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SrI:
SrImathE Gopaladesika Mahadesikaya nama:

Dearest all,

The concluding part on the most auspicious bhogi day-
AndAL ThirukkalyANam
Regards
Namo narayana
dAsanu dAsam
*************

18. Let us savor some of the other observations of
Swami Desika in his ?Godha Sthuthi?
(1)  Who wrote Ramayanam?
Do you know who wrote Srimad Ramayanam? You will say
that it is Sage Valmiki. Swami Desika however says
that it was Godha who wrote it. How? Godha, as you now
know, was the incarnation of Bhoodevi, Mother Earth.
The Vedas describe the anthill forming on earth as the
?Ear of Earth?. Since Valmiki emerged from an anthill,
figuratively Desika says that Ramayanam composed by
him arose from the ear of Godha. And asks ?If what
came out of the ear could be so sweet, how much more
sweet would be those that emanated from the mouth.
(meaning her granthams) (Sloka 7)
 
 
(2) Creating ChakkaLathis (Competitors)
No woman will share her husbandwith another woman.
Sometimes a lady may have to share her husband with
other women as in the case of polygamy and we find
this in Andal's case in her calling her peer Gopis for
(?kooDi irundu kuLirndu?). 
 
Is it not strange to find a lady transforming even men
folk to become her ?ChakkaLathis?! 
 
It is Andal who not only accomplished this impossible
eventuality but also relished in doing so. 
What type of ?gamy? can we call this? 
Is she promoting the ?gay culture?, if culture it is?
 
?       Swami Desika hints in SlOka 8 of Godha Sthuthi that
Andal?s father and Nammaazhwar as also Tirumangai
Azhwar were longing for the love towards the Lord but
because they were men, they could at best only
simulate ?Naayaki Bhaava?. It was after Andal caming
on the scene exhibiting her bridal love to its fullest
extent because she was a woman herself to whom such
?anubhavam? came in naturally, that they took a leaf
from her life to learn the ?art of love?. 
?       Swami Desika seems to have a dig at her father,
Periyaazhwar saying how strange that a father-in-law
should be attempting to become a competitor
(ChakkaLathi) for his own daughter by trying to share
with her the love of the Lord that was exclusively
her?s. See how he starts the SlOkam with ?Tava
priyatamam? (your sweetheart) and switches to exclaim
?Bhavateeva GodhE? - exclusively your very own! 
?       Not satisfied with only this, Periyaazhwar proceeds
to give a clarion call to all and sundry (also men
like himself) to engage in similar exercise of
becoming ChakkaLathis to his daugtherl See how he says
?Vandu MaNNUm MaNamum koLmin?. Swami seems to wonder 
?What kind of father is he?? Swami seems to say: ?If
others were Azhwaars, your father indeed is ?Periya
Aazhwaar?! 
?       He probably justified this strange behavior on the
part of Periyaazhwar remembering ?SarvE itaraa: sthree
svabhaavaa: (That except for the PurushOTtama, the
Lord - all else are effeminate in relation to him) and
in this light, there was nothing wrong in his
endeavor, as did the Sages in Srimad Ramayana who
longed for similar experience but were offered such a
chance to become Gopis in KrishNa Avataara. SLOKAM 8: 
Andal was a Maargadarsi in this sense also.
 
(3) How did VishNuchittar acquire the sobriquet
?Periya Azhwar??
Though several explanations are offered by scholars,
Swami Desika says the Lord did not confer the title on
him even though he established Lord?s supremacy in an
open debate, not when he wrote hundreds of Stanzas
eulogizing the Lord, not when he spent his entire life
doing ?Pushpa kainkaryam?(flower service)  to the
Lord. It was only when he presented the flower
garlands used up by Andal that he became so happy and
conferred the title on him and also made the Azhwar
his father-in-law! (Slokam 10)
Andla?s wedding did the trick that other
qualifications could not procure for him (anavaapta
poorvam)
 
(4)  Godha becomes Mother and Sister at the same time.
How?
Swami Desika says that Andal was at once mother of
Mahaalakshmi as also her sister. How? Sri Sita, the
incarnation of Mahalakshmi was born in the field when
King Janaka put his plough to earth. Thus, she becomes
the daughter of Mother Earth. 
 
When the milky ocean was churned, there arose besides
other valuable objects - Mahalakshmi and the Moon. So,
they were siblings. Vedas proclaim that the Moon arose
from the mind (Chandramaa manasO jaata :) of the Lord.
Andal arose from ?VishNu chitta (meaning the mind of
VishNu).So all of them became siblings! (Slokam 9)
A wonderful explanation, this! 
 
(5)  Godha?s wedding attended by three generations of
her family!
Swami Desika attests to another of her extraordinary
feats.  Have you ever heard of a bride becoming a
Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother all at once
right at the very instance of her wedding? This
impossible feat was performed by Godha. How?
BhoodEvi?s (alias Godha?s) color is green like the
Doorva (bent grass); the color of Sridevi is golden
yellow (gOrOchana); the color of the Lord is sky blue.
When the two consorts sit on either side, the color of
the two consorts coalesce with that of the Lord and
the Lord looks like the multicolored peacock neck. 
(Slokam 22 Godha Sthuthi)
Technicolor technology would seem to have started from
this!
 
Seva Swami humorously remarks? If the mother of the
groom were to see this transfusion of colors, she will
be taken aback and would wonder how her son had
changed color on getting married!
 
Sri Anbil Gopalachariar Swami remarks that Doorva
grass would remind one of Lord GanEsa who is fond of
it and peacock would remind of Lord Subrahmanya, whose
vehicle it is. Brahma is Lord?s son having sprung from
the navel of the Lord; Brahma?s son is Siva; Thus,
Siva is Lord?s Grandson. GanEsa and Subrahmanya being
sons of Siva become Great grandsons of Bhagavaan and
Bhagavati. Thus, both of them - being great
grandchildren of the Lord along with their parents
(Siva and Paarvati) and grand parents (Brahma and
Saraswati) would have gathered to witness the divine
wedding. (Slokam 22)
What a family reunion!
 
(6)   Change of directions!
Andal was born in Srivilliputtur, a southern city. On
account of her birth, says Swami Desika, that the
South acquired northerliness (?Uttara? in Sanskrit
means both North and Superior ). That is why, Lord
Ranganatha who is having his ?Yoga Nidra? at the
northern city of Srirangam constantly bestows his
gracious glance and never takes his eyes off the
Southern direction, because it is Andal?s birthplace,
thus giving a two-fold sanctity to the place. (SlOkam
11)
Andal could alter even the directions!
 
{Seva Swami was once giving a religious discourse in
North India . 
Someone asked him why all the Avataras of the Lord
took place in North India and none in the South. Seva
Swami quoted Bhagavad Gita slOka
yadaa yadaa hi dharmasya gLaanir bhavati Bhaarata!
Abhyuththaanam adharmasya tadaa Aatmaanam srujami
aham? (BG 4.7) ?Whenever (and wherever) there is a
decline of Dharma and rise of a-dharma, Oh! Bhaarata
(Arjuna), then I create myself? 
 He answered ?Obviously, such a contingency has arisen
only in the North and not in the South!?}
 
(7) How Godavari River became famous as a purifier?
In Valmiki Ramayanam, Sri Rama on his search for Sri
Sita is depicted as enquiring every tree, stone and
shrub and the running waters on his way whether anyone
of them had seen Sri Sita. Godavari River out of fear
of Ravana did not answer and thus committed an
apachaaram (disservice) to the Lord and was
languishing under a shadow of guilt. It was after the
birth of Godha that she attained such purifying powers
since the River had Godha?s name in her own name ?
Godavari ?. The other Rivers like even Ganges are said
to take bath in Pushkarams once in 12 years in the
waters of Godavari to purify themselves. (Slokam 12)
Andal has proved what miracle she can do by her mere
name!
 
(8) Vaijayanti maala downgraded!
Vaijayanti is, no doubt, fragrant, colorful, soft
petalled and therefore dear to the Lord. The Lord
wears it on his chest. But the used up garland
presented by Andal after wearing it, occupies the
Lord?s crown. Thus, the Vanamala (Vaijayanti) seems
downgraded compared to Andal?s garland! Says Swami
Desika (Slokam 15)
The glory of a garland cannot get any better!
 
(9) Lord accepts Andal?s garland with utmost respect
The Lord has in his navel, the lotus ? with fragrant
pollen ? from which all the worlds were created. On
his chest he wears the fragrant sandal paste smeared
on Maha Lakshmi?s breast. His feet carry the Vedic
fragrance since all Vedas praise his feet (nigama
parimaLam). But, over and above these, he cherishes
most the essence of sweet fragrance from the head
garland of Andal for decorating his own crown. When a
donor offers a gift, the recipient has to bow the head
(nathEna) to receive the munificence. Swami Desika
figures this out as a respectful acceptance of Andal?s
garland. (Slokam17)
A case of utmost respect of a husband to his wife!

19. Practical wisdom of our Religion
Some people gleefully criticize ours as a religion of
abnegation, of escapism, a negative religion of the
recluse which always emphasized on the 'Other
worldly', with scant regard for what we need 'Right
here and now in this world?. They fancy that ours is a
religion of rigor, regret, remorse, repentance and
renunciation that takes away all the joy out of life
rendering it a saga of ?sack cloth and ashes?- all the
way. We would advise them to read Andal's Tiruppavai. 
Tiruppavai shows how ours is the first and foremost
religion, which has the practical wisdom and
pragmatism to recognize the purpose of life both ?Here
and the Hereafter?. 
Tiruppavai laid down the principles and practices to
make life on earth enjoyable, meaningful and
worthwhile - while unfolding the ?After-life? scenario
in equally vivid expressions. 
Let us see some of her positive expressions- 
?       Selva Sirumeergaal: Dear darling prosperous girls;
?       Vaiyathu Vaazhveerkaal: You who have come to live
and prosper in this world;
?       Neengaatha Selvam Niraindhu: Securing bliss that
does not diminish; 
?       Vaazha Ulaginil Peithidaai: Rains that pour life
into us;
?       POya Pizhaiyum Pugu Tharuvaan Ninranavum Theeyinil
Thoosu Aagum: The  Sanchita and PrArabda Karmas
extinguished like dirt burnt by fire; 
?       Ullam Pugundhu Kulirndu: Entering the mind to make
it cool and pleasant;
?       Naayakap Penn PillAi: Oh! Leader among womenfolk;
?       Tesam UDaiyaai: Oh! Shining one;
?       Tiral UDaiyaai: Oh! One who is capable;
?       KOdhukalam Udaiya Paavaai: Lady full of hope and
enthusiasm; 
?       Selvap Pendaatti: Dearest spouse; 
?       Nar Chelvan Nangaai: Daughter of the prosperous one;

?       POdharik KaNNinaai: Oh! You who have eyes like the
honeybees lying on flowers;
?       Elle! ILam KiLiye: Oh! Parrot like beauty!
?       TiruThakka Selvamum Sevakamum Yaam Paadi Varuthmum
Theerndu Magizhndu: 
By praying for un-diminishing wealth and eternal
service, we can get  rid of our grief and enjoy
happiness;
?       KooDaarai Vellum Seer GOvinda!: GOvinda who can win
over even dissidents;
?       Unthannodu UravEl Namakku Ingu Ozhikka Ozhiyaadu:
Our relationship with you here and hereafter can never
be severed;
?       Enraikkum Ezhezh Piravikkum Unthannodu UtrOme AavOm
: We will be with you ever and anon through any number
of lifetimes;
?       Engum Thiru Varul Petru Inburuvar: You will obtain
the grace of Mother Goddess Mahalakshmi and enjoy life
forever.
We see other Azhwars strike a melancholy note and self
deprecation for example: 
?VaaDinEn VaaDi varundinEn manathaal? of Kaliyan
?aavi thigaikka aivar kumaikkum sitrinbam paaviyEnai
pala nee kaaTTip paDupaayO?? and  ?poi ninra
jnaanamum, pollaa ozhukkum azhukku uDambum??
(Nammazhwar)
?piNI pasi mooppu thunbam aadalaal piravi vEnDEn?
(ThoNdar aDippoDi Azhwar)
What a fresh breeze of sanguine approach to life here
and hereafter by our Andal!

20.  Purpose of Avataras.
For the frequently asked question ?Why the lord takes
descents (Avataras)? the routine answer would be a
quote from Bhagavad Gita. For the protection of the
virtuous, for the vanquishing the vicious and for
establishing Dharma? 
?ParitraaNaaya Saadoonaam, Vinaasaaya cha Dushkritaam,

Dharma Samsthaapanaarthaaya Sambhavaami yugE yugE?
Do you know that the Lord had one other reason for his
Avataras?

He wanted to be a teacher ? a world teacher at that.
?KrishNam vandE jagat gurum?

We all know that the mother is ranked first, then only
comes the father and only after him - the teacher vide
the saying- "mAtru dEvO bhava, pitru dEvO bhava,
AachArya dEvO bhava" etc.
 
Thus, "GOdhAmrutham" takes the pride of place
relegating the role of the teacher to a distant third
place!

Does this not make a difference?

dAsoham 
Anbil Ramaswamy



      
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