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THE LIFE OF RAMANUJA. CH. I.
and en mite visited, among others, the holy spots known as
Ghatikachala (of Lord Nrisimha), Hastigiri (or Kanchi of
Lord Varada-K-aja), Tiruvahindra-pura (—near modern Cuddalore—of
Lord Deva-Nayaka), Tii-ukkovalilr (of Lord Trivikrama),
Srlrangam (of Loi'd Ranganatha), Tirukkudandai
(—or Kumhhakonam—of Lord Ara-v-amudu or Sarungapani) ;
and finally returned to his native place Vlra-Xarayanapuram.
Here the sage received an ovation from the holy inhabitants,
and was conducted in procession to Mannanar. The Lord was
highly pleased and made His -wishes known to the assembled
community that thenceforward, they must look upon the Sage
as His specially blessed devotee, provide him with suitable
lodgings, and all other necessaries of life ; and take such other
care of him as his favourite deserved. All this they gladly
did. And Nathamuni(gal) made a flower-garden fortbe Lord,
and employed himself in its care, serving the Lord with the
offerings of garlands, scents, lights ; and in suchwise usefully
spent his time in the company of
wise and holy men, in
the cultivation of Divine Knowledge and its pi-opagation.
One day, there came a party of Sri-vaishnavas from the
uplands (or the table-lands to the north of Trichinopoly), to
visit Mannanar, and they were heard to sing the sacred Hymn,
" Ara-v-amudu" or the Decad : V-8 of St. Xammazhvar's
Tirnv&y-Mozhi, and ending with the 11th verse of the same, in
which it is said :
" This Ten out of the Thousand, sung by Kurugitr
Saihagopar.'^ Nathamuni, hearing this, begged of the
visitor to repeat the " One Tlwusand." But they said' they
only knew this fragment of Ten and no more. On being again
asked whether any one else knew the same, or whether there
were written records preserved of the same, they confessed
that they knew nothing whatever of it. The sage dismissed
them with the usual holy Tirtha and Prasdda from Mannanar.
Natha was anxious to trace out the rest of the Prabandha
(the Dravida Hymns of the Saints are so called) ; and surmised
that they might in all likelihood prove recoverable in the
Kurugn Land (=Azhvar Tirnnagari near Tinnevelly). He