Swami Ramanujar Life History: Part 2

"Swami Ramanuja and Varadaraaja Perumal!: Part 2"

Swami Ramanuja escapes from the troop and keeps running in the forest. He loses his way and is lost in the forest. He feels very tired running around the forest and decides to rest under a tree for some while. Time passes and when Swami Ramanuja wakes up from his sleep, he finds a hunter couple in the forest.

The young hunter couple were looking very attractive and elegant. The lady had beautiful eyes that could pull any one into her charming beauty. Her radiant face and the eternally elegant look that she possessed were impeccable. She was beautifully dressed in a maroon saree with golden border and wore small ornaments around her neck. The bangles she wore made sound like a musical instrument. She wore dazzling ear rings which glittered from a distance and dressed her hair with beautiful flowers. She seemed to be the most gorgeous lady in the world.

fig: Hunter couple and Swami Ramanuja in forest

While the lady was so beautiful, her husband looked very handsome. He seemed to be an apt match for her. He had broad forehead and big eyes. He tied a turban around his head that covered most part of his head. His hair locks on either sides of his ear made his face look attractive. He had broad shoulders; strong arms and long legs. He dressed in a yellow and golden colored dhothi with a cloth tied around his hip. His eyes were so charming that Swami Ramanuja was staring at him. He could not move his eyes from this beautiful couple.

The couple approached Swami Ramanuja and asked him where he was heading, for which Swami told them that he had no idea of where to go and lost his way in the forest. The couple then smiled at Swami and asked him if he would accompany them to Kanchipuram, the Kingdom of Lord Varadaraja Perumal. Swami was overwhelmed with joy and agreed to head towards Kanchipuram. They walked until dark and rested under a tree. The next morning when Swami woke up, he found the hunter man getting water in a dry coconut cup to quench the thirst of his lady love. Swami ran towards the hunter man and said that he would get water for the lady to quench her thirst.

fig: Swami Ramanuja getting water

Swami walked towards a well which was at a distance from the place where the lady was sitting. He waked five times but could not quench the thirst of the lady. The sixth time when he bought the water, he could not find the couple there. He was startled and wandered around the forest searching for them. Finally, he found a huge temple at a distance and asked the people around- “What is this temple? Which place is this?”  He was told that –“ Oh Bramhin! This is Kanchipuram and this is the temple of Lord Varadaraja Perumal!”…

Swami’s eyes were filled with tears out of joy. He then realized that the hunter couple who came to help him were Lord SrimanNarayanan with his consort SriDevi. They had come to bring him safely to Kanchipuram. He was overwhelming with joy and started praising the abundant grace showered by the Almighty on him. He immediately had bath in the holy pond there and ran towards the well from which he bought water for the lady. He adored the holy marks of the all compassionate Lord on his forehead and carried water from the well to the temple. He looked at the King of Kanchipuram- Lord Vardarajan (Varadaraja=> The one who gives all the boons) and with unconditional love towards the Lord bowed infront of Him and thanked Him for the compassion that was showered on Him abundantly.

fig: Swami Ramanuja at Lord Varadar Sannidhi

Then on Swami Ramanuja did “Theertha Kainkaryam” to Lord Varadarajan- getting water from well to temple for the daily temple rites in Kanchipuram..

fig: Saalai Kenar (holy pond from where Ramanuja did Thertha Kiankaryam in Kanchipuram)

To be continued.....