Goda Parinaya Champu

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Shriyai namaH

This is a work that is a lot of fun (!) because it narrates

the life in SriVilliputtur as per the Kavi's imagination! for those of

us, who have been fortunate enough to have been to SriVilliputtur,

this will bring back the lovely memories of the temple of

Vatpatrashaayi and Andalthirulaaligai. This is an attempt to give a

few details of the work.

I request the forum to forgive me for such a poor attempt and I salute

those elite members of this forum who do this with ease and expertise!

 

Goda parinaya champu

Goda Parinaya Champu is a work by Kesava Kavi who was a descendant of

Periyazhvar. The date of this grantham is guessed to be before the

18th century; beyond that there are no details available. It has 5

chapters starting with Periazhwar's avataram and a description of

Shrivilliputtur and the men and women who lived there. The grantham

describes Goda Piratti's avataram, her girlhood, and the way she grew

up, and goes on to describe her Kalyanam to Shri Ranganathan.

Goda vivaham according to this work:

Goda undertook Margazhi nonbu and other vratas with Shri Ranganatha

as her beloved, and requested her father's permission to travel to

Shrirangam to have his Darshan. Her father agreed, seated her in a

palanquin and started on the journey with her friends and his students.

On the way, they reached Madurai and Goda asked her father where they

were. Her father replied that this was the great city of Madurai

where Koodalazhagar is the presiding Lord. He also showed her Azhagar

Koil where the pure and beautiful Nuupura Gangai flows. Andal entered

the temple and sang "chindurachchembodi pol" with the famous verse in

which she mentally offered hundred cups of butter and hundred cups of

Akkara vadisal to "Sundaran"

The group reached Srirangam and crossed the river Cauvery. Here

Shri Vishnuchittar got down to the river to bathe. On returning from

his bath, he could not find his daughter. Deeply distressed, he

called out to the trees and asked them if they had seen his daughter.

Extremely worried, he went looking for her (nallador taamaraippoygai,

peiyaazhvar thirumozhi 3.8) and reached the temple and entered the

sanctum to tell ShriRanganathan about his daughter's disappearance.

What a surprise! There was his daughter, happy and united with

ShriRanganathan. VishnuChittar was overjoyed to see that his

daughter's wish had indeed come true. He requested Lord Ranganathan

to come to ShriVilliputtur and wed his daughter formally according to

Shastras and Shri Ranganathan agreed.

"Vishnuchtta! Return to your city and make preparations for this

auspicious wedding and I will come there with my relatives and retinue

and marry your daughter!"

Peiriazhvar returned and began the arrangements.

To be continued……

 

shubha