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CH. XII.
RAMANDJA'S CALL TO SRIranGAM.
can part with my Ramanuja." On hearing this, Maliiipiirna
and otlier worthies were much disconcerted, hut after some
deliberation, determined to depute an elder in person to approach
Lord Varada and persuade Him by hymns to grant them
Ram&nuja inasmuch as the Lord's very name Yarada meant:
" Grranter." They besought accordingly Tijuvaranga-pperumal
Araiyar, the Venerable Elder of the place ', to
march to Ka,nchi on their behalf, and so extol Lord Varada
as to make Him condescend to grant them Ramanuja. Araiyar
immediately left Srirangam on this holy erranH, after
obtaining leave to do so from Lord Ranga. On his nearing
Ejinchi, hie relative there by name Varantarum Perumal Araiyar
met him and escorted him to the Holy City, and tended him
under his roof as befitted a distinguished visit-oi-. Tlie next
morning, in due fashion, Araiyar proceeded to ihe Temple.
Lord Varada had that day taken His august seat in the pavilion
called. KacchikTcu-vayttan, surrounded by the Holy Assembly ;
Ktochl-purna stationed before the Lord reverently doing his
allotted service of fanning. Rebmanuja stood by his side devoutly
uttering the Devaruja-Ashtaka hymn sung by Purna. Raraanuja
saw Araiyar, went forward and received him most cordially.
" May I be allowed to pay my obeisance to Lord Varada ? "
enquired Araiyar. Purna led him to His august presence, in
full Holy Council seated, and Araiyar fell prostrate before
Him, repeating Yamuna's verse ;
" Oh, when, O Strider of the
Three Spheres, will Thy Lotus-Feet, decked with all, the signs
such as the discus, bedeck my head ? " ^. Rising, he was
honored with tirtha, prasdda and Sri Sathagopa. Araiyar then,
.set to celestial music {devdgdna), chanted a select number of the
Lyrical Psalter of the Azhvars (Saints) ;
and as be sang, danced
and went into raptures.
" When His faithful sing and dance for joy, God Himself
keeps time," it is said. So, Lord Varada was pleased with
1
See Life of Yamuna. He is also called Banga-uatha-Gayata, (I'ide
No. 22, Hierarchic Table to our Lives of Saints).
••^R^H r^OTP^3R?t l^iqgjfr^cTffts^ II ISMra-ratna.]