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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00062 Jan 2008

 
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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



 
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