From the Bhakti List Archives

Ranga Satagopan • Fri Jul 07 1995 - 10:33:05 PDT 


>     Besides, amudhanaar says in the 33rd paasuram of 100thanthaathi
>     that sri raamaanujaa was the avathaaram of the five divine
>     weapons:

Isn't Ramanuja considered an incarnation of Sesha (= Lakshmana =
Rama + Anuja)? Infact I have heard the following legend about
Ramanuja:

Once Ramanuja was challenged to a debate by some followers of 
Buddhist/Jain(?) philosophy. For some reason (which I forget), it was 
stipulated that he should be able to simulatneously engage in debate 
with all those scholars. Ramanuja agreed on the condition that a curtain
should separate him from the others so that neither could see the other
side. The debate began, and Ramanuja was able to manage them all. One of
the scholars couldn't hold back his curiosity at this feat and peeped beind 
the curtain and was shocked to see a multiheaded snake (Sesha) sitting there!

- Ranga
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Ranga Satagopan
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