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CH, XXXIII. VATU-PIjENA. 221
of all other things. Ii-ate, he called Purna and asked him to
explain this sacrilege—the sacrilege of placing liis sandals over
the heads of his holy Images of worship !
" Sire," promptly
ausvrered Purna, " how is my God inferior to thine ?"
Eamanuja went to visit the Lords in the temples, but
Piirna's gaze was s^^^eadily fixed on RS,mamija's handsome person.
RSiOiElnuia often marked this ; and once remarked : "Son,
why dost thou not direct thy sight to the charming eyes of the
Lord ?" Purna then looked at the Loi-d and looked at Eamanuja
alternately for a few seconds and then exclaimed ;
" Sire,
the eyes that have seen thee cannot see other objects." '
R§,manuja used to hand over the remains of food, after he
had eaten, to Purna to eat ; the latter, after eating, wiped his
soiled hands on his head. Eamanuja fretfully chided him for
tliis slovenly habit and directed him henceforth to wash his
hands with water- " Yea," said Purna. The next day,
Bamanuja handed over to him to eat consecrated food given to
him in the Temple. Purna ate and washed his hands with
water. " What hast thou done, son ;" exclaimed Rsbmanuja,
" the Lord's food is too holy to be thus washed away, thou
oughtest to wipe it on thy head." " Sire," reported he, " I
have done as thou badest me yesterday." Ramanuja simply
said :
" Son, thou hast overcome me."
On another occasion Purna was busy boiling milk fo*"
Ramanuja in the Math, when Lord Ranganatha was conveyed
in procession, decked in all the glory of decorative art
Ramanuja rose to go, see and pay homage to the Deity, calling
Purna, as he went, to come and do the same with him. But
Puma, immediately excused himself saying :
" Holy sire, if I
come out to see thy God, the milk that is on the fire for my
God (Ramanuja) will boil over."
At one time, some kinsmen of his came to his house as
guests, and used his cooking pots for preparing their meals.
But as soon as they left him, Purna broke them all and threw
them into the rubbish heap ; and picking up cast-away pots in
GiasresrnfiQ'iesissemi—seimsar u>pQ(itfasr(Si^einssir^s^Qeii.