Vedanta desikar's Godha stuti

[thebigthinkg]

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In Godha stuti, Vedanta desikar explains why he calls Andal as kothai. Vedanta desikar was in Srivilliputhur once and his thoughts went on Andal. As he was thinking about her, the Andal procession entered his street unexpectedly. It was supposed to go through another street, but due to a 'theetu' it got rerouted to his street. Vedanta desikar was overcome with devotion and that devotion outpoured as Godha stuti.

Kothai is bhU-devi, the mother earth. On Mother Earth grows plants which wear flowers on their head. It is these flowers that Mother Earth wears on her head, that become the garland decorating Sriman Narayana's head. This exchange of garlands make them the dampati.

Since Andal makes Lord Rangamannar wear the garlands that she wears (சூடிக்கொடுத்த சுடர்கொடி), she is exactly the avatar of Mother Earth, who incarnates in Srivilliputhur, to the south of Lord in Rangapatna, says Vedanta desikar in Godha stuti.

Also, he describes the nature of Kothai as below-

maatha: SamutthuTithathavathIm adhivishNu chittham
visvOpjeevyam amrutham vachasA dhuhAnAm
taapacchidham hima-ruchEriva moorthymanyAm
santhna: payOdhi Duhithu: sahajAm vidhusthvAm

தாயே (உன்)எழுச்சியே மிகும் விஷ்ணு சித்தமே
அகிலம் உயிர்வாழ அமிழ்த வசனம் சுரக்கவே
தாபம் மூடும் குளிர்ச்சுவைபோல மற்றோர் வடிவமே
பாற்கடல்மகள் உடன்எழும் புனிதம்நீ அறிவேன்

Mother Earth (bhUma devi) hides the heat inside her with cooler outside. Modern science also says so. Core of Earth of hot and molten materials. The crust is cooler outside. Likewise Andal hides her tApA with a cooler outside as she takes Ranganatha and none other as her pati.

Why does Earth do so..? Earth does it to make all the beings live and evolve. But for this hiding nature, living beings cannot live or evolve in it. This nature of Mother Earth is product of Will of Vishnu, which is make jIvas sustain and evolve. Same way Andal is product of will of Vishnu cittar (Andal is vishnucitta's adopted daughter).

Thus Mother Earth and Andal are similar or same (an incarnation) says vedanta desikar. How Vedanta desikar even knew such a nature for Mother Earth..? We don't know. On the occasion of Koodaravalli vaibhavam, Vedanta Desikar's Godha stuti translation in tamil.

Godha stuti (கோதை புகழ்)

ஸ்ரீ விஷ்ணு சித்தர் வழிவந்திட்ட கல்பக்கொடி ஸ்ரீ ரங்கராஜன் சந்தனமர முடன் காட்சி நேராய் பூதேவி கருணையில் ஸ்ரீதேவி போன்ற கோதை வேறேது சரணம...

tbtpoems.blogspot.com

 

[renuka]

In Godha stuti, Vedanta desikar explains why he calls Andal as kothai. Vedanta desikar was in Srivilliputhur once and his thoughts went on Andal. As he was thinking about her, the Andal procession entered his street unexpectedly. It was supposed to go through another street, but due to a 'theetu' it got rerouted to his street. Vedanta desikar was overcome with devotion and that devotion outpoured as Godha stuti.

Kothai is bhU-devi, the mother earth. On Mother Earth grows plants which wear flowers on their head. It is these flowers that Mother Earth wears on her head, that become the garland decorating Sriman Narayana's head. This exchange of garlands make them the dampati.

Since Andal makes Lord Rangamannar wear the garlands that she wears (சூடிக்கொடுத்த சுடர்கொடி), she is exactly the avatar of Mother Earth, who incarnates in Srivilliputhur, to the south of Lord in Rangapatna, says Vedanta desikar in Godha stuti.

Also, he describes the nature of Kothai as below-

maatha: SamutthuTithathavathIm adhivishNu chittham
visvOpjeevyam amrutham vachasA dhuhAnAm
taapacchidham hima-ruchEriva moorthymanyAm
santhna: payOdhi Duhithu: sahajAm vidhusthvAm

தாயே (உன்)எழுச்சியே மிகும் விஷ்ணு சித்தமே
அகிலம் உயிர்வாழ அமிழ்த வசனம் சுரக்கவே
தாபம் மூடும் குளிர்ச்சுவைபோல மற்றோர் வடிவமே
பாற்கடல்மகள் உடன்எழும் புனிதம்நீ அறிவேன்

Mother Earth (bhUma devi) hides the heat inside her with cooler outside. Modern science also says so. Core of Earth of hot and molten materials. The crust is cooler outside. Likewise Andal hides her tApA with a cooler outside as she takes Ranganatha and none other as her pati.

Why does Earth do so..? Earth does it to make all the beings live and evolve. But for this hiding nature, living beings cannot live or evolve in it. This nature of Mother Earth is product of Will of Vishnu, which is make jIvas sustain and evolve. Same way Andal is product of will of Vishnu cittar (Andal is vishnucitta's adopted daughter).

Thus Mother Earth and Andal are similar or same (an incarnation) says vedanta desikar. How Vedanta desikar even knew such a nature for Mother Earth..? We don't know. On the occasion of Koodaravalli vaibhavam, Vedanta Desikar's Godha stuti translation in tamil.

Godha stuti (கோதை புகழ்)

ஸ்ரீ விஷ்ணு சித்தர் வழிவந்திட்ட கல்பக்கொடி ஸ்ரீ ரங்கராஜன் சந்தனமர முடன் காட்சி நேராய் பூதேவி கருணையில் ஸ்ரீதேவி போன்ற கோதை வேறேது சரணம...

tbtpoems.blogspot.com

Mother Earth is viewed as potential energy.

The Dhara Gayatri explains the concept well for Mother Earth which is recited for Andal.

Om dhanurdharAyai vidmahe
sarvasiddhyai ca dhimahi
tanno dharA pracodayAt.

dhanudharAyai means the bearer of the bow.
The bow here represents potential energy which can launch the kinetic energy arrows of nature as in growth of flora and evolution of fauna.

dharA means supporter/ sustainer..as its Mother Earth who sustains everything on our planet.

May be you could explain more in detail about potential energy being represented by a bow( you are good in physics)

 

[thebigthinkg]

The way I look at it is, Shiva represents Energy and family of Shiva (durga, parvati, skanda, vinayaga) are different forms of energy. Like pArvati represents potential, durga kinetic, skanda heat, ganapati work etc etc..

Vishnu represents Mass and family of Vishnu (Sridevi, bhudevi) are different forms of matter or manifestations.

The Gayatri mantra says this 'To know/understand the dhanurdharah, reflect/meditate on who establishes everything, there dharA will get invoked'. The dhanur dharah is the bow holder, the vishnu. Vishnu is omnipresent in all manifestations. These manifestations are of 2 types. The tangible, physical parts which are the 'siddhis' represented by bhU-devi and the intangible, mental parts which are the 'jna' represented by Sridevi. Vishnu is the sarva-jna and sarva-siddhi rolled into one. Both keep evolving

dharA is the bhudevi, Mother Earth. To realize her, one needs to meditate on sarva-siddhi part of vishnu, his physical, tangible, life giving manifestation part. Then one realizes bhUdevi.

 

[renuka]

The way I look at it is, Shiva represents Energy and family of Shiva (durga, parvati, skanda, vinayaga) are different forms of energy. Like pArvati represents potential, durga kinetic, skanda heat, ganapati work etc etc..

Vishnu represents Mass and family of Vishnu (Sridevi, bhudevi) are different forms of matter or manifestations.

The Gayatri mantra says this 'To know/understand the dhanurdharah, reflect/meditate on who establishes everything, there dharA will get invoked'. The dhanur dharah is the bow holder, the vishnu. Vishnu is omnipresent in all manifestations. These manifestations are of 2 types. The tangible, physical parts which are the 'siddhis' represented by bhU-devi and the intangible, mental parts which are the 'jna' represented by Sridevi. Vishnu is the sarva-jna and sarva-siddhi rolled into one. Both keep evolving

dharA is the bhudevi, Mother Earth. To realize her, one needs to meditate on sarva-siddhi part of vishnu, his physical, tangible, life giving manifestation part. Then one realizes bhUdevi.

The grammar is feminine.
dhanurdharayai..( the female bearer of the bow)

For a male bearer of the bow it would be dhanurdharaya.
dhanurdharaya is used in the Varaha Gayatri...so it would be accurate to say it denotes Vishnu as the bearer of the bow in the Varaha gayatri.

But in the case of gayatri for bhooma devi ..its feminine dhanudharayai..so here its a feminine potential energy on its own right..though I do understand everything comes from the Supreme but here the feminine gender expression is rather clear.

 

[thebigthinkg]

The grammar is feminine.
dhanurdharayai..( the female bearer of the bow)

For a male bearer of the bow it would be dhanurdharaya.
dhanurdharaya is used in the Varaha Gayatri...so it would be accurate to say it denotes Vishnu as the bearer of the bow in the Varaha gayatri.

But in the case of gayatri for bhooma devi ..its feminine dhanudharayai..so here its a feminine potential energy on its own right..though I do understand everything comes from the Supreme but here the feminine gender expression is rather clear.

You are right. The bow holder is the bhudevi (referring to satyabhama who holds saaranga given by vishnu). bhudevi and sridevi are external forms or manifestations of vishnu. But I don't consider bhudevi as family of energy (shiva) but a family of manifesting forms (vishnu), the siddhi form of vishnu