Yatirāja — King of Ascetics
Yatirāja (yati = renunciant, rāja = king) is among the most beloved epithets of Rāmānuja, the systematiser of Viśiṣṭādvaita and the great Āchārya through whom the Śrī Vaiṣṇava sampradāya received an enduring institutional form. The title honours both his tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa and his pre-eminence among renunciant Āchāryas.
Works Bearing the Title
The celebrated Sanskrit Yatirāja Viṃśati, twenty verses of complete dependence on Rāmānuja, was composed by Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ. Vedānta Deśika's major Sanskrit hymn in praise of Rāmānuja is the Yatirāja Saptati, consisting of seventy verses. These distinct works show how the title Yatirāja is cherished across the Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition.
Rāmānuja Nūṟṟandādi
Rāmānuja Nūṟṟandādi is the 108-pāsuram Tamil prabandham of Tiruvaraṅgattamudhanār, received within the Nālāyira Divya Prabandham. It is not a single 'Yatirāja taniyan.' Individual taniyans praising Rāmānuja are recited in liturgical settings, while the Nūṟṟandādi is a complete antādi prabandham.
A Renunciant in Active Kainkaryam
Rāmānuja's renunciation was not withdrawal from the sampradāya community. As Yatirāja he taught śāstra, organized temple kainkaryam, protected devotees, established disciples in teaching responsibility and composed foundational works such as Śrī Bhāṣya. The title therefore joins personal renunciation with tireless service to Bhagavān, Bhāgavatas and Āchārya-paramparā.