The Character of Govinda

After his first holy pilgrimage Sri Ramanujacharya settled once more at Srirangam, teaching his followers the holy science of Vedanta in both Girvana (Sanskrit) and Dravida (Tamil). Among them, Govinda drank deeply of this knowledge. His attachment to Sri Ramanujacharya, in mind and heart, grew stronger still, fed by the fascination of his master's glorious person and deepened by the tireless service he rendered to him.

One day Sri Ramanujacharya was teaching in a large gathering of the faithful when they began to praise Govinda for his wisdom, his devotion, his self-denial, and his total devotedness to his spiritual preceptor. All the while, Govinda nodded his agreement. Observing this, Sri Ramanujacharya asked, "Govinda, how is it that while it is fitting for others to praise you for your qualities, you see nothing unfitting in accepting every word of it? When others exalt us we should not be flattered; we should profess humility. That would be much more becoming."

"Noble Sire," replied Govinda, "forgive me, and let me explain why I nodded yes. Their praise says in effect, 'You are divine, because you have been redeemed from evil paths by our Saviour Ramanuja, a very God on earth. Unlike us, you had sunk into the depths, and so you have good reason to say, Who is my equal on earth? Who is my equal in heaven?' To this again I must nod yes. Since their praise of me is really the praise of yourself and your glory on earth, what else can I say but yes?"

Hearing this, Sri Ramanujacharya was charmed. He said, "Good, good," drew Govinda warmly to his bosom, and cried, "Govinda! Embrace me, that I may become as enlightened as you are. By this embrace convey to me some of your grace."

One day Govinda was seen standing as if dazed at the door of a courtesan's house. Passers-by were shocked. The news reached Sri Ramanujacharya. He sent for him and asked, "What made you linger at such a door, brother?" "Sire," said Govinda, "the women inside, whoever they were (I do not know them), were singing your praises. The music of your praise so filled my ears and lifted me into bliss that I could not move from the spot." Sri Ramanujacharya made inquiries and found that this was indeed so, that they had been singing his praises (tallattu). "Govinda, you are an angel on earth!" he exclaimed. "Can such love as yours be found on this dust?"

It is recorded that Govinda was an extraordinary soul who had realized in his life what it is to lead a spiritual life. A crowning event shows this. In Sri Ramanujacharya he realized God, ever present. This presence left him feeling that there was neither solitude nor darkness anywhere. God in Sri Ramanujacharya's form filled both his outer eye and his inner vision. So he never felt alone. The constant light of God filled all space, and so for him there was no night and no darkness. He never left Sri Ramanujacharya, and was ever engaged in listening to his expositions of the divine science.

One day as they sat so, Govinda's mother came to the hall and, within Sri Ramanujacharya's hearing, told her son that his wife had come of age. Govinda said, "If so, mother, let her come when there is solitude and darkness." The mother waited for days; failing to find her son in "solitude" and "darkness," she complained to Sri Ramanujacharya about her son's waywardness and his apparent unwillingness to live as a householder. Sri Ramanujacharya then told Govinda to honor his mother's wish and spend at least one night with his wife.

He bowed in assent. The wedding feast was held, and Govinda and his wife were placed together in a bedroom and left alone. Alone with her, he began a discourse on theology, and all night long preached to her of God and His glories, His riches and His wonders, His blissful presence in the heart and His love to His creatures, while he himself, as he preached, reveled in the rapturous enjoyment of God.

Morning came, and relatives arrived to offer their congratulations. But the mother had overheard what had passed within. "How is this, son?" she protested. "You seem to have been otherwise engaged with your wife. We could hear a regular religious sermon from the nuptial chamber!" "Mother," Govinda replied, "when God is in my heart, and is everywhere, and ever watching me, how can I escape from Him and feel lonely enough to do anything other than contemplate and praise Him? With no solitude, no secret act is possible; with no darkness, no dark act is possible."

This exchange between mother and son was reported to Sri Ramanujacharya. "Govinda," he said, calling him to his side, "you have passed the greatest ordeal that can be put upon a pure soul like yours. You can never be worldly, seeing how you hate such things. But come, the shastras require every man to belong to a definite order, and since you cannot be a householder, be of the order of the sannyasin." This was exactly what Govinda wished, and he begged to be ordained at once. It was done, and Sri Ramanujacharya conferred on him his own name of Emberumanar.

"Noble Sire," said Govinda, "that is too great an honor for a humble creature like me. Bless me with a name a shadow like me deserves." "Then," said Sri Ramanujacharya graciously, "let it be Embar, the shadow, or abbreviated form, of Emb(eruman)ar."