आमुक्तमाल्यदा (विजयनगर सम्राट् श्रीकृष्णदेवराय - गोदा देवी आण्डाल भक्ति एवं साम्राज्य-नीति)

Vishnuchitta 13
As lightning in a dark night, such wisdom makes the King
think of the perils on life's path, and how he had been wasting pre-
cious time pursuing temporal pleasures. This body is as permanent
as a water bubble (budbudha pratimamu)! Time, like the ship, carries
us across life without our realising any movement when we are
seated within. The six emperors (Sagara, Nala, Pururavas, Haris-
chandra, Purukutsa and Karthavirya) ruled the entire earth;
where are they now? What happened to the great Kings like Gaja,
Prithu, Sasibindu, Rantideva and others?
"Therefore shall I reject kingly pleasures that are as im-
permanent as the lightning; I shall no more be a slave to the
senses; henceforth my aim will be the happiness Beyond.
I shall be on the look out for a Teacher who can show me the
way".
After presenting the Brahmin a bag of gold for having helped
him take the first step to Moksha, Vallabhadeva returns to the
palace.
The very next day the King's courtiers were summoned and
the eternal question was placed before them. Which God can assure
us Moksha? The King offered a bag of gold coins fresh from the
mint, bright like the yellow blossoms of beerakai (sponge gourd).
Those were the days when no dry secularism was preached in the
name of peace. Man needs his religion as a sustenance to the spirit.
This need was recognised and various religions co-existed happily
enough. The King's query brought forth immediate responses,
and the court was confounded: Siva, Shakti, Indra, Agni, Surya,
Vighneswara, Chandra and Brahma were all put forward as the
Divine Power solely capable of granting Release. At this juncture
Krishnadeva Raya abruptly takes us back to Villipputtur.
In the traditional account of the episode we have the chief
priest of Vallabhadeva as the catalytic agent who gets Vishnu-
chitta to Madura. Selva Nambi finds the King depressed in the
court and tells him that the time is come to get a healer. "Who can
minister unto the sick soul?" asks the King. "The physician will
come if we organise a conference of scholars". "But a realised soul
may not care to come to the royal court", says the King. "Not so",
replies Selva Nambi. "Your devotion and sincerity will draw a