The devotion that sprouts when the devout honour each other, seeing the Lord in every aspect of creation, is the culmination of Bhagavath Bhakti and Bhagavatha Bhakti. There is no room for ego in such spiritual atmosphere. Lord Rama unfolds many nuances of this Bhakti as well as His magnanimity and prerogative in the context of Vibhishana's surrender, pointed out Sri M. A. Venkatakrishnan in a lecture.
When Vibhishana deserted Ravana and came to Rama, seeking His protection, the Lord held a meeting to discuss the propriety of including a person from the enemy camp on the eve of war. The majority view in Sugriva's camp was not in favour of accepting the demon and Sugriva expressed his views firmly in this regard. Hanuman alone spoke in defence of Vibhishana whom he attested as a good person and recommended his inclusion in their fold.
Rama finally made it appear as if he heeded both sides of the argument. He said He agreed with Sugriva's claim about Vibhishana's antecedents but would go ahead and accept him even if he had faults. Giving succour to the deserving is fine; but giving the same to those with faults is an act of magnanimity, which only God can claim as his prerogative. He could by His powers transform an evil nature into a good one and make one fit for salvation. That was Rama's greatness. He then ordered Sugriva to escort Vibhishana to His presence. This is subtly suggestive of the fact that wrong acts have to be repented and atoned for. Sugriva had spoken wrongly of a devotee and this act would serve as atonement.
A similar sentiment is echoed in Andal's plea to the gate-keepers of Nandagopa's house in the verse Nayakanai Ninra . Initially, these guards had questioned Andal and the Gopis and prevented their entry. As an act of repentance for this fault against the devotees of the Lord, the guards had to open the gates for them.
This verse also refers to Ramanuja's role in unlocking the esoteric nature of scriptural thought and inculcating the spiritual values in people. This Acharya brought about a change in the way people thought, spoke and sought God. This is the essence of the teaching of Andal and Ramanuja.
