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

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.

22 Goda's Garland of Devotion
Knowledge of this Anandamaya Supreme and love for Him,
together with the will-power to achieve this constant union, mark
the basic tenets of Vaishnavism. Such a union leads the jeevatma,
not into any abstract Nirvana, but to the delight of existence.
Sri Aurobindo calls this "the sense of the supreme figure of the
intensest Indian religion of love, Sri Krishna, the All-blissful and
All-beautiful":
"We may seek after him passionately and pursue the un-
seen beloved; but also the lover whom we think not of, may
pursue us, may come upon us in the midst of the world and
seize on us for his own whether at first we will or no...it is
not possible for the tongue of human speech to tell all the utter
unity and all the utter variety of the ananda of divine love.
Our higher and lower members are both flooded with it, the
mind and life no less than the soul: even the physical body
takes its share of the joy, feels the touch, is filled in all its
limbs, veins, nerves with the flowing wine of the ecstasy,
amrta. Love and Ananda are the last word of being, the secret
of secrets, the mystery of mysteries".¹
Vishnuchitta was a Poorna Yogi whose very body rememb-
ered and reflected Krishna consciousness. The words of wisdom
he spoke in the Pandyan court were not dry theological formula-
tions but an experienced, intuitive Truth, as we can gauge from
his Tirumozhi hymns. The king now honoured Vishnuchitta and
the others who had taken part in the debate. They too had a role
in this drama, for they stimulated the search for the truth of exist-
ence leading to the Paratattva Nirupana of Narayana. The treasury
was almost emptied and precious stones lay strewn all over the
palace because of the abundant giving! Not only the godly men,
but the gods, the ancestors, the siddhas and Vidhyadharas too
hailed the victory as having transformed the Kali Yuga into a
Krita Yuga.
However, Krishnadeva Raya is vividly realistic. He is him-
self a King presiding over scholarly debates, and has given judge-
ments in the past. He had no doubt watched the emotions reflected
on the faces of the victors and the defeated. Therefore, we are
told, there were some bad losers who walked out of the palace in

1. The Synthesis of Yoga (1955), p. 690.

Vishnuchitta 23
a huff and hurriedly searched for their sandals and palanquins.
The words spoken by friends did not register in their minds. Some
went a step further and spoke deprecatingly of the King’s judge-
ment in favour of an unknown garland-maker. “Who cares to enter
the doorways of such an uncritical King?” Thus they returned
home, frustrated egoists all.
The capital city of the Pandyas was decorated colourfully,
and Vallabhadeva arranged for a grand procession in which Vishnu-
chitta was taken on an elephant. Riding the elephant and followed
by a royal retinue sent by the King, he began his journey back to
Villipputtur. And then :
Garuda’s bright unfolding wings
Made the skies a blue garment
Dipped in vermilion; the sweet breeze
Brought the scent of cream from the Milky Sea.
A loud noise filled the world.
Garuda appeared on the horizon.
The King and others saw Him
Riding on the Great Bird.
Yes, Vishnuchitta and his retinue were vouchsafed a vision of
Vishnu, for is it not said that, where a group of aspirants come
together in deep sincerity, the Lord surely descends to join the
sangha?
Krishnadeva Raya describes the divya mangala vigraha with
poetic fervour as well as emotional intensity. The Lord’s feet were
placed on Garuda’s hands as if red lotuses had been held up by
tender branches twain; His yellow garments reflected the golden
hue of the Bird; His pearl necklaces were as crystalline as the hearts
of yogis; His makara-earrings seemed to have drawn close, as they
belonged to the natal home of Lakshmi Devi; swan-white Pancha-
janya and Sudarshana that seemed to be a circle of dust raised by
a cyclone ornamented His shoulders that looked like the branches
of Kalpa Vriksha. The thirty-three crores of gods who had come
to see Vishnuchitta immediately closed their umbrellas and bowed
to Narayana. However, Rakshasas and Paisachas took to their
heels frightened by the flap of Garuda’s wings. It was like cleaning
the paddy when the husk alone flies away with the wind.
The sublimity of the scene is, of course, beyond description,
even though all the artful aids of poetic technique are mobilized

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”.
———

1. Translated by K. C. Varadachari.

Vishnuchitta 25
Instead of translating these Pallāndu verses (as he had done
with the two cantos of Vishnu Purana), Krishnadeva Raya indites
his own prayer which begins musically: Jaya Jaya Daanava Daarana
Kaarana. This string of sixteen verses is a Dasavatara Stotra, and
gives a proper conclusion to Vishnuchitta's description of Lord
Vishnu as the Brahman to be meditated upon by the yogi. The
Lord can be seen everywhere: even in a fish or a lion. Whatever
the incarnation, the Supreme shines forth as a divya mangala vigraha
(an image with all auspicious qualities).
The three verses on Matsyavatara (Fish incarnation) refer
to Somakasura's theft of the Vedas and the Lord's recovering them.
The same incarnation was to save the universe from the Great
Flood. As the ocean was being churned during the Kurma (Tortoise)
incarnation, pearls, pearl-oysters and conch-shells were getting
pulverised making it appear that the Lord was grinding lime to
strengthen the foundations of the earth. When the Lord as Varaha
(Boar) rose from the nether regions carrying the earth, Mother
Nature appeared to be wearing the earth as a nose-ring of gold.
In keeping with the Narasimha (Man-lion) Avatara, the King's
description is all blood and horror. And when the Lord tore up the
chest of the demon, first the innards appeared white; then came
red meat and finally the heart was seen jet-black. It appeared as
though Narasimha was releasing the tejas of Shiva (white), Brahma
(red) and Vishnu (black) from the vicious hold.
The Trivikrama (Vamana-Dwarf) Avatara is ever a great
favourite of the Alwars. Krishnadeva Raya treads warily as Bali
was an ideal King, an ideal householder and an ideal devotee. His
fame is likened to a brilliant light in a house (the universe) full of
the darkness of fear for him and the Trivikrama's overwhelming
dark form would shine like the zodiac to make it grow pale (simsu-
maaramu orayangan pempave vaamana). A little later an image based
on the annual migration of swans following the swan of Parasu-
rama's fame presents a charming poetic conceit.
Was it an advance warning of the destruction of the seven
essences (sapta dhaatuvulu) in the body of Ravana that Rama gave
when his arrow shot through the seven trees? Was it for digging
the earth and getting back Sita that Rama incarnated as Balarama

26 Goda’s Garland of Devotion
and went about with a plough? And Krishna, the darling of huma-
nity! When the Lord raised the Govardhana Hill, water fell around
Him in torrents and reflected His form in a million droplets. It
seemed then that Narayana was everywhere and the cows were
ensconced in an armour of the Lord’s protection. And Narayana
Kavacha can guard us as Krishna did for seven days and nights
the denizens of Gokula. One is here reminded of the soulful ‘Nara-
yana Kavacha Prarambhamu’ in the sixth skandha of Pothana’s
Bhagavatam.
Buddha; Kalki. These are but two more of the countless
incarnations of Narayana that are meant to help man in his on-
ward march towards Divine consciousness, and it is out of compas-
sion for man that the Divine constricts Himself to the inconvenienc. s
of an earthly existence. The Alwars realised this and gave expres-
sion to this idea in their hymns. Nammalwar speaks of Narayana
who “out of compassion was born mid the dirty human race”
(mana parippodu azhukku maanida jaathiyil thaan pirandhu) and took
the form He liked for destroying the demons. The divine incar-
nates whenever Dharma fades away from earth, says the Gita too.
As Vishnuchitta remembers the several incarnations of Nara-
yana and is moved to the depths by the Lord’s compassion, the
vision begins to fade. Before withdrawing, Vishnu instructs Viswa-
karma to enrich the yogi’s homestead at Villipputtur, as Vishnu-
chitta is sure to spend the entire prize-money to improve the tem-
ple of Vatapatrasayi. Such is the paraspara prema, mutuality of love,
between the Divine and the devotee!

3. YAMUNACHARYA
   The Villipputtur citizens welcomed Vishnuchitta amid scenes of
   great joy. Krishnadeva Raya has a long prose passage that re-
   creates a beautiful dramatic scene. The yogi was given temple
   honours and taken in a Brahmaratha (a palanquin borne only by
   brahmins) around the place. A variety of musical instruments
   was played. The anklet bells of dancing girls kept time to the bells
   of the elephants and horses in the procession. Princes from sur-
   rounding areas had come and now walked with joined palms
   saluting the scholar. Young men threw fruits at the lovely ladies
   who looked at them from the corner of their eyes while fiddling
   with their decorated tresses. Among others in this happy crowd
   were wandering minstrels, weavers, goldsmiths and traders Shouts,
   screams, witty exchanges and wise words marked a general sense
   of supreme elation. After Vishnuchitta worshipped in the temple,
   he returned home and continued to live as before, making garlands
   for the Lord, recounting Narayana's glorious deeds and looking
   after other devotees.
   Apart from his adoration of Vishnuchitta and Goda Devi,
   Krishnadeva Raya appears to have had a special regard for Yamu-
   nacharya, also known as Ālavandār, the Acharya who gave a
   mighty fillip to Vaishnavism. It was at his command that Ramanuja
   composed his Sri Bashya. And the poet brings this digression on
   Yamunacharya into the Vishnuchitta-Āmukta Mālyada theme in
   a charming way.
   One day Narayana was watching Vishnuchitta walk back
   home after offering garlands to Vatapatrasayi. He told Lakshmi
   that Vishnuchitta and Yamunacharya had together nurtured
   Vaishnavism (manmathambu) wonderfully well. On Lakshmi's
   wishing to know all about Yamunacharya, the Lord began the
   tale. Incidentally, the poet makes it appear as if Yamuna lived
   long before Vishnuchitta, though the Acharya was actually the
   immediate predecessor of Ramanuja. Besides, Krishnadeva Raya
   has introduced many changes that are not found in the traditional
   hagiography or historical records.

28 Goda's Garland of Devotion
The Pandyan King of Yamunacharya's time was a fanatic
adherent of the Saiva sect. The poet uses this opportunity to mount
a scathing attack on Saivite religious leaders who were most of
them, he thought, insincere and power-mad. The Pandyan Queen
was, however, a devotee of Narayana. She followed the Ekadesi
fast with utter sincerity. But as an ideal wife, she was careful not
to do anything that would offend her consort.
On an adesh from her ishta-devata about a young boy who was
capable of facing an oratorical contest to prove the supremacy
of Narayana, she requested the King to assemble a seminar. He
agreed. Yamunacharya reached the court, and before entering
the audience hall went round an Aswatha tree in the front invok-
ing its presence as witness to the proceedings. The hall was full of
Virasaivas and ardent Saivites with thick tresses or covered with
sacred ash and rudraksha garlands.
The King spoke to the boy rather gruffly. "O Brahmachari!
You are too young to determine the nature of the Supreme Being.
Should you lose the argument, we will tie a linga to your neck.
Take care before you begin! I have seen too many Brahmins who
have come here on false pretences, and begging for money in a
shameless manner". Then, to his Queen: "If the Saivites lose in
the debate, I shall give up vibhuti and rudraksha. I shall accept the
stamp of Vishnu's discus (Murugasmara Chakra ankithudan kaagala
vaadan) from the Brahmachari. If the boy loses, then he and your-
self will have to take to Siva deeksha." The Queen agreed to the
conditions.
Yamunacharya said that he had not come to the court as a
beggar (kadupugootikin itaran) and did not merit such an indifferent
welcome. He had really come as directed by the Lord. He would
make four statements. Let them be denied by the scholars of the
court, if they dared! He would not ask for any special favours just
because he had come here on the Queen's command. In the end,
Krishnadeva Raya sums up the entire debate in a single verse,
and proclaims Yamunacharya's victory: "Narayana is Supreme!
From the Peepul tree in the front came a voice: O "King, what
this Brahmachari says is true. As Narayana is the Parabrahman,
worship Him".
As the opposition melted away, the King realised the truth

Yamunacharya 29
of Being and became a devotee of Vishnu. He celebrated the wed-
ding of his youngest sister with the Brahmin victor, and gave him
half his kingdom.
This account is followed by a magnificent description of the
rainy and sultry seasons of the year. Krishnadeva Raya’s poetic
fancy roams all over the earth culling lovely descriptions of man
and nature. We also learn that Yamunacharya was an able adminis-
trator. We go back to Yamuna’s grandfather, Nathamuni, whose
son Uyyakondar had a devotee called Manakkal Nambi. Nambi
felt that the great Nathamuni’s grandson who had shown much
promise was now entangled in materialistic affairs. He went to
Yamunacharya’s palace and drew his attention by sending in a
bunch of alarka greens (known as thooduvilai in Tamil, a favourite
dish of Yamuna) for a few days and gained an audience. He then
told Nathamuni’s grandson: “The treasure left behind for you
by your grandfather lies in an island at the centre of Kaveri
waters. I can show it to you. It is encircled by a snake”. Immediately
Yamunacharya went to Srirangam and worshipped Ranganatha
reclining on Adisesha. A transformation came over him. He abdi-
cated in favour of his son, and became a sannyasin himself
Krishnadeva Raya has made drastic changes in the traditional
account of Yamuna’s life Originally the debate took place in a
Chola court and the immediate provocation for his challenge was
the egoistic pride of the Chola poet laureate, Akkiyazhvan. Nor
did Yamuna marry the Pandyan princess, though he did get half
the kingdom. Thus the idea of his abdicating in favour of his son
is also a new addition in Āmuktamālyada. Actually this device comes
in handy for the poet to give a detailed account of royal polity.
Though the Vaishnavite world knows Yamunacharya only
as the author of Stotra Ratna, Āmuktamālyada makes him an adminis-
trative genius. It is of course Krishnadeva Raya speaking, and
from the account of ‘Yamuna Prabhu Rajaneeti’ we learn that
there was an immense amount of idealism in the Vijayanagar King.
At the same time it is obvious that he had a deep knowledge of the
cunning, treachery and corruption that were the inevitable con-
comitants of the administration, as is evidenced by the several
‘warnings’ issued in the discourse. However, though a just and
an idealist way of life is ever difficult to lead, the King should not
be lax in performing his duties to the best of his ability.