As a young boy, Bhattar was once playing in the sands of the Cauvery river. At that time, a palanquin was being carried nearby with a vidwan named Sarvagnya Bhattan in it and his disciples were shouting out his fame and titles in front of it.

As this procession was heading toward Srirangam, Bhattar became worried that such a thing was about to happen at the place where Ramanujar and Kooratthazhvan were living.

So, he stopped the procession and challenged Bhattan saying "O Scholar! Only if you can answer my question can you go into Srirangam like this. If you are defeated by my question, then you should go humbly in there".

Bhattan responded "Dear lad! What's your question?"

Bhattar answered by taking some sand in his hand and asked "Tell me how much sand do I have in my hand?"

Bhattan thinking that this was a childish question replied "O child! No one can count the sand particles or be able to give a figure by looking at it".

Bhattar replied "If I can tell you the answer, then do you accept your defeat?".

Bhattan agreed.

Bhattar then said "The sand I have in my hand is one fistful of sand. How can you, who cannot even answer this simple question, go into Srirangam in such a procession".

It is said that Bhattan picked up the child and hugged him and said "paRappadhan kutti thavazhumO"? That is, will the offspring of that which flies just crawl?

He then carried the child inside Srirangam and giving him to Andal, his mother, told her to ward the evil eye off such a child.