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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00162 Oct 2003

 
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SrI:
SrImathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya namah:
SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |
vedAntAcArya-varyo me sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||

May the glorious Venkatanatha, the greatest of teachers of Vedanta, and the 
lion among poets and debaters, reside forever in my heart.

Dearest Srivaishnavas,
Let us begin to enjoy the sthOthra granthas of Swamy Desikan [in 
alphabetical order]
Sri Goda Stuti - Hymns on Sri Andal

Sri Goda Stuti is a sweet and mellifluous lyric of 29 Verses on Sri Goda 
Devi(Andal). She has a unique place in our religion and Philosophy as one of 
the twelve Alwars (Tamil Vaishnavaite Saints) and as a loving Consort of 
Bhagavan. On the day of  the star of poorva-phalguni (pooram) in the month 
of Aadi(kataka) in the Tamil Year Nala centuries before she appeared as a 
baby in the basin of a Tulasi Plant in the sacred garden of Sri 
Vishnu-citta(Perialwar) in Srivilliputhur in South Tamil Nadu. She was taken 
home by Perialwar and brought up in an atmosphere of devotion and godly 
love. When she heard from him the story of Sri Krishna and His divine 
exploits, she was drawn towards Krishna more and more. As she grew, her 
devotion also to Him grew and brought about a complete change in her. She 
was a Gopi-girl in love with Krishna, the Gopa-lad; her girl-friends were 
Gopi-girls for her, Srivilliputhur became Gokula., the local temple 
Nandagops?s mansion d the god within Sri Krishna Himself. In short, she 
lived, moved and had her being in Sri Krishna. She was happy when she felt 
He was with her and pined in separation. Her two poetical 
compositions-Tiruppavai, a lyric in 30 songs. The Naacciar Tirumozhi a 
ballad in 143 verses-give us a real and Soul-stirring picture of Andal in 
various moods of love-joy and sorrow, hope and disappointment. She observes 
a penance in the month of Maargazhi, she sends the cloud as a messenger to 
Krishna, makes an appeal to the cuckoo and the parrot to bring Him to her. 
The intense love lands her in a dream in which she marris Sri Krishna. She 
passes through the various rituals in a marriage in South India in that 
dream- the reception, the bridal costume, tying of the sacred thread, the 
exchange of garland, going round the fire holding the hand of the groom, the 
touching of the stone- slab by the bride?s foot, the offering of fried rice 
in the ceremonial fire with her hands placed right on the groom?s hands and 
the final procession of the happy married couple on a caparisoned elephant 
to the tune of music and drum.

The tradition is that under the command of Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam, 
Perialwar took Andal in the bridal costume in a palanquin. On reaching the 
City and the temple, Andal moved swiftly towards Sri Ranganatha in the 
Sanctorum. The Lord extended his arms to receive and embrace His long- 
expected bride. Andal entered into Sri Ranganatha  and became one with Him 
to the enjoy of Perialwar that his foster-daughter Andal?s desires were 
fulfilled and that the status of being the God?s father-in- law  has been 
conferred on him.

That is the story of Andal, the beautiful divine creeper in the 
Tulasi-garden of Perialwar which became entwined with the fragrant tree of 
Haricandan, Sri Ranganatha. Sri Vedanta Desika says that out of this 
reverent reverie of his about devout life and god ? love of Sri Andal rose 
Sri Goda Stuti, the lyric of lovely rhyme and rhythm.

Sri Andal is the incarnation of the Bhoodevi and chose Sri Ranganatha, in 
the Arcaavatara as her Consort, like Lakshmi who chose Bhagavan in Milk 
Ocean in the Vyooha form and like Bhoomi who chose Varaha in the Vibhava 
form. Sri Desika extols the greatness of Andal in weaving two kinds of 
garlands, a garland of songs and a garland of flowers (Paa-malai and 
Poo-malai) by both of which she was able to bind Sri Ranganatha  so that He 
may become inclined to pardon our sins and  redeem us. By the paa-malai (in 
6 slokas from 4-9) she pleased His ear and mind, and by the poo-malai (in 11 
slokas 5, 10and 14 to 20) which she wore first and then adorned His body, a 
gift He was longing to get. The hymns of the masculine Alwars in a bridal 
form may be said to be a facsimile of the songs of Andal, the real bride. 
Sri Desika also describes the marriage of Andal with Sri Ranganatha in 
several verses. He concludes by praying that she should be pleased to dwell 
in our hearts and that the reciters of this Stotra will be honoured by all, 
including Lord Ranganatha Himself.

There is some difference of opinion about the place where the Goda Stuti was 
composed. A Guruparampara states that it was in Srirangam. When Sri Vedanta 
Desika was in Srirangam, one day as usual, he went to the Temple to worship 
Sri Ranganatha.  It was the day of Tiru-Aadi-Pooram,the Jayanti day of  Sri 
Andal. Familiar as he was with the life history of Andal and well-versed as 
he was in her hymns, his mind was filled with them and he had a mental 
vision of the Divine Couple, Sri Andal and Sri Ranganatha and the highly 
beautiful Goda Stuti flowed out of the devotion-full Sri Desika as he 
himself says in the last sloka for our enjoyment and redemption. (?Utthitam 
Venkatesaat bahu-guna-ramaneeyaam Goda Stutim?)

  There is some propriety in saying that the Goda Stuti was sung in 
Srirangam. The poem begins and ends with a reference to Sri 
Ranganatha(Verses 18, 21, 24 and 26). When we read the verse 
Rangapathir-Esha (This Ranganatha before us)
we feel we stand before the Lord of Srirangam.

  There is a popular tale current in Srivilliputhur even today with 
reference to the Goda Stuti. In the course of his pilgrimage to worship 
Bhagavans in the various shrines in South India, Sri Vedanta Desika came to 
Srivilliputhur, the birth place of Sri Andal . The ever-green sacred Tulasi 
garden of Perialwar, and the Divine Couple, Sri Andal and Sri Rangamannar 
filled him with devotion and the verses of Goda Stuti flowed out of him with 
out his conscious effort. Sri Andal was so much pleased that she immediately 
commanded the temple servants and the public to commemorate the birth of 
Goda Stuti from Sri Vedanta Desika in a suitable manner in the form of a 
festival every year known as Goda Stuti Utsavam by name. It is conducted in 
a special pavilion even today while Goda Stuti is sung.

Srirangam or Sri Villiputhur, whatever may be the place of birth for Goda 
Stuti, it presents to us a beautiful picture of the queen Sri Andal attended 
by Sri Ranganatha standing beside her with pride and delight by the fragrant 
garland of flowers and the sweet worded garland of verses(poo-malai and 
paa-malai).
[From the Life and works of Sri Nigamantha Mahadesikan- by  Prof Sri A 
Srinivasaraghavan]

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Regards
Namo narayana
dAsan
kavi-tArkika-simhAya kalyANa-guNa-SAline |
Srimate venkateSAya vedAntagurave namaH ||

Salutations to Sri Venkatesa, in whom all perfections reside, who is the 
teacher of Vedanta and the lion among poets and debaters

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