In an atmosphere of saMskR^ita (संस्कृत) culture, rAmasvAmI (रामस्वामी) attained in a few years to a high degree of pANDitya (पाण्डित्यम्) in the two shAstra-s (शास्त्रम्). He then studied the advaita-vedAnta (अद्वैतवेदान्तम्) under appA-dIxita (अप्पदीक्षितः) of tiruvAla~NgADu (vaTAraNya) (तिरुवलङ्गाडु – वटारण्यम्) and visited litarary centers acquiring proficiency in several shAstra-s (शास्त्रम्).
The family deity of rAmasvAmI (रामस्वामी) was the Goddess gomatI (भगवती गोमती) enshrined at sankaran koil (S.R.) twenty miles northeast of ilattur (इलत्तूर), and his family used to visit the temple on all auspicious occasions. One day when rAmasvAmI (रामस्वामी) was chanting the 500 stanzas (पञ्चशती) of the poet mUka (मूककविः) at one sitting, he had a vision of the Goddess (भगवती), felt a thrill of serene joy creeping over his body and began to break in numbers. He was now the elect of the Goddess (भगवती गोमती) and called himself “gomatI-dAsa” (गोमतीदासः). This prefix to his name is invariably found in the colophons of his works.
His fame as a poet and scholar had now a secure basis. The name of svAtI tirunAl (स्वाती तिरुनाल) as a patron of art and letters had spread throughout the country. mahArAja uttram tirunAl who succeeded his brother in 1847 was equally zealous in maintaining the patronage. rAmasvAmI (रामस्वामी) thought of trying his fortune at trivendram (त्रिवेन्द्रम्) where he was sure his talents would receive encouragement. About 1849 he went to trivendram (त्रिवेन्द्रम्) and paid his respects to the mahArAja, and the latter having already heard about rAmasvAmI’s (रामस्वामी) abilities from the rAjA of Panthalam took him into his vidvat-sadas (विद्वत्सदस्). This assembly was constituted by the best talents of the country, and rAmasvAmI’s (रामस्वामी) poetic genius and scholarship found a fertile soil for their full development. uttram tirunAl was a well-known patron and author of kathakali-s, and rAmasvAmI (रामस्वामी) wrote at the instance of the king his only malayAlam work jalandharAsura-vadham (जलन्धरासुरवधम्) (kathakali) which won him high praise.
