Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Sri Ramanujar and Gopuram Episode

From the Bhakti List Archives

A. Bharat • December 14, 1998 


Dear BhAgavatas

The posting of Sri Anand Karalapakkam on this subject
was most interesting and educative.adiyen is inclined
to agree with the conclusions.In this regard I would
like to present extracts from two more books on the
life of Swami emberumAnAr.

1.This has to be THE oldest book on the subject.It
is  the YATIRAJA VAIBHAVAM by Vatuka Nambi a most
devoted disciple of Udaiyavar.It is a short book
of 114 simple stanzas in Sanskrit written shortly
the Paramapada prApti of YatirAjar.In it stanzas 58
and 59 narrate this incident.I give below a translation
of the two stanzas:
"After that,through the 'niyamanam' of Periya Nambi,RamAnuja
prostrated before the holy feet of TirukkOTTiyUr Nambi,
received as 'upadeSa' from him the meanings of Tirumantram
and Geeta charama Slokam,and preached it to many people in
TirukkOtTTiyUr itself.

Thereupon that TiruKKOTTiYUr Nambi also immediately realising
the compassion brimming in Ramanuja's heart praised him
terming him "EmberumAnAr" and greatly pleased said,"This
DarSana is going to be celebrated in your name as 
EmberumAnAr DarSanam." It is for this reason that thisi
known as SrI RAmAnuja DarSanam."

(I do not have the Sanskrit text.I am translating the tamil
translation by Sri PuttUr Swami)
           	
2.The second is a book published in 1906.
  The Life of RAMANUJACHARYA by AlkonDaville GOvindAchArya
In ch 15 the episode is given thus:

"The next day,he entered into the big and elevated hall
*(this is called the Gopuram or pinnacle as sung by 
ANNAvappangAr in his Ramanuja AtimAnusha stava-
) 
of Terk-kAzhvAn
or the Lord Nrisimha,Resident of Tiru-k-kOTTiyUr,invited
all to assemble there;and his full heart flowed to them in
the revealing of the precious truths relating to Spirit
which he had learnt from G.PUrNa,under vow of secrecy.
This news reached and roused the indignation of G.PUrNa etc"

adiyEn
Bharat