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

have pointed out that the very mention of Lakshmi’s necklace
(Sri kamaneeya haara mani chennugan) is a reference to the theme, which
is about the garland of Goda Devi that was accepted and worn by
the Lord with pleasure; and that the choice of the utpalamala metre
for the opening verse is, again, an indication of the central plot.
Next come nobly articulated prayers to Anantha, Garuda,
Vishwaksena, Sudarsana, Pānchajanya, Kowmödaki, Sārnga
and Nandaki. Himself a soldier of repute, Krishnadeva Raya must
have felt specially elated inditing these verses that are associated
with guarding the devotees of the Lord. The description of the
divine conch was surely inspired by Goda Devi. Thus Krishnadeva
Raya:
As He blew the conch, the bees on the lotus
Moved in droves towards the Pānchajanya,
Attracted by the scented breath of the Lord.
It seemed as if the dark lives of demons
Ever bogged down in the mud of evil
Were being drawn away by the Maker;
Brilliant as the full moon at night,
This conch gives us all prosperity illimitable.
It may be recalled here that, after dreaming about her wedding
with Ranganatha in her Nāchiyār Tirumozhi, Goda Devi’s first
thought was for the Pānchajanya. The conch means music, romance,
loveliness, and a constant association with the Lord. Her decad
on the divine conch also begins with the scented breath of the
Lord, as Krishnadeva Raya’s tadaasya maaruta sugandha:
Is camphor as scented? the lotus?
Or the lips of the Lord? Tell me, white conch.
I wish to enjoy the Lord’s breath
Which is sweet and scented as well.
This Pānchajanya was born in the sea, nurtured by Asura
Panchajana, and wrested from him by Krishna who wished to
unleash terror upon the ranks of the demons. It shines like the full
moon in autumn, risen from the sea to the top of the Udaya Hill
(cf. Krishnadeva Raya’s raaka nisaakara gauradhyuti). Having gained
a firm seat in the Lord’s raised hand, the conch spends its time in
earnest converse with Him. Besides, it is ever alive due to the breath
of the Lord Himself. Does this not make it superior to every other

Preamble 3
thing in creation? To be breathing all the time in that stream of
Grace! The Pāñchajanya is seen resting in the Lord's hand like
a white swan on a red lotus. How very, very lucky! No wonder,
all the devotees of the Lord are quite jealous of this proximity
achieved by a mere ocean-born shell.
Goda Devi has then a brilliant idea. She tells the conch that,
as the philosophy of Vaishnavism calls for helping fellow aspirants
and approaching the Divine as a group of sadhaks, the conch should
help them in this co-operative endeavour to attain divine conscious-
ness. The Margasirsa vrata is meant for such a shivir, a camp of
devotees pitched in human time aspiring for the Lord's Grace.
Krishnadeva Raya is certain of the conch's generosity of under-
standing as a mediator. The Pāñchajanya will grant us prosperity
illimitable: kalyāna saakalyamun osangun.
Before passing on to the context which prompted the creation
of the epic Āmukta Mālyada, Krishnadeva Raya bows in deep devo-
tion at the feet of the twelve Alwars who indited the hymns of the
Divya Prabhandham, thereby ushering in a wonderful Hindu renais-
sance. The bhakti waves generated by the Alwars of Tamil Nadu
were to engulf the entire Indian sub-continent, and in the course
of several centuries blossom forth as Mira Bai, Kabir, Raidas,
Surdas, Tulsidas, Jayadeva, Vidyapati and Guru Nanak. This
world of bhakti is totally sattwik. Indeed, we enter the zone of
absolute happiness and calm in the world of Alwars' poetry.
As the king contemplates upon the life-giving cool springs
of poesy in the Divya Prabhandham, he realises that the Alwar-
heart is a living temple of Narayana. Has not Nammalwar repeat-
edly said: "He has come and occupied my heart"? Why has He
done so? Krishnadeva Raya has a charming explanation:
As if to be rid of the heat received
When living at the centre of the twelve Suns,
Narayana appears to have chosen
The hearts of the beloved Alwars
Which are indeed cool and scented lotuses,
And are pure through contemplation.
Desiring for release, I bow to them.
As the twelve Adityas illumine our cosmos, the twelve Alwars
illumine the spiritual spaces within us. By retaining the Lord in

4 God's Garland of Devotion
their hearts they give Him joy and themselves love in the ecstasy
of the Ananda consciousness. Goda Devi refers to this in the sixth
verse of Tiruppāvai: "As the dawn comes with the twittering of the
birds...the rishis and yogis repeat gently the name of Hari whom
they hold in their hearts". They repeat His name 'gently' lest He
be troubled by noise and wake up with a shock, explains a fond
commentator of Tiruppāvai! Such is the truth of the Greater Rea-
lism which envisions Narayana residing in the Alwars' heart.
The Preamble then moves on to a dramatic moment in his-
torical time: "Sometime ago I had decided to defeat Kalinga in
war. Leading my army I spent a few weeks near Vijayawada, in
the holy place of Srikakulam where the presiding deity is Andhra
Vishnu. Having fasted on the Ekadesi day, I rested in the temple
at night. Towards dawn I was vouchsafed a wonderful vision.
Darker than the rain-bearing clouds, with eyes that were far more
beautiful than lotuses, wearing garments that were a brighter gold
colour than that of Garuda's wings, with the Kausthuba gem
shining like the early morning sun, accompanied by Lakshmi
holding a lotus in one hand and the other promising Grace, Andhra
Vishnu appeared smiling and commanded me".
What could such a vision mean for a King who was looking
forward to the blood, sweat, toil and tears of a battle? The time was
meant for sharpening the sword and straightening the lance. Had
the Lord come to advise him on the strategy to be followed? Pre-
sently we hear what the Lord has to say. Not a word about assault,
counter-attack, or the push of aggression:
"You have written several works in Sanskrit. Write a poem
in Telugu that would please me. Let the theme be my marriage
with Goda Devi at Srirangam It was with some distaste that
I had received the garland offered to me by the garland-maker
in Mathura. By describing the tale of Goda Devi who gave me
her garland, you will make me happy".
Could there have been a trace of hesitancy on Krishnadeva
Raya's face as he heard the Lord? A King, a well-respected scholar,
and a renowned poet: can he 'descend' to write in Telugu? The
author of Madalasa Charitra, Satyabhama Parinaya, Sakalakatha San-
graha, Jnana Chintamani and Rasamanjari to write in Telugu, a
'regional language'! But the Lord goes on:

Preamble 5
"Should you wonder why write in Telugu, hear me I live
in the Telugu land. I am Andhra Vishnu. Have you not
spoken in different languages when consorting with kings
from different areas? Telugu is the best among the national
languages".
These words—Desa bhāshalandu Telugu lessa—have become
the flag of self-confidence and proper pride for the Telugu nation;
and ever since they were uttered by a royal figure in the name of
Andhra Vishnu, Telugu literature has never looked back. Inci-
dentally, though Ramanujacharya and later, Varadacharya (the
son of Vedanta Desika) were to lay the strong foundations of Vaish-
navism in Andhra Pradesh, it was the presence and power of Āmukta
Mālyada that has given an indispensable edge to the devotion and
philosophy propounded by the Vaishnava Alwars and Acharyas.
Recreating the glorious days when Vishnuchitta brought up the
lovely foundling, and taking us through the recurring drama of
a soul pining for union with the Divine in terms of Kāvyanubhava,
the language of Krishnadeva Raya welds the classical and the
romantic to give us a beautiful literary masterpiece.
Before withdrawing, the Lord tells the King that the epic
about Goda Devi's marriage with Ranganatha should be dedi-
cated to Sri Venkateswara. This was to make us understand that
the various archa forms are here to help us increase our devotion
by experiencing a personal relationship. Actually they are but
different forms of the one Divine, Narayana, and the writing of
the epic would assure the King increased prosperity.
Asking a king on the eve of a momentous battle to indite an
epic could only mean that everlasting fame for Krishnadeva Raya
would come not through the Kalinga victory. Indeed, the glory
that was Vijayanagar was reduced to a shambles in one day at
Tallikota. But the King had already reared his spiritual kingdom
on firm foundations. Āmukta Mālyada is with us today, proclaiming
the love, humility and poetry that made a King's inner life an en-
riching journey into light and Ananda.
But then, not all kings are great poets. In fact, kings and poets
rule very different territories. Again, rarely is a ruler of Kāvya
sāmrājya also an emperor of bhakti samrājya. Krishnadeva Raya
exemplifies this unusual combination. We need not tarry here with

6 Goda's Garland of Devotion
the doubts as to whether Krishnadeva Raya wrote Āmukta Mālyada,
or whether it was only from the pen of Allasani Peddanna. What
matters who wrote the plays of Shakespeare? The plays are the
reality: the rest is illusion, as far as the sahṛidaya is concerned. Such
too is the significance of the theme of this epic. History associates
Krishnadeva Raya with several Vaishnavite temples, and we expe-
rience a thrill to learn from the epic more about the soldier who was
such a great devotee as well, and in all probability also a great poet.
The second part of the Preamble gives us an account of
Krishnadeva Raya's ancestry as well as the splendour of his reign.
This was the dynasty that saved many Hindu temples from deci-
mation by Islamic marauders during the 15th-16th centuries.
Here an ingenious device is used to overcome the fault of self-praise.
When the vision of Andhra Vishnu withdraws and the Raya
wakes up, he decides to consult his courtiers on the significance of
the dream. In the morning, he pays his respects to the assembled
chieftains, ministers and scholars, and gives an account of the
auspicious dream. They are happy and consider the dream (śubha
svapna) a precursor to many good things. The very fact of the Lord
appearing in the King's dream signifies a further accession of faith
towards Narayana. Again, the command to write an epic means
that the King will be blessed with an increase in knowledge. The
presence of Lakshmi assures illimitable prosperity for the royal
household. The lotus in her hand is a pointer to the King becoming
an Emperor. The Lord's reference to the many kings and several
languages would bring lasting friendships; and the theme of the
'used garland' promises the King a rare joy in his personal rela-
tionships with his Queens. Besides, the Lord had spoken of increased
good when the epic was completed: this could only signify blessed
parenthood. Considering all this, the King must go ahead with the
task of writing the epic.
The courtiers then launch upon an account of the King's
ancestry. They begin with the Moon. We hear of the famous kings
of the lunar dynasty, Pururavas and his son Turvasu. The latter
takes us to the Tuluva dynasty which could boast of kings like
Timmadeva Raya, Eswaradeva Raya and Narasimharaju. Nara-
simharaja's second wife, Nagamma, was the mother of Krishnadeva
Raya.

Preamble 7
Vijayanagar itself is said to have been founded in 1336 by
Harihara and Bukka. After a series of usurpations, the Tuluva
dynasty came to the throne, thanks to Narasa Nayaka whose son
Vira Narasimha of "unequalled prowess" (apāra mahima) was
succeeded by a half-brother, Krishnadeva Raya, in 1509 History
tells us of his many victories: the most famous was his recovery of
the fortress of Raichur from Ismail Adil Shah of Bijapur. He had
certainly become a legend in his lifetime. Thus Domingos Paes:
"This king is of medium height, and of fair complexion
and good figure, rather fat than thin; he has on his face signs
of small-pox. He is the most feared and perfect king that could
possibly be, cheerful of disposition and very merry; he is one
that seeks to honour foreigners, and receives them kindly,
asking about all their affairs whatever their conditions may
be. He is a great ruler and a man of much justice, but sub-
ject to sudden fits of rage, and this is his title: Crisnarao
Macacao, King of Kings, lord of the greater lords of India,
lord of the three seas and of the land".¹
Though romantic tangles have been occasionally used to tie
up his name in colourful contexts, Krishnadeva Raya has left behind
a fair name in personal life as well. Vincent Smith quotes from the
Archaeological Survey of India for 1908–'9 to underline this aspect:
"...his imposing personal appearance, his genial look and polite
conversation which distinguished a pure and dignified life, his love
for literature and religion, and his solicitude for the welfare of his
people; and above all, the most fabulous wealth that he conferred
as endowments on temples and Brahmans, mark him out indeed
as the greatest of the South Indian monarchs".
Thus the glowing references to the King's reign in the epic
do not sound hollow. Here was a King who incarnated the will to
rejuvenate Hinduism. That was the time when even any passive
acceptance of the Muslim ascendency would have proved fatal.
The courtiers therefore speak of the achievements of the King in
defeating powerful rulers like Adil Shah. But, then, Raya was
equally great as a writer. A sāhiti samaraangana saarvabhouma like

1. Quoted in Vincent Smith, The Oxford History of India (1958),
   p. 307.

8 Goda's Garland of Devotion
him must follow the command of the Lord and take up the story
of Goda Devi's wedding.
Having thus gained the approval of the respected courtiers,
the King begins the epic poem with a reference to the Lord's
Grace which could save one even when still in the womb. The King
needs an abundance of grace to pilot him through this seemingly
impossible task. He cannot depend upon the familiar story lines
and standard descriptions handed down by the Mahabharata and
the Ramayana traditions. Writing a full-fledged prabandah on a
Brahmin garland-maker and his teenage daughter was not going
to be an easy task. An epic must embody all the rasas. It must be
splashed with colour, and made to ring with the sounds of war.
People and places had to be larger than life. Overdoing philosophy
or devotional poetry could turn the poem into a theological tract
or an extended hymn. The Andhra Vishnu had wished for a poem
on the lines of classics like Madalasa Charitra. Could it be achieved?
A hero of the battle field, Krishnadeva Raya was also a hero
of the spirit. He takes up the challenge cheerfully, and the next
moment we are in Srivillipputtur, the place where Goda Devi
was born.

2. VISHNUCHITTA
   In the 8th century A.D., Villipputtur had reached the apex of its
   glory. The temple of Vatapatrasāyi, built by the chieftain Villi,
   was the centre of the town’s prosperity. But it was not material
   prosperity that made the city famous. The residents knew how to
   cultivate sreyas as well, and the very air vibrated with devotion to
   Narayana. Women going about their daily tasks (as when carrying
   water pots on their hips) walked reciting musically the hymns of
   the Alwars (divya prabandha yugaasayal dravidaanganam).
   Though the author has to follow epic conventions when des-
   cribing the prosperity and people of the land which includes the
   courtesans, he walks warily and avoids overt descriptions, for in a
   story of Goda Devi these things have no place. Instead, there is
   plenty of nature description. This is verily the kingdom of Sakham-
   bari: jack fruit ripening at the foot of the tree, bunches of plantains
   heady-scented champaks · a variety of trees like arecanut and mango
   makes the place a paradise for spiritual aspirants. The drums of
   the temple, the scent of the sacred basil, the bells atop the Dhwajas-
   thamba: verily these are of the kingdom of God! Everything speaks
   of the sweetness of human nature. For instance, women who guard
   paddy set out to dry are so gentle that they use lotus garlands to
   drive away the deer that come to eat the corn.
   The Villipputtur citizenry are fine hosts. They serve the Lord’s
   devotees with rice, dal, ghee, vegetables, milk and curd, for such
   is the Vaishnavite way of life. The Tiruppāvai speaks highly of
   community worship, community singing and community feasting
   (koodi irundhu kulirndhu). Vishnuchitta belonged to such a family.
   Having imbibed the teaching of Vaishnavism, he led a regulated
   outer life which moved in rhythm with his inner life of divine con-
   sciousness. He prepared flower garlands for the presiding deity of
   Villipputtur, and found great joy in this humble task.
   Krishnadeva Raya takes a special pleasure in detailing the
   variety of dishes that Vishnuchitta offered to his guests. The diffe-
   rent seasons brought out appropriate preparations to suit the
   human body. During rainy days there was an abundance of fried

10 Goda's Garland of Devotion
rice cakes and dried vegetables (vadiyamulu, varugulu); hot weather
indicated butter-milk soup (timmanambulu) and tender mango
pickle (vadapindelu: a delicacy of Tamil Nadu known as maavadu!);
winter would mean pepper sauce and steaming rice. Again, Vishnu-
chitta's reception included oil and dal flour for the pilgrims to have
a healthy bath in the tank on Saturdays. The feeding of pilgrims
went hand in hand with the reading of the Puranas that speak about
the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Day and night one could listen
to the recitation of the Divya Prabhandha hymns. All told, here was
a remote holy township glowing with the pearly light of sattwa:
Vishnuchitta, the gentle devotee of Narayana, lived here in con-
tentment, at peace with himself.
Traditional accounts speak of Vishnuchitta as the son of
Mukundacharya and Padmavati. He was born under the Swati
star on an Ekadesi day. Considered as an incarnation of Garuda,
it was not just acquired scholarship that made him famous. Rather,
like Garuda, he seemed a living image of the Veda, a jnanin born.
The name 'Vishnuchitta' turned out to be appropriate, as the
young man's consciousness was filled with the Divine Presence. He
engaged himself in horticulture and laid out a vast garder where
he worked, spade in hand. Gathering the flowers he would make
lovely garlands and himself take them to the temple where the
priest decorated the deity with these honey-spilling garlands.
Living ir an atmosphere of delight with the rainbow beauty
of nature, Vishnuchitta could envision the Divine as pure Ananda-
maya, a loveliness past description. This beauty and joy percolated
into his poems on Krishna. Effortlessly he walked past space and
time to watch the Gokula where Krishna was born. His verses on
the childhood, boyhood and youth of Krishna inaugurated a new
form (Pillai-Tamil) in Tamil literature.
Vishnuchitta begins with the birth of Krishna, which is cele-
brated by the Yadava ladies with strewing coloured powder and
sprinkling curds, milk and ghee. Vishnuchitta is now Yasoda
fondling the babe, dressing up his hair, bathing him, feeding him
and playing with him. The pranks of Krishna have a divine charm
about them that, whatever the mischief, he is ever the victor! He
grows up, grazes the cows, plays with the Yadava maids, steals

Vishnuchitta 11
their clothes, and dances upon the serpent Kaliya. And the flute
of Krishna!
As the sounds of Krishna's flute came from the forest, the girls
stood silently where they were with bowed heads so as not to miss
a single note. Divine damsels found this experience sweeter than
their own Gandharva music. Tilottama, Rambha and Urvasi
froze in statuesque poses in the midst of the dance. Tumburu,
Narada and the Kinnara couples ceased to play their musical
instruments, preferring to pay attention to the flute's call. Gandha-
rvas decided not to sing. Even more astonishing was the group
of gods who forgot to receive their respective portions in yajnas.
Instead, they came gliding to the Yadava homesteads. Krishna
stood in the forest, his hands crossing each other and holding the
flute, surrounded by birds and cattle self-lost in the vasts of this
soulful music:
The boy, dark like rain-bearing clouds,
With darker tresses of ringlets framing the darling face
Like droves of bees encircling a red lotus,
Played the flute; hearing the music,
The deer forgot to graze
And stood still as painted figures.
Such was Vishnuchitta's self-effacing bhakti-yoga. And,
suddenly, he was called upon to proceed to Madurai, then the
capital of the Pandyan rulers. The second Aswasa of Āmukta
Mālyada swiftly transports us to the grandeur of the capital city
of Madura. Krishnadeva Raya is in his element in picturing the
gold-topped fortresses, the snake-filled moat and the abundance
of high-rise buildings. Released from the earlier constraints when
dealing with Villipputtur, the poet gives free rein to his imagina-
tion as he takes up the epic components: the archful maids who sell
flowers, the noble elephants of the royal stable, the speeding horses,
the heroes of the land. However, for all the abundance, the bhoga,
there is no falsity, pride, jealousy. For this city of Madura revolves
on the pivot of Dharma. The vaishyas gather wealth through
honest means and give away most of their earnings to charity. The
farmers work ceaselessly to produce mountains of paddy which are
used to sustain the holy and the good; and the King himself is an
ideal monarch, heroic, well-endowed, charitable, compassionate.

12 Goda's Garland of Devotion
Research scholars have identified this Pandyan King with
Vallabhadeva (Ko Nedumaran) and M. Raghava Iyengar assigns
Vallabhadeva's reign to 740–767 A.D. Vallabhadeva's grand-
father was Ninraseer Nedumaran, a Jain who was converted to
Saivism by Jnanasambandhar. There is a tradition that Vallabha-
deva was a Saivite too, but he embraced Vaishnavism after listen-
ing to Vishnuchitta. It is also possible that Vallabhadeva's Chief
Minister, Maaran Kaari, had a hand in this conversion as the latter
hailed from Kalakkudi, a neighbouring hamlet of Villipputtur.
In Amukta Malyada severe summer introduces the Pandyan
King to the readers. Krishnadeva Raya's magnificent description
of the Greeshma ritu is one of the highlights of the epic. The scorching
sun-rays make the days blindingly bright, the skins of animals go
dry, long days watch pits being dug up on the river bed, drooping
lotus creepers appear in the lake, and cranes search for tiny fish in
the mud. There are also the welcome aspects of summer. The
moonlight is lovely, the nights are cool, a pleasant chill marks
the water in the well, jasmines gain a heady scent and oh! how to
describe the nectarean tender coconut water! These coconuts
are kept buried in sand for a while to make them yield icy milk
(himaantah naarikelaambuvul). Come summer, and it is the Float
festival in the Tirumaliruncholai temple which is near Madura.
Pilgrims come to the city in great numbers. One Brahmin among
them who performs sandhya on the Vaigai river bed, is entertained
to dinner by the King's chief priest with bananas, jack fruit, cucum-
bers, a variety of mangoes and grapes among other things, and
goes to take rest on the pial outside a house. There are other tra-
vellers there, and they all spend their time reciting the Lord's name
and exchanging Puranic lore.
The cool night is an invitation for romance. Vallabhadeva
decides to meet his beloved courtesan. On the way he hears some
travellers conversing in the dark. A voice recites in clear accents:
“Men work for eight months to save what they would need for
the four months of the rainy season; they gather during the day-
time the requirements for the night; the days of youth are engaged
profitably to gain security for old age; so we must gather now what
we would need after our life.” Such words of good import (purah
hita dharmamu) were spoken by the pilgrim to his fellow-travellers
on the pial. The King heard all this clearly.

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

14 Goda's Garland of Devotion
proper response”. And so it was decided to send emissaries to im-
portant personages and request them to grace the Pandyan court.
The Guru Parampara Prabhāvam says that the Lord, Vata-
patrasayi, appeared to Vishnuchitta in a dream and commanded
him to proceed to Madura and get the prize money. “But the prize
money is for the Vedic scholar!” exclaimed the humble devotee.
The aim of the conference was of course, not the exhibition of
Vedic scholarship, but the decisive indication of the path to Moksha.
The Lord assured the garland-maker that everything would be all
right, for His Grace would accompany Vishnuchitta. With utter
humility Vishnuchitta now got into the pearl-decorated palanquin
sent by Vallabhadeva and proceeded to Madura.
Krishnadeva Raya asks on our part for an intense suspension
of disbelief while he is dealing with this episode. Reciting the
Ashtakshara (‘I bow to Narayana’) Vishnuchitta offered a garland
of flowers and Tulsi to Vatapatrasayi. The Lord then spoke in
sublime accents (udaara madhuroktin):
“O wise devotee! Proceed to Madurai immediately. Defeat
the leaders of false religions who have gathered in the Pandyan
court. Propound my greatness and receive the prize money.
The King is sick of this world. Out of compassion make him
a devotee of Vishnu”.
Vishnuchitta was reluctant. As far as traditional scholarship
was concerned, he had been a truant and was practically born
blind to such jnana. He had spent his life digging and mulching
plant beds. His hands had grown rough handling the spade. He
had known no work except temple service. He would surely be
defeated in that court of scholars who were noted for their oratorical
brilliance. His failure would only bring infamy to the Lord.
This brought a smile to the lips of the Lord. He then turned
to Lakshmi Devi and said that He would see to Vishnuchitta's
victory. “O wise man, should things be done as desired by you?
Go to Madura. I shall arrange for your success. I won’t have a no
from you. I am here to do what is needed.” Now at last Vishnu-
chitta prepared to go. As directed by the Lord, the temple priest
gave him a travel allowance (sambadamu) and an ancient palanquin.
Further, some of the servants of the temple carried on their shoulders

Vishnuchitta 15
bundles of sweet rice-cakes (ariselu) as prasada for the King. Vishnu-
chitta's wife, Viraja Devi, prepared all that he would need on his
way:
"With great devotion that noble lady prepared pots of ghee,
packets of condiments, sweet green-dal balls (porivilangāyalu)
and other eatables, auspicious rice for the journey (kshema-
tandulamu), jaggery and jeera, tamarind, unfried rice-cakes
(pachchi varugu) and grain freed from husk. The box containing
the needed things for worshipping Vishnu was also made
ready".
So Vishnuchitta journeys towards Madura accompanied by
other Srivaishnavas carrying various things required by custom.
As the pilgrims proceed, they do not waste their time discussing
politics or other ephemeral subjects. Only the Holy name is their
verbal companion:
"O Lord who can be attained by the ashtanga yoga (yama,
niyama, āsana, praanayama, pratyaahara, dhyaana, dharana, samadhi) ;
Chief of Brahma and the other Gods; O Supreme whose name
relieves us from the tiredness of this life which is a circle of
birth and death; annihilator of Mura, destroyer of our sins,
Lakshmi's consort, lotus-eyed Srihari; O sickle that cuts away
the grass of Ignorance in the mind of devotees; Beloved of
Mother Earth, shining with a supra-brilliance that defeats
the darkest clouds; one who performed the impossible feat of
lifting up the Govardhana Hill; Radha's darling; one who
takes interest for the sheer fun of it; Rama who blinded Indra's
son in one eye by means of a blade of grass; Lord whose lotus
feet walk the shining inner spaces of the hearts of sages like
Narada; Narayana who is present everywhere! The sweetness
of your Name is realised by Parvati Devi herself."
Among the interesting facts that strike us when reading Amukta
Mālyada, mention may be made of its importance in recreating
India's social history. The detailed references to gastronomical habits
have a quaint charm. Carrying a sweet like 'porivilangāyalu', for
instance; this delicacy can withstand a long journey. There is,
then, the reference to Venkateswara as "leela pardhoosika";
evidently, five hundred years ago, He was already famous as "vaddi
kāsulavādu"! Remembering God every moment of their life with

16 Goda's Garland of Devotion
devotional fervour or playful praise, the Vaishnavites had made
prayers a way of life. The harsh Sun above or the dry road below
did not affect the pilgrims, for they held the umbrella of hymno-
logy. The Sahasranāma and the Divya Prabhandham were truely their
gayatri, for these prayers save those who sings them (gayantam traa-
yate).
Krishnadeva Raya's description also warns us that we should
not turn pilgrimages into mere pleasure-trips. Increasingly our
travels even up the Tirupati Hill have become debased with flip-
pant talk and pointless conversations. Every physical movement in
this world of human affairs should be linked to divine consciousness
so that our life becomes one continuous pilgrimage towards the
Goal. By linking ourselves to our fellow human beings by the golden
hoops of nama-smarana, by making even chance meetings a sat-
sangha, we would be able to arrive at our destination fresh and
happy. That is why the Tiruppāvai, which describes such a sat-
sangha, also refers often to singing (paadi). This is the first step for
Bhakti Yoga, as detailed by Goda Devi when indicating the ritual
of the Margasirsa vrata:
“Oh people of the world! Lend your ears
To the code of our ritual.
Singing the glories of the gently-sleeping Lord
Floating on the milky sea;
We will refrain from taking milk or ghee,
Apply no collyrium to our eyes or wear flowers.
No wrongful things will we do or say.
But take our morning bath and do acts of charity
As the best way to life and prosperity”.¹
The third Aswasa of Āmukta Mālyada begins with the royal
welcome awarded to Vishnuchitta. The debate in the Pandyan
court had been going on for quite some time. Different sectarian
leaders had been advancing arguments in favour of several gods
and goddesses. The guard knew this, and hence he sent the Villip-
puttur Brahmin straight into the Audience Hall. There was no
need for any introduction. The aura about Vishnuchitta was
enough. The King, the courtiers and the assembled scholars paid
homage to him, and he was escorted to a jewelled chair. After

1. Translated by R. Bangaruswami.

Vishnuchitta 17
listening to the others for a while, Vishnuchitta offered to speak,
provided the King would be the judge and this was agreed to.
Now Vishnuchitta began his arguments with a gentle smile. And
a nation’s spiritual history was laid on a new course.
At the outset, Vishnuchitta countered the statements of the
other scholars in the fray. There were involved speakers, argumen-
tative scholars and aggressive orators. But Vishnuchitta’s kindness
of heart, infinite patience and sense of commitment won the day.
The Sankhya, Advaita, Lokayata, Jaina, Mimamsa, Bauddha,
Charvaka and Vaiseshika doctrines were defeated with appropriate
quotations drawn from the Vedas, the Brahma Sutras and other
traditional granaries of Brahma-knowledge. Krishnadeva Raya’s
helpful authority in this passage was Ramanujacharya’s exegesis
on the Brahma Sutras.
Having silenced the opponents, Vishnuchitta spoke of the
unique characteristics of Visishtadvaita which light up for us the
Divine as a figure of knowledge and Ananda (sukha samvit):
“In the beginning there was only Narayana. Brahma,
Siva, the cosmos, the sun, the moon, the stars, water and fire
were not. Narayana then decided, as his leela, to enter the
chit and achit to appear as Many: so speaks the Chandogya
Upanishad. Besides, it is Narayana who is at the centre of the
Sun in Antaraditya Vidya as propounded by the scriptures.
The Taittiriya speaks of the all-pervading Brahman which
is Narayana. For the Brahman does not stand for any other
God”.
As proof of Narayana being the all-pervading Divine, Vishnu-
chitta referred to several important events in man’s spiritual past.
In days of yore when Parasurama was spreading havoc in the ranks
of Kshatriya rulers, Pradhartana gave up his kingdom in disgust
He prayed to Indra for Release. Indra appeared and directed him
“worship me”, meaning “worship Narayana within me”. like Vama-
deva who had worshipped the Lord as Antaryami. Thus Indra made
the King understand how the individual soul is different from the
Supreme. Only those who are after worldly effects—dharma,
artha, kama—worship Brahma and other gods. Moksha, however,
can be granted only by Narayana. Vishnuchitta then began to
recount the conversation of Khandikya and Kesidhwaja.
2

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.

Vishnuchitta 19
"To Him who is Rita, Truth, Supreme, Purusha; who has
a dark complexion shot with yellow; who is Manliness, whose
eyes hold the contraries, who is verily imaged as Creation:
to Him our homage".
Āmukta Mālyada has several digressions, and the first one is the
tale of Kandikya and Kesidhwaja. It is practically a verse trans-
lation of the concluding cantos in Vishnu Purana. We leave the
Pandyan court for the nonce to get back to remote days beyond
historical time. Yes, to the days when the Nimi dynasty ruled the
land. To this dynasty belonged the cousins Kandikya and Kesi-
dhwaja who waged a fratricidal war in which Kandikya was de-
feated and had to live in exile in a cottage. The victorious Kesi-
dhwaja began a sacrifice. The sacrificial cow, however, was killed
by a tiger. The learned elders told the King that Kandikya alone
was capable of spelling out the Prayaschitta for meeting such a
crisis.
Kesidhwaja went to Kandikya, who was understandably
incensed: "Having deprived me of everything, have you now
come here like Maricha wearing a deer skin, to deprive me of my
life? Beware!" Kesidhwaja then described his dilemma. Kandikya's
ministers, however, advised him to kill Kesidhwaja, as the former's
wife and children were in great distress due to the cousin's trea-
chery. But Kandikya preferred to listen to his cousin and gave
him the right directions to perform the prayaschitta. Kesidhwaja
did so and completed the sacrifice.
After sending away the priests and guests who had attended
the sacrifice, he came to Kandikya to offer guru dakshina. Kandikya
requested his ministers to advise him. They wanted him to ask for
the kingdom. "What an opportune moment to gain immense
wealth without a moment's struggle", they said.
Kandikya laughed. "Kesidhwaja is a man of wisdom. We
should rather ask him for the wealth of knowledge. We belong to
Nimi's dynasty. A kingdom is nothing to us". He then requested
Kesidhwaja to teach him the truth that would destroy the sorrows
of birth. It was not dharma for a Kshatriya to accept a kingdom
as charity. Only egoists desire power. Now Kesidhwaja said:
"O sinless brother! I am ruling and performing sacrifices
to cross the sea of samsara. The experience of sense-pleasures

20 Goda's Garland of Devotion
destroys the good deeds of the past. We belong to the great
Nimi dynasty. Hence wisdom has dawned upon you. The
thoughts ‘me’ and ‘mine’ are seeds for the tree of Ignorance.
Man thinks the body made of five elements is the soul. The
atman shines independent of the body. Things like house and
property are related to the body, not the soul. So too the
children. This body made of earth (Prithivi) is covered by
drink and food very much as a house with water and mud.
This soul has walked through the road of a thousand births
and is covered by the dust of Karma vasanas; it is down with
a sense of tiredness that is Ignorance. The tiredness will vanish
only when the dust is washed away by the warm water of
knowledge. Then will he gain Ananda consciousness.
As water when heated gets hot, makes hissing sounds and
boils over, the jiva gets various qualities like me and mine due
to connection with nature. But the soul is independent, in-
destructible, I have spoken of the evil effects of Ignorance.
Yoga alone can cure the ills”.
Kandikya then requested Kesidhwaja to enlighten him about
the Yoga. The latter agreed to do so with pleasure:
“One who follows that yoga and reaches the Brahman
never returns. If the mind holds on to the senses, it will lead
to Ignorance. If the mind keeps apart, Release is certain. The
mind should be withdrawn from the senses and made to con-
centrate upon Brahman. The Brahman itself will then trans-
form the jeevatma into a yogi as a magnet transforms the iron;
yoga is the act of connecting the mind to the Brahman by
conscious effort like self-control”.
Further, Kesidhwaja spoke about the various steps in yoga
like Brahmacharya, Svādhyaya and Asanas; having controlled
one’s breath by prāṇāyāma and senses by pratyahāra, one should
settle the mind in an auspicious state (subhaasraya). This subhaasraya
is the Parabrahman which is realised in two states. The apara (lower)
state has a body like Hiranyagarbha. The para (higher) state is
formless. As the aspirant (yogayuk or yunjanana) cannot concentrate
upon the formless which is Pure Knowledge, he should hook his
mind to the universal form of Lord Vishnu which is seen every-

Vishnuchitta 21
where in all things. The element of avidya which is indispensable
when contemplating upon the apara Brahman is present in various
grades in plants, birds, cattle, men, gandharvas, gods, Prajapati
and Hiranyagarbha. Indeed all these are the images of Vishnu.
There is yet another form of Vishnu that is an ocean of all
auspicious qualities. This is the form that acts out the divine drama
in terms of incarnations so as to help mankind. Though it is every-
where, it is not affected by karmas, nor is it foiled by anyone. The
sadhaka should meditate upon this form that destroys all sins.
Vishnu, residing in the heart of a yogi, destroys all sins even like
fire and wind when they touch a dry bush. Hence the mind should
be ever associated with the auspicious form of Vishnu.
Now comes a breath-taking evocation of the divya mangala
vigraha of the Lord whose beauty actually defies all description.
That is the highest meditation when the mind thinks only of this
sublime figure all the time and never turns to another. A knowledge
of this divine form removes the Ignorance leading to the division
of the human and the divine. Indeed the human becomes the divine,
and Narayana and the yogi are one. Both are part of the Ananda
consciousness.
Grateful to Kesidhwaja for the teaching of the true path,
Kandikya fastened his mind to the form of Vishnu and gained
release by one-pointed meditation upon the Lord. Kesidhwaja
also reached Vishnu pada by holding on single-mindedly to Nara-
yana’s name. Such was the appropriate episode chosen by Krishna-
deva Raya for proving effortlessly the supremacy of Narayana.
Vishnuchitta had with a firm finality won the day. Krishna-
deva Raya writes that, as Vishnuchitta ceased to speak, the bundle
of prize money tied at the top of a pole automatically slid down,
while the drums in the Beyond resounded, and the gods sprinkled
flowers. Vallabhadeva found himself drenched in a sea of devo-
tion and delight. The tattva-traya (Chit, Achit, Iswara) had been
propounded in crystalline terms and the nature of Iswara had been
explained in all its glory by Vishnuchitta through the words of
King Kesidhwaja. The whole of one’s will and mind had to be
turned away from the “discursive divagation natural to them”
by fixing them on the Eternal in the auspicious form of Vishnu.