Like rain-laden clouds

Nammazhvar in his Thiruvaimozhi uses the words varu mazhai — the rain that comes in, said Akkarakkani Srinidhi in a discourse. What is this rain that comes into Maaliruncholai? Explaining this verse in his commentary, Nampillai says Maaliruncholai has two kinds of rain! One is the benevolent Kallazhagar, the Lord of the kshetra. He is in Maaliruncholai permanently. He is the eternal cloud that gives, without moving away. But there are the regular clouds, the ones we see everywhere. They come in, give us rain and once they have shed their moisture in the form of rains, their duty is done and they move away.

When the Lord took the Rama avatara, He showed His fondness for Sabari, who belonged to a clan of hunters. When Ramanuja had to be saved from his teacher Yadavaprakasa, who was planning to kill him, Lord Varadaraja of Kanchi and His Consort Perundevi took the form of hunters to save Ramanuja. They left him near a well, from which he took water to the Varadaraja temple every day. Thus they showered their mercy on Ramanuja, and gave the world a great Acharya. Just as Kallazhagar is a cloud that stays in Thirumaliruncholai, Varadaraja and Perundevi are clouds that remain forever in Kanchi, blessing their devotees.

Ramanujacharya followed the Lord’s example. He too was kindness personified, prompting Thiruvarangathamudanar to praise his mercy. Thiruvarangathamudanar wrote a work called Ramanuja Nootrandadi, extolling Ramanuja’s admirable qualities. In one verse he describes Ramanuja as kaarei karunai Ramanuja — Ramanuja, who is like rain-laden clouds. Just as clouds give without expecting anything in return, so did the Acharya give generously of his knowledge, justifying the comparison to clouds. No matter what he did, he always had the welfare of everyone in mind.