Rāma Miśra led King Yamunācārya out of the city, and together they journeyed southward through groves and meadows, past lotus-filled ponds and fragrant trees. After a day’s travel, they reached a beautiful temple of Lord Viṣṇu at Tiruvananthapuram, where they stopped to rest.
As the two sat under the shade of a great banyan tree, Yamunācārya, still curious about the “treasure,” asked, “O holy one, where are the seven walls and the serpent you spoke of? And what are the two rivers between which the treasure lies?”
Rāma Miśra smiled gently. “O King,” he said, “the seven walls are the seven sheaths of material existence that cover the soul—earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, and false ego. The two rivers are virtue and vice, between which the soul is tossed. The serpent is desire, ever guarding the heart and preventing it from attaining peace. And the demon that comes every twelve years is Time itself, which devours all living beings.”
Yamunācārya sat silent, astonished. The sage continued, “The treasure, my dear king, is the Lord of your heart—Śrīman Nārāyaṇa—hidden beneath the coverings of material illusion. Your noble grandfather Nathamuni instructed me to remind you of this forgotten wealth. Awaken to that eternal truth.”
Hearing these words, Yamunācārya was shaken to the core. The vanity of wealth and power fell away like dry leaves in a storm. Tears filled his eyes as memories of his early devotion and the teachings of his childhood guru came rushing back. He fell at Rāma Miśra’s feet, crying, “O saintly one! I am a fool. You have saved me from the pit of forgetfulness. Please, instruct me how to return to the Lord’s service.”
Rāma Miśra lifted him gently. “Remember Him always. Serve the Vaiṣṇavas. Surrender your mind and actions to the Lord. This is the true wealth Nathamuni desired you to recover.”
From that day, Yamunācārya renounced all royal pleasures and began a life of devotion and study. He spent his days worshipping Lord Viṣṇu, serving the devotees, and chanting the holy names. The people of the kingdom, seeing their king transformed into a saint, marveled at his divine grace.
Yamunācārya would later become a great ācārya, reviving the teachings of his grandfather Nathamuni and preparing the path for the appearance of Śrī Rāmānuja, who would fulfill the prophecy of spreading pure devotion throughout the land.
Lessons to Be Learned
- The real treasure is self-realization.
What Rāma Miśra revealed to Yamuna is the universal truth: that the soul’s wealth lies not in possessions, but in its eternal relationship with God. - The coverings of illusion are subtle and deep.
The “seven walls” represent the layers of material identity that hide our spiritual nature. Only divine grace and guidance can pierce them. - The guru is the revealer of hidden riches.
Without the mercy of a spiritual teacher, the treasure of bhakti remains buried. The guru opens the door of the heart to the presence of the Lord within.
Reflections
This sacred meeting between Rāma Miśra and Yamunācārya reminds us that spiritual awakening is not achieved by argument but by grace. Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote that the spiritual master’s duty is to “open the eyes of the conditioned soul blinded by the darkness of ignorance.”
In the story, the treasure is not a chest of gold, but the eternal bliss of service to the Lord. Each of us carries such a treasure within, though covered by the seven layers of illusion—our body, desires, and false identities. When the saintly devotee enters our life, his words, like gentle lightning, pierce through those coverings and awaken remembrance of Kṛṣṇa.
May we also meet such a guide and rediscover the treasure buried within—the joy of loving service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord of the heart.
Source:
The Life of Ramanujacarya by Naimisaranya Dāsa, Chapter One: “Yamunācārya’s Conversion.” Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1986.