WHEN THE Bhakti Movement initiated by Poygaiazhwar, Bhoodathazhwar and Peyazhwar had begun to sustain the common man who had been confounded by many religions all of which pampered the priestly middlemen and indulged in soulless ritualism, Tamil literature grew wings as well. The Azhwars experimented with many prosodic variations. Equally rich was the Azhwars' contribution to the genres. Dandakams, Madal, Thoothu and Tiru-palli-ezhuchi are some of them. The most important was their use of bridal mysticism.
Though prayers are aplenty in Vedic Sanskrit literature and the literature of the classical age, no one had tried to approach the Lord as the Eternal Bridegroom, conceiving the individual soul as the bride. When the Azhwars began writing mystic prayers to the Supreme in "Illuminating Tamil" (Gnana-Tamizh), they absorbed the genres of ancient Tamil literature with effortless ease. Sangham poetry used the love between man and woman as the appropriate metaphor for what happens in the inner recesses of the mind.
The Azhwars borrowed the idea to explain to their listeners the aspirations of the individual soul eager to join the Supreme, the mystic moments of togetherness between man and God and the unbearable consequences of separation that torture the individual. Nature is also drawn in, to help in this process. The gift of such bridal mysticism by Tamil Azhwars spread all over India, and even the stately Sanskrit language has been tuned to the wavy movements of a creeper in Jayadeva's "Gita Govindam".
Though Tirumangai Azhwar and Nammazhwar have made sure approaches to God taking on the voice of a young girl, it is Goda Devi's poems that are cited as the height of bridal mysticism. Peria Achan Pillai says that because Goda Devi was a woman, such longing for her Lord gushed forth. Born under the Pooram star in the month of Adi, and raised in the house of the great devotional poet, Periazhwar, devotional diction became almost second nature to her. She sang, and the thoughts swirled around in perfect prosody. Hence, her poems mark the beginning of bridal mysticism in India's sacred literature.
Goda Devi's verses in this genre are utterly natural. The 10 verses in the Ninth decad located in Tirumaliruncholai (near Madurai) are enough to show the fire of aspiration is burning in the depths of Goda Devi's heart. Yet she is consumed by this fire of divine love. It is the rainy season on the hills which has made the atmosphere cool but the aspirant's heart continues to be a burning brazier. The instinctive love for all creations is turned into Nature poetry by Goda Devi.
There are subtle changes in the thought-currents of Goda Devi. "Isn't there a certain friendliness in the smile of dark ironwood blossoms and Kuruvilai flowers? For these are dark-skinned, like the Lord's complexion." So she speaks to them. "The Lord has as good as stolen her bangles. She has grown thin pining for his presence, and the wrists can retain the bangles no more. Perhaps these friendly flowers can suggest a way to arrest this rapid decline." There is no answer except that the flowers are dancing in the breeze. How can they be so cruel?
There is a direct prayer — an attempt to make a personal approach — a familiar ploy of taking a vow for the flow of Grace. So Goda Devi spells out a promise:
"A hundred pots of butter; A hundred pitchers of sweet pudding;
Such is my promise to Tirumaliruncholai Lord; Will he come and accept this offering of mine? If only the Lord comes here today; Receives my gift and enters my heart; I promise lakhs of such pitchers; And eternal servitude at his feet."
The promise of eternal servitude (aahum seyyan) is an indication of the symbolic significance of the offering. It is not Moksha that Goda Devi wants. Her goal is Kainkarya, an unbroken closeness to the Lord. It is the same ideal that prompted Lakshmana to give up the comforts of regal living, and his bride Urmila. Eternal servitude to the Lord is symbolised by Adisesha who is a throne, a bed and an umbrella to Narayana. It is said that Sri Ramanuja (considered an avatar of Adisesha-Lakshmana) recognised the aspiration behind these two verses of Goda Devi. Of course she had had no time to fulfil her vow as she merged with the Lord the moment she came face to face with Him in the Srirangam temple. On her behalf, Ramanuja offered hundreds of pots of butter and sweet pudding to the Lord. Hagiology assures us that the next time he went to Srivilliputtur, Goda Devi's voice called out to him. "Come, come, elder brother." Since then, devotees have always considered her to be the younger sister of Sri Ramanuja.
PREMA NANDAKUMAR
Article Source : http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2003/08/01/stories/2003080101480600.htm
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