An episode from the life of Sri Ramanuja. In his ripe old age Sri Ramanuja who was called Emberumaanaar asked somebody to go and fetch Sri Parasara Bhattar. Sri Parasara Bhattar was young then and so full of erudition and wisdom even in that young age. Seeing Sri Bhattar with eyes full of affection and kindness, Sri Ramanuja told everyone around to hold Sri Bhattar in high respect equal to himself. Sri Ramanuja then in a very affectionate tone told Sri Bhattar, "My child! I have become very old and there is a task yet to be finished. My age will not allow me to take that up. I am leaving that task to you. When time becomes ripe you must finish that task without fail. That task is nothing but bringing Sri Madhava Vedanti of Mysore to our Visishtadvaita Darsana. He is now busy and deep in Mayavada and he is an adept in all six systems. This is what I am leaving with you to finish and I believe you will do it.
Sri Parasara Bhattar was firm and he was waiting for an opportune time to initiate the task. Once an itinerant brahmin came to Sri Bhattar's residence and began to narrate his various experiences in different parts of the country. He began to talk about Sri Madhava Vedanti of Mysore and Sri Parasara Bhattar's attention grew keen. The itinerant person was saying that while conversing with Sri Madhava Vedanti, he dropped a reference about Sri Parasara Bhattar himself and the said Vedanti became very much interested to know more about Sri Bhattar. As a consequence, the itinerant person seemed to have briefed the Vedanti about the voracious studies and erudition of Sri Bhattar in all known subjects. When Sri Bhattar heard this he just smiled and observed, 'why Sir? you have just narrated about me only those details which are ordinary and not of much significance. You are a person of great civility having visited very many cities and towns. A person of culture and exposure like you should be able to specify the most extraordinary qualifications of a person, while introducing him to another reputed scholar. Whereas you have left out what is extraordinary in my acquisitions and just described about me only the ordinary things which are common everywhere in the scholarly world.'
The itinerant person was taken aback and said that he would be doing amends the next time. But first he must know for himself what is that extraordinary thing about Sri Bhattar's erudition. Sri Bhattar told him about his deep involvement and knowledge in a particular work of Sri Thirumangai Alwar, viz., 'Thirunedunthandakam'. It was a poetical work of deep theological import containing some thirty verses in all. But the meanings of the work when elucidated are really deep and vast. The next time when the itinerant person met Sri Madhava Vedanti in Mysore, he unfailingly remembered to mention this fact about Sri Bhattar to him. Sri Vedanti was very much intrigued and he began to wonder 'what is this scholar in Srirangam! He is so thorough and deep in such a work, even the name of which is unheard of by me! My God!'
And in his round of holy visits to temples and towns the itinerant person came to Srirangam again and updated Sri Bhattar about the dismay and wondering of Sri Vedanti. Sri Parasara Bhattar after some days set out to Mysore with the aim of meeting Sri Vedanti and holding discussions with him. People who knew about Sri Vedanti told Sri Bhattar that he could not just like that go and visit Sri Vedanti, for, the disciples of Sri Vedanti will never allow him to go past themselves and approach the main Scholar. They would engage him in endless arguments and circles of debates and vex him even for months together. So how then to approach him? The only way seemed to be going incognito as if for alms, in the beggars' queue. This queue will not be inspected by anybody and what more, the said Vedanti himself used to attend doling out alms personally.
So Sri Bhattar went like an ordinary person-in-need in that queue and when he was nearing where the great Pandit was standing, Sri Bhattar broke the queue and went straight towards the Pandit. Everybody was crying at him. 'Hey this way this way, go for alms there!'. But Sri Bhattar was intent at his target. Sri Madhava Vedanti was also perplexed at the very strange behaviour of this man of alms. He asked him, 'What bhiksha do you want?' Sri Bhattar replied, "Traka bhiksha. It is the alms of debate which I want and not of any food.'
Then and there they sat for discussion and the debate went on for days, both sides silently appreciating in their hearts the extraordinary erudition of each other. At last, as the great Bhagavan willed it, things became suddenly so very clear in his dreams for Sri Vedanti and after that he became just a silent admirer and enthusiast of Sri Bhattar. Sri Vedanti wanted to follow his new found Master back to Srirangam. But Sri Bhattar desisted and told Sri Vedanti to take all his time in absorbing the changed perspective in full. And in more composed times and confirmed moods to take proper decisions.
When Sri Parasara Bhattar reached back Srirangam, he went straight to the shrine of Sri Ranganatha and began to narrate everything that happened to the Lord. It was his custom always to do so, after visiting any place and coming back, to go and report to the Lord personally. And it was the day prior to the start of Pagalpatthu - Day Ten festival of Sri Vaikunta Ekadasi. Sri Ranganatha asked him how he won over the Pandit. 'It was by the merit of explicating Thirunedunthandakam my Lord!' was Sri Bhattar's reply. Hence the hoary custom of Thirunedunthandakam chanting being held before the start of Pagalpatthu even to this day.
Srirangam Mohanarangan
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