Swami Ramanujar Reaches Tirupati

After Swami Rāmānujar finished reforming the Ranganathar Temple at Sri Rangam, he decided to take a trip to Tirupati. When news of Swami Rāmānujar's arrival at Tirupati reached the ears of Periya Tirumalai Nambi (Swami Rāmānujar's maternal uncle and Āchārya) in Tirumala, he sent Ananthazhwan to go and bring Swami Rāmānujar uphill.

Ananthazhwan immediately went down to where Swami Rāmānujar was staying in Tirupati and expressed Periya Tirumalai Nambi's wish and message. At first, Swami Rāmānujar refused, saying he could not reside on the hill, as it was a personification of the Lord Himself. Ananthazhwan went back and told Periya Tirumalai Nambi that Swami Rāmānujar had refused.

The next morning, news reached Swami Rāmānujar that Periya Tirumalai Nambi himself was on his way to meet him. Swami Rāmānujar ran to meet Periya Tirumalai Nambi. As soon as Swami Rāmānujar saw Periya Tirumalai Nambi, he immediately started to prostrate to him. Periya Tirumalai Nambi asked Swami Rāmānujar to stop prostrating to him and gave him the ladoo prasadam of Sri Tiru-veṅkaṭamuṭaiyān. He then requested Swami Rāmānujar to come and stay with him on top of the hill.

Swami Rāmānujar agreed and went and stayed with Periya Tirumalai Nambi. During his first stay for three days, Swami Rāmānujar neither ate nor drank water, as that was the means not to excrete and impurify the hill. For the next year that followed, Swami Rāmānujar stayed in Tirupati and learned the entirety of the Rāmāyaṇam from Periya Tirumalai Nambi.

At the same time, he completed a magnum opus, which was a commentary on the Bhagavad Gītā, which expresses the essence of all the Upanishads. He traveled to the top of the hill and presented this magnum opus at the holy lotus feet of Lord Tiru-veṅkaṭamuṭaiyān. This magnum opus is known as Vedaartha Sangraha.

After writing and giving Vedaartha Sangraha, Swami Rāmānujar wrote another magnum opus, known as Gītā Bhashyam, a commentary on the Bhagavad Gītā. He also placed this at the holy feet of Lord Tiru-veṅkaṭamuṭaiyān.