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OH. XXXVII. RAMANUJA'S GBKATNESS. 239
complisli so much, despite His repeated Incarnations ' on earth ;
and He retired every time sad with the thought that souls
were more prone to roll down and down into the depths of
samsdra, than climb up to Him." " Wouldest Thou know
the secret, Lord ?", saiA RamAnuja, 'then put thyself in (he
position of a disciple." Namhi did so, and RAmannja whispered
the secret of his success into the Lord's ear ; and ever afterwards,
Nambi prided Himself on this kind of spiritual tie
establi.shed witli RamAnuja.
7. St. NammAzhvar felt so much compassion for the
sinful world that he laid a wager with God Himself. "See,
Lord, I shall convert the world unto Thee.'" " Know they
not Thy Greatness, that I should tell?'" and so forth. But
when he saw the world averse to his preaching, he retired disappointed,
crying :— " Is it possible for me to coiTect this large
world?"'; "Enough, myself and my mind have yielded to
Him." ' But again when he looked forth into ihe future, he
saw hope and exultingly cried .— " This dark world shall yet be
set right. Yet, this dark age shall bring salvation " ' Thus did
this Saint ; refer to the advent of RamAimja, as the coming
Messiah. Sage Nathamunigal prophesied RamAnuja's advent
by saying : '
A plash may quench a spai'row's thirst ; but a loch
will feed a vale.' ' By loch he symbolized R&raanuja. Embar
sang this by the following beautiful metaphor
> ^iHK^imratf^
°-
'.
*'o- 1^^- ^''^' ^^''' ^-^
&C-. [Bh- Oita, XVI, 20 j
^mCfqi^'imiT
Sdrs^^€ULle^.sQ'iJ(Lg!^uu(Sear. [T. Viruttam IG.]
* g ! u/rajii U!rQu>] [T- Vaymozhi, II, 2-2,]
= ^_s^L.^eafiuJinr,rdji^ ^Si^CS^peonOSfi! [P. T. Andadi, 26.]
^ [P. T. Andadi, 20.]
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