Thirukoshtiyur Nambikal one of the Guru of Swamy Ramanuja was very much pleased with Ramanuja and so he wanted to impart to him the meaning of Charama sloka from the eighteenth chapter of Bhagavat Gita. So he sent word to Ramanuja to come alone again. Swami Ramanuja went alone and Nambikal taught him the meaning of Charama sloka and told him not to reveal it to anyone. But Ramanuja beseeched with Nambikal that he should be allowed to teach it to Kurathazwar. Then Nambikal told him that Kurathazwar should be taught only after doing service to Swamy Ramanuja one full year. When Ramanuja returned to Srirangam, he told Kurathazwar about his Guru’s order. Kurathazwar was disappointed to hear this. He thought when it was not sure whether we would be alive for the next moment, how he could wait for a year to learn this secret meaning of the Charama Sloka. He remembered that it was depicted in Sastras, if a person observe upavasam for one month it was equal to serving for one year. So he observed fasting for one month in front of Ramanuja’s Thirumalikai ( Ashramam) Thus he got his wish fulfilled. Mudaliyandan another foremost disciple of Swamy Ramanuja came to know about this and he went and prostrated before Ramanuja and begged him to teach him also the Charama Sloka manthrartham. But Ramanuja told him that his Guru Nambikal gave him permission to give the upadesam only to Kurathazwar and he could go to Nambikal and get it directly from him. Though Mudaliyandan waited for six months, he did not get any positive signal from Nambikal. Hence one day he went and prostrated before Nambikal and begged him. Nambikal told him, “you were proud of your wealth, your learning and your high caste As you have not yet attained the paripakkuvam (controlling mamakaram.) Ramanuja had sent you here. But now you are fit to have the Upadesam. You go back and your guru and he would be pleased to teach you now.”Then the sincere disciple of Swamy Ramanuja , Mudaliyandan returned to Srirangam and narrated to Swamy Ramanuja all that had happened. At that time Swamy Ramanujas another Guru ,Periya Nambikal’s daughter Athuzaay also had come to see Ramanuja. She told that her mother in law had sent her home, telling her to bring a cook from her house and her father had told her that she should go to Ramanuja and he would do the needful. When Ramanuja heard this, he told Mudaliyandan to accompany Athuzaay. Mudaliyandan at once obeyed his guru and went along with Athuzaay. At that place , he was doing service to her mother in law for six months. One day he happened to hear a Srivaishnava explaining the meaning of a Sanskrit sloka wrongly. MudaliAndaan went into the gathering and explained the proper meaning of the sloka. The Brahmin got angry and told, “You are only a cook and Its beyond your capacity to understand the shastras He chided him to just go and simply cook what was ordered .” Yet Mudaliyandan did not get angry and spoke sweetly and also explained again. The Brahmin got ashamed and begged for pardon. MudaliAndaan told that he was the disciple of Swamy Ramanuja and he was sent by him to do service at Athuzaay’s house. Whatsover explanation was given now was the mercy of his Acharyar Swami Ramanuja . When Ramanuja came to know this, he went in person and brought him back with him. He was happy that Mudaliyandan now had attained the paripakkuvam to be taught the Charama sloka Rahasyartham. He taught him the same and also conferred him the title” Vaishnava Dasar.”
Adiyen Ramanuja dasan
