![The Saint Andal LACMA M](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/The_Saint_Andal_LACMA_M.86.94.2.jpg)
Āmuktamālyada ( te, ఆముక్తమాల్యద) is a
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
epic poem composed by
Krishnadevaraya
Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Empire, reigning from 1509 to 1529. He was the third monarch of the Tuluva dynasty, and is considered to be one of the g ...
, the
Vijayanagara
Vijayanagara () was the capital city of the historic Vijayanagara Empire. Located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, it spread over a large area and included the modern era Group of Monuments at Hampi site in Vijayanagara district, Bellary ...
Emperor in the early 16th century. Amuktamalyada translates to "One who offered the garland after wearing it himself". Considered as a masterpiece, Amuktamalyada describes the story of wedding of the
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
Lord Ranganayaka, an avatar, of
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
and Goda Devi aka
Andal
Andal ( ta, ஆண்டாள்), also known as Kothai, Nachiyar, and Godadevi, was the only female Alvar among the twelve Hindu poet-saints of South India. She was posthumously considered an avatar of the goddess Bhudevi. As with the Alv ...
the
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
Alvar
An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse grassland vegetation. Often flooded in the spring, and affected by drought in midsummer, alvars support a distinctive group of prairie ...
poet and daughter of
Periyalvar
Periyalvar (), also known as Vishnuchittar, was one of the twelve ''Alvar'' saints of South India who are known for their affiliation to the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He was the foster father of Andal. Andal, also called as Kodhai, is t ...
, at
Srirangam
Srirangam, is a neighbourhood in the city of Tiruchirappalli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A river island, Srirangam is bounded by the Kaveri River on one side and its distributary Kollidam on the other side. Considered as the first amon ...
.
Krishnadevaraya
Krishnadevaraya was the king of the
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hinduism, Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana an ...
reigning between 1509–1530.
He was the third ruler of the
Tuluva Dynasty
Tuluva is the name of the third Dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire. The dynasty traces its patrilineal ancestry to Tulu-speaking who are Bunt Nagavamshi Kshatriyas () Tuluva Narasa Nayaka, a powerful warlord from the westerly Tulu speaking regi ...
, and presided over the Vijayanagara empire at its zenith. Krishna Deva Raya earned the titles of ''Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana'' (''lit'', "Lord of the Kannada empire"), ''Andhra Bhoja'' and ''Mooru Rayara Ganda'' (''lit'', "King of three Kings"). He became the dominant ruler of the peninsula of India by defeating the
Sultans of Bijapur
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
,
Golconda
Fort (Telugu: గోల్కొండ, romanized: ''Gōlkōnḍa'') is a historic fortress and ruined city located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was originally called Mankal. The fort was originally built by Kakatiya ruler Pratāparu ...
, the
Bahmani Sultanate
The Bahmani Sultanate, or Deccan, was a Persianate Sunni Muslim Indian Kingdom located in the Deccan region. It was the first independent Muslim kingdom of the Deccan, and the
Gajapati Kingdom
The Gajapati Empire or the Suryavamsa (IAST: Sūryavaṃśa, "Solar dynasty") dynasty was a medieval dynasty from the Indian subcontinent, it originated in the region of Trikalinga (most of the present-day Odisha and North coastal Andhra) a ...
of
Orissa
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of Sch ...
.
Krishnadevaraya during his reign patronised many
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
,
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
and
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
poets. His court had 8
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
poets (Astadiggajalu) -
Allasani Peddana
Allasani Peddana (15th and 16th centuries CE) was a famous Telugu poet and was ranked as the foremost of the '' Ashtadiggajalu'', the title for the group of eight poets in the court of King Krishnadevaraya, a ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire.
...
,
Nandi Thimmana
Nandi Thimmana (15th and 16th centuries CE) was a Telugu poet and one of the ''Astadiggajas'' (literally eight elephants) in the court of the king Krishnadevaraya. He is often called Mukku Thimmana (Thimmana of the nose) after his celebrated poe ...
,
Madayyagari Mallana
Mallana (15th century) was a Telugu poet and one of the '' Astadiggajas'' (literally means eight elephants) in the court of the king Krishnadevaraya.
Biography
He said that his birthplace was part of Rayalaseema (means land ruled by Rayas, Vij ...
,
Dhurjati
Dhurjati (or ధూర్ఝటి) (c. 15th and 16th centuries, CE) was a Telugu poet in the court of the king Krishnadevaraya and was one of the '' astadiggajalu'' (Translated "Eight Mighty Elephants ") there.
Biography
He was born to Singam ...
,
Ayyala-raju Rama-Bhadrudu,
Pingali Surana
Pingali Suranna (16th century CE) was a Telugu poet and was one of the '' Astadiggajas''.
Early life
Suranna's exact birthplace is uncertain. He lived in Kanala village near Nandyala.
Suranna's parents were Abbamamba (mother) and Amarana (fat ...
,
Ramaraja Bhushanudu and
Tenali Rama Krishna. The Kannada poets Mallanarya who wrote ''Bhava-chinta-ratna'' and ''Satyendra Chola-kathe'' and Chatu Vittal-anatha who wrote ''Bhagavata'' also enjoyed his patronage. The Tamil poet
Haridasa
The Haridasa Bhakti Sahitya devotional movement (sampradaya) originated in Karnataka, India, after Madhvacharya, and spread to eastern states such as Bengal and Assam of medieval India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and ...
and Tamil literature were patronised by Krishnadevaraya. The Sanskrit poet
Vyasatirtha
Vyāsatīrtha (. 1460 – 1539), also called ''Vyasaraja'' or ''Chandrikacharya'', was a Hindu philosopher, scholar, polemicist, commentator and poet belonging to the Madhwacharya's Dvaita order of Vedanta. As the patron saint of the Vijay ...
who wrote ''Bhedo-jjivana'', ''Tat-parya-chandrika'', ''Nyaya-mrita'' (a work directed against Advaita philosophy) and ''Tarka-tandava'' enjoyed his patronage. Krishnadevaraya was himself an accomplished Sanskrit scholar and wrote ''Madalasa Charita'', ''Satyavadu Parinaya'' and ''Rasamanjari'' and ''Jambavati Kalyana''
Andal
Andal is the only female among the 12
Vaishnava
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
Tamil saints - the
Alvars
The Alvars ( ta, ஆழ்வார், Āḻvār, translit-std=ISO, lit=The Immersed) were the Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused ''bhakti'' (devotion) to the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, in their songs of longing, ecstasy, and ...
. According to tradition, Andal was born in
Srivilliputtur
Srivilliputhur (), is a Municipality in Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As of 2011, the town had a population of 75,396. The most important landmark of Srivilliputhur is 11-tiered tower structure dedicated to the Vatapat ...
. She was found as an infant, abandoned under a
basil
Basil (, ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' , also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" refers to the variety also kno ...
(
Tulasi
''Ocimum tenuiflorum'', commonly known as holy basil, ''tulsi'' or ''tulasi'', is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and widespread as a cultivated plant throughout the Southeast Asian ...
-
Ocimum tenuiflorum
''Ocimum tenuiflorum'', commonly known as holy basil, ''tulsi'' or ''tulasi'', is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and widespread as a cultivated plant throughout the Southeast Asian ...
) tree, by Vishnucitta (or
Periyalvar
Periyalvar (), also known as Vishnuchittar, was one of the twelve ''Alvar'' saints of South India who are known for their affiliation to the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He was the foster father of Andal. Andal, also called as Kodhai, is t ...
) who himself was an Alvar poet. It is said that Periyalvar recocognised the child as Bhudevi, the consort of Lord
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
(p. 36).
Active in the 7th-century,
Andal is credited with the
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
works,
Thiruppavai
The Thiruppavai (Tamil: திருப்பாவை) is a set of Tamil devotional religious hymns attributed to the female poet-saint Andal (also known as Nachiyar, Kodhai or Goda Devi). She is considered the manifestation of Bhudevi, who has ...
and
Nachiar Tirumozhi
''Nachiyar Tirumoli'' (; ) is a set of 143 verses composed by Andal, one of the twelve Alvars in Vaishnava tradition. In her restlessness and eagerness to attain Kannan (Krishna), Andal attempts various methods by which she can attain union ...
, which are still recited by devotees during the winter festival season of
Margazhi. Andal is known for her unwavering devotion to Lord
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
, the God of the Srivaishnavas. The
Srivilliputhur Temple in
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
is dedicated to her, marking her birthplace.
Some of Andal's verses express love for Lord Vishnu, written with bold sensuality and startlingly savage longing, hunger and inquiry, that even today many of her most erotic poems are rarely rendered publicly.
Krishnadevaraya's Amuktamalyada
It is believed that Krishnadevaraya wrote the work, after getting a dream in the portico of the Srikakula Andhra Maha Vishnu temple, in the Srikakulam Village (today's
Krishna District
Krishna district is district in the coastal Andhra Region in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, with Machilipatnam as its administrative headquarters. It is the coastal district of Andhra Pradesh. Machilipatnam is the most populated city in the di ...
) on the banks of river Krishna, in which Lord
Andhra Maha Vishnu appeared and instructed him to write the story of his wedding to Andal at
Srirangam
Srirangam, is a neighbourhood in the city of Tiruchirappalli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A river island, Srirangam is bounded by the Kaveri River on one side and its distributary Kollidam on the other side. Considered as the first amon ...
in Telugu.
In his dream, on being asked why Telugu was chosen, Lord Vishnu is said to have replied
Which translates to: "If you ask, 'Why Telugu?' It is because this is Telugu country and I am a Telugu king. Telugu is sweet. After speaking with all the kings that serve you, didn’t you realize - amongst all the languages in the country, Telugu is the best!".
Amuktamalyada describes pain of separation (viraha) experienced by Andal, who is described as the incarnate of
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
the consort of
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
. Further the poem describes Andal's beauty in 30 verses written in the keśādi-pādam style, starting from her hair, going down her body till her feet.
References
{{reflist
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Vyankatesh_Devanpalli_Aamuktamalyada_Srikrishnadev?id=gR9FDwAAQBAJ
Art and culture of Vijayanagar Empire
Indian literature
Telugu-language literature
Medieval Indian literature
Alvars