Andal ki Maala

Tamil Nadu ke mandir-nagar Srivilliputhur mein, lagbhag baarah sau varsh pehle, Periyalwar naamak ek sant-kavi rehte the, jo Bhagwan Vishnu ke bhakt kavi-sant baarah Aalvaaron mein se ek the. Har praatah Periyalwar bhor se pehle uthte, apne udyaan se taaze phool ekatra karte, aur apne hi haathon se mandir ke Bhagwan Vatapatrasayi, Vishnu ke ek roop ke liye lambi, sugandhit maalaayein goonthte. Ek praatah jab ve tulsi ke paudhon ke beech kaam kar rahe the, to unhone shishu ka rona suna. Tulsi ki jhaadi ke neeche ek navjaat kanya padi thi, parityakt aur roti hui, uska mukh Chandrama jaisa deeptimaan. Periyalwar, jinke apni koi santaan na thi, ne ise swayam Prabhu ka uphaar maana. Unhone kaanpte haathon se shishu ko uthaaya, uska naam Goda rakha, jiska arth prithvi ki maala, aur use apni hi putri ki tarah paala, use Vishnu ke geet aur unke bhakton ki kathaayein sikhaate hue. Goda asaadhaaran sundarta aur usse bhi adhik asaadhaaran bhakti ki kanya bani. Vah apne pita ko prem se praatah maalaayein goonthte dekhti, aur jab ve mandir chale jaate, to vah udyaan mein chupke jaati, ek maala uthaati, aur apne hi komal gale mein daal leti. Darpan ke saamne khadi hokar vah apne pratibimb se poochhti, kya main apne Prabhu ke liye paryaapt sundar dikhti hoon? Kya ve mujhe apni vadhu sweekaar karenge? Tab pita ke krodh ke bhay se vah sheeghra maala doosron ke beech vaapas rakh deti. Vah din-pratidin aisa karti, aur koi na jaanta, jab tak ek praatah Periyalwar ne use karte pakad na liya. Ve bhaybeet hue. Maalaayein Prabhu ke liye thin, pavitra aur maanav-sparsh se achooti. Doosre dwara pehle pehni maala arpit karna ghor apraadh tha. Us din vyatha mein unhone taazi maalaayein banaain aur mandir le gaye, prayukt maala phenkkar. Parantu us raat Bhagwan Vatapatrasayi Periyalwar ke swapna mein prakat hue, komal muskuraate hue. Prabhu ne kaha ki unhein arpit samast maalaon mein unhein vah sabse priya hai jo Goda ne pehni thi, kyonki usmein uske prem ki sugandh thi. Us din se Prabhu ne ghoshna ki ki Goda ki maalaayein unhein sabse pehle arpit ki jaayengi, aur vah Andal kehlaayegi, jiska arth hai vah kanya jisne swayam Prabhu par shaasan kiya. Andal ki bhakti itne poorn prem mein gehri hui ki vah har jaagte kshan mein swayam ko Prabhu ki vadhu dekhti. Usne Tamil kaavya ki do amar rachnaayein rachin, Thiruppavai, Prabhu ki kripa chaahti kanyaon dwara gaaye jaane waale tees chhand, aur Nachiyar Thirumozhi, apne divya pati ke liye uski laalsa udelte ek sau taintaalees chhand. In chhandon mein vah Prabhu se apne vivaah ka madhur swapna dekhti hai, vivaah-juloos, sangeet aur maalaon ka varnan karti hai, aisi aatmeeyata se jisne hazaar varshon se laakhon hridayon ko dravit kiya hai. Jab Andal vivaah yogya hui, to Periyalwar ne kisi bhi pita ki tarah uske liye martya var khojne ka vichaar kiya. Parantu Andal ne shaant dridhta se inkaar kiya. Usne apna hriday Srirangam ke Bhagwan Ranganatha, shayan karte Vishnu ko de diya tha, aur vah kisi anya se vivaah na karegi. Periyalwar pita ke kartavya aur sant ki samajh ke beech fanse the, parantu Prabhu ne swayam maamla suljhaaya. Swapna mein Ranganatha ne aagya di ki Andal ko unki vadhu banaakar Srirangam laaya jaaye, aur mandir ke pujaariyon ko bhi vahi aagya mili. Srivilliputhur se shaahi vaibhav se vivaah-juloos nikla, Andal vadhu vesh mein, deeptimaan aur shaant. Jab paalki Srirangam ke garbhagriha pahunchi, to Andal utri, bheetari mandir mein gayi, Ranganatha ki moorti se lipat gayi, aur Prabhu mein vileen ho gayi, martya netron se ojhal. Pujaari aur uske pita ek saath roye aur harshit hue, kyonki unki Goda Ishwar se ek ho gayi thi. Aaj bhi Margazhi maah mein Andal ki Thiruppavai Tamil Nadu ke har Vishnu mandir mein bhor se pehle gaayi jaati hai, thandi praatah vaayu mein uthti hazaaron aavaazon se, aur jo maala usne kabhi gupt roop se pehni thi, vah aaj bhi Prabhu ko sarvochch sammaan se arpit ki jaati hai. Uska jeevan sikhaata hai ki Ishwar ke prati prem, jab pavitra aur nidar ho, to keval roopak nahin, apitu satyatam vaastavikta hai, aur Prabhu prem se pehni maala ko anushthaan ke samast achoote arpanon se badhkar maante hain.