Rāmānuja's Root Teacher
Periya Nambi (Tamil: 'The Great Nambi'; Sanskrit name Mahāpūrṇa, meaning 'the greatly full/complete one') is the Ācārya from whom Rāmānuja received his formal pañca-saṃskāra initiation and the transmission of the rahasyatrayam. He was a direct disciple of Āḷavandār (Yāmunācarya) and served as the crucial bridge between Āḷavandār's teaching and Rāmānuja.
The Initiation
When Rāmānuja finally came to Śrī Raṅgam after years of study at Kāñcīpuram, it was Periya Nambi who formally initiated him — performing the five-fold ceremony and transmitting the sacred mantras. This transmission was the formal beginning of Rāmānuja's role as the tradition's reformer-teacher.
The Untouchable's Grave
One of the most celebrated stories in the tradition: Periya Nambi was expelled from Śrī Raṅgam by orthodox priests for performing the last rites of a low-caste devotee. When Rāmānuja learned of this, he honored Periya Nambi's act as the highest expression of bhāgavata-sēva — serving Bhagavān's devotee regardless of caste. This story became a foundational teaching on the equality of devotees.