The Giver of the Worn Garland KRISHNADEVARAYA'S AMUKTAMALYADA

by SRINIVAS REDDY

  Viṣṇu sat down on a golden dais that was especially arranged for the groom. His father-in-law poured water from a silver vase into a plate made of gold, and washed the Lord’s feet, delicate as tender sprouts. He adorned him and served him in sixteen different ways, and offered him a mixture of yogurt and brown sugar.

  Then that Ālvār, along with his pious wife, solemnly bestowed their jewel of a daughter to the Lord. And then …

  VI.131

  Between the couple, the elder gods held a long cloth,

  decorated with strings of sparkling pearls, a black border,

  and tiny figures painted in gold.

  And as the auspicious moment drew close

  they lowered the veil.

  With deep love for each other, the couple held

  jaggery-sweetened cumin in their soft hands

  and eagerly exchanged playful glances

  that everyone could see.

  VI.132

  Afterwards, Goda poured rice mixed with pearls

  on Viṣṇu’s head, adorned with a bāsikam of holy basil.

  And as her sprout-like fingers brushed past him,

  the God Who Wields a Discus broke out in a sweat.

  Shiny pearls and beads of sweat fell from his black body

  like a stream of rain and hailstones from a cloud.

  VI.133

  When Goda lifted her cupped hands filled with rice

  Viṣṇu quickly stole a peek at her round, full breasts.

  She noticed and felt shy—

  she pretended she couldn’t raise her arms any further

  and tossed up the rice with the tips of her fingers.

  VI.134

  Chills went down her body

  as Viṣṇu tied the wedding necklace around her neck.

  And then husband and wife tied sacred wedding bands

  around each other’s wrists.

  VI.135

  Following tradition, an altar of fire was made with dried out grains

  and Viṣṇu, Holder of the Sāraṅga Bow,

  led Goda around it

  with the Seven Steps.

  Together they looked up at the Star of Arundhati

  in the Constellation formed of the Seven Sages.

  Then the couple humbly accepted wedding presents

  given by Brahma, Śiva and all the other millions of gods

  and sent them off with silver platters all laden with gifts.

  Glowing with joy, Viṣṇu took Goda back to his home.

  And there on the banks of the Kāveri, in a grove of sandalwood trees

  he made love to his wife, the woman with curls of black.

  And though he ruled the universe, Love ruled his heart

  and he reigned supreme, spreading peace throughout the world.

  * * *

  NOTES TO THE POEMS

  I want translations with copious footnotes, footnotes reaching up like skyscrapers to the top of this or that page so as to leave only the gleam of one textual line between commentary and eternity.

  —Vladimir Nabokov

  VVS: Vedamu Venkataraya Sastri

  Āmuktamālyada Āndhra-vyākhyāna sahitamu.

  TKR: T. Koteswara Rao

  Āmuktamālyada Saundaryalaharī Vyākhyānam.

  NRS: Narayana Rao and Shulman

  Classical Telugu Poetry: An Anthology.

  INVOCATION

  I.1 As the avatārika padyam or introductory verse to the great epic, this beautiful poem sets out the foundational spirit of the entire text to follow. The idea here is one of reflected imaginations, layers of substance and meaning that overlap, intertwine, interact and ultimately reveal a higher reality. The poem begins, as all beginnings do, with the letter Śrī, an invocation of the goddess Lakṣmi who is inseparable from the god Nārāyaṇa.

  Here the god and goddess are facing each other, gazing at each other, each one seeing their own image in the ornament of the other. But this external reality is a mere reflection of the truth that lies within their respective hearts (paraspara ātmalu andu), for both hold an image of the other deep within themselves. This truth rises to the surface just as the poem’s inner meaning becomes evident. The verse ends with a salutation to the poet’s chosen deity (iṣṭa devata) who is Lord Vĕṅkaṭeśvara at Tirupati. The god and goddess are unified (ākalitambulaina) in the final line, a direct reference to the Śrī Vaiṣṇava philosophy that Śrī and Viṣṇu, even as the name of the tradition suggests, represent a singular godhead. For further analysis of this verse, see NRS 37–39.

  The tone of the poem is both devotional and romantic, clearly reflecting the prevailing rasas or aesthetic moods of bhakti and sṛṅgāra that flow throughout the whole text. It is written in the utpalamāla metre (literally ‘lotus-garland’) which functions as a reference to the title character Āmuktamālyada or Goda Devi, the giver of garlands.

  I.2 This verse is in praise of Ādiśeṣa, the serpent bed of the divine couple. He is invoked here as a self-controlled witness (dāntuni) to the extremely enjoyable (TKR 1 praharṣiñcu = amitaṅgā santoṣiñce) lovemaking that creates the universe. Here the romantic sentiment introduced in the previous verse is heightened and made explicit. There is also a distinction made between the two forms of the goddess, the celestial Lakṣmi and the earthly Bhūdevi, with Goda being an incarnation of the latter.

  The poem also makes reference to the great Viśiṣṭa Advaita philosopher Rāmanuja, who the Śrī Vaiṣṇavas believe is an incarnation of Ādiśeṣa.

  I.3 Written in the long sīsa metre, this poem is a tour de force description of the power of Garuḍa’s flapping wings. According to legend, the King of Birds is the sworn enemy of the snakes (nāgas). The ‘submarine mare of fire’ (baḍabāgni, Skt vaḍavāgni) refers to an ancient story of Vedic origin that tells of a mare’s head that rests at the bottom of the ocean and spews molten lava until the end of time.

  This verse along with the six that follow are written in praise of the Ālvārs. According to Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition, each saint is associated with a particular figure or āyudham (weapon/instrument) related to Lord Viṣṇu. The associations are as follows:

  Ālvār Association

  Pŏyigai Ālvār Pāñcajanyam (conch)

  Bhūt Ālvār Kaumodika (mace)

  Pe Ālvār Nandaka (sword)

  Tirumaleśa Ālvār Sudarśana (discus)

  Nammāl Ālvār Viśvaksena

  Madhura Kavi Ālvār Garuḍa

  Kulaśekhara Ālvār Kaustubha (gem)

  Pĕriya Ālvār Garuḍa

  Āṇḍaḷ Bhūdevi

  Tŏṇḍaraḍippŏḍi Ālvār Vanamāla (garland)

  Tiruppān Ālvār Śrīvatsa

  Tirumaṅgai Ālvār Sāraṅga (bow)

  I.4 The world is described here as aja-aṇḍa-bhāṇḍamu, a huge clay pot big enough to hold the entire universe, literally Brahma’s egg (cf. IV.21). The poem is in praise of Viśvaksena’s kāñcana vetram, the golden rattan staff that he wields like a potter’s stick. When the staff is in motion the universe is created, and when it is motionless, all the worlds become dormant or unconscious (jāḍyacetana). ‘spin his wheel’ has been added to highlight the implied metaphor (cf. Note VI.96).

  I.5 The image here contrasts the whiteness of the Pāñcajanyam conch with the blackness that flows towards Viṣṇu’s mouth as he breathes. The black bees at his lap are there because he is Padmanābha (Lotus Navel).

  The theme of creation developed in the last three verses is continued here as the world-generating syllable aum is believed to originate from the great conch.

  I.6 This rather complex image is based on the design of old wooden lampstands with multi-level platforms (pratata-ūrdhva-adhara-bhāga) capable of holding several burning lamps.

  I.7 This poem is based on the story of Sāḷva, the demon king who performed tapas and gained the favour of Lord Śiva. He was granted a flying city enclosed with a wall made of gold and gems but both he and his city were destroyed
when he attacked Lord Kṛṣṇa’s capital at Dvāraka.

  I.8 When Kṛṣṇa liberated the city of Mathura, Trivakra lovingly attended to him and Kṛṣṇa blessed her by straightening her hunched body. He stepped on her toes with his feet and pulled her up by the chin (padbhyām ākramya prapade, see Bhāgavata Purāṇa 10.42.7). A bow is known to have three curves and a similar technique of stepping is used when it is strung. The metaphor plays on the opposing action of straightening a body and bending a bow.

  I.9 During the Churning of the Milky Ocean, Viṣṇu appeared as the beautiful maiden Mohini in order to distract the asuras and distribute amṛta to the devas. The asura Rāhu detected the ruse and disguised himself as a deva so that he could partake in the nectar, but when Viṣṇu found out, he launched his discus Sudarśana and decapitated the demon.

  I.10 This verse employs a play on the word sūri, which can mean teacher, saint or sun.

  THE DREAM

  I.11 The veracity of this vacanam is supported by historical evidence related to the king’s conquest of Kaliṅga. ‘special day of fasting’ is ekādaśi, the eleventh day of the fortnight sacred to Vaiṣṇavas. Based on astrological evidence, historians have located the exact date of the dream to 15 January 1516.

  I.12 This dream vision of the Lord is based on standard poetic conventions of beauty being surpassed by the god’s divine form (cf. Manu Caritramu VI.102).

  I.13 The texts referred to in this poem are most likely descriptive titles. They are cited in the verse as: Madālasa-caritra, Satyāvadhū-prīṇanambu, Sakala-kathā-sāra-saṅgrahambu, Jñana-cintāmaṇi and Rasa-mañjarī.

  I.14 VVS 13 identifies the man who offered the garlands as Sudāma but TKR 14–15 cites a story from the Āndhranāyaka Śatakam that is quite similar to the story of Āṇḍāḷ in the Tamil tradition. Here a priest presents garlands to his favourite courtesan before offering them to the Lord. Then one day the king notices a hair in one of the garlands and scolds the errant priest.

  The phrase appinnadi in reference to Goda is actually ā + pinnadi, literally ‘that little one’. If taken with the preceding nasal, it becomes nappinadi which in Tamil (nappinai) is a term for Nīla Devi, or Goda.

  I.15 VVS 20 interprets the phrase tĕlugŏ-kaṇḍa as ‘Why Telugu? For it is sweet.’ kaṇḍa is glossed as pulakaṇḍa or sugarcandy. I along with Professor P. Ramanarasimham believe this to be a rather far-fetched interpretation and prefer to read the line as tĕlug’ŏkaṇḍa or ‘Telugu is one of a kind’. TKR also corroborates this interpretation later in his commentary. See also VVS 13 tĕlug’ŏkkaṭiye.

  The famous last line of this poem first appears in Vinukŏṇḍa Vallabharāya’s 14th century Krīḍābhirāmam, albeit in a very diffrent tone (see Narayana Rao 1995, 34). It does however imply that pride in the Telugu language was not new to the 16th century Vijayanagara poets.

  I.18 ‘Turvasu lineage’ links Śrī Kṛṣṇadevarāya’s ancestry to the candra-vaṁsam of the Mahābhārata. Turvasu was a son of Yayāti and Devayāni.

  CHAPTER I

  ŚRī VILLIPUTTŪR

  I.51 The first poem in this section again reinforces the notion that reality is something imagined. The word bhrama can mean illusion, delusion, misconception, misapprehension, mistaken belief or false idea, and is employed in reference to the unmentioned passerby (i.e. the reader) who sees these mansions. My thanks to Professor P. Ramanarasimham for his spirited recitation and commentary on this verse.

  The phrase minnulato rāyu literally ‘sky-scraping’ has been omitted. See the description of Madhura mansions in Chapter II where this theme is more fully developed.

  I.52 Vaijayanta is the name of Indra’s palace in his capital Amarāvati.

  I.53 This long sīsa padyam includes several intricate images and is one of the most complex verses in the text. It is important to keep in mind the layout of a South Indian home and the design of a typical entranceway. Usually a small staircase leads to a covered veranda and then a doorway leads to the atrium. The steps are usually flanked by short walls, decorated in this case with motifs of lions and elephants.

  The conch and discus are the sacred symbols of Viṣṇu and indicate that these are all Vaiṣṇava households (cf. V.37). See Note V.20 for bāsikam, here loosely translated as ‘wedding crown’. The Eight Guardian Elephants are the aṣṭa-dig-gajas who bear the weight of the universe and guard the four cardinal and four intermediary directions. The image of Lakṣmi seated in a lotus and pouring gold from a pot with two white elephants in the background is very common in modern iconography.

  I.54–55 These two poems have been combined because the image of tree-lined roads paved with diamonds is repeated in both. Smearing floors with cow dung and decorating entranceways with powdered lime patterns are daily activities still practised in Indian villages.

  The Ocean is considered to be the source of all precious stones. The diamond-paved lanes appear like the white River Gaṅga (prathama-bhārya) and the coconut trees are compared to the Pārijāta trees of the sky-roaming gods (bhraga-taru).

  I.56 The Divya Prabandham is mentioned by name in this verse, here translated as ‘songs of devotion’ (cf. I.84).

  I.57 cf. V.57.

  I.58 Mount Meru is believed to be the home of the gods and Mount Mandara is considered to give the gods their food because it was used to churn the Ocean of Milk and produce amṛtam. These mountains are being led through the town on massive temple chariots so that the mansions of Śrī Villiputtūr can judge their relative greatness (mithaḥ tāratamyambulu). Professor P. Ramanarasimham rightly notes that the mansions are the most qualified judges for this contest because, unlike Meru and Mandara that only provide one thing, the Śrī Villiputtūr mansions provide both food and shelter.

  This poem is written in the Mahā-sragdhara metre, a 22-syllable vṛtta metre with the gaṇa arrangement: sa-ta-ta-na-sa-ra-ra-ga (cf. v.3).

  I.59 This is the first in a series of verses that describe the activities of Śrī Villiputtūr’s temple courtesans (Skt devadāsī, Tel guḍi ceṭi). These ladies are praised not only for their beauty and learning, but also for their religiosity and dedicated service to Lord Viṣṇu and his temples. Compare this to the description of the more urbanized courtesans of Madhura (cf. II.30).

  I.60 The Telugu word for pān used here is vīḍĕmpu. TKR 64 glosses bāsa (Skt bhāṣā) as deśa-bhāsalalo, referring to regional languages as opposed to Sanskrit.

  I.61 Civets are nocturnal cat-like carnivores with well-developed scent glands that produce a fragrant oil. Scented incense smoke (sāmbrāṇi) is used to perfume women’s hair when it’s still wet after bathing.

  I.63 The syllable śrī in Telugu is believed to resemble a woman’s ear adorned with an earring. The word itself means wealth and prosperity.

  I.66 Rājanam is a special, high quality rice of reddish colour.

  I.67 Rice requires a lot of water to grow and paddy fields are often flooded with water. When it is time for the harvest, the fields are drained and dried out.

  I.68 veru panasa is a variety of jackfruit that bears fruit from underground roots (veru). Here Spring is personified as a king (vasanta-nṛpa).

  I.69 tomālĕ from toṭa + māla (literally ‘garden garland’) is a wreath, garland or string of flowers and leaves (Brown 347). TKR 72 cites that this is the typical offering given to Śrī Mannāru Svāmi the local deity at Śrī Villiputtūr.

  I.70 This beautiful poem is based on the four main ingredients needed to make tāmbūlam: betel leaf, areca nut, lime and sweetener. Here it is described as a ‘red aphrodisiac’ (ĕri mandu). Even today, it is quite common to see large hearths used to cook down sugarcane juice into jaggery (bĕllam) right beside the sugarcane fields. The grinding of sugarcane pearls (? muttiyamulu) into powdered lime (cūrṇamu) is unclear.

  I.71 This verse employs onomatopoeic phraseology (see also I.72, I.74 and IV.27). The use of reduplicated sound words is particularly popular in Telugu, and still quite common in the modern spoke
n language. Here the call of water birds (nīru koḷ) is described as kŏla-kŏla-(m)-añcun, literally ‘making the sound kŏl kŏl’.

  The smell of camphor (kaprapun valapulu) is due to the stagnant algae and probably refers to a sulphurous odour.

  I.73 ‘northern temple to Viṣṇu’ is udaj-mahālayavat, the poet’s Sanskritization of the Tamil name for the god vaḍappĕrum-goyiluḍaiyān. tulasi leaves and garlands are traditional offerings made at Vaiṣṇava temples.

  ‘purifying’ is used here for puṇyampu and tāpatrayi mīṭī, the removal of the three troubles—difficulties caused by the self, others, or the will of god.

  I.74 This verse includes the onomatopoeic phrase ghallu-(m)-añcu-uliyan which I have tried to translate with alliteration and consonance.

  I.76 This poem is a detailed sīsa-padyam that vividly describes the caring treatment offered to pilgrims who visit Śrī Villiputtūr. It functions as a transitional verse, preparing the reader for the introduction of Viṣṇucitta, and foreshadowing the colourful description of pilgrim activities, both religious and gastronomical.

  ‘full body prostrations’ is aṣṭānga-mĕraṅgi, bowing with all eight limbs touching the ground. In South Indian villages ‘coconut fibre mats’ (nārikeḷa-kaṭa-āsanamulan), ‘broad banana leaves’ (rambhā-viśāla-parṇamulu) and ‘little bowls made of woven areca leaves’ (poka-pŏtti-kuṭṭina-dŏppa) are still commonly used to serve meals.

  VIṢṆUCITTA

  I.77 In this poem ‘the sacred Viṣṇu mantra’ is simply referred to as dvayam, the second of the three holy Vaiṣṇava mantras (cf. V.92). The first is the famous aṣṭākṣara or eight-syllable mantra (cf. II.87) Om Namo Nārāyaṇāya, the second is śrīman nārāyaṇa caranau śaraṇam prapadye | śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ, and the third is Bhagavad Gīta 18.66 ‘sarvadharmān parityajya mām ekam śaraṇam vraja | aham tvā sarvapāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ’ The Śrī Vaiṣṇavas call this the carama śloka because they view it as the last verse of the Bhagavad Gīta.