+ The Alvars” * i : St, Andal or Godaden : z ‘Govapevl or St, Andal has a + A plorions bife! Her life is chang: torised’ thropghout Uy gluing Jove for Godhead. Her spiritual desoeyt'is traced bagk to Nila Shakti of the Suprome Lord. ‘here lived in Sti Villipattur one Vishiuehitta or Peri-i-Aivar, ‘He was born i a brahman family. He had hanid-garden of his own. He grew sacred fulasi there, One of Ms impor. ‘tant duty was to wove wreaths: of fra grant flowers with fulasi leayes and to offerthem fo Vatapairasayi Bhagavan. One day whilo he was engaged in plucking leaves nnd flowers, he found, to hia astonishment, a wonderful child marvellously similarin bevuty: to Lakeh- ini Devi. Hoe brought the child hone and himself took the charge of nurtur- ing'it, Ho gave her the name of “Goda”. ‘he child sad a fascinating beauty and a loving form. Vishnucbilta took it to oe divine ebild and brought it up with every marl: of tender care and affection and noticed that she had loving attraction for Sri Narayan from the early years. ‘Tho child appenred in 3008 B.C, in the month of Aser having Purbs Phalguni asterism. ys rolled ‘Vishunehitta’s only daily occupation wns to offer beantify] wreaths from tho flowers of his garden ty the Supreme Ta fa. The babysgrow into n child and then blsvin ed into a maiden, She was gombelling about at vill im getety aud mirth “with ont any obstruction .to her childish frolies, ‘The aged father looked st the divine child in awful adoration, During his absonee she used to meddle and interfere with her father’s things snd aavangemonts and in playful spirit she used to went the wreaths meant for the Lord, Thus she busied herself everyday with the floral wreaths lor ber toilet. Ter father detested and discovere| the wrong coramitted by her most favourite Anaghter. Ho chid ler severely for this miseondneb and threw away the wreaths considuring them to be un worthy for the ord. ‘Nhat day he went to tho Lord without flowers. ‘At night tho saint lad a dream in which hetwas asked the enuse of not presenting the wreaths. ‘The explana. tion was given relating the whole story of the defling of the wreaths by ber ignorant maid. ‘Lo this the Tord irown- ed saying, “Doseovation | Rather sy consecration | The wreaths ave render ed more odorons and sweet-scented peing used and worn by your daughter. Tlike ‘hem more. 1 want to have theseant no others,” great astonishment and the oecurrence the snore incressed his wonder already sot in by the miraculous damsel. “He considered within, “She mey be Sri, Bhu or Nila Herself” and began to ook upon her from that ,ime daward with more reverence, From the* next day he offered the wreaths to the Tord after they were first used by the celes- tial damsel, Gradually she was ripening inte the full bloom of youth and was on the point cf reaching womanhood. Vishnn. chit, became anxions to get her married bnt Goda would not seeept any human being as her hnsband exeept Sri Narayan, Seeing her thus deter- mined he hecama uneasy+and marked that her love for Godhead was immen- _ scly growing deeper and deeper, 80 enumouved of the Lord did our young soint become that sho conld not bear hor existence in scparetion from her Tord. Tn her passionate ardour to realize Him as in the most personal intimate relation with her, her imagina- tion carried her beyond all reasonable bound and she pictured before her faney all the exploits of the Supreme Lord in His Brindaban Tecla as if they were being enacted anew for her, Vishnuchitts was becoming more ani wore anxious finding! Ins beloved and revered daughter pining for her Divive Spouse, At Inst hotvas relioved. THE ALVARS + The saint woke up.in* Sii Narayan appeatd before *h dream and saved fhe situation by announcing, “Goda herself is “Taalkshmi, My Nilys Shaktt; give hor, in- mar riage vith Me.” On tite phew hand the priest of the temple received the divine opdér thus, “You all good servapts go to the house qf Vishmuchity’* tomorrow morntng taking with yeu all the neces- sary things for marrisge and escert his daughter bere fully dressed.” ‘The pri came a8, directed and rolatgd everything t) Vishnuchitta. At this happy coincidence, our Visbuchitta was surprised beyond measure. He prepared gil that was necessary to give his daughter in marriage. In great pomp and glory the journoy, to the” temple began carrying Andalein n sedan with a large crowd: following, The great assembly was tremeudously is in ow enormous and they gathered in the halls, corridors, coartyard= and biyetl= Jessly waited to sea what Inppeneds A stir—a rustling and the glorions virgin voftly descended from the litter. proceeded towards che temple. She moved softly with heaving bredst and swandike gait and stow! hefory Bhagawan Sri Narayea, looking at Him with lovectaden eyes thyt knew mo satiety, To the surprise of te atanders, Sri Uibogaw and bys exteaied His and sho remained there for eturnity. All prezunt were strnek raute win) paralysed ara and took ber iu His embrace. on ang oyr’’saint was especially dumb" with aigazement. He had uuriured the divine child with fondling caro and he could uot check his emotions,—tears rolled down bis ‘ghecks. A. yoice was beard and Vishauchitts. was consoled by Sri Bhagawan with a smile saying, THE HARMONIST “You have becoma my father-in-law. May ypu now return homes Goda will romain with Me for evet."Don’t wokry,” Vishnuchitts got the dosignation of Perii-Alvar, Godudevi wrote 'Tirup- pabhai in Tamil. 1t is said thet she wrpté Nachhiar Tirumarbi also. | On Saturday tho 17th Ssptembar, a largely attended publie meoting was held én the Saraswat Sraban Sadun of the Gaudiya Math, at 6-30 ).m, with Maharaja Srish Chandra Nandi, WA, Bahadur of, Cossimbazar in the chair. ‘A véry interesting Inetnre in Bengali the subject ‘“Snmsar-o-Bhaleti” (World and Devotion) was delivered by Mahamahopadeshak Pandit Sandara- nanda Vidyayinode, ni, Editor of the weekly “Gaudiye”, and the impres. sion created on the audionee was ime tense. Tho audience consisted of a very largo number of respectuble gentry of Calcutta. ‘The substance of the speesh 1 givon below : ‘Whe people in goneral are always busy with the affaires of the world. Wheir whole lives and activities ave concentrated 40 seifaggrandisement, Whey do not think or take care of the future world ; either selfenjoyment or renunoiation is the bell and end- “Lecture on Samsar-o-Bhakti all of their lives. They always think of the present—neither of the past nor of the future, ‘They always hanker after dhariaa, artha, kama and moksha, ‘They cannot perceive the deceptive nature of these fourfold human aspica- tions, So long onr life is overwhelmed with this egotiam we are tinble to be deluded by the triple qualities of Maya, hence there can be no question of Bhakti in our crippled condition, Bhakti is tho funetion of unalloyed self, When our soul is free from the influence of tho triple qualities of Maya it is ealled Suddha satya or unadulterated. self, It is the unadulterated solf that can form a true conception of the Supreme Tord and His Kingdom. A puro self can render eterna] service—roverential or eonfidentisl to the Saprome Lord of All-Love anid Beaty. Proma is the condensed form of Bhakti, So, a devotee when ke ia in love with Krishna, the Supreme Lord, fools His oxistence