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

24 Goda's Garland of Devotion
by the poet. The music of divine singers like Narada is likened to
the buzz of the bees accompanying a rain of flowers. The All-
Beautiful is here! exclaims Vishnuchitta to himself. Had he not
with his poetic imagination brought up Krishna from his birth?
Maternal love seeks to enfold the supernal figure in terms of a
guardian charm, lest ‘evil eyes’ be cast upon his child, his beloved,
his everything! Vishnuchitta takes up the small brass bells hanging
from the sides of the elephant and, striking them, recites a ‘guar-
dian verse’ that has since become the opening decad of the Divya
Prabandham.
The ten verses of Tiru-p-pallandu sung by Vishnuchitta when
he had the vision of the Lord after winning the court contest is a
mangalāsāsana in the style of ‘Jaya Vijayi Bhava!’ Can a human
being dare to bless the divine? But is there any difference in status
between the human and the divine, when the reality is but one
vast stretch of Ananda consciousness?
“For many years, and everlasting years, and many thou-
sands of years, and crores of hundreds of thousands of years,
let thine red feet's beauty be protected! O Lord of emerald-
blue hue who have shoulders that vanquished the wrestlers!”¹
Vishnuchitta then goes on to ‘bless’ Lakshmi Devi, and the
union of the Lord’s devotees; the Sudarshana; and the Pancha-
janya. To the people around him: “If you wish to be in the Lord's
service, join us. If your aim is material benefit, go away. If you
wish to join us, hurry and recite loudly the Ashtakshara. You who
have decided to be with us, forget all other desires except contem-
plating upon this vision Divine. I belong to a family that has been
in the Lord's service for ten generations. We carry the impress of the
victorious Sudarshana. I bow to the Lord who has given me ghee-
rich food, servitude, betel leaves, necklace, ear-rings and sandal
paste, and raised me to Ananda consciousness. Wearing the gar-
ment shed by you, eating your prasada, and decorating ourselves
with the flowers used by you, we will fulfil your commands. The
moment we announced our servitude to you, our clan has found
the Greater Life! O Lord! I shall continue to bless you”.
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1. Translated by K. C. Varadachari.