Godha Stuthi - 22

DhUrvAdhaLa prathimayA tava dEha kaanthyA

gOrOchanA ruchirayaa cha ruchEndhirAyA:

aasIdhanu~jnitha sikhAvaLa kaNTa SObham

MaangaLyatham praNamathAm Madhuvairi gAthram

MEANING:

Oh GodhE! The darsanam of Your Lord's SubhAsrayam (ThirumEni) confers on all

His adiyArs sarva mangaLams (madhuvairi Gaathram praNamathAm

MaangaLyatham). That SubhAsrayam has the bluish hue of dark rainy clouds. When

You stand next to Him, Your light green hue (like aruham pul) reflects on Him. MahA

Lakshmi has HiraNya VarNai (Golden hue). She is resident on Your Lord's chest

(ahalahillEn YenRu). When His own dark bluish hue has the confluence with the

green hue of Your ThirumEni and the golden hue of Periya PirAtti's ThirumEni, His

ThirumEni achieves a rare multi-hued effulgence like the beautiful neck region of the

peacock. It is a rare and unforgettable sight.

Day 22 - angkaNmaa ngyaalththu - அங்கண்மா ஞாலத்து

Sri:
Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:
Aazhwar Emberumaanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam

angkaNmaa ngyalath tharasa rabimaana

bangkamaay vandhunin paLLikkat tiRkiizhee

sangka miruppaarpool vandhu thalaippeidhoom'

kingkiNi vaaychcheitha thaamaraip pooppoole

sengkaN siRuchchiRithee emmeel vizhiyaavoo

thingkaLu maathith thiyanu mezhundhaarpool

angka NiraNtungkonT tengaLmel nookkuthjiyeel

engkaLmeeR chaaba mizhindheelo rembaavaay.

அங்கண்மா ஞாலத் தரச ரபிமான

பங்கமாய் வந்துநின் பள்ளிக்கட் டிற்கீழே

சங்க மிருப்பார்போல் வந்து தலைபெய்தோம்

கிங்கிணி வாய்ச்செய்த தாமரைப் பூப்போலே

செங்கண் சிறுச்சிறிதே யெம்மேல் விழியாவோ

திங்களு மாதித் தியனு மெழுந்தாற்போல்

அங்க ணிரண்டுங்கொண் டெங்களெமேல் நோக்குதியேல்

எங்கள்மேற் சாப மிழிந்தேலோ ரெம்பாவாய்.

Introduction:

In this Paasuram, the emphasis on Ananyaarhaseshathvam/அநந்யார்ஹஶேஷத்வம் (to be subservient only to Sriman Narayanan and nobody else) is emphasised.

Padhapadhaartham - பதபதார்த்தம் - Word by Word Meaning:

am kaN maa nyalaththu arasar/அம் கண் மா ஞாலத்து அரசர் - The kings who rule in this beautiful, wide earth

abimaana bangkamaay vandhu/அபிமான பங்கமாய் வந்து - To come shedding their egos

nin paLLik kattil kiizhee/நின் பள்ளிக் கட்டில் கீழே - To come under your thrown

sangkam iruppaarpool/சங்கம் இருப்பார்போல் - To have gathered as a crowd

vanthu/வந்து - We came ( to the place where you are )

thalaippeidhoom/தலைப்பெய்தோம் - Came to you seeking refuge

kingkiNi vaaychcheidha/கிங்கிணி வாய்ச்செய்த - To have bloosomed

thaamarai poo poole/தாமரை பூ போலே - like a lotus flower

seng kaN/செங் கண் - the red eyes

siRuchchiRithee/சிறுச்சிறிதே - slowly and gradually

emmeel vizhiyaavoo/எம்மேல் விழியாவோ - Will you not open your eyes (on us bhagavathas)

thingkaLum aathithyanum/திங்களும் ஆதித்யனும் - The moon and the sun

eazhundhaal pool/எழுந்தால் போல் - Like they have risen

am kaN iraNtum koNtu/அம் கண் இரண்டும் கொண்டு - With those beautiful pair of eyes

engkaL mel nookkuthiyeel/எங்கள் மேல் நோக்குதியேல் - If you bless us by taking a look at us

engkaL meel saapam/எங்கள் மேல் சாபம் - Our sorrows

izhindhu/இழிந்து - will vannish

Meaning:

Having pleaded to Shri Krishna, Nappinnai Piratti along with Aandal and the Gopikas in the last paasuram, and having heard that, Shri Krishna, still wanted to hear what they had to stay and did not answer. Aandal addresses Him in this Paasuram saying that they are here with no other go but to be saved by Shri Krishna.

Hey Krihsna! You are Swathanthran(independent) and we are Parathanthras(dependent). You being our Swamy(Lord), without Swathanthra(ஸ்வதந்த்ரியம்), and we being the Servants without Paarathanthram(பாரதந்த்ரியம்) is like female growing moustache and male growing breasts!! Unlike these, we are here with our Swaroopam, which is Paarathanthryam and are in front of your doorsteps begging for your mercy.

(am kaN/அம் கண்)In this beautiful world, many rule the place as kings. They rule their Kingdom with the thought that the kingdom is "theirs". With ego, with posession. But they forget that everything is Yours including their Aathma. From Brahma, to the ant(pipeelika/பிபீலிகா) everyone has Ahankaaram(ego). If you call Brahma "Swami", he will have the ego in him grow to the extent that he can, and if you call an ant "Swami", it will have the ego to the extent it can, raising its head in pride. There is no difference between Brahma saying "Me/Mine" and an ant saying "Me/Mine" irrespective of their sizes, gyana etc. (maangyaalaththarasar/மாஞாலத்தரசர்)

As the Jeevaathma finds itself more and more attached to its near and dear (kids, relatives etc.,) to the extent we grow these relationships, the sorrow hits the athma like spears hitting a person.

Even Brahma has to be born 7 times to be in a position to get to Your Lotus feet.

(ninpaLLik kattiRkiizhe/நின்பள்ளிக் கட்டிற்கீழே) But having understood that running a kingdom as a king is a sorrowful thing, they come to take refuge in your lotus feet.

We see this in Shri Ramayana through Bharathan and Lakshmanan. When Kaikeyee calls, Bharathan (who has returned to Ayodhya after Shri Rama was sent to forest and King Dasharatha died), "Hey Rajan!!", we see that he felt the saddest to have called him King, which kills his Paarathanthryam. Bharathan, being a king was subject to hearing such harsh words!!

On the other hand, Lakshmanan, who went along with Shri Rama to the forest, was so happy all the time, having done all sorts of Kainkaryams to Shri Rama and Sitha in the forest, with no burden of being a king but being able to keep his swaroopam.

(pol vandhu thalaipeidhom/பொல் வந்து தலைபெய்தோம்) Like those Kings who realize that their swaroopam is to be of servitude to Sriman Narayana, who shed hteir egos and possesiveness, we Gopikas have also come to your refuge. Like those kings who couldnt not go back, we having left our house cannot go back to where we were.

Sampradhaya Meaning: Aandal is seeking Vaikunda Praapthi (moksham) and saying that she wants to be rid of this earthly life and death chain which is very sorrowful.

(kinkiNivaay seytha thaamarai puu poole/கிங்கிணி வாய் செய்த தாமரைபூ போலே) Like the Lotus which blooms on seeing the Sun

(engkaL mel sengkaN iraNtum siRuchchiRitheee vizhiyaavoo/எங்கள் மேல் செங்கண் இரண்டும் சிறுச்சிறிதே விழியாவோ) Please bless us with your kataksham, so that our Paarathanthrayam also bloossoms by the sight of your beautiful eyes.

(engkaL meel saabam izhindhu/எங்கள் மேல் சாபம் இழிந்து) Please bless us and rid us of our paapam and punyam and give us Moksha

adinaayen ramanuja dasan.

Day 22, Godha Weaves a Vow (English Poem)

Like the monarchs of mortal might

Those that reigned kingdoms
So large that touched realms beyond our sight
Such mighty ones that trifled their pride
And along with the humble ones
Sat below your throne to reach your feet
We too are at your door, Oh Lord.

May you like the belled lotus yet to bloom
Open your eyes with tender care
Those reddish eyes
To cast on us your blessed sight.

With beautiful eyes such as yours
The ones like the shining sun
And the silvery moon
Free us from our evil deeds.

2009-2010 Srirangam Andal Alankaaram

Kolam 22 - செங்கண் சிறுச்சிறிதே

அரசர்கள் வந்து வந்து

எதிர் திசை நிறைந்தனர்
அவர் போல்
அபிமானம் ஒழிந்து
அடியிணை பணிந்தோம்

அயோத்தி எம் அரசே!

அங்கண் சிறுச்சிறிதே
மலரும் தாமரைபோல்
அலுங்காமல் திறந்து
எம்மேல் விழியாவோ?

Day 22 Recipe - Mysore Paagu

Ingredients:

Gram flour : 1 cup

Sugar : 1 3/4 cup (2 cups if you need more sweet)

Ghee : 2 cups

Method:

• Sieve the gram flour
• In a pan, add little ghee and roast the gram flour. Let it cool down.
• In another pan, start boiling the sugar and water ( just enough to cover the sugar) mix well.
• Add a spoon of milk to the sugar to take out the dust of the sugar. (When the sugar begins to boil add the milk and the dirt will settle down in the corner. Collect that in a spoon, throw it).
• Once the sugar dissolves, slowly add the roasted gram flour to it start stirring.
• Add the ghee little by little in between.
• After stirring sometime (30 mts or more) you will start seeing some bubbles in the Mysore paagu. That is the time you should switch off the fire and transfer it to a greased plate.
• Let it cool for sometime. Then cut that in a diamond shape.

Day 22 - Did you know...

.....how Swami Desikan associates the glory of Andal with Vishnu Chiththar being known as “Periyazwar” in Gotha sthuthi?

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). In the below slokam,

thaathasthu tE madhubidha: sthuthi lesa vasyAth

karNAmruthai : shtuthi sathai : anavAptha poorvam

tvanmowli ghandha subhagAm upahruthya maalaam

lEbhE mahatthara padhAnuguNam prasAdham

( GodAsthuti : 10 )

Swami Desikar says
[ gandha = fragrance

subhagA = glory

upahR^itya = having offered

mAlA = garland

lEbhE = (he, Vishnu Chiththar) attained

mahaththara padham = great position (Periyazwar) ]

to Andal that,
"Though Vishnu Chiththar had sung hymns in hundreds, in praise of the Lord, the Lord Madhusudhana did not give him any title of honour. HE did give the title 'Periyazwar' (great Azwar amongst the azwars) to Vishnu Chiththar, only when he presented the garland which was worn by you thereby acquiring the fragrance, by the contact of your (Godha’s) locks of hair."

References :
1.

Commentaries by SrI Karalapakkam AnathapadmanAbhan swAmy

http://www.saranagathi.org/articles/commentaries/thirupavai_overview.pdf

2. http://www.brainsnacks.info/sanskrit/Goda-Stuti/.