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102 RAMASUJA'S INTERPRETATIONS. CH. XVI.
CHAPTPJR XVI.
RAMANUJA'S INTERPRETATIONS.
Some time elapsed thus.
Goslitlii-Purna came on a visit
to Si-irangam, where he met his college friend Tiiumalai-
Anda,n (Maladhanx) .' He took him with him and went to see
Ramanuja on seeing his Gnru come,
R4manuja in his retreat.
rose and receiving him with due respect, entered into conversation.
" RamAnuja " ! he addressed, "you are now to hear the
utterances of our Holy Saints, the Tiru-vay-mozhi of St. Nammftzhvar,
to begin with. I commend you to the care of my
friend Maladhai-a, who has been full well instructed in that
lore by Yaraunaeharya." So saying, ho placed Ranianuja's
hands in those of Maladliaia, and begging of the latter to take
his trust through a course of the Pi-abandhas, left for his own
town.
They began the new course of studies. But as Maladhara
gave out the explanations of each verse as he bad heard them
from bis Guru, Yamuna, Ramanuja gave expanded or improved
versions of the same. Maladhara used to say that he
never remembered such explanations given out by Y&muna.
" But they are right. Sire ! and Yamuna's mind was really
that," Ramanuja used to I'eplj-. In due course, they came to
the ver.se: Ariyu-h-kdlaltu [T. Vsiy-mozhi II, 3, 3]. Maladhara
explained it thus :
God, ivheu I teas igiiorant, thou
gacest me the knouhdge nf my relation to Thee, and yet Thou
hast confined me in this carcwe which destroys this knowledge '
" This cannot be, Sire !
" pi-otested Ramd^nuja, " if you consider
the trend of the whole decad heie [II, 3], it is an acknowledgment
of all the manifold good, God did to the Saint. While
so, one verse in the middle of the Uccad cannot convey an
accusation against God.
So, by a transposition of the terms of
the verse in question, the meaning becomes :— " Whilst 1 was
yet confined in this carcase irhich destroys knoii'ledgu, thou, were
pleased to bestow knowledge of my relation to Thee, God ! " " "I
• See No. 25, Hierarchic Table, in onr li'ces of Azhvdrs.
^ Readers ouglit to read tlie origiuul of this in the Snd Volumo of
Bhaguiad-iishuyuiii, if tliey with to fully enjoy this intellectual banquet.