GMS09Andal
Published:29 Jul 2019 8 PMUpdated:29 Jul 2019 8 PM  Sakthi Vikatan
சக்தி கொடு! - 9 Give Sakthi- 09
பத்மவாசன் = Author:  Padmavāsa
கோதை ஆண்டாள் Kōthai Āṇdāḷ
1. A plethora of poems, epics, and ancient epics (= Ramayana and Mahabharata): All are religious or moral instructions and books of wisdom. The first and the last of the instructions in all these books are the pursuit, and attainment of the Ultima Thule of our existence: God.
2. Attaining God is not an afterlife event. It is the attainment of divine status while alive ( = Jivan Mukthi = corporeal liberation) on this earth. Many attained such a state. Their spiritual experience finds expression in the poems. Of this genre of poems, Nācchiyār Tirumozhi is one. We could get an idea of such a divine state from the composition.
3. Kōthai Nācchiyār was born in the month of Ādi on the 8th day under the Pūram star, a day of celebration every year. She is a treasure house of grace and blessings. "Yes, may you prosper. She sang 143 songs.” She is that Āṇdāḷ, worthy of worship. She sang Nācchiyār Tirumozhi (sacred sayings). 'கோதை ஆண்டாள் தமிழை ஆண்டாள்' ( = Kōthai Āṇḍāḷ Tamizhai Āṇḍāḷ = Kōthai Āṇḍāḷ reigned over Tamil. Kannadasan eulogized her, saying, “She will forgo wedding unless the groom was Gopalan.
4. Āṇdāḷ had a reign over Tamil: how?
5. Tamil letter ‘Zha (ழ)’ is unique. That pride belongs to Tamil. That ‘Zha (ழ),’ also known as Zha-Karam (ழ-கரம்) finds the highest usage in the poems by Āṇdāḷ if you search for its frequency in Divyaprabhandam.
Here a poem by Āṇdāḷ with an abundance  of Zha-Karam.
Verse 04, Tiruppāvai. Divyaprabhandam 477. There are 11 instances of Zha-Karam (ழ-கரம்) in one poem.
6. In the poems of Divyaprabhandam, the incidence of Zha-karam is the highest in this poem: Tiruppāvai Verse 04.
7. It is not just that alone. This poem depicts the grant of essential things which we need today. Āṇḍāḷ sang this poem for the bequest of rain by Bhagavan. If at least once, we chant this poem with sincerity and beg for rain, the rains will come by the grace of Āyarkulāthipathy Kaṇṇaṉ (the head of the cowherds, Kaṇṇaṉ [= Krishna]).
8. Come all! Āṇḍāḷ had a dream holding hands with Kaṇṇaṉ, which she depicts as a live telecast of a tete-a-tete (= A conversation between two people).

9. Pūraṇakumpam (ceremonial water pot), festoons, wedding Pandal, and a surfeit of pearl strings mark the scene. Kaṇṇaṉ enters. Muhūrta day was announced. Āṇḍāḷ sits with Kaṇṇaṉ. Joining of couple’s hands at the wedding as an event takes place. Circumambulation around the sacred fire and the ceremonial placement of her right foot on the grinding stone take place.

10. Āhā! What a wonderful dream in a 11-poem sequence.
                                   

                                

11.This poem depicts dream of the arrival of Kaṇṇaṉ and its association with the accompanying festivals.
12. Kaṇṇaṉ with a thousand elephants comes to Villiputtūr. She tells her companion she had a dream that she welcomed Kaṇṇaṉ to the town decorated with festoons and ceremonial golden water vessels.
13. Kaṇṇaṉ is in town. A wedding proposal: Should it not be in the works? Arrangements are in place for the wedding.


    
14. The elders fix the wedding date for tomorrow. It is intolerable to put it off. If the wedding is to happen today, exceeding joyousness is like the thirsty man drinking a large amount of water fast, and suffering a reflex cough and suffocation. That is why today’s wedding is called tomorrow’s wedding.
15. The celebration of the talking and agreeing upon the wedding between the parties takes place under a beautiful pandal with arecanut trees with spathes of flowers.
16. Kaṇṇaṉ brings with him a persona that exceeds the beauty of the Pandal. He displays strength and power which a lion may wish it had. He, who bears Periya Pirātti (Srī) on his chest (close to his heart), arrives.   
17. Govinda treats the cowherds and the cows with no
bhēdābhēdam (= bhēda-abhēdam = difference and non-difference), but with love and compassion.
18. This is one of the unique holy names of Kaṇṇaṉ. When Devendran tried to create an inundation from severe downpour causing untold miseries to the cowherds and the cows, Kaṇṇaṉ held the Govardhana hill aloft protecting the cows and the herders. (Gō-var-dhana-dhara = Cow- excellent-wealth-holder = Upholder of Govardhana hill = Krishna) It was a monumental event.

19. 'Govardhana Giridhāri Gopāla Krishna Murāri': We know these Bajanai songs. Kaṇṇaṉ. That Kaṇṇaṉ held the mountain up as an umbrella to protect all,  subdued Dēvēndraṉ’s arrogance. The latter immediately held a festival of coronation of Kaṇṇaṉ and honored him with a title ‘Govindaṉ.’
20. Bhagavatam treats expansively this festival as ‘Govinda Pattāpiṣēkam (coronation).’ The holy name Govindaṉ implies simplicity, compassion, and ability besides other like qualities.
21. Kaṇṇaṉ bearing such a holy name walked like a mighty bull. The next poem, as a continuation of the annihilation of Dēvēndraṉ’s egotism, talks about him and other festivals.
 

 22. Dēvēndraṉ and his retinue of Devas came together and concluded the betrothal of Āṇḍāḷ to wed Kaṇṇaṉ.

 23. 'There are many impediments to good deeds.’ For the removal of the obstacles, Mantras are chanted and a new sari is draped on the prospective bride.

24. At Krishna Avatara, Yashoda’s daughter Durga in the role of sister-in-law applies the wedding garland to Āṇḍāḷ.

25. Next, pure water from all four directions is brought in. The Vedic scholars and the Vedic practitioners sing Pallāṇḍu (benediction of longevity).

26. Kaṇṇaṉ, after taking ritual bath and wearing the wedding garland and the Pavitram (sacred thread) arrives in accordance to the injunctions of Śāstras. The priest ties a Kaṅkaṇam around his right wrist. Kaṅkaṇam = கங்கணம் =  string tied with a piece of turmeric to the right wrist of the bridegroom and the left wrist of the bride at the commencement of the wedding ceremonies: a religious vow.

27. Young damsels receive Kaṇṇaṉ with auspicious accouterments like Dīpam (lighted wicked lamp), Pūrṇakumbam (decorated waterpot with auspicious items like coconut, mango leaves, turmeric, kum-kum, sandal paste). Kaṇṇaṉ, the head of North Madurai, wearing sandals, came in making his immediate surroundings quake. (Kaṇṇaṉ is the Shaker and the Mover,  the Heavyweight with a lithe and a trim body and the God of gods.) Such were the dream sequence that Āṇḍāḷ had of Kaṇṇaṉ, with whom she held her hands.

 28. You want to know how it went?

 
29. The auspicious musical instruments like drums and conch continually sound under the canopy decorated with strings of pearls. The destroyer of Asuras like Madhu and the bearer of the auspicious name Madhusūdhaṉ came in and with wedding on his mind held my hand in his hand, says Āṇḍāḷ.
30. Āṇḍāḷ describes the festival of Kaittalam (= கைத்தலம் = kai-t-talam = Palm of the hand). She portrays also the latter events.
31. Nācciyār Tirumozhi is our received gift and treasure of grace and blessings: It is chockfull of rare poems purporting that the deity himself tells us tete-a-tete about Āṇḍāḷ’s own wedding. Because of the grace of Āṇḍāḷ and the compassion of Kaṇṇaṉ who sought and held Āṇḍāḷ’s hand, we will be blessed with a special and prosperous life. To have a superabundance of auspiciousness in our house, we will chant these poems of eulogy.
- தொடரும்... Will Continue.
 
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