Page:Life and Teachings of Sri Ramanujacharya.djvu/121

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[PART I.

GOLDEN LIVES OF THE EAST. Nambi was about to take leave of the Lord, he said : “Lord, Yadavaprakasa wants me to get your reply to an unspoken prayer of his.”

“ Is it so ? His mother desired him to take his refuge in the Law and accept the three-knotted staff like Ramanuja ; he said that he was too old to go through the consequent penance of circum-ambulating the Earth ; I told him to go round R&md,nuja once and take orders ; he wants to know whether the information conveyed to him during his sleep is in reality from me, and has asked it through you.”

The next morning, Nambi sent for Y&dava and communicated to him the details of the previous night’s conversation.^ Vadava could doubt no longer; he went to R&manuja and, falling at the feet of his former pupil, said : “ Holy Sir, deign to invest me with the orange

1 The Prap. and the R. D. C differ in the order of the events connected with this episode

(a) (i) YAdava’s mother once observed RAmAnuja teaching his disciples; and being filled with an inexplicable reverence towards him, sainted him.

(ii) She went home and told her son to take refuge in him, as he was no other than the Great Ananta, come down in human form to restore the Good Law ; KAnch! Pnrna and other wise men also held the same views ; she was firmly convinced that the teachings of RAmAnuja were the soundest and the most sonl-satisfying,

(iii) YAdava accepted, and urged the question of penance. “Go round him once, instead,” said his mother.

(iv) He was not convinced ; went to RAmAnuja and asked him to prove his position about the caste-marks, the sacred Badges and the Sagnna Brahma. RAmAnuja deputed his disciple AlvAn, who very soon convinced YAdava.

(v) That night the Lord confirmed his mother’s words. He was not convinced.

(vi) The Upa^ruti, * It is good ’—He informed his mother of the dream, but still doubted.

(vii) He applied to RAnchi P Aim— The Lord’s reply settled

YAdava* — (Prap,)

(b) (i) A great discussion between RAmAnnja and YAdava about the Sacred Badges and the vertical caste-marks— YAdava was worsted.