Tanian 1

Parashar bhattar had unfathomable love for Goda Devi and the Thirupavai. He says that if someone doesn’t study the Thirupavai at least once, then their life is wasted. He wrote following taninan in glorification of Anadal.

nīḷātuṅga-stana giritaṭī suptam udbodhya kṛṣṇam

pārārthyaṃ svaṃ śruti śataśira˙ siddham adhyāpayantī |

svocchiṣṭāyāṃ sraji nigalitaṃ yā balātkṛtya bhuṅkte

godā tasyai nama idam-idam bhūya evāstu bhūyaḥ ||

LITERAL MEANING:

I offer my obeisance again and again to Goddess Āṇḍāḷ, to her and her alone, to the one who has awakened Lord Krishna sleeping on the mountain-like lofty breasts of Goddess Nīla, to Āṇḍāḷ who has informed him of her total dependence on him in accordance with the hundreds of Vedāntic texts, to Āṇḍāḷ who robustly enjoys Him, after binding him with the garlands that she had first worn.

Goda did 3 activities:

1) nilatungstan giritati supuddhodya Krishna:

She wakes up Krishna, who woke up everything and everyone. She wakes up the lord who created a lotus which gave birth to Brahma. When aatmas were lying like insentient beings during the great dissolution, he gave them bodies and senses. Goda wakes up such lord. This is her greatness. Nila devi puts him in sleep but Goda devi awakens him.

Parashar bhattar is called ‘Sringaar chakravarti’.

Why had Krishna slept?

He tried to preach and put jeevatmas in line but no one was ready to listen. Finally he got someone who pretended to be shishya but was not really a shishya (Arjun). Seeing all this, he went to sleep. Nila is ‘shyaam varna’ and Krishna too is likewise. He found some place and slept, hiding himself in the bosoms of Nila.

2) pararthyam swam shrutishat shirsasiddhmadhyyapayanti:

She gave lessons to Krishna. “You are sleeping my Lord. For what purpose have you taken avatar? These (jeevatmas) are our children, they make mistakes. Does a mother get upset with child? Wake up my Lord. Take care of them.”

 Protecting Jeevatmas is Bhagwaan’s essential nature. If Sun stops giving light, can it be called Sun? Lord’s pararthyam is to protect his devotees.

Our Pararathyam is to serve him.

Bhagwaan taught lessons to the world but Goda devi taught lessons to Krishna. What?!. About the pararthyam of both jeevatmas and parmatma.

Shrutisar shirah:

Upanishads, the main ones among the four parts of Vedas; called head of the Vedas.

They are talking about: Pararthyam (I don’t belong to myself but I am Bhagwan’s property, and whatever I have belongs to bhagwaan.) Bhagwaan too has pararthyam and Partantriyam. We are for his sake and he is for our sake.

Rivers flow, wind blows around, tree gives fruits, sun glows- all for others. Similar is with us and Bhagwaan.

The Mother plays a pivotal role between father and us.

3) swochchhistayam sraji niglitam ya balaatkritya bhunkte:

The one who offered garland dipped with her love and which bound Bhagwaan, not unlike like how a mad elephant is bound by a rope. She offered her uchchhistam (Swa-uchchhistam) of garlands and got his mercy forcefully.

Is it ok to offer uchchhistam to Lord? We should not even smell the food or flowers before offering it to perumal.

We all offer uchchhistam in one form. We do naam-sankirtan, and offer the names to Perumal to him. Before offering the names, we enjoy and relish it inside our mind and then offer names (Keshvaay namah) full of bhavana.  We offer uchchhistam to eat as well e.g Honey. But yet we say 100% pure honey although it is uchchhistam of Honey-bees. Same goes with Silk and Silk-worms.

Goda-devi taught us that let this be dedicated to him like she did. Take names of Narayana, relish it and offer the uchchhistam.

She offered 2 uchchhistams

1. Pamalai: Garland of Songs

2. pumaalai: Garland of Flowers

She offered 3 garlands

1) Flower garland

2) Songs garland

3) Her own self

godā tasyai nama idam-idam bhūya evāstu bhūyaḥ ||  

I bow down again and again to such Goda. I dedicate myself to her again and again.