GodhA Sthuthi: Part XII (SlOkams 14,15,16)

[Guest guest]

NamO Narayanaa !

 

SlOkam 14:

 

The theme of this slOkam is about the recognition

of the superiority of the Godhai's flower garland over

Vyjayanthi maalai . The honey bees , the experts

on fragrance make their selection and announce

the victor .

 

Thavth Bhuktha maalya SurabhIkrutha ChArumouLE

hithvA bhujAnathara gathAmapi VyjayanthIm

pathyus tavEswari mitha: prathighAtha lOlA:

BharhAtha pathra ruchim aarachayanthi bhrungA:

 

(Meaning): Oh IsvarI , who controls the Lord ,

who Himself controls the entire world ! Oh ANDvanai

aaLum ANDALE ! Your Lord has the famous , never fading

vana maalai known as VyjayanthI on his shoulders

and chest .The divine fragrance of that garland

attracts the honey bees.They hover around there .

 

At this time of morning , Your father brings

the flower garland , which was worn earlier on

Your tresses and presents it to the Lord. Your

Lord bends His neck , receives it and wears that

special garland with the sambhandham of Your kesam

on His head as Kesavan. Immediately , there is

a big rushing by the bees from VyjayanthI maalai

to the garland of Yours on the head of the Lord.

They jostle each other to get there first

and circle around and thus form a black

umbrella as it were over the head of the Lord.

The honey bees seem to vote to indicate

the superiority of Your garland over that

of the VyjayanthI maalai from their

expert perspective .

 

The commentators have pointed out that Swamy

Desikan refers here to the Vratham observed

by a bride groom with umbrella and flower

garland during one phase of His wedding

before PaaNigrahanam.

 

SlOkam 15:

**********

 

Swamy Desikan continues with the theme of

Vyjayanthi maalai having a status lower than

that of the flower garland with the dEha-

sambhandham of the garland with Godhai.

 

aamOdhavathyapi sadhA hrudhayangamAapi

rAgAnvithAapi laLithAapi guNOttharAapi

MouLisrajA tava Mukhundha kirIDabhAjA

GodhE! bhavathyadharithA khalu VaijayanthI

 

(meaning): Oh GodhE! The famous garland Vyjayanthi

worn by Your Lord is indeed full of fragrance.

It is desired by Him and hence given a prominent

place on His chest. It is indeed constructed from

tender forest flowers, which never fade.Inspite of

all thse glories , it is worn on the chest and not on

Your Lord's head over His KirItam (Thiru AbhishEkam).

The garland that You wore and presented to the Lord is

accepted by Him with joy and worn with love

on His KiriTam (sarvEsvara Chinnam ) to demonstrate

Your garland's superiority over Vyjayanathi maalai.

Your Lord's respect by wearing the garland worn

by You earlier at a high place (over His crown)

indicates His affection and reverence for it

over the Vyjayanathi maalai.

 

Swami Desikan uses five " api" sabdham to

decribe the special attributes of Vyajayanthi

Maalai here to build up the climax to declare how

Godhai's SooDikkoduttha Maalai won over it in

status. He says "What if (api) Vyjayanthi Maalai has

splendid fragrance (aamOdhavathI api), What if

it is worn with desire on the chest (HrudhayangamA

api) , What if it has the color of love/red)

(raaga anvithA api), What if it is tender (laLithA api),

What if it has few more special favorable

attributes (guNa UttharA api) , Vyjayanathi

Maalai is not worn on His crown by the Lord.

That superior position is reserved for

the SoodikkoDuttha Maalai of Godhai.

 

SlOkam 16:

**********

Here , Swami Desikan describes how the honey bees

served during the svayamvaram of ANDAL through

their kaimkaryam of playing the MangaLa Vaadhyams.

 

thvanmouLi dhAmani VibhO: sirasA gruhIthE

savcchandha kalpitha sapeethi rasa pramOdha:

manjusvanA madhulihO vidhadhu: svayam tE

svAyamvaram kamapi MangaLathoorya GhOsham

 

The auspicious sounds of MangaLa Vaadhyams

associated with the wedding of Godhai are

visualized here by Swami Desikan.

 

(Meaning): Oh GodhE! Your Lord wears with

relish Your sooDikkoduttha Maalai on His

crown. The honey bees are attracted by

the divine fragrance of the Maalai and

gleefully enter the garland and drink

the honey to their heart's content. Their joy

over that lusty feat rises and comes out

in the form of sweet reenkAram. Those sounds

appear like the MangaLa Vaadhya GhOsham

raised especially for Your svayamvaram.

 

In the previous slOkam , the svayamvara mahOthsavam

was concluded.The next step is VivAham

sealed by PaaNigruhaNam. At that time, Mangala

Vaadhyams ( Ghetti mELam ) has to sound and

naadhasvaram has to play. Swami Desikan suggests

that important aspect of generating the auspicious

sounds form MangaLa Vaadhyams is taken care of by

the elated honey bees.

 

SevA SwamigaL connects the thought of Svayamvaram

with Vedic rk and EmperumAnAr's mangaLAsAsanam based on

that manthram :

 

yamEvai Yesha vruNuthE --Vedam

 

Priyatama yEva hi VaraNIyO Bhavathi ,

yasyAm niradhisaya Priya:-- EmperumAnAr

 

ANDAL chooses Lord RanganAthA as Her Lord

in this context.

 

Seva SwamigaL has a wonderful group of

words to describe the Kaimkaryam of

the Bramarams (Honey Bees ) taking part

without distraction/confusion ( bhramamam )

in a joyous mood (sambramaram ) :

 

" BramarangaL brahmamillAmal sambramatthODu

seytha Sevai ithu ".

 

Seva SwamigaL also points out that

the commentators have identified the two

words (ManjusvanA and MadhulihO ) used

by Swami Desikan in the third paadham

of this slOkam refer to NammAzhwAr and other

AzhwArs , who raised MangaLa thUrya GhOsham

thru their prabhandhams.

 

May we enjoy this svayamvara MahOthsavam

and the MangaLa thUrya GhOsham ,

 

AdiyEn , Oppiliappan Koil Satakopan

ANDAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam .