Sri Embaar

Sri Embaar

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Swami Ramanujacharya is known as pancha aachaarya padha aashraya: i.e. one who took refuge in the feet of 5 Acharyas. All those 5 Acharyas were appointed by the Paramacharya [i.e. Guru's Guru] of Swami Ramanujacharya called Sri Yaamunaachaarya. One of those 5 Acharyas was Sri Periya Thirumalai Nambigal, who lived on the sacred Sri Venkatachala Hills to serve Sri Venkateshwara Swami.

Swami Ramanujacharya had a maternal cousin named Sri Govinda, who had taken refuge at the feet of Sri Periya Thirumalai Nambigal. He became His Shishya and served His Guru with dedication and devotion.

Sri Periya Thirumalai Nambigal had been instructed by His Guru to impart the divine secrets of Srimad Ramayanam to Swami Ramanujacharya. So, Swami Ramanujacharya undertook a yathra to Sri Venkatachala Hills and stayed there for a year to learn the nuances of Srimad Ramayanam. At that time, He got an opportunity to observe Sri Govinda on a daily basis.

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One day, Swami Ramanujacharya saw Sri Govinda returning to Sri Periya Thirumalai Nambigal's house after bathing in the sacred pond nearby. Suddenly, Sri Govinda made a detour, sat on the ground, put His fingers inside a snake's mouth, left the place again and then, was returning after another round of bathing in the sacred pond.

An intrigued Swami Ramanujacharya asked, "O Govinda, what did you do to the snake?" Sri Govinda replied, "The snake had bared its tongue and I saw that it had been pricked by a thorn. So, I removed the thorn, bathed in the sacred pond again and am returning to our Guru's house." Swami Ramanujacharya was highly impressed with Sri Govinda's compassion for all living beings.

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One night, Swami Ramanujacharya noticed Sri Govinda doing something very strange: He had made the bed for Their Guru but then He also slept on it for a couple of minutes before He left. "Alas! Why does He commit this blunder? His conduct must be corrected," thought Swami Ramanujacharya.

He raised this concern to Sri Periya Thirumalai Nambigal. The Guru summoned Sri Govinda and demanded an explanation. "Do you know what kind of hell awaits this sin?" He asked. Sri Govinda innocently replied, "As long as no insect bites Your Majesty, this humble servant shall gladly go to any hell." Both the Guru and Swami Ramanujacharya were pleasantly thunderstruck.

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After a year of Srimad Ramayanam Kalakshepam, Swami Ramanujacharya was ready to return to Srirangam. Sri Periya Thirumalai Nambigal, who knew that Swami Ramanujacharya was none but Sri Adhishesha himself, sadly said, "Wish I was able to give a wonderful personality like you a suitable parting gift!"

Swami Ramanujacharya smiled slightly and softly said, "O Gurudeva, if Your Majesty wishes thus, pray kindly present this humble servant of Your Majesty with Govinda!" An overjoyed Sri Periya Thirumalai Nambigal took Sri Govinda's right palm, placed it on Swami Ramanujacharya's right palm, poured some Theertham and said, "There! From now, Govinda will be your shishya, not mine!"

Therefore, Sri Govinda accompanied His new Acharya to Srirangam. However, by the time They had reached Sri Kanchipuram, Swami Ramanujacharya observed something - Sri Govinda looked quite pale in complexion and His eyes had the look of deep yearning! Swami Ramanujacharya merely said, "My dear Govinda, please go back to Thirumala Hills and pay your obeisances to Sri Periya Thirumalai Nambigal once".

A quietly excited Sri Govinda rushed back with joy, stood in front of Sri Periya Thirumalai Nambigal's house with joined palms and cried, "O Swamin! This is Your Majesty's humble servant, Govinda!" Sri Periya Thirumalai Nambigal was aghast. "Alas! He has still not understood the greatness of Swami Ramanuja and is pining for me instead. I must not allow this for his own good," thought Sri Periya Thirumalai Nambigal.

So, Sri Periya Thirumalai Nambigal looked at His Wife and said, "Ask the lunatic to go away!" Sri Periya Thirumalai Nambigal's Wife felt sorry for Sri Govinda. "Why don't you please offer him Your Majesty's Sripadha Theertham and Prasadam?" She pleaded. However, Sri Periya Thirumalai Nambigal was firm. "Why should I feed a cow that I have already sold, eh?" He demanded in a loud and clear voice.

Sri Govinda understood. He made a shashtanga namaskaram once again and immediately left to join Swami Ramanujacharya. When He narrated all that happened, Swami Ramanujacharya was inwardly happy but said nothing.

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As days passed by, Sri Govinda was attracted to the magnificent Swami Ramanujacharya - the Acharya's incomparable grace, leonine majesty, imposing physical effulgence and charm and what not - Sri Govinda's heart was completely captivated!

During this timeframe, the other Shishyas of Swami Ramanujacharya were very happy with Their new peer as They found Sri Govinda's conduct to be pure. One day, They showered praises on Sri Govinda's conduct in front of Him. "How very humble!" said one Shishya, while "Indeed, quite devoted to Acharya too" said another Shishya and another Shishya said, "What a sense of detachment!"

And then, much to everyone's shock, Sri Govinda too expressed great joy and joined Them in praising His conduct!!! "Of course! Of course! Am indeed very humble! Am certainly filled with Guru Bhakthi! The sense of detachment is peerless!" He said.

The Shishyas were outraged - "Sri Govinda blowing His own trumpets??!!" They could not believe Their ears! After Sri Govinda left the place, They made a beeline for Swami Ramanujacharya's Mutt and narrated whatever had taken place.

Swami Ramanujacharya summoned Sri Govinda and enquired, "What is this I hear, Govinda? When someone praises you, you must explicitly list your flaws for everyone to know and keep your ego in check! Don't you know that Athma Sthuthi [self-praise] is a vice?"

Sri Govinda was terrified. He immediately fell at the Feet of Swami Ramanujacharya and cried, "Alas! O Acharya! How can this lowly self be worthy of any praise whatsoever had it not been for Your Majesty's grace? All my praiseworthy attributes are purely due to Your Majesty's divya kataksham on this lowly self! Thus, praising the conduct of this servant of Your Majesty is but a tribute only to Your Majesty! Hence, joined Them in showering the praise!"

While the Shishyas who had complained were smiling at each other in pleasant surprise, Swami Ramanujacharya stood up and said, "Arise, my dear Govinda!" When Sri Govinda rose from the ground and stood with folded palms, Swami Ramanujacharya embraced Him with great affection and said, "O virtuous, virtuous, Govinda! Pray embrace me with Thy beautiful bosom so that Thy good traits shall influence me as well!"

Is there anything else to be said at all?

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Later, Swami Ramanujacharya understood that Sri Govinda did not have even an iota of interest in Gruhasthashrama Dharma and made Him take up Sanyasa. Initially, Swami Ramanujacharya named the new Sanyasi as "Emperumaanaar" [i.e. it was the name awarded to Swami Ramanuja by His Guru Sri Thirugoshtiyur Nambigal]. However, Sri Govinda said, "O Acharya, am but the shadow of Thy Majesty's Lotus Feet and am not strong enough to bear Thy Majesty's Divine Name!" Swami Ramanujacharya thought for a moment and then named Him "Embaar" [meaning "My resting place"].

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Swami Ramanujacharya and Sri Embaar knew each other's hearts very well.

One day, Swami Ramanujacharya and His Shishyas were attending the Arayar Sevai [where Azhwar Paasurams are rendered using Sangeetham & Bharathanatyam]. When the Arayar showed the Mudras for explaining a paasuram line [in Sri Periyazhwar Thirumozhi] that talked about how little Krishna scared the rest of the Gopas, the Arayar folded His eyelids, such that the reddish skin beneath could be seen, creating a frightening effect.

However, when the same line was sung again, the Arayar changed His Abhinayam - this time He demonstrated how little Krishna scared the rest of the Gopas just by showing His original Paramathma roopam holding the Shankha & Chakra! Immediately, Swami Ramanujacharya, who was seated in the front row, turned around with a smile, caught Sri Embaar's eye and said, "Ah Govinda, you are here, of course!"

And, it was indeed Sri Embaar who had communicated [through sign language] to the Arayar, just a few minutes earlier, to change His Mudra for that line and Swami Ramanujacharya, who thoroughly admired this explanation, knew that the change was suggested by Him!!

One night, Swami Ramanujacharya was taking a brief walk after completing His dinner. He was contemplating the lines of a specific paasuram in Swami Nammazhwar's Thiruvaimozhi. One of the phrases in the paasuram meant "turning around" and, without being aware of what He was doing, Swami Ramanujacharya turned around all of a sudden. Sri Embaar saw this and immediately enquired if Swami Ramanujacharya was meditating on that very same paasuram line!! Swami Ramanujacharya was quite gladdened.

None of these incidents shook Sri Embaar's humility & Acharya Bhakthi though. He remained a Dasa of Sri Ramanujacharya always. One day, a few Shishyas approached Sri Embaar and requested Him to clarify the meaning of a specific line in Sri Periyazhwar Thirumozhi. For a few moments, Sri Embaar was puzzled. And then, He had an idea. He placed the Padhukas of Swami Ramanujacharya on His head and meditated on Swami Ramanujacharya's Lotus Feet for a few moments. He easily answered the question thereafter!

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When Swami Ramanujacharya left for Paramapadham, Sri Embaar was unable to bear the separation but still attempted to get along. Beyond a point, however, He saw that His efforts were futile and that He was unable to bear the separation from His Acharya. He went to Sri Ranganatha Perumal and stood with an Anjali Mudra. His eyes were filled with tears and He simply said, "O Ranganatha! I need to serve the Lotus Feet of my Acharya Swami Ramanuja!"

Sri Ranganatha Perumal, who knew the depth of His suffering, immediately granted His wish.

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