Ramanuja Vaibhavam : 9 : Swami Ramanujar in Sri Rangam

After learning the three divine rahasyams from Tiukkotiyur Nambi, Swami Ramanujar along with his disciples return to Sri Rangam. Upon returning to Sri Rangam Swami Ramanujar starts to preach and propagate all that he had learned thus far. In the meanwhile, he leaves Kurathalwan and Modhali Aandaan with Tirukkotiyur Nambi to learn the meaning of the Charama Shlokam and asks them to come back and teach. Soon he started work on a magnum opus known as Sri Bhashyam. During the compilation of Sri Bhashyam, Swami Ramanujar would dictate the shlokas and their commentary while Kurathalwan would sit and write down whatever Swami Ramanujar would say. Once while compiling the Sri Bhashyam, a question arose as to which character of a given jeevaathma would be its prime characteristic? Would it be Jnatritvam or Seshatvam? Jnatritvam refers to aathma expressing dharma jnanam whereas, Seshatvam refers to the aathma expressing that it is below the Lord and is dependant on Him for its existence. Swami Ramanujar claimed that Jantritvam should be the character mentioned whereas, Kurathalwan claims that Seshatvam should be the quality mentioned. Swami Ramanujar says this argument could only be solved by Tiukkotiyur Nambi and sends Kurathalwan to ask him which character should be mentioned. Kurathalwan went to Tirukotiyur to ask Tiukkotiyur Nambi the question of debate. According to shastras, one must not ask an Acharya a question until they give the student the authority to do so. Thus Kurathalwan went to Tiukkotiyur Nambi's house and started to perform kainkaryam to the Acharya. Soon two days passed. Five days passed. A fortnight passed. Fortnight became a month. One month became three months and this finally became six months. Kurathalwan could not bear being separated from Swami Ramanujar any further. Kurathalwan says to Tiukkotiyur Nambi that he would take his leave. Tiukkotiyur Nambi senses that Kurathalwan had come with a question and tells him as he is about to leave "Adiyan Ullana Pashuram Marandhadho?". Hearing this Kurathalwan understands what Tiukkotiyur Nambi was trying to convey and satisfied, leaves to Swami Ramanujars' side at Sri Rangam. Upon arriving at Sri Rangam Kurathalwan tells Swami Ramanujar that Seshatvam should be the character that should be mentioned. To substantiate, Kurathalwan tells Swami Ramanujar that Azhwars stated in their Pashurams that the Lord lives within us and we are nothing but a mere vessel to Him. Hence Seshatvam should be the character mentioned. As time passed, Swami Ramnujar sensed that changes had to be brought into the temple administration at Sri Rangam. Uttama Nambi who was the temple administrator at the time was against any type of change. He planned to kill Swami Ramanujar. One day when Swami Ramanujar was going around for alms, he came to the doorstep of Uttama Nambi who called Swami Ramanujar inside and seated him. Before serving Swami Ramanujar food, Uttama Nambi laced the rice with poison. Uttama Nambi's wife sees what her husband does and tells him that it's wrong. Uttama Nambi threatens that he would slit her throat if she opened her mouth. Thus, to stop Swami Ramanujar from eating the rice, she prostrates Swami Ramanujar and performs pradakshinam to Swami Ramanujar while the leaf with the food is placed before him. When anyone conducts this way before a sanyasi, it is the sanyasi's dharmam to reject the food and leave. Swami Ramanujar takes the leaf and throws it into the Kaveri River. Swami Ramanujar notices the fish in the river that ate the rice start plopping up and die a painful death. Swami Ramanujar understood that the rice was poisoned and that Uttama Nambi's wife conducted as she did to save him. Soon the news that Uttama Nambi tried to kill Swami Ramanujar started to spread like wildfire. Soon the news reached the ears of Tiukkotiyur Nambi who rushes to Sri Rangam to see Swami Ramanujar. When Swami Ramanujar found out that his Acharya was coming to Sri Rangam he rushed to receive him. When Swami Ramanujar saw Tiukkotiyur Nambi he immediately started prostrating his Acharya. The sand on the banks of the river was scorching hot and Swami Ramanujar continued to prostrate his Acharya. Soon a crowd gathered around the two great acharyas. The crowd notices that due to the heat Swami Ramanujar was getting burned and was almost getting cooked to the bone. A man in the crowd speaks up and asks Swami Ramanujar to stop prostrating as the sight was unbearable. Once the man spoke up, Tiukkotiyur Nambi asks Swami Ramanujar to stop prostrating and assigns that man to perform kitchen duties for Swami Ramanujar. He asks the man his name. The man replies that his name was Kidambi Achan. Tiukkotiyur Nambi tells Kidambi Achan that his devotion was truly great as he could not even bear the sight of Swami Ramanuajar going through pain. Tiukkotiyur Nambi said that he would be one of Swami Ramanujar's most trusted aides. Swami Desikan comes in the lineage of Kidambi Achan on his maternal side.