From the notes of Chellamma, (daughter of mahamahopAdhyaya Noorani Ananthakrishna ShAstrigal)-edited by Smt Kasthuri Panchapakesan.

Once at Kalavai, Periyava was conversing with two employees of Sri Matam.There was a slight bleeding on top of one of Periyava's feet.An ant crawled over the tiny gash and soon it was followed by 5 or 6 other ants.The employees who saw that were naturally greatly agitated. But Periyava continued to talk totally oblivious of the ants.Those two were scared to tell Periyava to brush aside the ants.They called another person who could talk very familiarly with Periyava,and when they pointed out to him he humbly informed Periyava about the crowding ants on his foot.

Immediately Periyava responded,"For uttering the word 'sharanAgathi' Vibishana was accepted by SriRama.These ants have held at my feet.Without asking their request can one brush them aside?" And he continued to talk humourously as if the ants weren't bothering him at all.

My notes- Incidentally Sri ShAstrigal from Noorani composed hundred shlokAs that answered the arguments raised by another siddhAntin( a person who belongs to another school of philosophy other than adhvaita) over the work of Sri Appayya Dikshitar. Till then no one had ventured to produce counter arguments. When Sri Shastrigal requested Periyava for a suitable name for his work, Periyava replied," Why don't you give it the same name as that of your place?" The work against Appaya Dikshitar's work was titled 'shatha dooshani'( hundred condemnations). What Periyava meant was 'shatha booshani' which works in two ways-1) Noorani is actually nooru+ani= noorani-a hundred ornaments- the name of the place of Sri Ananthakrishna Shastrigal and 2) against hundred condemnations what was offered was not a negative one but a totally positive work- a hundred adornments!