|| Om Namo Shree Venkateshwaraya Namaha ||
The importance of Goda Devi in the life of a Vaishnava cannot be exaggerated. The Devi was also known as Andal or Ranganayaki.She was intensely devoted to Lord Ranganatha. Sje dedicated her life to him alone, her every thought was for him. The exemplary devotion with which she accepted Lord Ranganatha as her consort added to the Lord’s glory more than her own. This even made the great Yamunacharya and the great Ramanujacharya her devotees.The tradition of observing the Sri Vrutt Anushthan during Dhanurmas was started 5000 years ago by Goda Devi in Srivilliputtur. During this period she is called Bhudevi.
Goda Devi had a purpose behind starting this Vrat, she wanted to be eligible to accept Lord Ranganatha as her consort. She continued the Vrat for the entire month of Dhanur. The Devi composed a bhajan on each day of the month. These bhajans are called Thiruppavai. These are melodious verses based on the stories of the Bhagavtam. Thiruppavai –s are popular in South India even today.Through these Thiruppavai Goda Devi surrendered to Lord Sriman Narayanan and prayed that the Lord should reincarnate for the welfare of the people. She was of the firm belief that because of the practice of Dhanurmas Vrat prosperity pervades the country, hunger and suffering are not known.
This Vrat causes rains to occur on time and in plenty and wealth in the form of cattle and crop abounds. Abundance of cattle would bring abundance of milk and its product, this would enable people to offer rich food (naivedya) to the Almighty. Through Thiruppavai she expressed her sense of nationalism. For obtaining all these (material welfare) she prayed to Sriman Narayan. Goda Devi wanted to promote a feeling of non-cruelty (Ahimsa) towards animals, a feeling of mutual respect and love among people.
According to Goda Devi’s Thiruppavai, true nationalism is to create abundance of food, fruits and milk and its products and make the land a place of plenty.The Devi’s contribution towards the spread to Vaishnavism meets few parallels. In all Dhanurmas literature Goda Devi ‘s Thiruppavai compositions stand tall.Through these she not only arouses Bhakti in the people but also secular values like nationalism.Sri Ramanuja had made it a practice to chant the Thiruppavai regularly. Not only in places in the South, like Srirangam, Kanchi, Tirupati Srivilliputtur, but also in Vridavan, Pushkar Mumbai,Kolkatta etc temples celebrate Dhanurmas with great pageantry. The Sri Venkatesh Devasthan in Fanaswadi in Mumbai conducts a month long celebration during Dhanurmas. This amply expresses the devotion of the people towards Goda Devi and Sri Vekatesh.
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