Goda Devi – The Embodiment of Devotion
Goda Devi (Andal), the Embodiment of love and devotion, prays to Lord Krishna: ‘O! Sri Krishna! You are my mother, father, friend, and relative. You are everything to me. All my bonds are only with you. Not just in this life, but in all lives, I wish to have only your companionship.
Singing your name, speaking your words, gazing upon your beautiful form, I want you to fill my body, words, and mind completely. Ultimately, I wish to merge in you. I have no other desire beyond this, my Lord!’
With such a heart full of pure devotion and with her ‘madhura bhakti’, Goda Devi worshipped Lord Krishna with pure love and surrender. This passage highlights the deep devotion of Goda Devi towards Lord Ranganatha and how she chose the musical path of devotion (Gana Marga) to reach Him, ultimately guiding others as well.
Born of Goda Devi
Vishnuchitta was born in Sri Villiputtur, in the Sanctum of Vatapatra Sai. He found a baby, in the garden of Tulasi. He named her “Goda” – which means a garland.
Preparing Garlands for Lord
Goda used to prepare the garlands that her father carried to the temple to decorate the Lord. Once she prepared the garlands, she would try them on herself to make sure that they look beautiful and then used to give them to her father for an offering. Unaware of this, Vishnuchitta carried on offering them to the Lord.
One day, he found some hair in the garland. He realized the reason and was worried about the sacrilege committed. But that night the Lord appears in his dream and tells him that he prefers the ones worn by Goda.
Marrying Sri Ranganatha
Goda Devi, who adored Sri Ranganatha, chose the path of music among the nine forms of devotion to reach Him, not only attained liberation by herself but also led us towards it. Following the words of Lord Krishna, who declared, ‘Of all months, I am Margashira,’ she composed and sang the ‘Tiruppavai’ verses during the sacred month of Margashira and attained the ultimate state of union with the Divine.
Vishnuchitta brought her up in an environment of love and devotion towards the Lord. The intensity of her love and dedication towards the Lord grew so much that she decided to marry Sri Ranganatha, a form of Lord Vishnu.
When Andal was nubile, the Alwar began looking for a groom. But Andal insisted that she marries none other than Lord Ranganatha. Vishnuchitta takes Andal to Srirangam.
At the auspicious moment, the Lord marries Andal then she merges with the Lord.
Thus Goda became “Amuktamalyada” Mukta – worn and removed, mala – garland, da – one who gives.
Goda’s Marriage
Goda Kalyanam is performed in all Vishnu temples on Bhogi day with fervor and devotion, especially in the South.
Sri Krishnadevaraya, the famous king of the Vijayanagara empire (16th century) authored “Amuktamalyada”, a prabhanda, based on Goda Devi’s story.
He introduces the legends of Vishnuchitta, Yamunacharya, Khandikhya, and Kesidwaja to establish the philosophy of Vishistadvaita.
Verses written by Goda Devi
The verses written by Goda Devi are not just songs. They are like lamps of consciousness that awaken us to divine contemplation and the fulfilment of our duties. Each verse is like a drop of nectar. Just as the sweetness of a sugarcane stick increases with every bite, when we read each verse our minds gradually and unknowingly rest at the feet of the Supreme Being. Goda Devi composed these verses with such profound sweetness and devotion.
30 Verses – Total
The verses she composed are thirty in number.
First 5 Verses
Of these, the first five serve as introductions. These introductory verses highlight the importance of the Tiruppavai. In them, she explains that in offerings and worship to the Lord, grand displays are unnecessary and if there is purity of heart the Lord will be pleased. These verses also convey that through devotion and worship of the Lord, rains will fall abundantly, crops will grow in plenty, and the country will prosper with opulence and well-being.
Next 10 Verses
In the next ten verses, the scenes of Goda Devi, along with her companions, going to serve Sri Ranganatha are vividly described. These verses depict the beauty of nature, such as the chirping of birds, the blooming of flowers, the sound of small bells ringing in the temple, the cries of the calves calling ‘amba’ and the jingling of the bells around their necks. These enchanting and splendorous scenes of nature are beautifully portrayed in these verses.
From 15th to 20th
From the fifteenth to the twentieth verse, the focus is on Goda Devi and her companions visiting the temple, filled with details of this divine experience. In these verses, they offer Suprabhatham to Lord Ranganatha, urging Him to awaken from His sleep and rise to protect the world. These verses also include a prayer to Neela Devi, one of Lord Krishna’s eight wives, asking for Her blessings. The last nine verses completely proclaim divine play and surrender.
Without any personal desire, Goda Devi offers her heart entirely to Lord Ranganatha. In the final verse, she provides the ‘phalashruti’, stating that whoever sings these verses will surely receive the grace of the Lord. The pasurams are not filled with devotion alone. Goda Devi also displays unparalleled literary brilliance in her verses. She used rare similes that no poet before her had employed.
All of this reflects her profound scholarship. The verses are adorned with beauty in sound and poetic ornamentation, making them as sweet as nectar-like lumps of sugar.
In the pasuram that begins with “Ongi ulagalanda uttaman perpaadi / Naangal nam pavaykku chaatri neeradinal…,” Goda Devi reveals the ultimate purpose of literature. She prays to the Lord for the well-being of the world, asking that there should be three harvests in a year, that cows give abundant milk, that sufficient rain should fall, and that the word ‘lack’ should never be heard anywhere. She prays: “O! Lord! Kindly take care of this world with Your grace.” The experts in literary theory have said, ‘Sahitasya bhaavam saahityam.’ True literature promotes the welfare of society.
Incarnations of the Lord
By expressing her desire for the prosperity and welfare of society through her literature, Goda Devi manifests as an embodiment of ideal literary excellence. In this pasuram, Goda Devi also reveals the profound meaning behind the incarnations of the Lord, whether it was as
- Matsya (the Fish),
- Kurma (the Tortoise),
- Adi Varaha (the Divine Boar),
- Narasimha (the Man-Lion), or the perfect human being as Lord Rama or Lord Krishna.
The concept of the Lord’s omnipresence is reflected in this verse. Goda Devi explicitly declares that all living beings are manifestations of the divine incarnations of the Supreme Being.
In the pasuram that begins with “Notru chchhuvarkam puhiginaravammanay / Maatramum thaaraaro vaashal thiravaadar…,” Goda Devi awakens Neela Devi. She also awakens our minds, which are ensnared by the illusion of ignorance represented by Neela Devi. She questions, “Did Kumbhakarna, who lost to you in sleep, give you his sleep as a tax in return for his possessions? Now, Neela Devi, please awaken!” She urges the ‘gopikas,’ whose senses are inactive and whose minds are focused solely on the Lord, to awaken from their slumber. This is the surface meaning of the verse.
It also conveys the underlying message that only by dispelling the illusion that binds our minds, we can truly reach the Lord. Wealth, which binds a person is an illusion and it fosters pride and jealousy, which is an enemy known as ‘sampada’. Excessive wealth distances a person from the Lord. Wealth should never lead one away from serving the Lord.
Goda Devi, through her metaphor of awakening a wealthy ‘gopika,’ imparts this wisdom to all of us, asserting that self awareness is the key to this path. The verse “Kaneththilam katreerumai kanrukki ranghi / Ninaiththum ulaithu valiye ninru paal shora…” serves as an example of this teaching.
Kancherla Gopanna also cautions in his Dasarathi Satakam: “When one is engrossed in wealth and forgets the essence of devotion, one loses sight of the Divine.” Goda Devi reflects this same philosophical outlook in her teachings. Throughout her verses, Goda Devi does not advocate for mere renunciation or a detached view of the world. Instead, she urges us to discern what is good and what is bad, advising us to take guidance from the great sages.
This message is reflected in the verse “Keel vaanam vellenu erumai shiruveedu / Mey vaan parandhanakaan mikkulla pillaigalum…”
Goda Devi emphasizes the urgency of devotion to the Lord, warning that even a moment of negligence can diminish our spiritual practice. If we surrender ourselves at the feet of the Lord, He will personally protect us, show us compassion, and ultimately incorporate us into Himself.
In the pasuram that begins with “Keeshu Keeshunrejnumaanai chaatta kalandu / Peshina pechcharavum kettilaiyo! Peyy penne!” the beauty of nature is depicted in a vivid manner wonderfully. The sounds made by Bharadwaja birds, the jingling of bangles on the hands of the gopikas, the auspicious sounds of ‘mangalsutras,’and the fields covered like a snow blanket are all described beautifully. In this verse, Goda Devi awakens the gopika living in such a beautiful village for the service of the Supreme Being.
Even if one lives in a village or lies on a cotton mat, it is only through serving the Supreme Being that one can find meaning in life. In this pasuram, Goda Devi also proclaims the philosophy of Sri Annamayya, which states, “A rich brahmin and a ‘chandala’ both reside on the same earth.” Overall, the Tiruppavai verses serve as vehicles that lead the soul to the presence of the Supreme Being.
They illuminate the path from Saguna Upasana (worship of the Lord with attributes) to Nirguna Upasana (worship of the formless aspect of the Divine). Ultimately, they are the steps that lead one to the supreme state of liberation known as ‘Sri Kaivalya Padam.’ This translation highlights how Goda Devi emphasizes the universal accessibility of divine service and how her verses guide the soul toward ultimate liberation and the realization of the Divine.
Goda Devi’s devotion belongs to a sweet and unique form of devotion, where she considers the Divine as her husband. The devotion of the Gopikas is filled with ‘rasa’ (aesthetic essence) and one of these ‘rasas’ is ‘shringara’ (romantic love). However, the relationship between husband and wife is not to be confused with ordinary ‘shringara rasa’ rather, it is a form of ‘bhakti rasa (the essence of devotion).
The love towards Lord Narayana (the Supreme Lord) is a pure and divine love, not akin to the worldly notion of desire. Just as a chaste woman constantly remains focussed on her husband, and just as a loving husband remains pure in his affection towards his devoted wife, this love towards the Divine is free from any trace of lust or worldly passion.
It is an extraordinary experience where the individual soul (Jivatma) merges with the Supreme Soul (Paramatma) in a sense of unity, as husband and wife become one. In the spiritual realm, the distinctions we make between men and women do not apply. In front of the Supreme Being, all souls are considered feminine, and the Lord, as Purushottama (the Supreme Being), is the ultimate husband of all souls.
Goda Devi teaches that we must adopt the attitude of the ‘gopikas’, who viewed themselves as brides seeking union with their beloved Lord Vishnu, thereby following the path of devotion through the mood of a wife.
This deep sense of devotion and surrender is the essence conveyed in the Tiruppavai, where the devotees are symbolically shown as merging with Lord Vishnu through the observance of a sacred vow. The verses of the Tiruppavai overflow with this sweet sentiment of surrender and love. Goda Devi, through her teachings and practices, has shown the path of knowledge (Jnana) and the pursuit of this divine vow.
Through her verses and conduct, Goda Devi offers a profound message to the current generation, especially to the youth. From Goda Devi, young people should take inspiration for good behaviour, humility, devotion to God, pure love free from selfishness, affection towards others, respect for culture and tradition, and a sincere desire to practice them.
Conclusion
The life of Goda Devi exemplifies a disciplined way of living, and her faith and devotion to God are reflected in the deeper meanings of the Dhanurmasa ‘vrata’ (sacred vow). Young people today should understand and embody these qualities. By understanding the inner meaning of the ‘pasurams’ and applying them in their lives, the youth can avoid many pitfalls and negative situations with ease.
