Godha Sthuthi Part 4 (Slokas 21 t0 29)

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavatas:In this posting, we continue to enjoy SlOkams 21 to 29 and conclude Godha Sthuthi.

In the next post, we will enjoy "Naachiyaar Tirumozhi" concluding with Andal TirukkalyaaNam.

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

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SLOKAM 21:

· “anyOnya maalya parivrittim abhishTu vantah”: This is the description of the exchange of garlands that takes place during the wedding functions (maalai maaRRutal). The bride and the groom exchange each other’s garlands.

· “vaachaalayanti vasudE! Rasikaa: trilOkeem”: The spectators from all the three worlds take sides to declare as to who is the winner and their debate rents the air.

· “nyoonaani adhikat samataa vishayair vivaadai:”: Some hold that she puts more garlands on him; others hold that he puts lot more on her shoulders. Some others assert that both are equal in the matter of exchange of garlands. So, the fun never seems to end and goes on and on.

 

SLOKAM 22:

· “doorvaadaLa pratimayaa tava dEha kaantyaa, gOrOchanaa ruchirayaa cha ruchaa indiraayaa;” The bridegroom stands between gOdha on one side and Lakshmi on the other. When the golden yellow color “GOrOchana” of PeriyapiraaTTi and the bluish green (arugam pull) hue of “gOdha reflect on the dark blue color of Lord’s TirumEni. It becomes multicolored like the neck of the peacock. (aaseet anujjita sikhaavana khaNTa sObam)

· Seva Swami remarks humorously that if the mother of the groom were to see this, she would comment how her son had changed color on getting married! Luckily for the brides, they do not have a mother-in-law!

· Swami Desika says that this scene of GOdarangan will bestow all mangaLam to the beholders.

 

 

SLOKAM 23:

· Describing the merging of Andal in the archaa murti of Ranga (archaavataara samaadi) Swami offers “mantra pushpam”

· The very first word of this Paasuram is “archaa” to indicate the transformation of Andal from human form to archaa form. Did not YudhishTira ask Bheeshma “kam archantah?” and Bheeshma replied “tamEva archayan nityam bhaktyaa” and “PuNDareekaaksham sthavai: archEt nara: sadaa”

· “naathyam tvayaa kamalayaa cha samEyivaamsam”: In this StOtra, naturally the pride of place goes to gOdaa (Tvayaa) and Kamala comes only later as indicated by the use of “cha” in “Kamalayaa cha”. In other words, Swami reiterates the concept that gOda is none other than BhoodEvi which he emphasized in the first paasuram itself by saying “saakshaat kshamaam”

 

SLOKAM 24:

· Here is beautiful pen portarayal of the plight of PerumaaL caught between SridEvi and bhoodEvi.

· “ardraa aparaadini janEpi abhirakshaNaartam RangEswarasya ramayaa vinivEsyamaanE” The Chetanas indulge incessantly in committing sins upon sins in a never ending manner. When they are brought before the Lord on the judgment day, he is totally put off and turns his face to his right side where Mahaalakshmi is seated who asks “Who has not erred? (Na kaschit na aparaadyati)

· “Paarsve paratra bhavatee yadi na aaseet”: He is tired of listening to her recommendations to forgive and turns to his left side where BhoodEvi is seated. She vehemently protests and says that the jeevan on the dock was totally innocent and had not committed any sins at all and there was no occasion for punishing or even forgiving. This is because she is agjnaata nigrahaam - she does not see any faults and therefore, does not know any need for punishment.

· “ praayENa dEvi vadanam parivartitam syaat”: Swami addresses Bhoo dEvi: “If you were not there on his side (and on our side), the Lord’s face would have remained turned away from us and we would have no recourse to salvation.

 

SLOKAM 25:

· “bhrookshEpa eva tava bhOgarasaanuulah”: Your approval of Lord accepting us indicated by the movement of your eyebrows, while becoming an occasion for Lord’s enjoyment (bhOgam), it serves another purpose of bringing (yOgam) good fortune for us. You have done it. You have “saved our souls”

· “karmaanubhandi phala daana ratasya bandhu” The Lord is known to dispensing justice according to one’s karma” Swami asks: What a pity! Where has his independence (Svaatantryam) gone?”

 

SLOKAM 26:

· Here Swami compares the divine trio to cloud, lightning and rain.

- The Lord is like the rain bearing cloud (kaar mugil vaNnan).

- Periya piraaTTi is like lightning (hiraNyavarNaam- and VidhyullEkEva bhaasvaraa).

- “durgatya durvisha vinaasa sudhaa nadeem tvaam”: And, Bhoo dEvi is like the rain (varsham) that brings instant (achirENa) relief and delight to the parched earth.

 

SLOKAM 27:

· “Jaataaparaadamapi maam anukampya gOde!! even though I am the worst sinner committing apachaarams all the time, you out of your innate compassion forgive me and persist in doing good to me at all times”

· “Vaatsalya nirbharatayaa jananee kumaaram sthanyEna vardayati dashTa payOdaraapi”. This is like when the mother who breastfeeds her baby, it sometimes bites her breast. Unmindful of the hurt, the mother continues to feed the baby out of her concern for the baby.

· This is like KulasEkhara Azhwar saying “arisinathaal eenra taai agatriDinum maRRavaL tan aruL ninaintE azhum kuzhaviyaduvE pOnrirundEn”

Of course; KulasEkara Azhwar was speaking from the side of the child. Here, it is from the side of the compassionate mother.

 

SLOKAM 28:

· This is the Dhyaana SlOkam of this StOtram.

· Elders used to say that even if this single slOkam is recited, it would yield the same fruits as reciting the entire StOtram;

Satamakha maNi neelaa chaaru kalhaara hastaa

Sthana bhara namitaangee saandra vaatsalya sindhuh /

Alaka vinihitaabhih sragbhir aakrushTa naathaa

Vilasatu hridi gOdaa vishNu chittaatmajaa nah //

· “Satamakha maNi neelaa”: How her green color has turned blue?

May be, because the couple had exchanged not only garlands but also their colors!

· “Sthana bhara namitaangee”: Slightly bent due to the burden if her breasts true to “Saamudrikaa lakshaNam”

· “saandra vaatsalya sindhuh”: The overflow of infinite compassion

“Alaka vinihitaabhih sragbhir aakrushTa naathaa” One who charmed her spouse by her beautiful locks of hairs.

· This is the last SlOkam of this StOtram. The next one is in the form of “phalasruti”

 

SLOKAM 29:

· “Yah vakti” One who says. Just say it as they say “Say it with flowers”

You do not have to commit to memory or take efforts to recite fully.

· This is like “Ingu ipparisu uraippaar” in the 30th Paasuram of Tiruppavai.

· What is the phalam?

“sarva kamala sEvaam saaswateem abhyupaishyan”

 

You are assured of rendering all kainkaryams at the lotus feet of the divine couple forever (saaswatam)

Thus concludes “gOdaayah charitam mahat”

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· Why Swami Desika stopped with 29 Paasurams?

 

It is not because he cannot express any more sentiments but because he does not want to exceed the 30 Paasurams that Andal had composed in Tiruppavai (Muppatum tapaamE) -

out of his respect for Godha.

 

This also similar to his stopping with 1008 SlOkas in “Paaduka sahasram”, not to exceed the 1102 of Tiruvoimozhi, -

out of respect for the great Nammaazhwar.

 

Vide Bhattar’s Taniyan:

Vaan thigazhum sOlai madiL arangar vaNN pugazh mEl

Aanra Tamizh maraigal Aayiramum - eenra

Mudal Thaai saTakOpan, moimpaal vaLartha

Idat Thaai iraamaanujan