Thirumalai Nambi's three masterly visits to Kalahasti: through pasuram, logic, and a single line of Thiruvaimozhi, Govindar is drawn back to the path of Vaishnavism.
When that Sri Vaishnava approached Thirumalai Nambi and submitted this request, Nambi resolved in his divine mind, "I was intending to do this myself. Since Nambi Ramanujan also desires it, we shall do it swiftly."
The very next day, Nambi, surrounded by his disciples, went to Kalahasti and sat on the banks of the pond where Nayanar (Govindar) used to draw water for the abhishekam (sacred bath). At that time, as Nayanar came by singing hymns in praise of Shiva, Nambi recited a pasuram (verse) loud enough for him to hear: "What is the use of offering a cool bath to the one with the konrai flower in his matted hair?" Govindar looked up at his maternal uncle with a smiling face, but walked away silently as if he did not recognize him.
Nambi thought, "This is enough for today," and returned to Thirumalai. On another day, he came back to the banks of the same pond and sat under the shade of a banyan tree. Seeing Nayanar coming there with a pot to draw water for the abhishekam, Nambi meditated upon the grace of Emperuman (the Lord) in his heart, and recited the following sloka from the divine composition (Divya Sukti) of his Acharya, Alavandar:
Svabhavikanavadikatishayeshitritvam
Narayana tvayi na mrishyate vaidikaha kaha |
Brahma shivaha shatamakhaha paramah svaradity-
Etepi yasya mahimarnavaviprushaste || (Stotra Ratnam - 11)
(O Narayana! All the liberated souls who are superior to deities like Brahma, Shiva, and Indra are but tiny drops in the ocean of your greatness. Which Vaidika [one who does not transgress the Vedic texts] would refuse to accept your natural, incomparable, and supreme sovereignty, that is, your status as the Lord of all Lords?)
He [Thirumalai Nambi] wrote this meaning of the sloka on a palm leaf and dropped it on the path. Nayanar [Govindar], picking up the palm leaf lying on the path, read the sloka in it, left the leaf right there, and went on his way. Upon returning after drawing water, he found the leaf once again, read it, reflected on its meaning for a little while, and then came to the place where Nambi was. He handed the leaf to him, asking, "Did you let this slip?"
Nambi graciously replied, "Our wealth [meaning the Supreme Lord] is not a wealth that slips away".
After that, a very interesting conversation took place between Nayanar and Thirumalai Nambi:
Nayanar: Why have all of you gathered here in this one place?
Nambi: Because our path is clear and free from confusion.
Nayanar: Are there multiple paths, for yours alone to be clear?
Nambi: Yes, there are! For one who wishes to attain the highest goal, this path of ours is the proper one to tread.
Nayanar: What is the difference between horizontal (kurukku) and vertical (nedukku)?
Nambi: The difference is that what should be straight and upright has become horizontal. (Diryak - horizontal; the ash applied horizontally on the forehead. Sevvai - vertical; pointing upwards, yielding the higher worlds, which is the Urdhvapundram or the sacred Tiruman mark).
Nayanar: What is this new thing you are saying?
Nambi: Not at all! This has been a very ancient practice!
Nayanar: Doesn't this require purva vicharam (prior research or inquiry)?
Nayanar [Govindar], his heart touched by this conversation, went on his way deep in thought. Thirumalai Nambi also returned to his residence in Thirumalai, thinking, "The seed we sowed earlier has sprouted and begun to grow. Let us come back and see after some time".
The Sri Vaishnava whom Sri Ramanujar had sent to Periya Thirumalai Nambi with the request to rescue Govinda Perumal from Saivism returned from Thirumalai and reported everything that had happened there in detail to Udayavar [Ramanuja], without omitting a single thing. Upon hearing what Thirumalai Nambi had done in Kalahasti during the first two encounters, Udayavar was amazed and joyfully remarked to Mudaliandan and Kurathazhwan, "Did you see the skill with which Nambi conversed with Govindan?".
Expressing his happiness to them, Udayavar continued: "Because Govindan was captivated by the divine words (Sri Sukti) of the Paramacharya (Sri Alavandar) and possessed the inner impressions of the shastras [scriptures], he was unable to refute the points graciously presented by Nambi; thus, he engaged with them, gained some clarity, and walked away without giving any reply, didn't he?
"In his heart, didn't the meanings presented by the Vedas—which are the primary source of knowledge (mula pramana) and devoid of any faults, as said in 'Veda mula pramanath'—along with the Dharma Shastras (Smritis) that illuminate Dharma so that everything stands established as stated in 'Dharme sarvam pratishtitam', and the Itihasas and Puranas, all walk around and resonate?
"The Lord takes an incarnation with a divine body to foster the righteous path (Dehi sanmargavarthana); He Himself stands as the gateway to this righteous path; a man devoid of true knowledge is equal to an animal (Jnanena heenah pashubhis samanah); the upward vertical mark (Urdhvapundram) alone is fitting for the twice-born upper classes (Urdhvapundram dvijunaama); 'apply the white powder as ashes' (thavala podi kondu neerittumumin); 'if you see the ash applied straight/vertically' (neeru sevveyidak kaanil); 'Brahma is born from Narayana; Rudra (Shiva) is born from Narayana' (Narayanath Brahma jayathe; Narayanath Rudro jayathe)—was it not because all these scriptural authorities (pramanas) were running through Govindan's mind that he walked away without answering Nambi?".
In this manner, he [Ramanuja] explained the underlying basis of the conversation between Nambi and Govindan.
Saying this with joy, Udayavar [Ramanuja] asked that Sri Vaishnava, "What happened next? Please tell us," and he replied:
Yam yam spruśati pāṇibyām yamyam paśyati chakṣuṣā |
Sthāvarāṇyapi mucyante kimpunaḥ prāṇino narāḥ ||
(Whatever the exalted Bhagavatas [devotees] touch with their hands, or gaze upon coolly with their eyes, even if they are plants or creepers, they attain liberation. Is there any need to speak of their relatives [those connected to them]?)
As per this, will the connection with Your Reverence (the blood relation with Thirumalai Nambi) go in vain? (We can consider both: the connection, and the spiritual affection shown by both in wanting to correct and engage him in service). "Please listen to what happened when Thirumalai Nambi went to Kalahasti for the third time," he submitted. As he recounted:
When Thirumalai Nambi went to Kalahasti for the third time, he sat in the garden where Govindan used to come to pluck flowers for his Shiva puja, and was explaining the pasurams (verses) of the "Thinnan Veedu" decade (Thiruvaimozhi 2-2) to his disciples. This decade speaks of Emperuman's Paratvam (incomparable supreme greatness). The words of Nambi fell on the ears of Nayanar [Govindan], who was plucking flowers having climbed a tree. After hearing Nambi explain the first three pasurams, when he recited the line of the next, "Devan Emperumanukkallal poovum poosanaiyum thagume" (Is it fitting to offer flowers and worship to anyone other than the Supreme Lord Emperuman?), Nayanar heard it, threw down the flower basket from his hand, quickly climbed down, took off and threw away the rudraksha garlands he was wearing, and fell in total surrender at the divine feet of Nambi.
Saying, "Except for Emperuman, the Lord of all Devas, flowers and worship are not fitting for any other deity; it is completely unfit," he felt deeply sorrowful about his own state. He lamented and cried profusely saying many things like, "While there is the Lord who is the administrator of both the spiritual and material realms (Ubhayavibhuti), I desired and worshipped the deity with spread-out matted hair! While there is Emperuman whose chest is adorned by Sri (Lakshmi), I worshipped the deity devoid of Sri!". He pleaded with all his desperation showing, "Please rescue and grant salvation to this soul with mercy".
Nambi also lifted him up by his hair; cast a cool, graceful glance upon him; removed his sorrow with comforting words; and taking him along with him, performed the Sri Vaishnava samskaras (purificatory rites), showered him with special grace, imparted to him the knowledge he needed to know, and made him deeply attached to the flawless, righteous path of Vaishnavism. Hearing how Govindar had thus developed profound devotion for the divine feet of Nambi and was continuously performing all kinds of services for him, Ramanujar became extremely overjoyed.
When Thirumalai Nambi set out to take Govindar with him, the Saivas there came to know of this, approached them, and argued, "How can you take away someone who is so important among us?". At that time, Govindar himself rejected them, saying, "I have no duties here anymore". The foremost among them then said, "We knew beforehand that this would happen. Lord Sri Kalahastinathan appeared in our dream and said: 'Yamunathuraivar (Alavandar), Ilayazhwar (Ramanuja), and Govinda Bhattar are respectively the incarnate forms of Senainathan (Vishvaksena), Ananthan (Adisesha), and Garudan of Vaikuntham. They are born to establish the empire of Lord Vishnu on earth; they are very dear to us.' He also said, 'Because Govinda Bhattar had a strong desire to stay back in Kasi itself, in order to prevent that, we playfully entered his hands in the form of a lingam and brought him here; do not hinder him when he becomes a Vaishnava devotee again'. Saying this, those Shiva devotees left Govindar and departed.