We were discussing the story of one of most revered mediaeval saints of India, namely Goda. Goda is in love with God! And she has no hesitation to admit it openly. So, she sings expressing her love to God. She imagines herself to be one of the cowherd girls who lived with Krishna, when the God descended on earth in the human form of Krishna.
For hours together, little Goda gazes at her own image in the clear waters in a nearby pond. “Am I attractive enough? Will he accept me?” – she keeps asking herself. At times she giggles, covering her face with her own tender palms.
Back home, she stands in front of the mirror, admiring her own beauty. She corrects her hair do. She sets right the folds in her garments and tidies them. She makes faces, imagining how her beloved would be stunned when he sees her. She looks at the garlands that her father has prepared, to be delivered to the temple, to be offered to the God.
“Are these garlands good enough for my lord? How would he look wearing them?” She keeps wondering. She playfully takes out a garland and wears it herself. She poses as if she were the lord wearing that garland. She keeps back the garland and picks up another one.
Fortunately for her, her father Vishnuchitta is not around. Or else, he would have chided her for rendering the garlands unfit for offering to the God. Worn garlands are not acceptable as a sacred gift at the temple. How can someone offer ‘used’ things to the all mighty?! But Goda was too young and innocent to know these finer aspects.
Probably, this childlike act of Goda continued for several days, totally unnoticed by her father. One day, the temple priest found a strand of long hair in the garland. That was a sure indication that some female had worn the garland before it is offered to the lord. The furious priest at once summoned Vishnuchitta and asked him for an explanation.
Vishnuchitta was totally unaware of the pranks of Goda. Cursing himself for his mistake which attracted the wrath of the priest, Vishnuchitta returned home. He asked Goda whether she had any clue about how such a thing could have happened.
Innocent Goda sheepishly admitted whatever she did, and apologized to her father. Father had no heart to punish such an innocent child. But he had no face to enter the temple once again with a garland, since the priest was furious with him. Besides, he had earned not only the wrath of the priest but also committed a grave sin against the God. “How could he offer a worn and discarded garland to the lord?” – was the question that kept haunting him all through his sleepless night that night.
It was not just Vishnuchitta, but even temple priest had hard time sleeping that night. He had shouted at a pious man for no fault of his. How could he?
Early in the morning, the lord appeared in the dream of the priest and censured him for his lapse. The lord even told the priest that He would never accept any garland unless they are first worn by Goda. He said that Goda had committed no crime, and that He was quite pleased to wear a garland used by Goda. Whatever she did was with pure unalloyed love towards him. And that, he would accept whatever is offered to him with complete devotion.
Next morning, the priest ran to Vishnuchitta’s house. He profusely apologized for his mistake and narrated to him whatever the lord had told him in his dream. And finally, Goda ‘s love for God became public.
And the tradition continued – before the garland was offered to the lord, Goda would first wear it! Then and only then it would be offered to the God.
Goda was just a child. For her, God was her beloved, her companion, her friend. She had no inkling that her playful acts would be considered as serious lapses by anyone, far less from the God himself. That is what happens when you consider someone as your own. Every barrier of class, status, and so on, just melts away. But when you realize whom you are dealing with, you get filled with guilt and remorse, for your silly acts.
Even in the original story of Krishna in the Bhagavata epic, when Krishna was a child, everyone takes Krishna as yet another cowherd boy, without realizing that he is an incarnation of God in human form. At times the elders shout at him for his mischief, and his companions call him names, in a playful gesture. None ever realize that they are dealing with the lord of the universe.
But as time goes by, they gradually realize that Krishna is no ordinary boy, but God incarnate, who has come to the world for their sake. They start feeling apologetic for whatever they have been doing, for treating him the way they did, for not giving the respect he deserved.
Same thing happed to Goda as she became more mature. She started apologizing to Krishna for all the silly acts of hers. Imagining herself to be one of the cowherd girls who mingled with Krishna, she laments
“O Krishna, we are stupid cowherd girls who never realized who you really are. We thought that you were just like one among us. We never realized how fortunate we are to have you amidst us. We called you names and played all kind of silly pranks with you. O Krishna, don’t be annoyed with us and have mercy on us. Accept us as your own and fulfil our desires.”
“Karavaigall pin chendru Kaanam serndhunnbom
Arivondrum illadha aaykkulathu un drannaip
Piravi perundhanaip punniyam yaamudaiyom
Kuraivondrum illadha Govinda ! undrannodu
Uravel namakkingu ozhikka vozhiyadhu
Ariyadha pillaiygalom anbinal undrannaich
Chiruper azhaiththanavum seeriyaruladhe
Iraiva nee thaaraay paraiyelor empavai”
This highly emotional plea of Goda is rendered beautifully by the famous singer NithyaSree Mahadevan in the sweet Tamil language. What you just heard is a clip from the verse sung by Nithyasree.
As Goda grew into a young woman, her love for Krishna went on intensifying. She could never think of anyone other than Krishna. She believed that she is wedded to Krishna. Even Vishnuchitta had to bow down before the intense divine love of his daughter. He never forced her to lead a normal married life like any other worldly girl.
The legend has it that Goda spent her entire life singing the glory of her beloved Krishna. People started looking upon her as a divine consort, who probably was an incarnation of Lord’s wife. They built temples to Goda, Worshipped her as a deity, as divine as the God himself. For generations, people sang her compositions which are generally called “Tiruppave”, meaning sacred songs. This tradition continues even to this day in southern India.
Let us take up another romantic story in the next episode.
Credits:
திருப்பாவை
- முழுவதும் | THIRUPPAVAI - FULL SONGS | MARGAZHI spl - ANDAL 30
Pasurams by Nithyasree - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq5SVvekLdU
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