Many of Ramanuja’s sishyas had the suffix Nambi. They were: Thondanur nambi, Marudur Nambi, Mazhuvur Nambi, Sottai Nambi, Kuravi Nambi, Thirukkurungudi Nambi, Vankipurathu Nambi, Mudumbai Nambi, Sri Parankusa Nambi, Srivilliputtur Nambi, Thirukkurugoor Nambi and Vaduga Nambi.
All of them had immense love for their Acharya. Vaduga Nambi’s duty was to serve milk to Ramanuja every day. An invocatory verse records that he performed this duty — Sri Ramanuja Yogeendra ksheera kainkarya saaline. Another invocatory verse says that Vaduga Nambi had jnana, and also says that he had as much regard for Ramanuja, as for the Lord Himself. One verse says he is an amsa of the ochre robe of sanyasis!
Vaduga Nambi was the author of two works in praise of Ramanuja, said P.T. Seshadri in a discourse. One was Yatiraja Vaibhavam with 114 slokas; the other was Sri Ramanuja Ashtottara Satanama stotra, which details 108 names by which Ramanuja is known. The latter work has 26 slokas.
In Yatiraja Vaibhavam, Vaduga Nambi says Ramanuja was born in Pingala year, in the Arudra star, on a Thursday, the tithi being Panchami, in Simha lagna. He was born to Kesava Somayaji and Bhudevi. Ramanuja was the avatara of Adisesha. A work known as Naradiya Yadavadri Mahatmyam says Anantazhvan (Adisesha) is in Paramapada. In Tretayuga, Adisesha took the avatara of Lakshmana. In Dvapara yuga, Adisesha took the avatara of Balarama. In Kali yuga, Adi Sesha took the avatara of Ramanuja. In Thondanur in Karnataka, Ramanuja won a religious debate. Here he turned into Adisesha, the serpent with 1,000 tongues, and answered 1,000 questions all at once. Vaduga Nambi praises Ramanuja as Dharanidhara, showing that he is Adisesha, for it is this serpent which supports the earth (dharani).
