We seek your kind blessings, please let us see your gradual opening of lovely eyes. If you open your eyes totally all of a sudden, you cannot bear the sight. Just as a lotus opens its lids slowly, Siri Siri Muvva is half-open, with a small ball inside, please present your cool looks. Your eyes are like Sun and Moon- they are hot and burning for the enemies and cool for devotees like us. With the effect of your generous blissful looks, all our curses will be burnt and that is the real purpose of our Vratam.
Goda’s Tamil Pashuram 22
Anganmaa Gnaalaththarasar Abhimaana
Bangamaai Vandhu nin Palli-k-kattilkeezhay
Sangam Iruppaar pol Vandu Thalaip-peydom
Kinkini Vaai Seidha Thaamarai Poo-p-Poley
Sengansiru-ch-chiridhey Emmel Vizhiyaavo!
Thingalum Aadhityanum Ezhundaar Pol
Angand Irandum Kondu Engal Mel Nokkudiyel
Yengal Mel Shaapam Nirande-Elorempaavaai
English Poem 22
Under Your Umbrella & Feet, We,
Kings of Large Earth Gathered.
Shedding Ego, crowding around You!
Give a glance of ankle trinket, blooming lotuses,
With Eyes of Sun & Moon, at a time,
Gradual opening of eyes a little, and a little after
Wash off our sins and curses. Girls’ sans vanity
Please see us and hear our pleas, consider, and bless.
Bhakta Pothana in Goda’s song: When Narayana comes in the guise of a Brahmin boy seeking Biksha (donation), Rakshasa-Guru Shukra warns King Bali not to give anything to Him. But Bali says many kings come and go. They do not take the wealth with them to a different world… I will give and retain a permanent place in the history. A small king slaps a sedition case against Bhakta Pothana for not dedicating his Bhagavatham to him. One knows now who that king was. Pothana has remained eternal. Any king who slaps false cases on knowledge and education or art and poetry with Royal heavy Egos will not remain or be remembered forever.
If a king thinks that it is his achievement, God will not bother about it. As long as it is comfortable, the King will enjoy his pride. Once the fall starts, God will just watch the fall of that King along with his possessions. If the King thinks that it was given for a purpose as a matter of service, he will not have any problems. Annamayya had a similar experience when he joined the royal court. He was happy when he left those egoistic rulers.
All those kings of big dynasties realized the futility of their royalty, shed their egos and came under your feet, umbrella, and refuge. Goda and Gopikas tell Krishna: We also shed our love or pride for our bodies and came like them to seek Your refuge.
Brahma or Ant, Ego is sure
The smallest ant and largest Brahma will have Ego in their own proportions. The ant thinks great and feels everything is created by her and for her. Even Brahma has to struggle for Moksha. Brahma thinks that it was he with his energy and effort that created this entire universe. He has to shed all these feelings and surrender all to Him to achieve liberation. A simple man who has nothing can gain liberation with greater ease, unlike Brahma. If one thinks all is given by Him and one has no role in it, there are no issues to worry about. He has nothing to give or do. God stands by him. One who leaves everything without abandoning his duties is doing real Saranagati, and God takes care of him. For the ant, it is easy to get Mokhsa.
Kingdom goes, Pride remains
Once a king, after ruling and enjoying the pleasures of Royal life, lost all his wealth and found it difficult to get food twice a day. Though the kingdom is lost, his ego remains. He feels ashamed to beg in the day fearing that people might identify him. He picks up a piece of pot and starts begging in the night. While he walks under the extended roofs of houses to avoid someone identifying him, he steps on a dog that just gave birth to puppies. It bites the former King. Crying, the King drops the pot making a big noise. People around come out with lamps and recognize him. His pride is affected again. You get ego when you get the kingdom. Kingdom goes but not the pride. You try to hide the pride, get disappointed, depressed, and defeated. The desire for kingdom is a disease, for which you do not hesitate to lose your wife, brothers, and friends, and there is no medicine to cure it. Kingdom destroys your knowledge about yourself. Surrender to Him, shedding ego, says Nammalwar.
