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

Goda Devi 57
pearls on Goda Devi and she reciprocated the gesture. The Lord
was thrilled and sweat poured from His body. It appeared as if the
dark clouds were sending forth rain and hail-stones at the same
time.
Goda Devi grew shy at the Lord's watching her. Bowing her
head, she sprinkled the pearls with a short and quick gesture. The
Lord tied the auspicious thread (mangala sootramu) around the neck
of Goda Devi. Laaja Homa was followed by Sapthapadi (seven
steps together) and the watching of the Arundhati star. The Lord
received presents from the assembled gods and sent them away after
according them proper honours. Later he went to his native city
and disported with Goda Devi in the sandal-scented gardens of
Srirangam. Full of compassion, He and Goda Devi guard the devo-
tees all the time.
Thus concludes Krishnadeva Raya's Āmukta Mālyada. Goda
Devi herself has described in Nāchiyar Tirumozhi her dream in
which she married Ranganatha. This has inspired generations of
poets to dwell upon the theme, and transform the dream into rea-
lity in terms of poetry and music. It has been a fond tradition with
Vaishnavites to celebrate this wedding every year on the day preced-
ing Sankranti:
A thousand elephants marching
About, my Lord Narayana
Walks towards me; golden pots
Brimful decorate the doorways;
Festoons everywhere. This my dream.
Vedic scholars recited hymns
And spread holy grass emerald-green,
Around the sacred fire;
My Lord like a proud elephant
Held my hand as we circumambulated
Agni: This my dream.
The symbol of a wedding is vital to the spiritual history of
mankind. The jivatman should be ever ready, decked out in the
ornaments of good qualities, faith and surrender, like a bride. For
any moment the Bridegroom, the Universal Supreme, may arrive
and gather the jivatman in one sweep of bliss. The Nāyaka-Nāyaki
bhava used in devotional literature has grown out of this basic