The Renunciant King
Yatirāsar (Tamil form of Sanskrit Yatirāja = king of sannyāsis/yatis) is one of the most commonly used honorifics for Rāmānuja, particularly in the context of his formal sannyāsa life. The title emphasizes his mastery of renunciation (sannyāsa-dharma) combined with active service to the community — he was simultaneously the greatest renunciant and the most prolific reformer-teacher.
The Paradox of Rāmānuja's Renunciation
Rāmānuja entered the tridaṇḍa sannyāsa tradition, the most rigorous form of formal renunciation. Yet his life after sannyāsa was extraordinarily active: he established temple administration reforms, wrote major commentaries, trained 74 major disciples, performed multiple pilgrimages, and engaged actively with kings and communities. His renunciation was of the ego, not of service.
In the Guru-Paramparā Recitation
In the daily lineage recitation: 'Lakṣmī-nātha-samārambhāṃ... asmad-ācārya-paryantāṃ vande guru-paramparām' — Rāmānuja appears as the central figure around whom the post-Nāthamunigaḷ transmission crystallized.