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

18 Goda's Garland of Devotion
This debate that helped Vishnuchitta to establish the supre-
macy of Narayana tattva in the Pandyan court certainly gave a
great fillip to Vaishnavism. Vallabhadeva and his queen, Bhu-
sundari, taught their son Paranthagan Nedunsadayan to revere
the Vaishnavas. The edicts refer to him as a 'Parama Vaishnava'.
In general, Pandyan kings were Saivite while Pallava kings adhered
to Vaishnavism. M. Raghava Iyengar feels that the word "having
become" (taanaagi) indicates wonder even on the part of the com-
poser of the edict. Vishnuchitta was no doubt the cause of such a
conversion in the Pandyan dynasty, and this caused wide wonder-
ment. Again, the Sivaramangalam sasana speaks of Nedunsadayan
as "one who ever praises his preceptor as per the path limned by
Manu", and the preceptor here was certainly Vishnuchitta. It is
appropriate that Krishnadeva Raya should choose this seminal
event in South Indian religious history for his epic, for he was a
staunch believer in Vaishnavism.
That it is Narayana alone who can give Moksha is the firm
belief of Vishnuchitta. Krishnadeva Raya found Goda Devi arti-
culating this truth in the very first verse of Tiruppavai. Vishnuchitta
may have needed the aid of Brahma Sutras, the Taittiriya and
Chandogya, and the entire puranic lore to prove Narayana's
supremacy. But Goda Devi needs only an innocent, child-like faith,
the crystalline faith exhibited by the unlettered, inexperienced
little girls of Gokula:
Auspicious with a lustrous moon
Dawns the month of Margazhi.
And so hurry up, you bejewelled girls,
Bright youngsters of wealthy Ayarpadi (Gokula),
Those of you who desire an early morning bath,
For, the son of sharp-speared Nandagopa,
The lion-cub child of pretty-eyed Yasoda,
Incarnation of Lord Narayana
Will be granting us the season's boons
Worthy of the world's approbation.¹
Narayanane! Narayana alone can give Moksha! As the
Narayana Sukta affirms:

1. Translated by R. Bangaruswami.