Goda parinaya champu - Journey to Srirangam

[Guest guest]

Journey to Srirangam

Vishnuchittar started towards Srirangam, with Goda, her friends and

all his sishyas.

On the way, they reached the opulent city of Madurai and Goda asked

her father where they were. Her father replied that this was the

great city of Madurai which was ruled by the Dynasty of Chandran and

they worshipped Koodalazhagar.

" I once came here to prove that ShrimanNaraayaNa is the absolute and

Supreme God. I won all the debates and received the golden bundle " , he

added.

Then he pointed towards the north and said, " Look at those hills. That

region is called Cholai Malai. It has thick forests and the lions here

think that the thick clouds resting on the top are elephants and roar.

Devas inhabit the caves of this hill and live here with their Devis

since the dark clouds give them total privacy. And occasionally these

maidens can be seen like a flash of lightning. This makes peacocks

dance thinking that this is the lightning that foretells rain!

" There is a river (on these hills,) that flows from Thirumal's anklets

and has the beautiful name " Noopuaragangai " . Its water is fragrant

with the white sandalwood and `ahil' trees that are abundant in the

hill and is sweet too, since the monkeys in the hill shake fruit trees

and the juices of the fallen fruits flow into the water! The river is

beautiful with abundance of lotus, lily, and all other flowers "

He went on:

" And my sweet daughter! The handsome " Sundaran " , also known as

`Sundara baahu' resides here and his consort " Sundaravalli " adorns him

and adds to his good looks. Come! Look at the eighteen steps of this

temple and bow before this temple tower " .

Goda did so and crossed the threshold of the temple and went in.

( Goda parinaya champu:

alakasundaram aananasundaram nayanasundaram amsasusundaram.

charranaabhi saroruhasundaram vinamathi sma karasundaram.)

She saw the handsome Sundaran – kuzhalaghar, vaayaazhagar,

Kannazhagar, koppoozhil ezhukamala poovazhagar –and lost herself in

His beautiful form!

Vishnuchittar, who understood his daughter's heartfelt desire,

proceeded to cholamandalam with her and reached the river Cauvery.

" Listen ! Cauvery is welcoming you with bird songs and her waves.

Look at her fertile banks – she is really Ponni, indeed! " He pointed

out to Goda.

From there they looked at the auspicious city of Srirangam that really

looked like " VaikunTam " .

 

Shri Vishnuchittar asked his students to guard Goda and got down to

the river reciting AghamarshaNasuktham. But even as his sishyas were

looking on, Goda disappeared from her palanquin.

On returning from his bath, Vishnuchittar found that everyone was

looking for Goda here and there and found that the palanquin was

empty. 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 young daughter, happy at the side of

ShriRanganathan. VishnuChittar was overjoyed to see that his daughter

was united with her groom and he prostrated before Ranganathan. He

shed tears of happiness and requested Lord Ranganathan to come to

ShriVilliputtur and wed his daughter formally according to Shastras

and Shri Ranganathan agreed and indicated with his actions, that he

too was very happy. He looked at Vishnuchittar with eyes filled with

affection and said:

" Vishnuchitta! 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 to ShriVillliputtur and began the arrangements

for the auspicious event!

 

 

{Note:

1. " kuzhalaghar, vaayaazhagar, Kannazhagar, koppoozhil ezhukamala

poovazhagar " is taken from Andal's decad on Srirangam Perumal which

starts with `thaamukakkum than kaiyil shnagame polaavo " . This must be

a little bit of " poetic licence " on the part of the author Kesava

Kaviraja!

However, AndaL sings " chindurachchembodi pol " with the famous verse in

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

Akkara vadisal to " Sundaran " . And this kainkaryam is later fulfilled

by Shri Ramanuja and hence she is referred to as " perumpuduur

maamunikkup pinnaanaaL.

2. We have shared the shlokam from the Champu that describes

KaLLazhagar, the Lord of Azhakar kovil}

To be continued…..

Shreemathe naaraayaNaaya namaha

 

shubha and Venky

[Guest guest]

How moving!  May we request Smt. Subha Venkatesan to consolidate all this and publish it along with the original text on the net?  Her translation is also done in a very readable style, and it is a pleasure to see her mail in the box!  THis is attractive enough for the girls born and raised even outside of India to read and enjoy!Adiyen,rAmAnujadAsIOn Jan 12, 2008, at 9:54 PM, Subha Venkatesan wrote:Journey to SrirangamVishnuchittar started towards Srirangam, with Goda, her friends andall his sishyas. On the way, they reached the opulent city of Madurai and Goda askedher father where they were. Her father replied that this was thegreat city of Madurai which was ruled by the Dynasty of Chandran andthey worshipped Koodalazhagar. "I once came here to prove that ShrimanNaraayaNa is the absolute andSupreme God. I won all the debates and received the golden bundle", headded. Then he pointed towards the north and said, "Look at those hills. Thatregion is called Cholai Malai. It has thick forests and the lions herethink that the thick clouds resting on the top are elephants and roar.Devas inhabit the caves of this hill and live here with their Devissince the dark clouds give them total privacy. And occasionally thesemaidens can be seen like a flash of lightning. This makes peacocksdance thinking that this is the lightning that foretells rain! "There is a river (on these hills,) that flows from Thirumal's ankletsand has the beautiful name "Noopuaragangai". Its water is fragrantwith the white sandalwood and `ahil' trees that are abundant in thehill and is sweet too, since the monkeys in the hill shake fruit treesand the juices of the fallen fruits flow into the water! The river isbeautiful with abundance of lotus, lily, and all other flowers"He went on:"And my sweet daughter! The handsome "Sundaran", also known as `Sundara baahu' resides here and his consort "Sundaravalli" adorns himand adds to his good looks. Come! Look at the eighteen steps of thistemple and bow before this temple tower". Goda did so and crossed the threshold of the temple and went in.( Goda parinaya champu:alakasundaram aananasundaram nayanasundaram amsasusundaram.charranaabhi saroruhasundaram vinamathi sma karasundaram.) She saw the handsome Sundaran – kuzhalaghar, vaayaazhagar, Kannazhagar, koppoozhil ezhukamala poovazhagar –and lost herself inHis beautiful form!Vishnuchittar, who understood his daughter's heartfelt desire,proceeded to cholamandalam with her and reached the river Cauvery. " Listen ! Cauvery is welcoming you with bird songs and her waves.Look at her fertile banks – she is really Ponni, indeed!" He pointedout to Goda. >From there they looked at the auspicious city of Srirangam that reallylooked like "VaikunTam". Shri Vishnuchittar asked his students to guard Goda and got down tothe river reciting AghamarshaNasuktham. But even as his sishyas werelooking on, Goda disappeared from her palanquin. On returning from his bath, Vishnuchittar found that everyone waslooking for Goda here and there and found that the palanquin wasempty. Deeply distressed, he called out to the trees and asked themif they had seen his daughter. Extremely worried, he went looking forher (nallador taamaraippoygai, peiyaazhvar thirumozhi 3.8) and reachedthe temple and entered the sanctum to tell ShriRanganathan about hisdaughter's disappearance. What a surprise! There was his young daughter, happy at the side ofShriRanganathan. VishnuChittar was overjoyed to see that his daughterwas united with her groom and he prostrated before Ranganathan. Heshed tears of happiness and requested Lord Ranganathan to come toShriVilliputtur and wed his daughter formally according to Shastrasand Shri Ranganathan agreed and indicated with his actions, that hetoo was very happy. He looked at Vishnuchittar with eyes filled withaffection and said:"Vishnuchitta! Return to your city and make preparations for thisauspicious wedding and I will come there with my relatives and retinueand marry your daughter!"Peiriazhvar returned to ShriVillliputtur and began the arrangementsfor the auspicious event! {Note: 1. "kuzhalaghar, vaayaazhagar, Kannazhagar, koppoozhil ezhukamalapoovazhagar" is taken from Andal's decad on Srirangam Perumal whichstarts with `thaamukakkum than kaiyil shnagame polaavo". This must bea little bit of "poetic licence" on the part of the author KesavaKaviraja!However, AndaL sings "chindurachchembodi pol" with the famous verse inwhich she mentally offered hundred cups of butter and hundred cups ofAkkara vadisal to "Sundaran". And this kainkaryam is later fulfilledby Shri Ramanuja and hence she is referred to as "perumpuduurmaamunikkup pinnaanaaL. 2. We have shared the shlokam from the Champu that describesKaLLazhagar, the Lord of Azhakar kovil}To be continued…..Shreemathe naaraayaNaaya namahashubha and Venky