Topic started by Karuvayan (@ cs2417546-174.austin.rr.com) on Fri Feb 28 09:48:58 .
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Ramanuja, the great hindu renaissance saint, who spearheaded the bhakti movement, which involved saints from all castes and all religions (Kabir among Muslims) had a Shudra saint as a guru.
This is even acknowledged by Chandra Bhan Prasad, one of the foremost Dalit intellectuals.
http://www.dlshq.org/saints/ramanuja.htm
//Of the known nine Alawars, many belonged to the untouchable and Shudra castes. From the school of Alawars came Acharya Ramanuja, a disciple of a Shudra guru, Kanchipurn of Kanchipurn//
This was written by Chandra Bhan Prasad (Chandra Bhan Prasad is president, Dalit Shiksha Andolan)
http://www.sabrang.com/cc/comold/march98/dalit.htm
There you go, right from the Dalit's mouth. May the light of Ramanuja ever shine forth!
BTW, Nammalwar was an Isai Vellalar whose disciple was Madhurakavi a Brahmin
Tondar-adi-podi Alwar was from the panar caste (considered very low) and was carried on the shoulder of Lokasaaranga Muni, the Brahmin priest of Srirangam.
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