- Tiruppavai 22
Transliteration of Goda’s 22nd Pashuram
Angan maagnaalaththara sar abhimaana
Bangamaai vandhu nin palli-k-kattil keezhay
Sangam iruppaar pol vandu thalaip-peydom
Kinkini vaai seidha thaamarai poo-p-poley
Sengansiru-ch-chiridhey emmel vizhiyaavo!
Thingalum aadhityanum ezhundaar pol
Angandirandum kondu engal mel nokkudiyel
Yengal mel shaapam nirande-elor empaavaai
Translation from Tamil
Under Your Umbrella & Feet, We,
Kings of Large Earth Gathered
Shedding Ego, crowding around You!
Give a glance like ankle trinket, blooming lotus
With Eyes of Sun & Moon, at a time
Gradual, little and little, beautiful opening
Wash off our sins and curses. Girls sans vanity
Look at and listen to, consider and bless.
British believed that Sun will never set in their dynasty. Hitler thought he could win whole of the world. Alexander was confident of winning entire Globe. Where are they? Only three have shown no desire for kingdom and dynasty – Rama, Bharatha and Siddharth among our Indian traditional historical stories. No king will step down easily. They have to be pulled down with force.
Bhakta Pothana in Goda’s song
When Naryana comes in the guise of a Brahmin boy seeking Biksha, Guru Shukra warns King Bali not to give anything to Him. But Bali says many kings come and go. They will not take the wealth with them to a different world… I will give and retain permanent place in the history. A small king slaps sedition case against Bhaktha Pothana for not dedicating his Bhagavatham to him. None knows who that king was. Pothana remained eternal. Any king who slaps false cases on knowledge and education or art and poetry with heavy Egos will not remain forever.
Also Read : Govinda, who lifts Goverdhan as an umbrella
If a king thinks that it was his achievement, God will not bother. As long as it is comfortable, King will enjoy his pride. Once the fall starts, God will just watch the fall of that King along with things around him. If King thinks that it was given for a purpose and he has to do service, he will not have any problems.
Annamayya had similar experience when he joined the royal court. They were happy when they left those egoist rulers. All those kings of big dynasties realised futility of their royalty, shed their egos and came under your feet, umbrella and refuge. Goda and Gopikas tell Krishna: We also shed our love or pride for our bodies and came like them to seek Your refuge.
We seek your kind blessings, please see us gradually opening Your kind eyes. If you open the eyes totally all of a sudden, we cannot bear it. Like a lotus slowly opening its lids, like Sirimuvva half open, with a small ball inside, please present your cool looks. Your eyes are like Sun and Moon- they are hot and burning for the enemies and cool for devotees like us. With the effect of your generous blissful looks all our curses Shaap will be burnt and that is the real purpose of our Vratam.
Also Read : Replace Ego with Namah to Experience Bliss of Paramaatma
Brahma or Ant, Ego is sure
Smallest ant and the Brahma will have Ego in their proportions. Ant thinks great and feels everything created is by her and for her. Even Brahma has to struggle for Moksha. Brahma thinks that it was his energy and effort by which he created this entire universe. He has to shed all these feelings and surrender all to Him to achieve the liberation. A simple man who has nothing can gain the liberation with greater ease, unlike Brahma. If one thinks all is given by Him and I had no role, has no issues to worry. He has nothing to give or do. God stands by him. One who leaves everything without abandoning his duties, is doing real Saranagati, and God takes care of him. For ant it is easy to get Mokhsa.
Kingdom goes, Pride remains
After ruling and enjoying the pleasures of Royal life, a king lost all the wealth and found it very difficult to have food twice in a day. Though kingdom is lost, ego remained. He felt ashamed to beg in the day time fearing that people might identify him. Thus he picked up a piece of pot and started begging in the night. While he walking under the extended roofs of houses to avoid someone identifying him, he stepped on a dog which just gave birth to puppies. It has bitten the former King. Crying, the King dropped the pot making big noise. People around came out with lamps to find it was the King. His pride affected again. You get ego when you get kingdom. Kingdom goes but not the pride. You try to hide the pride, gets disappointed, depressed and defeated. Desire for kingdom is a disease, for which you do not hesitate to lose wife, brothers and friends, and there is no medicine. Kingdom destroys your knowledge about yourself. Surrender to Him, shedding ego, says Nammalwar.
The women generally feel to go to men on their own. They have shed such feelings and reached out Sri Krishna. And they said, we came like those kings who surrendered you at your bedside, near your feet.
Also Read : Neela is the Deepa Rekha of Sri Krishna
Bharatha never desired Kingdom. He was not interested in it. Once Kaikeyi called Rajan. He could not tolerate and fell unconscious. Guha suspected him and so was Bharadwaja, when he went to Rama in forests. He had pains of explaining them about his disinterest in kingdom and intention to bring him back to Ayodhya. Lakshman never felt any need to explain to anyone. Because he has great nidhi with him that is His sannidhi. He is nearer Rama, serving him and enjoying it.
Why Jaya, Vijaya stopped Sanaka brothers?
Gopikas wanted Krishna to open His eyes and spread his blissful looks gradually opening. They say, if he suddenly opens, they may not bear it. The door keepers of Vishnu in Vaikuntham, prevent Sanaka and Sananda brothers to entre to avoid the powerful first looks of Vishnu when he is awaken from the Yoga Nidra. Gopikas are like the field starved of water. They need small shower and not heavy rain. His lotus eyes pink in color, like love, have half opened, like ankle’s trinket. Krishna’s eyes are like Sun and Moon. His fiery looks are supposed to punish those who prevent people from reaching Him. And His cool looks would bless the devotees reached Him. Even then, Goda thinks it is not proper to compare the eyes of Krishna with Sun and Moon who are eclipsed frequently. She concludes finally, His eyes can be compared with His eyes only.
Also Read : Neela Devi mediates between Jeeva and Paramatma
God gets angry when jeeva’s approach him after committing several wrongs. He will not open eyes fully. Neela keeps a hand on Him and pleads for generosity, then He opens the eyes. His eyes gets closed as Jeeva commits mistakes. Jeevi has to have a strong desire for His blessings, and that effort forms basis for Neela’s recommendation and finally the blessings of god.
Ananya Gathi
Gopikas says we have no other alternative to pusue. You are the only way for our salvation. We are not fighting with you or with any other. Kings were defeated in wars. Sometimes they were defeated by your arrows. We are defeated by your glory. We may not need any Jnani to guide us. We are Ajnaani’s. We are lucky enough to reach your feet. We cannot go anywhere. Vibheeshana who left Ravana when he kicked him out, did not even visited family to take them along. He flew with here of his followers to Rama’s camp on this side of ocean. He stood in sky and wanted to visit Rama. He says even if Rama does not accept him, he cannot go back and had no other go. It is called Ananya Gathi, lack of alternative route.
Also Read : Nanda -Acharya, Yashoda – Mantra and Krishna – the Mantrartha
How you benefit if I look at you, asked Krishna. They say: we will be relieved of the pangs of separation from you. Separation from you is an inevitable curse.
Also Read : Cross the doors of diversion, to reach goal