SPECIAL ISSUE ON GODHA - SRS e_Journal VOL.09/ ISSUE # 26 dated 4th August 2008

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SrI:

SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //

SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha //

SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/

SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya//

KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /

SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//

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SRI RANGA SRI VOL.09 / ISSUE # 26 dated 4th August 2008

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IN THIS ISSUE:

 

Special article on AndAL – by Sri Anbil Ramaswamy Swami

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ISSUES RELEASED

With this issue, about 289 Regular issues of SRS have been released

so far, apart from numerous " Special Issues " as indicated below:

27 Issues of Vol. 1

15 Issues of Vol. 2

42 Issues of Vol. 3

35 Issues of Vol. 4

28 Issues of Vol. 5

30 Issues of Vol. 6

50 Issues of Vol. 7 and

36 Issues of Vol. 8

26 Issues of Vol. 9 (including this)

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SPECIAL ISSUE CELEBRATING TIRUNAKSHATRAM OF ANDAL

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It is customary to celebrate the time and place of any auspicious

event. Today is one such auspicious day being the Tirunakshatram of

the bridal mystic – Andaal.

 

Let us enjoy her Vazhi Thirunaamam.

 

The first line reads:

 

" Tiruvaadip Poorathu Jagathudithaal Vaazhiye "

Meaning that she was born in the month of Aashaada in the

constellation of Poorva Phalguni. This was about 5000 years ago (7C

CE). When Swami Desika visited Srivilliputtur (Sridhanvinayapuram),

it was a " Mahaapradosham " day.

 

He used to observe silence during " pradosham " But, he made an

exception and suddenly burst into a panegyric to Goda in his " Goda

Sthuthi " , when he witnessed in the main streets of Srivilliputtur

the grand procession of Goda Rangan. He surrendered immediately at

the lotus feet of Goda, the quintessence of mercy and forgiving

saying-

 

" Saakshaath Kshamaam karunayaa kamalaamivaanyaam

Godaam ananyasarana: Saranam prapadhye "

 

In the very next Sloka, he gives the reason why he broke his

silence. It was her overwhelming quality of " daya " that made him

loquacious despite his own limitations (mounaan mukharayanthi gunaa:

tvadheeyaa:)

 

Referring to the direction of her birthplace, he observes in the

11th stanza " Oh! Gode! By your birth the Southern direction itself

became blessed as the best of directions, so that even while asleep,

Lord Ranganatha looks at your Avatara Sthalam.

 

Dik dakshinaapi pari pavitram upalabhyaath

Sarvottaraa bhavathi Devi thava avataaraath /

Yatraiva Rangapathinaa Bahumaana purvam

Nidraalunaapi nisatham nihitha: kataakshaa: //

 

Thondaradippodi Azhwaar described the supine posture of Lord

Ranganatha saying that the Lord had His head on the West, feet in

the East, showing His back to the North, but was looking at the

South. But, he gives a different reason for this, saying that HE was

looking at Lanka, the land of Vibheeshana.

 

" Kuda dhisai mudiyai vaithu Guna disai paadam neetti

Vada dhisai pinbu kaatti then dhisai Ilangai nokki

Kadal nira kkadavul enthai aravanai thuyilumaa kandu

Udal enakku urugumaalo! Yen seigen ulagathhre! "

 

Swami Desikan, however, felt that the Lord could not take His eyes

off the birthplace of His beloved Andal and therefore, was facing

South.(Before the Rajagopuram of Srirangam was built, the

Rajagopuram of Srivilliputtur was considered the tallest).

The Lord also seems to be enjoying the cool, refreshing and soothing

Southern breeze called " thenral " .

 

Veda piraan Bhattar celebrates:

" godai pirandavoor Govindan Vaazhumoor

Jodhi manimaadam thonrumoor – needhiyaal

Nalla patthar vaazhumoor naan marai Odhumoor

Villiputtur Vedakkonoor "

 

Meaning:

 

" Srivilliputtur is the birthplace of Goda: Lord Govinda

(Vadapatrasayee) has His abode here: here are gem studded uprising

palatial mansions: great devotees of the Lord live here chanting the

4 Vedas; and, this is also the abode of the great Bhattarpiraan

(Vedakkone) "

 

Though Govindan was born in Mathurai, brought up in Nandagokulam and

ruled from Dwaraka, His final abode (as Vatapatrasayee) is the

birthplace of Goda

(Govindan Vaazhum oor)

 

Swami Desikan celebrates thus:

 

" Veyar pugazh Villiputtur Aadip Pooram

Menmelum miga vilanga Vittuchittan

Thooya Thirumagalaai vandu arangarkku

Thuzhaai maalai mudi Soodik kodutha maadhe!

Neyamudan Tiruppavai Paattu Aaraindum

Nee uraitha thai oru thingat paamaalai

Aaya pugazh Nootrunaarpattu moonrum

Anbudane adiyenukku arul sei neeye

 

Meaning

 

" Oh! Goddess Gode!, the one who has offered to Lord Ranganatha of

Srivilliputtur the garland of Tulasi (holy basil) after wearing it

(the garland) on the locks of your tresses being – as ayonijaa (Nat

taking birth from the garbha of any mortal being) – the benign

foster daughter of Sri Vishnuchitta at Srivilliputtur on the

Poorvaphalguni constellation of Aashaada (Aadi) month – doubly

making auspicious and lustrous birth, (both Aadipooram and the

sacred town of Srivilliputtur) which are hailed by the cowherds and

other devotees of the Lord!. May you lovingly and affectionately

shower your graceful blessings on me, your humble servant so that I

will understand the quintessence of your two great compositions –

Tiruppaavai consisting of six pentads (30 verses)and Naachiyaar

Tirumozhi, the garland of songs beginning with " thai oru thingal "

consisting of 143 verses " *

 

Praising the 30 verses of Tiruppaavai, Vaazhi Tirunaamam says –

Tiruppaavai muppadhum cheppinaal Vaazhiye "

 

These are not ordinary literary verses. They have layers and layers

of deep, deeper and deepest meanings and messages for liberating our

souls. Let us see what they can do?

 

" paathakangal theerkkum " - They will remove all our sins that stand

in the way of moksham. (Poya pizhaiyum pugu taruvaan ninranavum

theeyinil thoosaagum)

 

" Paraman Adi Kaattum " : They will show us the means to reach the

divine feet of the Lord (Paraman)

 

" Vedam anaithukkum vithu aagum " : they are the very seeds of the

Vedas.

 

Nammaazhwaar's Srisookthis may be the essence of Vedas,

Mahaabhaarata may be the fifth Vedam, But, Tiruppaavai is hailed as

the very seed from which the Vedas sprouted.

 

What happens to those who do not know these 30 verses? They are

verily a burden on mother earth Remember that Goda is Herself

Bhoodevi (mother Earth)

 

" Godai tamizh aiyaindum aindhum (5x5+5=30) ariyaadha maanidarai

vaiyam sumappathum vambu "

 

The 3rd line says:

 

" Periyaazhwaar petredutha pannpillai Vaazhiye "

meaning that she was " born " to Periyaazhwaar. But, is this true?

She was an " ayonijaa " as already mentioned. She took Her Avataara as

the " just born " baby girl in the muddy pit of the holy basil

nurtured by Periyaazhwaar. So, elders would say that it would be

more appropriate to describe Her Avataara true to fact

as " Periyaazhwaar 'pEtru' edutha penn pillai Vaazhiye " - the one who

was picked up when the mud in the pit was dug up!

 

Like the holy basil with its natural fragrance right from its

sprouting, Andal was immersed in the fragrance of Bhakti right from

the moment of Her appearance at the pit.

 

The 4th line reads: " Perumpudur maa munikkup pinn aanaal Vaazhiye "

meaning

 

" She became the younger sister of Perumpudur Maamuni (Bhagavad

Ramaanujar).

 

The period of Andal was in 7C CE. The Sage lived from

1017 to 1137 CE. Is it not anachronism to call him the elder brother

of Andal? This expression is not historical but is figurative. It is

said that Andal desired to offer the Lord of Tirumaalirumsolai, a

100 vessels of sweet pudding (Akkaara adisil). Bhagavad Raamaanuja

is said to have fulfilled her desire by actually offering the same

on her behalf. The general practice in those days was that the elder

brother is the one who usually fulfills the desires of his younger

sister. Thus, Perumpudur Maamuni is deemed figuratively to be her

elder brother.

 

The 5th Line says: " oru nootrunaarpathu moonru uraithaal Vaazhiye "

meaning that She composed a poem of 143 verses. This is " Naachiyaar

Tirumozhi " which contains details of every step of her " Dream

Wedding " with the Lord. The portion called " Vaaranam aayiram " is

recited in the weddings of Srivaishnava girls even to this day.

 

How and why this practice?

 

Sastras declare: " Jaamaathaa Vishnuvath Poojya " . The word

" Jaamaathaa " means both Son-in-law and the Lord. At the time of

wedding, the bridegroom is deemed to represent Lord Vishnu and the

bride as Andal. Even today, we see the bride being decorated like

Andal under the wedding canopy.

 

The 6th line says: Uyar arangarkkE kanni uganthu alithaal Vaazhiye "

meaning:

 

" She happily gave Herself up to Ranganatha, the Supreme Lord " .

Andal hoped; She dreamed; She persevered; Now, Her hour of triumph

had arrived. Indeed, Her prophetic " dream came true " . She married

Lord Ranganatha. She offered not only the garland of flowers

(poomaalai) and garland of poems (paamaalai) but also She gave

Herself up to the Lord.

 

The 7th line says " maruvaarum tirumullai valanaadu Vaazhiye " meaning

" Hail the prosperous land (Valnaadu) permeated by fragrance of

flowers " This refers to the prosperity of Her birthplace and the

fragrance of Bhakti that filled the air there. " maru "

means " fragrance' and " Valanaadu' means Land of abundance "

 

Andal Herself refers to this prosperity of Srivilliputtur (which She

imagines to be Ayarpaadi itself) in several verses (cf Selva

Sirumeergaal, Narchelvan nangaai, Vaiyathu Vaazhceergaaletc).

 

The last line reads: " Vann Pugazh nagar Godai malar padangal

Vaazhiye "

 

Meaning " Hail the lotus feet of Goda of the prosperous city of

Puduvai " (here, means Srivilliputtur).

 

Sri Manavala maamuni (Sri Varavaramuni) celebrates Her Avataaram in

3 verses as below:

 

Inro Tiruvaadip ppooram, namakkaaga

Vanro ingu Andal avatharithaal – kunraadha

Vaazhvaan vaikunta vaan bhogam thanai igazhndhu

Aazhwaar Thirumagalaai

 

Meaning

 

Today is Tiruvadippooram. Forsaking the pleasures of Paramapadam,

She

descended " down to earth " for our sake as the daughter of Azhwaar.

 

Pariyaazhwaar penn pillaiyaai Andal pirantha

Tiruvaadip poorathin seermai – oru naalaikku undo maname!

Unarndu paar Andaalukku undo Oppiu itharkku

 

Meaning

 

Today is the Pooram day in the month of Ad when Andal appeared on

earth. Oh! Mind! Understand this. Is there any other day any more

auspicious than this? Is there any one comparable to Andal?

 

Anju kudikku oru santhadhiyaai, Azhwaargal

Tham seyalai vinji nirkkum thanmaiyalaai

Pinjaai pazhuthaalai Andaalai Bhaktiyudan naalum

Vazhuthaai maname Magizhndhu

Meaning

 

Andal is the single descendent of the five great families of

Azhwaars. But, she excelled all of them by ripening even while being

a tender unripe fruit.

 

Oh! Mind! Pray to Her with delight and devotion daily.

Who are the five Azhwaars? The three mudal Azhwaars together are the

first family Tirumazhisai, the second; Nammaazhwaar and Madhurakavi

(together form one family),the third; Kulasekarar, the fourth and

Her own foster-father, Periyaazhwaar,the fifth. Other Azhwaars viz.

Tondaradippodi, Tiruppaann and Tirumangai Azhwaars were born much

later after her. Still, Andal is generally considered as the

inheritor of the traditions of all the Azhwaars.

 

Soodikkodutha Sudarkkodi Andal Tirvadigale Saranam

 

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

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*(Translation by Sri V.K.S.N. Raghavan,

Reader, Department of Vaishnavism, University of Madras)

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