(Continued from Father to the universal mother)
We have seen how Sri Vishnuchitta with his utter devotion sat and believed that the Lord would come and take his daughter away in marriage, the lord had to yield to his prayers. As the procession moved towards the humble house of the Azhwar, he stood dazzled with the brilliance. He praised the lord in his heart for the beauty he had created.
The procession stopped outside Azhwar’s house, the kingly lord got off and introduced himself as a one Ranganji from Sri Rangam and asked Sri Periya Azhwar for his daughter in marriage. The Azhwar instantly understood that the all loving lord had finally arrived and how too, he ran into his house with tears in his eyes and told Andal, the lord has come for you. His joy knew no bounds.
The lord had decided to surprise the Azhwar and the Azhwar pleasantly stood stunned in the grace and love of the lord. Sri Andal’s joy was brimming. The whole city gathered to notice this event. The lord of Sri Rangam had finally arrived. It was to take our Azhwar some time to set in that his very bhagwan had arrived to accept his offering in Andal.
There were devas and all the celestial deities in the procession. It is believed that the King Vallabhadeva considered himself as a member of the bride’s family and participated in the procession to Srirangam.
The family decked Sri Andal in jewels and marriage clothes and brought her to the palanquin, everyone in the town was shocked; no one expected that the girl they called insane was getting married. How would they, the fickle mind would never be able to understand the devotion of a true devotee, it takes another true devotee for the same.
The way to Srirangam was decked in flowers and festivities, the lord was to marry the queen of the universe. The flowers on the trees bloomed like as if autumn had arrived. The rivers gushed like in monsoons representing prosperity. The birds chirped and the people cheered. It suddenly seemed Deepavali.
Periya Azhwar and his family’s joy was flowing like the ganga in high tide and why wouldn’t it. The lord had arrived. As Sri Rangam came the lord fulfilled all the dreams that Andal had of her marriage and took Sri Andal as his wife.
It had finally come to the finale. Andal was now Sri Ranganatha’s wife and Sri Vishnuchitta was now the father in law to the lord of eternity he was now Sri Periya Azhwar, the father in law to the lord of lords himself.  Sri Rangantha took her in her chariot and drove directly into the temple. He crossed the first fortress gopuram of the temple, and drove even more inside, Periya Azhwar quietly followed. He was shocked as it now was sinking in, it was the Lord of the Universe, the Godhead of all Sri Rangatha who had actually married his daughter. As the sanctum sanctorum arrived the lord merged into his handsome awe striking posture and Andal with all courage took a hold on his hand and placed her leg on Sri Adiananthashayana and entered directly into Sri Ranganatha.
Lo! And it was all over. Sri Periya Azhwar stood with tears in his eyes for the lord’s compassion and then it set to him that he wouldn’t see his daughter anymore, she had become one with her lord.
He wept saying his companion in bhakti had merged and begged that he too be accepted by the lord the way he had accepted his daughter. The lord smiled as one last work was left for she Periya Azhwar. He heard the Perumal’s voice booming with compassion that his daughter would always be with him and that Perumal too would. He asked Sri Periya Azhwar to construct a temple next to Sri Vathapathrasayee Temple for Sri Andal and Sri Ranganathar in Srivilliputhur and that he and Sri Andal would come and reside there for time immemorial. Sri Azhwar walked home with joy and constructed the Sri Andal Temple in Srivilliputhur near Sri Vathapathrasayee Temple which still stands with eternal grandeur and brilliance. Here Sri Ranganathar is the son-in-law and Sri Andal is seen at home in her parents praise. Sri Periya Azhwar stayed there everafter with his extended family.
May Sri Periya Azhwar’s love for the love spread like the fragrance of a incense stick into all of us and he pray to the lord to throw his loving glances on us because we know being the servant of the lord’s servant is more dear to the lord than the servant itself.
Sri Rangamangala Nidhim Karunanivasam
Sri Venkatadhri Shikaralaya Kalamegham
Sri Hastishayla Shikrojwala Parijatam
Srisham namaami Shirasa Yadhu Shayila Deepam
Sri Bhudevi Sametha Lavanavarjita Venkataesha Namaha.
