Parasara Bhatta, a great scholar and Vaishnavite Acharya, brought a Vedantic scholar into the Sri Vaishnava fold, said Thenthirupperai Aravindalochanan in a discourse. When Bhatta was worshipping Lord Ranganatha at the Srirangam temple, the Lord told him to win over a Vedantin called Madhavachari to Visishtadvaitic thought. Madhavachari lived at Melkote in Karnataka. One day some pilgrims visited Melkote, and Madhavachari asked them if they knew anyone equal to him in scholarship. They replied that Parasara Bhatta was the only one equal to him. When the pilgrims reached Srirangam, Parasara Bhatta told them, “Next time, tell him that I am a better scholar than he is.”
On their next visit to Melkote, the pilgrims told Madhavachari that Bhatta was superior to him. Madhavachari felt that in that case he should never engage in debate with Bhatta. Lord Ranganatha then asked Bhatta to go to Melkote to meet Madhavachari, and to take with him all the temple officials, and to travel in His palanquin. Only one priest and cook were to be left behind to attend to daily duties in the temple. When the procession reached Melkote, another Vaishnavite Acharya called Anantazhvan met Bhatta, and said such a grand procession would keep him off from debating directly with Madhavachari.
As advised by Anantazhvan, Bhatta left behind the Lord's palanquin and those accompanying him, and wearing simple clothes, he met Madhavachari where food was being served to scholars. Bhatta introduced himself and told Madhavachari that he had come for a debate with him. Bhatta won the debate. Madhavachari became a Visishtadvaitin, and took the name Nanjeeyar. When Lord Ranganatha asked Bhatta how he had won the debate, Bhatta said he had quoted Thirumangai Azhvar’s Tirunedunthandakam.
