Sri Ramanuja established Srivaishna-vism on
a sound foundation and fulfilled the mission started
by Yamuna. This effort was continued by Kuresa,
Parasara Bhatta, Vatsya Varadacharya, Kidambi
Appular, Nanjeer, Vedanta Desika, Pillai Lokacharya,
Manavala Mamuni and others. Tradition is the sustaining force of any culture.
For, it is the main link between the past and
the present. Basically the traditions that are cherished and followed by a society determines the cultural level of the society. Sri Ramanuja shines as a
pole star even today. ''Iramanusa Nootrandadi'' is a
hymn of 108 sublime verses extolling the noble qualities of head and heart of our great Acharya Sri
Ramanuja.
The author of this Prabandam is
Thiruvarangathu Amudanar. The Prabandam, known
as ''IRAMANUSA NOOTRANDADI'' is celebrated as
''Prapanna Gayatri" (The Gayatri for Prapannas).
Amudanar devotes several verses to praise the bountiful mercy innate in Sri Ramanuja and his saving
grace in helping even the most sinful to transform
themselves to deserve salvation.
Amudanar devotes several verses to praise the
compassion innate in Ramanuja.
19

""G JUQ * _u
zx * Fu
ozu C\ uG
\zuUPzu * GUSHx]u.
''yennai bhuviyil oruporulaakki * marul shuranddha
munnai pazhavinai veraratthu * oozhi mudalvanaiye
pannapanittha irramaanusan paran paadamumen
shenni dharikka vaitthaan * yenakkedhum shidaivillaye''
Creating the institution of 74 Simhasanathipathis
by Sri Ramanuja whose descendents are called Acharya
Purushas speaks volumes of his ability to plan for the
future. It was a divise to nourish Srivaishnavism for ever.
ALL GLORIES TO SRI RAMANUJA!

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