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Vaduganambi lived in the Town of Sãlagrãma. He was also known by the name ‘Sãlagrãma Iyen’! A disciple of Sri Ramanuja, Vaduganambi possessed single pointed devotion to His Guru. The Paduka of His Guru was His ‘Perumal’!

Once Vaduganambi’s Guru, Sri Ramanuja asked him to bring the ‘Thiruvãrãdana Perumal’ to be taken in procession. Vaduganambi brought the ‘Thiruvãrãdana Perumal’ placing his own ‘Thiruvãradana’ Perumal (his Guru’s Paduka) alongside! Seeing this Sri Ramanuja exclaimed, “Vaduga! What have you done?” But the deeply devoted disciple shot back, “In what way is my ‘Perumal’ inferior to Your ‘Perumal’?”

It was the practice of Sri Ramanuja to have darshan of Lord Ranganatha along with his disciples. While Sri Ramanuja enjoyed the beauty of Perumal’s form, this disciple of his (Vaduganambi) would enjoy the beauty of Sri Ramanuja’s form! Once Sri Ramanuja said to Vaduganambi, “Look at the beauty of ‘Peria Perumal’s’ eyes”. However, Vaduganambi said, “The eyes that have seen my ‘amudhan’ (elixir) will not see another!” Sri Ramanuja highly appreciated Vaduganambi's Ãchãrya Bhakti and blessed him.

One day, Sri Ramanuja had taken Perumal on procession. Vaduganambi was at home boiling milk for Sri Ramanuja. Sri Ramanuja called out to him at his doorstep, “Vaduga! Perumal has come. Come out and pay your obeisance!” But Vaduganambi replied from inside the house, “If I come to pay my obeisance to Your Perumal, the milk for my Perumal will spill over!”

Whenever Sri Ramanuja blessed the disciples with the ‘sesha prasad’ (left over food from his leaf) Vaduganambi would take it in all reverence and love. He would then wipe his palm on his head! One day Sri Ramanuja noticed this and scolded him. So, Vaduganambi washed his palm with water after receiving the ‘prasad’. However, the next day when Sri Ramanuja distributed ‘Perumal prasad’, Vaduganambi washed his palm with water after eating the ‘prasad’. The shocked^* Sri Ramanuja pulled him up for this, “Vaduga! What have you done?” Vaduganambi explained simply, “I only obeyed Your instructions!” Hearing this Sri Ramanuja said, “Vaduga! I concede defeat! I concede defeat over and over again!”

Such was the ‘Ãchãrya Nishta’ of Vaduganambi!

^* It is the custom amongst the Vaishnavites to wipe the hands that have received ‘Bhagavat prasad’ on their heads. The Vaishnavites will not wash the hands with water after accepting Perumal’s prasad.

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