Ramanuja Vaibhavam : 3 : Swami Ramanujar in Kanchipuram

  After being saved by Sri Varadaraja Perumal and Perundevi Thayaar Ramanujar stayed back in Kanchipuram performing kainkaryam to Varadaraja Perumal. In a few months, Yadava Prakashar started the journey back to Kanchipuram. On the way back he and his entourage made a stop at Kalahasti. Here Yadava Prakashar was impressed with Govindan and told him that he should no longer be a Vaishnava and applied vibuthi on his forehead. Yadava Prakashar then placed a rudraksha-mala on Govindan's neck and renamed him Ulangai Kulindha Naayanaar. He left Govindan there to perform puja and kainkaryam to Lord Shiva. Upon reaching Kanchipuram, Yadava Prakashar realized that Swami Ramanujar was still alive and well. He also noticed that he seemed oblivious of his plan to kill Swami Ramanujar. Yadava Prakashar then went to Swami Ramanujar and invited him to be his student again. Swami Ramanujar obliged and went back to Yadava Prakashar's gurukulam. The daily routine continued for Swami Ramanujar who fell under the tutelage of Yadava Prakashar. At around this time, Aalavandaar was visiting Kanchipuram in search of a future propagator for the Sri Vaishnava philosophy. One day when Yadava Prakashar and his students were taking a trip of Kanchipuram, Aalavandaar's gaze caught a glimpse of Swami Ramanujar. He asked his pupils who that person was. They told Aalavandaar of all the exploits they had heard of Swami Ramanujar and how he had dared to give a new commentary to the various Upanishad Vaakyams. It was then that Aalavandaar decided that Swami Ramanujar would become the future torch bearer to propagate Sri Vaishnava Philosophy. Soon in another Upanishad lecture, there arose a controversy between Swami Ramunujar and Yadava Prakashar. It was at this time a royal guard from the king's court approached Yadava Prakashar. The royal guard brought news that the local princess had become the victim of a brahma-rakshsas and that the king had requested Yadava Prakashar to appear before the royal court to break brahma-rakshsas' hold over the princess. Yadava Prakashar thought it was a waste of his time and told the guard to inform the brahma-rakshsasthat Yadava Prakshar has commanded the brahma-rakshsas to release the princess at once. When the guard approached the brahma-rakshsas it mocked Yadava Prakashar and said it would not leave until the old fool would come in person and try his hand at trying to release it from the princess. The next day, Yadava Prakashar along with his student group went to the royal palace to assess the situation and release the brahma-rakshsas. Yadava Prakashar was placed face-to-face with the possessed princess and was asked to help her. Yadava Prakashar in pride spoke to the brahma-rakshsas. He told the brahma-rakshsas that he was the great Advaita Sanyasi Yadava Prakashar and he commanded the brahma-rakshsas to release the princess. The brahma-rakshsas started cackling and told Yadava Prakashar that it remembered everything about its previous life and also knew everything about Yadava Prakashar's previous life. It said to Yadava Prakashar that in his previous life he was a peasant who would eat out of other's leftover plates. It then said once when he was living in Maduranthakam, he had the opportunity to eat a single grain out of rice out of a Vaishanva's plate which gave him the punyam to be reborn as an Advaita Sanyasi in this life. It further said in its previous life it was a brahmin who was well versed in the Vedas. It was brought into this form as it had once made an error in the shruthi while chanting the Vedas. It then said Yadava Prakashar was in no way qualified to be a teacher and it would not leave the princess on his instruction. Yadava Prakashar felt brutally insulted. He asked a final question to the brahma-rakshsas. He asked on whose command it would free the princess. The brahma-rakshsas laughed and asked him to look behind him to his pupil who would dare to defy him. There was only one student who had ever defied his saying. In complete embarrassment called Ramanujar to release the brahma-rakshsas. Swami Ramanujar approached the princess and gently told the brahma-rakshsas to leave the princess' body and pointed out to a tree from the window. He told the brahma-rakshsas to break a branch of that tree and to be relieved of its current state. The brahma-rakshsas immediately left as commanded and Swami Ramanujar's fame started to grow once again.