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en. XXII. KAMANUJA'S TRAVELS. 137
CHAPTER XXII.
EAMAWUJA'S TRAVELS.
The worthies of Ramanuja's congregation, who had so long
listened to his teachings and who had the good fortune as well
to see all the tenets of his faith perpetuated in treatises, rose
one day and reverently bowing to Samfl,nuja said ;— " Holy
Master, your system is now perfect, and it must be made
known to the world at large. The ways to God are direrse,
and confusing. Let the true way, you have discovered to us,
be made accessible to all. Pray then undertake a tour of
ministry and as a tour, it shall have the added object of visiting
Holy Shrines." " So be it," said Rjimanuja, and representing
his intention to Lord Ranga, he obtainsd his permission.
With his elect, he left Srirangam, and visited Tiru-k-kudandai
(Kumbhafconum) and other places in the Chola-maudalam,
and won victories there by theological disputations. Thence he
bsnthis steps to TiruvMi-Tirnnagari, the nativity of St. Parak&la
or Tirumangai-Azhvar.' Here an interesting incident happened.
Efiimanuja was devoutly making his round of several holy
shrines encompassing the Central Shrine Tiruaagari, when he
met a Chaad&la woman approaching. Ram^inuja, in order to
avoid pollution by her proximity, commanded her to hold off,
so that he might pass on. But she without moving away
addressed Rslmanuja aud said :— " Sire, which side shall I
move ? Here before me stands thy holy self, a Brahman
•whom I cannot approach lest I pollute thee by my nearness.
Behind me is the Holy Shrine Nil-nilebmuttam (=Tiruk-kannapuram)
; to my right are the Tirumanan-koUai (where St.
Tirumangai waylaid the Lord) and Tiruv-araSu (the Pipal
tree used by the St. as his watch tower) ; and to my left is Lord
TiruTaii-Manavalan. There is thus purity ail about me here,
which side then can my impurity turn ? " Relmanuja was
struck dumb at this unexpected answer from an unexpected
quarter. " Forgive me, madam," he said," nor did I divine
such spirituality in a low-caste woman as thou art. But for
all that thou art holier than myself.
So saying he administered
' Head our "Holy Lives of the Saints."
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