Ramanujacharya - The great Philosopher and Social Reformer

[aravindhan]

So it was the parentage that was the yard stick isn't it ? Was there an instance where someone born a Sudra ever declared as Brahmana by Ramunajacharya ?

Ramanajucharya said that a person's birth and / or caste was utterly irrelevant to his status. He accepted non-Brahmins as his gurus, and he made his followers venerate non-Brahmin azhwars and other vaishnava devotees. His point was not merely to make non-Brahmins Brahmins, but to do away with the idea that one's birth conferred status.

Here is his teaching as recorded by Pillai Lokachariar in the Sri Vachana Bhushanam. It is in manipravalam, but if you know Tamil it is easily understandable:

bhāgavatāpacārandhān anēka vidam
athilē oṉṟu avarkaḷ pakkal janma nirūpaṇam
athai mātru yoni parīkṣaiyōṭu okkumeṉṟu śāstram sollum

That is extremely strong language, wouldn't you say? I hope it gives you a better idea of what he was trying to achieve.