From: "V. Sadagopan" <75041.3037@compuserve.com>
Sender: bhakti-errors@lists.best.com
To: bhakti@lists.best.com
Subject: Second Day of Dhanur Maasam : Tribute to GodhA Piratti
Date: 17 Dec 96 21:31:41 EST

Dear Memebrs of the Bhakthi group :

Prior to writing about the GodhA Devi's celebration of 
the unsurpassed valour of Sri RamachandrA , I wish to share
with you the special and personal reasons for my reverence 
for  GodhA Piratti . It is  associated with my dear sister ,
Kaimkarya Sri PadmA Veeraraghavan .

My sister has been blessed to create a devout society of ladies 
in T.Nagar called " the GodhA PriyA Samithi " for the exclusive
purpose of performing Kaimkaryam to Nanda Nandana Sundari 
of Srivilliputthur . She has taught dozens and dozens of ladies 
GodhA sthuthi set in different RagAs and TaaLAs and collected money 
through concerts to create and  offer two Mutthu Kondais to Srivilliputthur
AndAL .. 
My sister has also been blessed to receive contributions from  
devotees  in this manner to commission and consecrate the Vigrahaas 
of AndAL and VeNugopalan with devis for the Nanganallur Temple .
She is now in the middle of generating funds for another kondai for
AndAL of Srivilliputthur known as RaaNi Mangamma Kondai . She had to
slow down somewhat because of the enormous effort that went behind the 
RathnAngi/Mutthangi Kaimkaryam for Sri Bhoomi Devi sametha 
Oppiliappan . She has given carnatic music concert in front of AndAL 
on Aadi Puram day at Srivilliputthur at the special invitation of the Bhattars
and Koil adhikAris . Her whole life is devoted to AndAL . This utter dedication 
of her life to AndAL of Srivilliputthur and the AndAL of Oppiliappan
Koil seems to have left its mark on me . 

I went with her to Srivilliputthur one time  and had a blessed darsanam of AndAL
and Rangamannar at the ardha mantapam , where she has stayed 
since coming out of the Garbha graham to meet her "elder brother /
GodhAgrajar " , Sri RamanujAr . Suddenly , the Archakar was inspired and 
"dragged " me into the garbha graham , where no one other than the 
Archakas are  allowed to enter . I was with a  trustee of the temple and he 
also had to join me. Later he said that in all his life as a native of
Srivilliputthur ,
he had never stepped beyond the Ardha Mantapam , where the Uthsava murthys are .
I had a wonderful darsanam of the Moolavar and even today I shudder at the
thought of the special bhagyam of being within two feet of the Moolavar. 
I am sure that I do not deserve this special maryAdhai , but I think 
AndAL out of her infinite mercy and compassion blesses even those
who have sambhandham with her Kaimkarya parAL . 

My sister went on to compose krithis on ThiruviNNagarappan and 
Bhumi Devi in 72 MeLa karthA ragas and completed that work 
a month ago . Some of them were released in Mylapore during 
July of this Year in a sadas presided by Sangeetha Kalanidhis 
Semmangudi SrinivAsa Iyer and K.V. NarayaNaswamy Iyer . 
Please forgive me for this display of pride in my sister . Her 
special and deep Bhakthi for AndAL has blessed me in many ways .
To my sister , BhumA Devi of Oppiliappan Koil and GodhA PirAtti of
Srivilliputthur are one and the same Vasudha saluted by Swami Desikan.

With this rather lengthy introduction , I will share with you the thoughts 
of Sri P.M. Saanthamurthy housed in a paper associated with the  1985 
special conference on  AndAl attended by great scholars like our own Sri Lakshmi
Tatachar of Melkote . He had contributed an article in the proceedings
of that conference  under  the title of " Concept of MangalAsAsanA in the works 
of AndAL . "  I will use that conference proceedings heavily to construct this 
series of postings and back them up with  other sources . 

The MahA veeran that AndAL visualized and saluted 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Although AndAL considered herself as a Gopi of BrindAvanam 
and wanted the union with Govindha and prayed for that Bhagyam
and Nithya Kaimkaryam to Him as a sub-teen ager in her divine 
Thiruppavai and as a teen ager  in her NacchiyAr Thirumozhi , her affection
and revrence for Rama has a unique and different  flavor . 

Her extraordinary tribute to Raghuveeran is recorded at  three different 
Paasurams of Thiruppaavai :

1. SinatthinAl TenilankhaikkomAnai cheRRa , MANATTHUKKINIYAANAI 
paadavum nee vAi  thiravAi -- Pasuram 12 

2. pollA arakkanai kiLLIkkalaindAnai keerthimai paadippoY
-- pasuram 13 , a tribute to RavaNAri , who cut the ten heads 
of the evil ogre and showed unsurpassed heroism in the battle filed.

This tribute to the Mahaveeran comes right after the tribute to 
KrishNA , who killed the rakshasa , who had  assumed the form
of a huge bird . KrishnA's valour is described as " PuLLIn vAi 
KeendAnaippaadi. "

3 . senRangu tennilankhai seRRAi tiRal pORRi 
---- pasuram 24 

When one puts all these three tributes together, one
appreciates the depth and distinctionn of AndAL 's
bhakthi for Rama , the MahAVeeran, beomes clearer. 

The experience of AndAL reminds me of the Thirucchazhal 
pasurams of Thirumangai ( Periya Thirumozhi 11.5 ) . Here two
sets of gopis engage in a mock quarrel about the greatness
and otherwise of Rama and KrishNaavatharams . 

AndAL had described as a Gopi the torments of KrishNA 
and begged him not to destroy her sand castles . She had 
complained severely about his indifference and cried over her
unbearable anguish in being separated from him . 

AndAL however  had a great regard for the trouble that RamA took to 
recover SitA from the prison of RavaNA and his sense of 
inconsolable loss over separation from her as a result of the 
trecherous kidnapping by the cowardly RavaNA . KrishNA on
the other hand was always playing pranks with the Gopis and 
" tormenting "  them . He came near and then disappeared. 
RamA on the other hand was steady as a rock to the one and only
woman , whom he married . This certainly impressed AndAL
as a woman deeply in  love with the two avatharams of Sriman 
NarayaNA . In this context PeriyavAcchAn Pillai comments that 
RamA was ManatthukkiniyAn ( delectable to the mind ) compared to
the anxieties and sufferings caused by KrishNA . Hence the VyAkhAyana
chakravarthi says that AndAL enjoyed to her great satisfaction the 
story of RamA and his highest regard for woman kind . RamA to her was 
like cool and comforting breeze . He was like the cool touch of fragrant
sandal paste on a moon lit summer night. The eka patni vratham of 
Rama also appealed to her , when she had to compete for the 
attention of  KrishNA , who did not limit his attention to her or to
any other Gopis .

In tomorrow's posting , I will cover the other  Pasurams
of AndAL , wher she pays tribute to the other aspects of 
the multifacted embodiment of DharmA (viz)., Sri RamachandrA .  

Srimathyai GodhAyai Nitya MangaLam 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan     

From: "V. Sadagopan" <75041.3037@compuserve.com>
Sender: bhakti-errors@lists.best.com
To: bhakti@lists.best.com
Subject: Third Day of Dhanur Maasam : AndAL& RamAvatharam
Date: 18 Dec 96 14:59:50 EST

Dear Members of the Bhakthi group :

Yesterday , we focussed on the three direct salutations of AndAL 
to the MahA Veeran , Raghu Raman in three different pAsurams
of the divine Thiruppaavai . Today we will include another indirect 
salutation of ANdAL to Veera Raghavan and continue with the earlier
thoughts on Rama/KrishNa avatharams and AndAL's customized
appreciations of them .

Direct salutation 1 : SINATTHINAAL TENNILANKHAI KOMAANAI
CHERRA --- The twelfth pAsuram of Thiruppavai refers to the 
anger , nay the rage of Veera Raghavan that led to the destruction of 
the Lord of LankhA . The 99th Khandham of Srimadh RamAyaNam
describes the anger of RamA at the evil RavaNA seeking  battle 
with  him this way : "  Rama was seized with anger ( Rama: Krodha 
Samanvitha : ) and let fly arrows in uninterrupted succession against
the king of ogres .  " In the next canto , the battle continues and Rama 
is outraged by the audacity of RavaNA in the battle field and gets furious 
and hit RavaNA with numerous arrows ( Ragavasthu SusamkruddhO 
RavaNam bhaubhi: Sarai: ) .Rama takes a vow to destroy RavaNA 
and states " Let the world see the Ramathvam of Rama in the course of my 
combat with the evil ogre ( Adhya Pasyanthu Ramasya RAMATHVAM 
mama samyughE ) . "  Ramathvam that Rama himself refers to is
the courage and valor in any battle field . That display of Ramathvam
that extends beyond the battle field in his role of SaraNAgatha rakshakan 
moves AndAL very much and she describes him for that reason as 
MANATHUKKINIYAAN .

AndAL salutes the Ramathvam elsewhere indirectly  in Thiruppavai 
( ThAzhAdhE sArngam udaittha sara Mazhai pOl , vazha ulaginil peythidAi ) .
In addition to the shower of  arrows of destruction aimed at RavaNA , the shower
of Daya and AnukampA is also the underlying meaning to connote the 
rejuvenating, life-giving showers of anugraham of this KaruNA Moorthy .  

His Maha Veeryam as the supreme wielder of the bow revered as Saarangam
(Kodhandam ) of this SaarangapANi and His destruction of RavaNA is
saluted by the overawed AndAL next In the salutation , " pollA arakkanai 
kiLLIkkaLaindhAnai keerthimai paadippOi " . The ten heads of the evil
ogre were cut off by RamA after he recited Aditya Hrudhayam and renewed
his combat with RavaNA . 

In  a great tribute to the valour(ThiRal)  of RamA , AndaL sums up
in her PoRRI Paasuram with the salutation : senRangu tennilankhai 
seRRAi tiRal poRRi ". She visualizes the sethu bhandanam , travel
on the rama sethu and arrival at LankhA and mighty fight with RavaNA 
and destroying him with unsurpassable heroism .  

Sri Lakshmi TatAchAr in his article on AndAL's mangaLAsAsanam of 
Rama and KrishNa quotes the commentary of PeriyavaacchAn PiLLai
to indicate that Rama as a supreme hero (MahA Veeran ) did not need 
any protection from enemies through prayers and it was the helpless 
KrishNa , who needed all the prayerful wishes/blessings /benedictions 
(MangaLAsAsanam ) that he can get from AndAL . PiLLai says :
" In Ramaavatharam , RamA's father was DasarathA , the destroyer 
of SambharA . The city was Ayodhya , which could not be conquered 
by any person . The acharyAs were VasishtA and others well versed in 
several manthrAs . The sons of DasarathA were virtuous and quite 
disciplined . In KrishNAvathAram , the parents were innocent cowherds.
The dwelling place of KrishNA is a hamlet inhabited by the cowherds.
Besides in BrindhAvan , anything , which sprouted could turn out to be
a demon . KrishNA was such a naughty child that he would even fall 
in the mouth of the venemous serpent , if his brother BalaramA was 
engaged otherwise even for a moment .The calamities that befell 
KrishNA through PutanA and other swere endless . "  Hence PeriyavacchAn 
PLLai concluded that except for the blessings of AndAL , there was nothing
that could protect the Lord . 

In her pORRI pasuram of Thiruppavaai saluting RamA ( senRangu 
Tennilankhai seRRAi tiRal pORRI ) , she brings before her memory's
eye all that happened a long , long time ago and out of her great
reverence and awe-inspired love for the MahA Veeran , she performed 
the MangaLAsAsanamm for Vijaya Raghavan , the RaNa Pungavan .

AndAL continues to pay her tributes to the unmatched heroism 
of RamA in the verses of NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi . I will cover them
in the next posting.

alli nAttAmari mEl aaraNangin tuNaivi
malli naadAnda mada mayil --melliyAL
aayarkula vendanahatthAL then pudhuvai
veyar payantha viLakku--- ThirukkaNNamangai AandAn

 "GodhA tasyai Nama idhamidham bhooyayevAsthu bhooya: "
                                                                        ---
ParAsara Bhattar 

SrivaishNava Daasan ,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan