71. sULuRavu koNdEnO kOttiyUrAraip pOlE

Periya Nambigal, the acharya of Swami Ramanuja, told Ramanuja that Alavandar had left the task of teaching him the rahasyartthas to Thirukkotiyur Nambi. He instructed Ramanuja to go to Thirukkottiyur Nambi and learn these esoteric meanings at his divine feet. Ramanuja walked to Thirukkottiyur from Srirangam and sought Nambi and asked him to teach the meanings. However, Nambi erfused to do so right away. He wanted to test Ramanuja and confirm that he was indeed worthy of receiving these great meanings. Ramanuja made this trip from Srirangam to Thirukkottiyur eighteen times before Nambi was convinced that he could be given the meanings.

Nambi told him to return with his tridandam and pavitram alone the next time and that Nambi would teach him the meanings then. Ramanuja arrived with Mudhaliyandan and Kooraththazhvan and declared them to be equivalent to his tridandam and pavitram. Nambi took a vow from Ramanuja ("sULuRavu") that he would not reveal the meanings to anyone other than these two disciples (without testing) and revealed the meanings of Thirumanthram. Later he made Ramanuja come back even without Mudhaliyandan and Kooraththazhvan and taught him the meanings of Charama shloka - once again after taking a vow from him not to teach these meanings to anyone without testing.

Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I demonstrate the strength of mind that Thirukkottiyur Nambi did (in making even a great soul like Ramanuja take a vow before revealing the grand meanings of the sampradhayam)?"