• Sri Ramanuja underwent philosophical training in the Sankara School of thought. Ramanuja was a teacher-reformer and a great organiser. He challenged the monist ideology of Adi Sankara and in his effort to widen the social base to include social groups other than the Brahmans. Described as a qualified monism, his philosophy of Visishtadvaita influenced many thinkers and developed into a separate tradition.

• A century after his death, there was a schism which developed into two separate schools under Vedanta Desikar and Manavala Mamuni. Ramanuja took interest in propagating the doctrine of Bhakti to social groups outside the Varnashram system.

• He influenced some temple authorities to permit the social groups outside the Varnashram system to enter into the temple at least once a year. It is believed that due to the perceived threat to their religious faith and existence, Ramanuja had to leave his place of residence.