AarAyirappadi VyAgyAnam
Once RAmAnujar was going over the meaning of the prabandhams in his matam. He was gesturing it out as he was contemplating on the meanings. PiLLAn was watching this fromoutside. He figured out that EmperumAnAr was expounding the meaning of the TiruvAimozhi pAsuram "TirumAlirunjOlai malai endrEn ennui". He asked from outside if he was right. RAmAnujar was surprised and asked if it was PiLLAn who had guessed it correctly. When PiLLAn confirmed, he opened the door to him and asked him inside. Later, in the audience of Periya Nambi and AazhvAn he narrated this incident. He also said that PiLLAn struck him as being very intelligent, respectful of BhAgavatAs and completely capable of receiving the full anugraham of NambigaL. He indicated his wish to adopt him as his "son of enlightenment" or "NyAna Putran". He named him "Tirukkurugai PirAn PiLLAn" from there on.
He then called PiLLAn and asked him to write a 6000 verse commentary on the TiruvAi mozhi. PiLLAn did as asked and submitted it. He did not write a separate MangaLa SOstram for it and adopted the one written for ShrI BhAshyam itself. RAmAnujar was thrilled on reading it and very happy that PiLLAn had proved himself worthy of the name given to him in accordance with ALavandAr's wishes. He blessed his work and said that it should be regarded with equal importance as the ShrI BhAshyam itself for all those who wanted to learn the right way. Periya Nambi and AazhvAn were very happy to se all this unfold.
RAmAnujar also sent word through some ShrI VaishnavAs to PiLLAn's father Periya Tirumalai Nambi that his son had indeed proved to be worthy of the name given to him.
As time passed on, great souls like TirukkOttiyUr Nambi, TirumalaiAndan and Tiruvaranga PerumALarayar departed this earth and went on to be with the merciful ShriyA Pati SrIman NArAyaNA.
AththuzhAi
AththuzhAi was Periya Tirumalai Nambi's daughter. Once, in her in-laws house, she asked her mother-in-law if she could accompany her to take a bath. Her mother-in-aw rudely retorted that if she had brought as dowry a maid who would assist in such duties, she could take such a non-existent maid with her. AththuzhAi was very upset on hearing this and chanced to convey it to her father. Periya Tirumalai Nambi said that he was helpless in this situation and the only person who could help her was JIyar SwAmigaL himself. Accordingly, she went and complained to RAmAnujar. Immediately RAmAnujar offered up the services of MudaliANdan. AththuzhAi's mother-in-law did not like this, so she complained to Periya Tirumalai Nmabi who again directed her to YatirAjar. YatirAjar said that he was bound to help out his AachAryan's daughter and hence he did the needful. Since MudaliAndAn's presence was not welcome, he called him back. Such was his devotion to his AachAryan.
YatirAjar's Northern visit
The ChOzha king of that reign, by name ChOzhan proved to be quite a dictator. He was a Shaivaite and alongwith his priest, pressurized everyone o accept that Lord ShivA was the ultimate God. They attempted to approach all VaishNavAs and have them sign a palm leaf declaring "SivAt Parataram NAsti" (There is no God greater than ShivA). Some people did so fearing the consequences, some people did so in exchange for monetary benefits and those who refused to do so were subject to severe punishment by the King. NAlUrAn, the King's minister suggested that it was not enough to get a signed declaration from any Tom, Dick or Harry, but that a similar signature from YatirAjar himself, who was regarded as the epitome of VaishNavism, would prove their point beyond doubt. He also extended the test to KUrathAzhvAn. The King sent his men to fetch them from SrI Rangam. When the men arrived at yatirAjar's matam, NadAthUr AazhvAn casually chatted them up to find out the cause for their visit and was horrified when he found out. he immediately told KUrathAzhvAn what he had learned. KurathAzhvAr was thrilled at his devotion, ad praised him. he immediately garbbed BhAshyakArar's saffron robes and staff and rushed off to meet the King along with Periya NambigaL.
