Bhakti List Archives

GodhA Sthuthi: Part XII (SlOkams 14,15,16)

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • Mon Jul 31 2000 - 04:57:47 PDT 


NamO Narayanaa !

SlOkam 14:

The theme of this slOkam is about the recognition
of the superiority of the Godhai's flower garland over
Vyjayanthi maalai . The honey bees , the experts
on fragrance make their selection and announce
the victor .

Thavth Bhuktha maalya SurabhIkrutha ChArumouLE
   hithvA bhujAnathara gathAmapi VyjayanthIm
pathyus tavEswari mitha: prathighAtha lOlA:
   BharhAtha pathra ruchim aarachayanthi bhrungA: 

(Meaning): Oh IsvarI , who controls the Lord , 
who Himself controls the entire world ! Oh ANDvanai 
aaLum ANDALE ! Your Lord has the famous , never fading
vana maalai known as VyjayanthI on his shoulders
and chest .The divine fragrance of that garland
attracts the honey bees.They hover around there . 

At this time of morning , Your father brings
the flower garland , which was worn earlier on 
Your tresses and presents it to the Lord. Your 
Lord bends His neck , receives it and wears that 
special garland with the  sambhandham of Your kesam 
on His head as Kesavan. Immediately , there is
a big rushing by the bees from VyjayanthI maalai
to the garland of Yours on the head of the Lord.
They jostle each other to get there first 
and circle around and thus form a black 
umbrella as it were over the head of the Lord. 
The honey bees seem to vote to indicate
the superiority of Your garland over that 
of the VyjayanthI maalai from their
expert perspective .

The commentators have pointed out that Swamy
Desikan refers here to the Vratham observed
by  a  bride groom with umbrella and flower
garland during one phase of His wedding 
before PaaNigrahanam.

SlOkam 15:
**********

Swamy Desikan continues with the theme of 
Vyjayanthi maalai having a status lower than
that of the flower garland with the dEha-
sambhandham of the garland with Godhai.

aamOdhavathyapi sadhA hrudhayangamAapi
  rAgAnvithAapi laLithAapi guNOttharAapi
MouLisrajA tava Mukhundha kirIDabhAjA
  GodhE! bhavathyadharithA khalu VaijayanthI

(meaning): Oh GodhE! The famous garland Vyjayanthi
worn by Your Lord is indeed full of fragrance.
It is desired by Him and hence given a prominent
place on His chest. It is indeed constructed from
tender forest flowers, which never fade.Inspite of
all thse glories , it is worn on the chest and not on
Your Lord's head over His KirItam (Thiru AbhishEkam). 
The garland that You wore and presented to the Lord is
accepted by Him with joy and worn with love 
on His KiriTam (sarvEsvara Chinnam ) to demonstrate
Your garland's superiority over Vyjayanathi maalai.
Your Lord's respect by wearing the garland worn 
by You earlier at a high place (over His crown) 
indicates His affection and reverence for it
over the Vyjayanathi maalai.

Swami Desikan uses five " api" sabdham to
decribe the special attributes of Vyajayanthi
Maalai here to build up the climax to declare how
Godhai's SooDikkoduttha Maalai won over it in
status. He says "What if (api) Vyjayanthi Maalai has 
splendid fragrance (aamOdhavathI api), What if 
it is worn with desire on the chest (HrudhayangamA
api) , What if it has the color of love/red)
(raaga anvithA api), What if it is tender (laLithA api), 
What if it has few more special favorable 
attributes (guNa UttharA api) , Vyjayanathi 
Maalai is not worn on His crown by the Lord.
That superior position is reserved for 
the SoodikkoDuttha Maalai of Godhai. 

SlOkam 16:
**********
Here , Swami Desikan describes how the honey bees 
served during the svayamvaram of ANDAL through
their kaimkaryam of playing the MangaLa Vaadhyams.

thvanmouLi dhAmani VibhO: sirasA gruhIthE
  savcchandha kalpitha sapeethi rasa pramOdha:
manjusvanA madhulihO vidhadhu: svayam tE
  svAyamvaram kamapi MangaLathoorya GhOsham

The auspicious sounds of MangaLa Vaadhyams 
associated with the wedding of Godhai are 
visualized here by Swami Desikan.

(Meaning): Oh GodhE! Your Lord wears with
relish Your sooDikkoduttha Maalai on His 
crown. The honey bees are attracted by 
the divine fragrance of the Maalai and 
gleefully enter the garland and drink 
the honey to their heart's content. Their joy 
over that lusty feat rises and comes out
in the form of sweet reenkAram. Those sounds
appear like the MangaLa Vaadhya GhOsham 
raised especially for Your svayamvaram.

In the previous slOkam , the svayamvara mahOthsavam
was concluded.The next step is VivAham 
sealed by PaaNigruhaNam. At that time, Mangala
Vaadhyams ( Ghetti mELam ) has to sound and
naadhasvaram has to play. Swami Desikan suggests
that important aspect of generating the auspicious
sounds form MangaLa Vaadhyams is taken care of by 
the elated honey bees.

SevA SwamigaL connects the thought of Svayamvaram
with Vedic rk and EmperumAnAr's mangaLAsAsanam based on
that manthram :

yamEvai Yesha vruNuthE --Vedam

Priyatama yEva hi VaraNIyO Bhavathi ,
yasyAm niradhisaya Priya:-- EmperumAnAr 

ANDAL chooses Lord RanganAthA as Her Lord
in this context.

Seva SwamigaL has a wonderful group of
words to describe the Kaimkaryam of 
the Bramarams (Honey Bees ) taking part
without distraction/confusion ( bhramamam ) 
in a joyous mood (sambramaram ) :

" BramarangaL  brahmamillAmal sambramatthODu
seytha Sevai ithu ".

Seva SwamigaL also points out that 
the commentators have identified the two
words (ManjusvanA and MadhulihO ) used 
by Swami Desikan in the third paadham
of this slOkam refer to NammAzhwAr and other
AzhwArs , who raised MangaLa thUrya GhOsham
thru their prabhandhams.

May we enjoy this svayamvara MahOthsavam
and the MangaLa thUrya GhOsham , 

AdiyEn , Oppiliappan Koil Satakopan
ANDAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam .


  
     
     


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