Andal, Gothai, or Nachiyar?
Let me tell you the most romantic story ever.
Gothai was the baby found under a tulsi plant. Her father — Periyazhvar — had been begging Vishnu for a child of his own. A child he could look after, give his care to, and help grow.
Periyazhvar was one of the 12 Azhvars of Tamil Nadu — the saint poets who sung the glories of Vishnu. Periyazhvar was priest at the Srivilliputthur temple, one that still stands today!
He was in charge of making the most beautiful garlands to adorn Vishnu’s neck, every single day, and he took his job seriously. He put so much love and affection into those garlands.
When he found this girl child, he named her Gothai. She grew also very devotional.
Gothai spent her days longing to see her Vishnu. Out of all the avatars of him, her favorite was Lord Krishna. She spent every morning, afternoon, and night thinking of him.
She was a poetess by nature. Everything she saw reminded her of him. I think she got it from her father, who was also a poet singing praises of Perumal.
Gothai saw a dark sky, and it reminded her of Krishna’s skin.
Gothai saw rain, and it reminded her of the mercy of her Lord.
Gothai watched her surroundings and it filled her with the stories of Mathura and Krishna’s life.
She had fallen for him. Hard. Like head over heels hard.
Every time she saw him— and it may seem inappropriate, but personally I think it’s the colonial mindset(I could talk about this forever), but love was never condemned during this time — she was filled with such an intense desire to be held by his arms, holding the Sudarshana and Panchajanya.
Gothai romanticized and thought of scenarios where Krishna would come to pick her up and marry her. She imagined all the situations where she’d hold his hand, walking around his temple.
Gothai asked Kamadeva — the deva of love and desire — to marry her to Vishnu, bonded by the highest forms of ties. A thali or mangalsutra.
Gothai saw clouds and asked them to send messages to the Venkatachalapthi in Tirupati. She asked her parrots to do the same. They were the messengers of her love to her beloved.
Gothai was soon tasked with making the garlands for Vishnu. Maybe because she insisted that she’d do the work. Maybe because someone saw her appreciation for the Lord.
She made the garlands, but put it on herself first. She wanted to see if it would suit Vishnu’s lover before him. She slipped it around her neck, and looked at herself in a small mirror.
I look so beautiful. Imagine Him in it.
She feels the heavy garland around her body and imagines Krishna wrapping his arms around her body — hugging her tightly to his body.
She did this in secret. Never let anyone know her love.
She had decided that she would only marry Sri Rangannathar(Vishnu’s form in Sri Rangam). No one else.
One time, her father found her.
Periyazhvar was shook at the sight. His daughter had been using the garlands before the divine had even seen it.
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If you don’t know, using something meant for the divine isn’t supposed to be used by mortals because it’s seen as a sign of disrespect. But Gothai’s intention was not to impurify the garland, but to look at her beauty — fit for Krishna.
Periyazhvar refused to use Gothai’s garlands anymore.
Gothai was given another name. Andal. Andal was and is known as the woman who gave her life to Krishna.
When Periyazhvar put another garland — one that hadn’t been used — onto Sri Vishnu’s neck, it fell straight off.
Even he refused to wear a garland not touched by Andal’s hands.
That night, Sri Vishnu came to Periyazhvar’s dream. He came dressed as a king, a raja. On a horse, with a gold adorning his night black skin. His eyes saying more than his mouth.
He told Periyazhvar that he would refuse to wear any garland that wasn’t made by Andal. And that he wanted to marry Gothai in the Sri Rangam temple as Sri Ranganathar.
Andal’s father understood his mistake of scolding his child. The child he has asked for for so long had grown up.
The next day, Periyazhvar put Andal in the grandest of palanquins — one fit for queens…. or goddesses — and took her to Sri Rangam from Srivilliputthur.
Andal was the happiest she had ever been.
She was taken into the temple.
As she walked close to the statue of her Lord.
She put the matrimonial garland around his neck.
And stepped into him.
Never to be seen again.
Andal is said to be an avatar of the Bhoomi. She is said to be the Goddess. And that she left with her Lord to Vaikuntha — the highest of heavens.
Andal also became one of the 12 Azhvars. And so, she was given another name. Nachiyar.
Nachiyar was included in this list of poet-saints because of her love and devotion. She also created the Thiruppavai and Nachiyar Thirumozhi.
Both works were extremely romantic.
The Thiruppavai talks about her one month mission to cover the heart of Krishna by waking up early, going to the temple with her friends, and getting the darshan of her Lord.
The Nachiyar Thirumozhi talks about her intense romantic desire to be next to Vishnu. She talks about how she wishes Kamadeva to marry her to Vishnu, and expresses her desire to see him. She also sends messages through nature.
Both of these works were added into the Divya Prabandham — a collection of all the works created by the Azhvars adding up to 4,000 verses of glory!
Gothai, Andal, and Nachiyar are one of the most influential women whose existence proved that their India was different from ours today.
It was a land where love wasn’t horribly condemned and a land where she wouldn’t have to worry about what others thought about her. She spent her time condensing the meaning of the Vedas into her Thiruppavai and Thirumozhi.
She is one of my favorite people worshipped today.
Thanks to Adhi Saravanan for starting this writing intiative called All Around and talking about each Indian state for a month. Everyone should consider joining and helping uncover the mysteries of Tamil Nadu this month!
