Goda Parinaya champu - goda's nonbu

[Guest guest]

Goda wanted to attain the darling son of Vasudeva as her groom and

decided to observe viratams like the Gopis of Nandagokulam. As part

of this viratam, she stopped wearing perfumed sandal paste, jewels,

flowers and kajal. She partook only havis without salt and fed sadhus

everyday. She slept on the bare floor and woke up very early in the

morning even as the moon started to set and went to every house and

woke up her friends.

" It is morning! Wake up! The sound of vedaadhyayanam can be heard

everywhere. The sound of conches from the temples is very loud! And

along with that we can hear Brahmins and priests saying `Hari'

everywhere! And this name of Narayana is filling our hearts through

our ears. Can't you hear? " she called one girl.

" I have stopped those who want to proceed to the temple, and we are

all waiting for you to join us " Come on! " She told one friend

" You are a spritely young maiden – please join us! If we go and

worship Krishna, he will grant all our wishes. " She told another.

" Can't you hear the cowherdesses churning the buttermilk? Their

bangles are making suitably as well! Listen and get up " She woke yet

another girlfriend.

" Hey, cousin! The lamps in your bedchamber are still burning and

incense is till smoking around your bed. Come and open your beautiful

door. Dear Aunt, Wake her up! " She woke her cousin.

She went to yet another friend. " You are talkative and you bragged

that you will be the first person to get up! Come out and see-

everyone is here – come on out! " she teased another girl.

She woke all her friends and went with them to the pond and all her

thoughts were filled with her beloved Krishna. She immersed herself in

the water, got out and dressed - and wore thiruman kappu and thilakam

on her beautiful forehead. She made Krishna's form out of white sand

and worshipped with flowers as `pushpanjali'.

She prayed that Gopalan would come for her and be her bridegroom –

just as Mahalakshmi wed him because of her severe penance, so would

she! She sat on darbha grass in daytime and slept on the bare floor at

night – she had no other thoughts except of Shrimanaaraayana and did

nothing else except worship him. She fasted, worshipped, meditated

and became very thin with her penance.

But Narayanan did not appear before her.

 

to be continued…..