maRRirunthIrkatku (617-626)
maRRirunthIrkatku
Pleading with Her relatives to take Her to Sri Krishna
maTTru irundeerhaTku ariyalAhA mAdavan enbadOr anbu tannai
uTTrirundEnukku uraippadu ellAm oomaiyarODu SeviDar vArttai|
peTTrirundALai ozhiyavE pOi pErtoru tAyil vaLarnda nambi
marporundA mar kaLam aDainda madurai purattu ennai uittiDumin|| One ||
ANDAL says to her friends, relative and neighbors her state of affair. You don’t understand my lovelorn state. My love towards BagavAn reaches the highest limit of it which you have no power to know. Hence, whatever you say to me is waste. I shall not hear it; even if I hear I am not able to reply. Therefore, leave aside all these advice and take me to madura where kaNNan is.
marporundA mar kaLam aDainda – He went to the wrestling ground before the mallAs came. While I am waiting here for His embrace He has gone to madura to embrace the mallAs (in wrestling). Before He does that I shall go in between them and get His embrace. So please take me there fast.
nANi ini Or karumam illai nAl ayalArum arindu ozhindAr
pANiyAdu ennai marundu Seidu paNDu paNDAkka urudirAhil |
mANi uruvAi ulahaLanda mAyanai kANil talai mariyum
ANaiyAl neer ennai kAkka vENDil AipADikkE ennai uittiDumin|| Two ||
The elders say ‘Oh! ANDAL you may say a thousand things justifying your actions. But your this boldness is not fit for girls like you. It will bring a bad name to your family and to Him too. Shouldn’t you behave like a decent girl’? ANDAL replies – ‘the whole city knows about me waywardness long back. There is no secret about it. If you want to make any efforts to do me good, take me to AyarpADi. Any other measure will end contrarily’.
pANiyAdu – without delay. Only periyAzhwAr and ANDAL use this expression. ‘pANikka vENDA naDamin’ is the phrase used by periyAzhwAr.
paNDu paNDAkka – paNDu means the state before the present one. When one word is enough the repetition of it suggests a deeper meaning. Now she is in a state of viSlESa. Before this there was samslESa. In vislESa avasta she is pale, dejected, weak, crying, moaning etc. In samslESa avasta she was happy, contented, strong, healthy and so on. But the viSlESa and samslESa alternate. If she wants ‘paNDu’ i.e., the samslESa avasta she may regain her own happy self; but soon will she have viSlESa. Hence she says paNDu paNDu – the avasta before samslESa. What is that state? - a total ajnAni samsAri avasta, where there is no thought of BagavAn. There is only the seeking of pleasure of this world – just eating, drinking and merry making. This ‘paNDu paNDu’ state would make me healthier, happier and contented person. Hence she wants that avasta now.
tandaiyum tAyum uTTrArum nirka tani vazhi pOyinAL ennum Sollu
vanda pinnai pazhi kApparidu mAyavan vandu urukATTuhinrAn |
kondaLam Akki parakku azhittu kurumbu SeivAn Or mahanai peTTra
nandagOpAlan kaDai talaikkE naLLiruTkaN ennai uittiDumin|| Three ||
ANDAL says – ‘Oh! Elders! It is not proper of a girl to choose her partner when parents and relatives are present to do her good. Such actions will cast aspersions on the family too. In that case you have to find out ways of removing the black mark. What I say is prevention is the best medicine. You yourself take me to nandagOpa’s house and leave me there. If you do so my aim is fulfilled and the family’s name is not tarnished. But take me at midnight so that He can embrace me at once without anyone watching us’.
nandagOpAlan kaDai talaikkE – A doctor’s residence is easily recognized on seeing the queue of patients in front of his house. Similarly nandagOpa’s house is easily recognized by the queue of girls afflicted by kriSNa – says periyavAchchAn piLLai’s Sreesookti.
angai talattiDai Azhi koNDAn avan muhattanri vizhiyEn enru
Sengachchu koNDu kaNNADai Arttu chiru mAniDavarai kANil nANum |
kongai talamivai nOkki kANeer gOvindanukku allAl vAyil pOhA
inguttai vAzhvai ozhiyavE pOi emunai karaikku ennai uittiDumin|| Four ||
The elderly woman say – ‘ANDAL! This behavior of yours see not proper. You should be modest’. To them ANDAL replies – ‘Oh! Women look at my breasts. They say ‘we won’t see anyone except kaNNan’. And they cover their faces with red silk cloth. They are ashamed to see the ordinary human beings. They want to go to gOvinda’s house. They cannot control their anxiety. What am I to do? How can I pacify them? Therefore take me to the banks of yamuna where I can play jalakreeDa with kaNNan. Sreesookti – ‘my breasts prefer kaNNan who wanders behind cattle and who teases each and every girl that He happens to cast His eyes on, rather than Sree rAma who is a strict follower of monogamy’.
Arkum en nOyidu ariyalAhAdu ammanaimeer tuzhadi paDAdE
kAr kaDal vaNNan enbAn oruvan kai kaNDa yOgam taDava teerum |
neer karai ninra kaDambai yEri kALiyan uchchiyil naTTam pAindu
pOr kaLamAha niruttam Seida poihai karaikku ennai uittiDumin|| Five ||
Oh! Ladies! If not to yamuna, take me to the lake where kALiya was living. There is kaNNan who danced on the hoods of kALiya and defeated his pride. The nature of my disease is very difficult to diagnose even by an expert. How is it possible for the ordinary people like you? kaNNan need not give any medicine; it is enough if He touches me. My disease will vanish immediately.
kAr taN muhilum karu viLaiyum kAyA malarum kamala poovum
eerttiDuhinrana ennai vandiTTu iruDeekESan pakkal pOhE enru |
vErttu paSittu vayiru aSaindu vENDaDiSil uNNum pOdu eedenru
pArttirundu neDu nOkku koLLum patta vilOSanattu uittiDumin|| Six ||
Once balarAma and kaNNan had gone to the forest along with their friends to graze the cattle. They felt very tired and hungry. balarAma and kriSNa sat on the bank of yamuna. The friends asked them to get some food as they were feeling extremely hungry. They said ‘there is a sacrifice going on at a certain distance; if you go and ask them food mentioning our names, they may offer you some’. The boys went and asked them some food. They refused to give saying the sacrifice was not yet over. balarAma and kaNNan asked them to go again and ask their wives. The riSi patnis brought the food and offered them. Even the next day and the day after they would wait for kaNNan to bring Him food. kaNNan also, knowing fully well their desire to offer food, would expectantly look in that direction. So ANDAL says – ‘He is sure to be present there looking in that direction where riSi patnis are. Take me there’. The above narration is found in Sreemad BAgavata.
vaNNam tirivum manam kuzhaivum mAnamilAmaiyum vAi veLuppum
uNNal urAmaiyum uL melivum Oda neer vaNNan enbAn oruvan |
taNNanduzhAi ennum mAlai koNDu SooTTattaNiyum pilamban tannai
paNNazhiya paladEvan venra pANDivaDattu ennai uittiDumin|| Seven ||
All the signs of a lovelorn lass like pallor etc., are seen in me. They cannot be removed by any means. Bring me the tuzhasi mAla of emberumAn. If you say you can’t do that then take me to pANDeera where balarAma killed pralambAsura. It is said kriSNa did the pralamba vadha. But here it is mentioned as balarAma did it. What lakShmaNa did for SoorpaNaka is superimposed as rAma’s actions by the AzhwArs. Also the conquest of indrajit by lakShmaNa is said to be done by rAma. Similarly kaNNan’s actions are superimposed as balarAma’s.
kaTTrinam mEikkilum mEikka peTTrAn kADu vAzh SAdiyum Aha peTTrAn
paTTri uraliDai Appum uNDAn pAvihAL ungaLukku Echchu kolO |
kaTTrana pESi vaSavuNAdE kAlihaL uyya mazhai taDuttu
koTTra kuDaiyAha Endi ninra gOvardanattu ennai uittiDumin|| Eight ||
As ANDAL mentioned Sree rAma in her last pASura, the friends tell her ‘Oh! ANDAL! It would have been better if you had loved rAma instead of kriSNa. rAma was born of a royal family and was dharma incarnation whereas kriSNa is born in the Ayarkula doing the job of grazing the cattle. He won’t stay in one place but wanders wherever green pasture is. Moreover He doesn’t have a decent behavior too. He steals butter, curd, ghee not only in His house but also in all the houses of AyarpADi. Sometimes the women tied Him to the mortar. Do you want such a low person to be your husband? Why do you pine for Him?’ ANDAL replies – ‘He being an AyarpADi boy, stealing butter, bound to the mortar etc., are His soulabya guNAs. You take them as blemish out of your ignorance. Are you born in the same star as SiSupAla. Don’t talk these things to me again. I shall certainly desert your friendship. Take me to the gOvardhana Mountain that He lifted up high to protect the cows from the onslaught of rain.
kooTTil irundu kiLi eppOdum gOvindA gOvindA enru azhaikkum
ooTTu koDAdu Seruppan Ahil ulahaLandAn enru uyara koovum |
nATTil talai pazhi eidi ungaL nanmai izhandu talai iDAdE
SooTTuyar mADangaL Soozhndu tOnrum tuvarApadikku ennai uittiDumin|| Nine ||
When ANDAL is thus afflicted by love, her pet parrot cries the names of kaNNan that she had taught him earlier. She gets angry and puts him in a cage. From inside the cage He cries ‘gOvindA! gOvindA! Enraged to hear the name. She refuses to feed him thinking he would keep quiet only then. Still he cries more loudly ‘ulahaLandAn’. It appeared as if the sound is heard everywhere wherever He placed His feet. ‘I feel like going out to see Him. If I go people say ‘when all the elders are looking she goes out in the street. These women are careless and callous’. When you are thus blamed you shall have to hang your heads in shame. If you don’t want all these to happen, you take me to dwAraka and leave me there’.
mannu madurai toDakkamAha vaN tuvarApadi tannaLavum
tannai tamaruittu peyya vENDi tAzh kuzhalAL tuNinda tuNivai |
ponniyal mADam polindu tOnrum puduvaiyar kOn viTTu chittan kOdai
inniSaiyAl Sonna Senjol mAlai Etta vallArkku iDam vaihundamE || Ten ||
Those who read the above pASurAs will go to paramapada and do nityakainkarya. In the above pASurAs ANDAL requested her relatives to take her to places from madura to dwAraka.
thAmugakkum (607-616)
thAmugakkum
Describing Her sorrow to Her mother, upon Srirangan's behaviour toward Her
tAm uhakkum tam kaiyil SangamE pOlAvO
yAm uhakkum en kaiyil Sangamum Endizhaiyeer |
teemuhattu nAhaNai mEl SErum tiru arangar
A muhattai nOkkArAl ammanE ammanE || One ||
There is no trace of emberumAn coming. Her agony increases several fold. She becomes thin and bangles slip out of her hands. Even after all these He is indifferent hard-hearted lover. Oh! Friends who wears gold ornaments how do you bear His separation? Your bangles are intact in your hands.
He is holding the Sanka intact (not like me who always lose bangles). He likes to have the Sanka to be with Him always. Don’t I have the same desires to have my bangles with me? He can have His desires fulfilled; why not mine? Go and tell Him I asked this of Him. Perhaps He doesn’t want to embrace me. Can’t He at least look at my face? Isn’t He looking daily at the cruel, ugly face of anandAzhwAn?
ezhil uDaiya ammanaimeer ennarangattu innamudar
kuzhalazhahar vAyazhahar kaNNazhahar koppoozhil |
ezhu kamala poovazhahar emmAnAr ennuDaiya
kazhal vaLaiyai tAmum kazhal vaLaiyE AkkinarE || Two ||
He is present in tiru arangam. Aha! His beauty is beyond words. Every part of Him charming – His beautiful hair, red mouth, bright eyes, beautiful nABi kamala – all these He showed me and made me His slave. In fact, nothing wrong He did. I had kazhal vaLai in my hands. He made it really a ‘kazhal vaLai’ – the bangles which slips from hand. If I wear kazhalAda vaLai He makes it kazhalAda vaLai (bangles which don’t slip because of samslESa) but I wear only kazhal vaLai (because there is vislESa). ANDAL uses word kazhal vaLai with the pun.
pOngOdam Soozhnda puvaniyum viNNulahum
angAdum SOrAmE ALhinra emberumAn |
SengOluDaiya tiruvaranga chelvanAr
engOl vaLaiyAl iDar teervarAhAdE || Three ||
tiruvaranga chelvanAr is the sole leader of this BoomaNDala as well as paramapada. He rules with least effort lying on cozy bed of anandAzhwAn. He rules without transgressing dharma. If He wants only my bangle and thinks by getting it He can be happy, well and good. Let Him have it! (the bangle is lost because of vislESa).
machchaNi mADa madiL arangar vAmananAr
pachchai paSum dEvar tAm paNDu neerETTra |
pichchai kuraiyAhi ennuDaiya pei vaLai mEl
ichchai uDaiyarEl itteruvE pOdArE || Four ||
Earlier He took the vAmana avatAra and begged three measures. He took possession of the earth region and upper regions by two feet without omitting anything. Still He wanted my bangles. Is He not satisfied with what He had? Is my bangle going to fill that gap? Well! If He feels so, let Him come here in person and get it from me!
pollA kuraL uruvAi por kaiyil neerETTru
ellA ulahum aLandu koNDa emberumAn |
nallArhaL vAzhum naLir aranga nAhaNaiyAn
illAdOm kaiporuLum eiduvAn ottuLanE || Five ||
He took excellent vAmana roopa and took possession of all the worlds, so much so that not even a hand full place is left for the giver (mahAbali) to live. This great gentleman, I suppose, wants to steal, my body too which is the only property left with me.
kaipporuLhaL munnamE kai koNDAr kAvirineer
Sei puraLa ODum tiruvaranga chelvanAr |
eppOruTkum ninrArkkum eidAdu nAn maraiyin
Sor poruLAi ninrAr en meiporuLum koNDArE || Six ||
The periya perumAL in Sree rangam is the antaryAmi of all; is the subject matter of all the vEdAs. Yet He is the least understood tatva. He has already taken away all that belongs to me; now He wants to take away my Sareera too.
Some commentators interpret ‘mei poruLum’ as Atma.
uNNAdu urangAdu olikaDalai ooDaruttu
peNNAkkai AppuNDu tAmuTTra pEdellAm |
tiNNAr madiL Soozh tiru aranga chelvanAr
eNNAdE tammuDaiya nanmaihaLE eNNuvarE || Seven ||
Her friends criticize her by saying ‘you should not talk like this. He is the Sriyah pati, the supreme Lord and paramapuruSa. Where is His supremacy and where is your pettiness! Do not blame Him unnecessarily’. ANDAL replies ‘don’t I know how He behaved in Sree rAma avatAra? He was bound by love for a woman, neither ate nor slept, wept bitterly and became mad; took the help of vAnarAs, crossed the roaring sea, and fought with the rAkShasAs, killed everyone of them and got her back. Where was His self-respect gone at that time? He shows that only in my case. Shouldn’t He suffer so much for me also?’
pASi toorttu kiDanda pAr mahaTku paNDu oru nAL
mASuDambil neer vArA mAnamilA panriyAm |
tESuDaiya dEvar tiruvaranga chelvanAr
pESi iruppanahaL pErkkavum pErAvE || Eight ||
In the last pASura she said that rAma took pains for the sake of His wife. Now in this pASura she says how He took all efforts to lift up Boomi pirATTi from the water. Since for a long time the earth was inside the water it is said ‘pASi toorttu kiDanda’. Out of love for her He took a mean filthy varAha avatAra an animal which is never ashamed of its dirtiness. periyavAchchAn piLLai writes like this – when mAreecha took mAyAmruga form, the other deer's sniffed Him and knew he was a rAkShasa, and ran away from Him. In the case of varAha, BagavAn lost even His eeSwaratva vAsana that the other pigs sniffed and found Him to be one of their species. Though He was a varAha His effulgence never left Him. Hence, ‘tESuDaiya dEvar’. peSiyiruppanahaL – what did varAha say? ‘when the body and mind are in good condition if a person thinks of me constantly, at the time of his death even if he is not able to think of me, I shall certainly think of him and take him to a good lOka’. This is called varAha charama SlOka found in varAha purANa. (or) it may mean He told me so many love-laden, sweet honey words which He had forgotten. But I cannot remove them from my mind.
kaNNAlam kODittu kanni tannai kai piDippAn
tiNNArndirunda SiSupAlan tESazhindu |
aNNArndirukkavE AngavaLai kaippiDitta
peNNALan pENum oor perum arangamE || Nine ||
She thinks over how He helped rukmiNi pirATTi and consoles herself saying if one woman is saved it is all women saved. What kaNNapirAn said to one arjuna is said to all.
perum arangamE – the city is also arangam; ‘also’ here means He is arangam and His city is also arangam. tiruarangam means tiru + arangam; tiru is lakShmi and arangam is the dais on which she lives and plays. Hence, He always protects women. Then why should I worry? So saying she consoles herself.
Semmai uDaiya tiru arangar tAm paNitta
meimmai peru vArttai viTTu chittar kETTiruppar |
tammai uhappArai tAm uhappar ennum Sol
tammiDaiyE poyyAnAl SAdippAr AriniyE || Ten ||
BagavAn kriSNa has declared in mahABArata war to arjuna these words – I shall take care of your deeds; don’t worry over anything; place all your burdens on me and be tension-free. periyAzhwAr follows this advice. She says I being the daughter of him should adhere to this dictum too.
kArkkOdal pUkkAL (597-605)
kArkkOdal pUkkAL
Lamenting Her separation from the Lord
kArkODal pookkAL kAr kaDal vaNNan em mEl ummai
pOr kOlam Seidu pOra viDuttavan enguTTrAn |
ArkO ini nAm pooSal iDuvadu aNi tuzhAi
tArkODum nenjantannai paDaikka vallEn andO || One ||
kODal flowers is another name for kAndaL flowers. There are many colors in them and some of them are dark blue. They bloom in plenty after the rainy season. They increase the love of the lovers. The black flowers remind ANDAL of kaNNan. She tells them – when there are so many other colors why should you choose dark color like kaNNan. I think He purposely created you like this and sent you here to wage war against me. Where is He who planned it this way? The flowers do not reply. She thinks not only kaNNan but also these flowers are indifferent to her. He refuses to come; these flowers refuse to talk. I have no one to go to and no one to help. Oh! Where shall I go and tell my woes.
Well! The flowers and birds are His slaves. So they are partial to Him but my one heart also acts against me. It is running after tuzhasi mAla of emberumAn. Oh! I am done for! So laments ANDAL.
mEl tOnri pookkAL mEl ulahangaLin meedu pOi
mEl tOnrum SOdi vEda mudalvar valangaiyin |
mEltOnrum Azhiyin venjuDar pOla chuDAdu emmai
mATTrOlai paTTavar kooTTattu vaittu koLhiTTrirE || Two ||
ANDAL reprimanded the kArkODal pookAL in the last pASura. Then she looked up at the tree. There appeared the kAndaL flowers. They were fully blossomed and shaking in the wind reminding the smile of kaNNan. Now she finds fault with them and say – ‘oh! mEl tOnri pookkAL! Do not burn me like His chakrAyudha. Why don’t you take me to the group of ‘mATTrOlai paTTavar kooTTam’. Since you are high up you can easily accomplish this’.
There are many interpretations to this phrase– ‘mATTrOlai paTTavar kooTTattu vaittu koLhiTTrirE’
tirumalai nambi interpreted– ‘won’t you take me into the group of at least kaivalya muktAs. They are other than Bagavat anuBava gOSTi. When i don’t get Bagavat anuBava give me at least kaivalya anuBava is the meaning’.
embAr interpreted it – since kaivalya muktas are those who enjoy Atma anuBava only within themselves and not in groups, the word kooTTam will not fit in. So it should be interpreted as the groups of nitya muktAs.
Some commentators interpreted as – yama will say to his kinkaras ‘bring this man here’ and will give them a letter. It sometimes happens they bring a different person. Likewise, emberumAn has sent these mEl tONri pookkAL totorture her. Instead of torturing they take her to emberumAn. So mATTrOlai paTTu means mistaking His orders. They split the phrase as ‘avar kooTTattu vaittu koLhiTTrirE’ to mean take me to His presence.
kOvai maNATTi nee un kozhungani koNDu emmai
Avi tolaiviyEl vAyazhahar tammai anjudum |
pAviyEn tOnri pAmbaNaiyArkum tam pAmbu pOl
nAvum iraNDuLa vAittu nANiliyEnukkE || Three ||
With tears in her eyes ANDAL shifted her gaze from the mEltOnri pookkAL to elsewhere where she sees ‘kOvai koDi’ with red kOvai fruits. Suddenly she remembers BagavAn adara which are red like them. ‘Oh! kOvai kanihAL! Do not break my heart by showing your beauty and color. I am afraid because I fear to lose my life. He has got two tongues, one speaks the truth and the other falsehood. Baktas and riSis say ‘He is satya sanda’ and ‘dharma vigraha’ etc. Perhaps He was so before I was born, but now I am personally experience His double personality. He promises one thing and does another. I think it is not His nature to be so; it is acquired because of His constant association with tiruanandAzhwAn. However, I don’t know why, knowing very well His nature my mind shamelessly goes after Him (nANiliyEnukkE).
mullai pirATTi nee un muruvalhaL koNDu emmai
allal viLaiviyEl Azhi nangAi un aDaikkalam |
kollai arakkiyai mookku arindiTTa kumaranAr
Sollum poyyAnAl nAnum pirandamai poyyanrE || Four ||
Not wanting to see the kOvai koDi any more, she shifts her druSThi to another place where a mullai koDi is spread with fully bloomed mullai poo all over. It reminds her of kaNNan’s laughter. Oh! mullai koDi! Don’t afflict me. I thought I somehow escaped from the kODal pookkAL, mEltOnri pookkAL, kOvai koDi etc. who inflicted pain in me. But you cause me pain too in me who is already wounded. I fall at your feet entreating you to have mercy on me. She calls her ‘amma’ like the person who is bound by thief pleads him by saying appa, ayya etc. Sree rAma said ‘mitra BAvEna samprAptam na tyajEyam katanchana’ – even if a person poses himself as a friend (not really being so) I shall not abandon him. His words are falsified in my case. What is the use of my being the daughter of periyAzhwAr, the great saint?
pADum kuyilhAL eedenna pADal nal vEngaDa
nADar namakkoru vAzhvu tandAl vandu pADumin |
ADum karuLa koDi uDaiyAr vandu aruL Seidu
kooDuvarAyiDil koovi num pATTukkaL kETTumE || Five ||
Wherever she casts her eyes some flower or fruit are there to pain her. So she closes her eyes for a moment. She hears a Cuckoo singing. She gets angry with them ‘why do you shout and shriek paining my ears! Get lost! go away! I don’t want you to sing; I am not in a mood to hear them. Come and sing when He comes here’. ‘but how do we know when He comes’? ‘Oh! His flag of garuDa will be seen. If you don’t recognize Him certainly I shall tell you. You can come and sing then. Now for god sake go and get lost’.
kaNa mA mayilhAL kaNNapirAn tirukkOlam pOnru
aNi mA naDam payinru ADuhinreerku aDi veezhhinrEn |
paNam ADaravaNai parpala kAlamum paLLikoL
maNavALar nammai vaitta pariSidu kANminE || Six ||
She ordered kOkilAs to stop singing. Now she opens her eyes where she sees groups of peacock dancing gracefully. She orders them to stop dancing. I pray and fall at your feet, Oh! Peacocks! Won’t you stop your dance? It does not please my heart. I am not in a mood to enjoy it my maNavALan is happily sitting on the AdisESa never bothering about my yearning for His love. The peacocks think ‘it is a great insult if periyAzhwAr’s daughter falls at our feet. In fact deserves our protection. She says ‘this is the condition to which I am reduce by that cruel kaNNan’.
naDamADi tOhai virikkinra mAmayilhAL ummai
naDamATTam kANa pAviyEn nAnOr mudal ilEn |
kuDamADu koottan gOvindan kOmirai Seidu emmai
uDai mADu koNDAn ungaLukku ini onru pOdumE || Seven ||
She fell at the feet of peacocks and requested them to stop their dance. They didn’t stop. They knew very well she was powerless and naïve; cannot prevent them from doing anything. So they dance more and more. She says I could have enjoyed your dance if I had eyes. But emberumAn had taken away everything. So I cannot see you and your dance. Please stop for my sake. Do you ask how I lost everything? I shall tell you. One day He was playing kuDa koottu in the street. I watched Him admiring His feat. From that day I am not myself anymore.
mazhaiyE mazhaiyE maN puram pooSi uLLAi ninra
mezhukooTTrinAr pOl ooTTru nal vEngaDattuL ninra |
azhaha pirAnAr tammai en nenjattu ahappaDa
tazhuva ninru ennai tadaittu koNDu ooTTravum vallaiyE || Eight ||
She first talked to clouds; then to the flowers and birds that came after the rains. Now talks to the clouds again. Those who make bronze vessels first make a mould of mud then spread a layer of melted wax and finally make a mud mould over the wax layer. Finally they remove the wax layer by making a hole and letting the wax out. Similarly He embraced and melted my Atma, drew my life out. The rains are considered as an enemy when the couples are separated but are helpers during samslESa.
kaDalE kaDalE unnai kaDaindu kalakkuruttu
uDaluL puhundu ninru ooral aruttavarkku ennaiyum |
uDaluL puhundu ninru ooral arukkinra mAyarkku en
naDalaihaL ellAm nAhaNaikkE Senru uraittiyE || Nine ||
She suddenly heard the sound of the sea. So she addresses the sea now there are so many similarities between them – depth, vastness, color etc. etc., moreover periya pirATTi is the daughter of sea. But BagavAn doesn’t consider all these. As is His nature, takes away the essence from inside the sea by churning it with the large mountain. Thus He tortures the sea. Likewise He torture be embracing me. While am enjoying His closeness I didn’t know that He has taken away my Atma from within me. So I request you, Oh! Sea to go and tell these things to anandAzhwAn who can express them to BagavAn.
nalla en tOzhi nAhaNai miSai nambarar
Selvar periyar Siru mAniDavar nAm Seivaden |
villi puduvai viTTu chittar tangaL dEvarai
valla pariSu varuvipparEl adu kANDumE || Ten ||
ANDAL is thus crying and lamenting. Her friend could not bear to see her plight. She is thinking of ways and means to pacify her. ANDAL tells her – ‘Oh! My friend I have found the way myself. He is lying on anandAzhwAn in pArkaDal; His aiSwarya is boundless; He is the cause of all cause; He is the leader of nityasooris; He is Sriyah pati. We are very low human beings. How can we reach Him? But there is the way of getting Him. My father periyAzhwAr is the recipient of His love. When he calls Him ‘poochchooTTa vArAi’ He runs to him; when he calls ‘kAppiDa vArAi’ He obeys like a lamb. At that time we can see Him easily. Only with BAgavata sambandha He can be obtained is the Pala of these pASurAs.
sinthurach sempodi (587-596)
sinthurach sempodi
Praying to Azhagar of ThirumAlrinsOlai
The clouds poured down heavy rains. The flowers of rainy season blossomed; the birds and peacocks sang and danced. All these instead of increasing her happiness made her more depressed. This and the next padiha are about her grief.
Sindura chempoDi pOl tirumAlirum SOlai engum
indira gOpangaLE ezhundum parandiTTanavAl |
mandaram nATTi anru madura kozhum SAru koNDa
Sundara tOLuDaiyAn Suzhalaiyil ninru uidungolO || One ||
In rainy season butterflies are seen everywhere rising to sky and flying. They are cause of ‘uddeepana’ (escalation of love pang). The clouds in the last pASurAs reminded her of His color. Now the indira gOpAs remind her of His lips – ‘indira gOpangaL emberumAn kaNivAi oppAn’ – says periyAzhwAr. These butterflies drink the honey of flowers. BagavAn took pirATTi– the sweetest amruta (kozhunSAru) – from the pArkaDal, by churning with mandara mountain. Will He come to take me? He spread a deceptive net of love and I fell immediately into it. Now I don’t know how to get out of it. I am sure to die. Oh! God! Save me!
pOr kaLiru porum mAlirum SOlai am poom puravil
tAr koDi mullaihaLum tavaLa nahai kATTuhinra |
kAr koL paDAkkaL ninru kazhari chirikka tariyEn
ArkiDuhO tOzhee avan tAr Seida pooSalaiyE || Two ||
Oh! My friend! I loved Him who wears flower garland round His neck. Look here! The war elephant remind Him who is like an elephant and who killed an elephant and who saved an elephant. The mAlirum SOlai remind Him because He resides there happily. The mullai flowers remind Him because they resembled His smile. The paDAkkaL remind Him because they laugh loudly as He does after samslESa as if to say ‘who can defeat me!’ Oh! My friend! I suffer because of these memories.
karu viLai oN malarhAL kAyA malarhAL tirumAl
uru oLi kATTuhinreer enakku uivazhakku onru uraiyeer |
tiru viLaiyADu tiN tOL tirumAlirum SOlai nambi
vari vaLaiyil puhundu vandi paTTrum vazhakkuLadE || Three ||
The last pASurAs ANDAL was sad because mullai, pidAkkal reminded Him. Now there are karuviLai and kAyam poo that resemble His color. They torture her because she remembers how He has promised to come here but did not do so. Oh! Flowers please make me happy. Alas! In tirumAlirum SOlai He forgets that one girl is waiting for Him to come. He is happily enjoying the company of the periya pirATTi. I thought I could console myself staying at home, wearing the bangles that He had given me. But see what He had done! He came into my house, took hold of my hand, grabbed the bangles by force and went away! Is it fair on His part to do this?
paimpozhil vAzh kuyilhAL mayilhAL oN karuviLaihAL
vamba kaLanganihAL vaNNa poovai narumalarhAL |
aimperum pAtaharhAL aNimAlirum SOlai ninra
emberumAnuDaiya niram ungaLukku en SeivadE || Four ||
Oh! You kOkilE! Peacocks! karuviLai flowers! kaLAppazhangAL! kAyAm pookkAL! You five are my great enemies. SAstra says pancha-mahapAtakAs are those thieves, murderers etc., but here all these innocent birds, fruits and flowers are called so. ANDAL says you are worse than murderer because you torture me beyond endurance. Why do they torture her? They are actually innocent creatures but ANDAL blames them because they have the color of emberumAn. His actions are super imposed on them. Instead of pacifying me you increase my agony – says she. Oh! Thought only kaNNan can cause agony. But now I understand that you are His friends and join Him in making me suffer. Oh! I can bear and fight if it is one person but all of you are against me alone. I am being defeated. I know you take His color because you want to inflict pain on me.
tunga malar pozhil Soozh tirumAlirum SOlai ninra
Sengat karumuhilin tiru uru pOl malar mEl |
tongiya vaNDinangAL tohu poonjunaihAL Sunaiyil
tangu SendAmaraihAL enakkOr SaraN SATTruminE || Five ||
After the ‘pancha maha pAtakarhAL’, she now speaks to the bees, streams and lotuses. All of them remind Him. The bees remind His locks of hair; the streams His gait; the lotuses all His avayavAs (limbs). They torture her being unfaithful. I want to escape and seek a refuge. Where shall I go? BagavAn Himself is the SaraNya and no one else can be a rakShaka. If He Himself is my enemies where should I go?
nAru narum pozhil mAlirum SOlai nambikku nAn
nooru taDAvil veNNai vAi nErndu parAvi vaittEn |
nooru taDA nirainda akkAravaDiSil SonnEn
Eru tiruvuDaiyAn inru vandu ivai koLLum kolO || Six ||
The reader can see the difference in the style of the pASurAs from the previous ones. This and the next are the one continuous thought which suddenly deviates from the flow of thought.
So for ANDAL has been talking. The commentator says the reason is – after she says ‘enakkOr Saran SATTruminE’ she meditated on dwaya mantra, especially the second line. The meaning of it being ‘kainkarya prArtana’. She concentrated her mind begging for the same. She was not in opposition both physical and mental to do it in practice. Hence does it mentally. To the paramAtma, who is ‘avApta samasta kAman’ (all desires fulfilled) in tirumAlirum SOlai I beg to submit hundred barrels of butter and hundred barrels of akkAravaDisil as vAchaka kainkarya. Will He receive them?
Sree rAmAnuja was giving discourse on nAchchiyAr tirumozhi in Sree rangam. When He came to this pASurAs, said ‘Oh! ANDAL’s prayer has only been vAchaka; she could not really offer them which we shall in fact do on her behalf’. So saying he immediately to tirumAlirum SOlai and offered them to azhahan. He requested Him to receive them and went to Sree villiputtoor. ANDAL was in archAvatAra samAdhi. He submitted to her that he has fulfilled her promises. She came out of aArchasamAdhi and embraced saying ‘Oh! My dear brother’. Hence she is called ‘perumbudoor mAmunikku pinnAnAL’.
inru vandu ittanaiyum amudu SeidiDa peril nAn
onru noorAyiramA koDuttu pinnum ALum Seivan |
tenral maNam kamazhum tirumAlirum SOlai tannuL
ninra pirAn aDiyEn manattE vandu nEr paDilE || Seven ||
In the last pASurAs she asked ‘inru vandu ivai koLLum kolO’ – if He agrees and comes here and eats too, I shall in gratitude offer Him hundred thousand of its king for each barrel. And if He comes into my heart and stays for ever there I shall do all sorts of kainkaryAs.
kAlai ezhundirundu kariya kuruvi kaNangaL
mAlin varavu Solli maruL pADudal meimmai kolO |
SOlai malai perumAn tuvarApati emberumAn
Alin ilai perumAn avan vArttai uraikkinradE || Eight ||
In Sree villiputtoor after ANDAL is born even bird sing about Him. The black birds sing ‘maruL’ about BagavAn, indicating His arrival. ANDAL wonders whether He is really coming or it is her illusion. It can be interpreted as– these birds have been singing maruL even before this day. But He had not come. May be today He is coming!
kOngalarum pozhil mAlirum SOlaiyil konraihaLmEl
toongu pon mAlaihaLODu uDanAi ninru toonguhinrEn |
poongoL tirumuhattu maDuttu oodiya Sangoliyum
SArngavil nANoliyum talai peivadu egnAnru kolO || Nine ||
In tirumAlirum SOlai mountain there are kongu trees from where golden colored bunches of flowers hang down. These flowers are offered to only Siva and other lower gods. Those who worship only Siva will not go to tirumAlirum SOlai. Those who worship tirumAl will not offer these flowers to Him. Hence there is no use for these flowers in tirumAlirum SOlai. They just bloom and die uselessly. Similarly I am wanted by azhahar. I am like that kongu flowers wasting my janma.
When rukmiNi was about to be married to SiSupAla she sent a letter to kaNNan to come immediately. Till kaNNan came – just on the day of marriage – she was very worried and anxious. kaNNan standing some where blew the conch. Then rukmiNi knew it was Him only and felt at ease.
rAvaNa abducted seeta and kept her in aSOka vana. When rAma came to war with Him, He played tricks on her to make her believe that rAma was killed in the battle. He made a mAya model of rAma’s head and placed in front of her to make her believe that He is dead. But seeta heard the twang of rAma’s bow SArnga and felt she had been cheated by rAvaNa.
ANDAL says either He should blow His conch or the sound of His bow string to make me sustain my life somehow.
SandoDu kArahilum Sumandu taDangaL porudu
vandu izhiyum SilambAruDai mAlirum SOlai ninra |
sundaranai SurumbAr kuzharkOdai tohuttu uraitta
Sendamizh pattum vallAr tirumAl aDi SErvArhaLE || Ten ||
ANDAL is wearing scented flowers. The bees come buzzing to drink honey from them. ANDAL who could enchant Him with her beautiful hair how could she not have Him and suffer like this? Those who read these pASurAs will go to the tiruvaDi of BagavAn.
viNNeela mElAppu (577-586)
viNNeela mElAppu
Sending the clouds as Her ambassador to Him
viNNeela mElAppu virittAr pOl mEhangAL
teNNeer pAi vEngaDattu en tirumAlum pOndAnE |
kaNNeerhaL mulai kuvaTTil tuLi SOra chOrvEnai
peNNeermai eeDazhikkum idu tammakkOr perumaiyE || One ||
Oh! Clouds! You spread yourself throughout the sky. Normally kaNNan is seen with you always. Has He come with you here? Clouds keep quiet without making any reply. In fact, kaNNan has not come. They know that if He is not here she will feel very sad. Hence they keep quiet. ANDAL now comes to know the truth. Suddenly tears run down from her eyes. She asks the clouds ‘why hasn’t He come? He knows very well that I shall feel unhappy if I don’t see Him. Or does He think it is something great to make me cry?’
mA mutta nidi Soriyum mA muhilhAL vEngaDattu
chAmattin niram koNDa tALALan vArttai ennE |
kAmatteeyuL puhundu kaduvappaTTu iDai kangul
EmattOr tenralukku ingu ilakkAi nAn iruppEnE || Two ||
‘Oh! Clouds! You bring pearls and gold as raindrops. You had been to tirumalai. Have you brought any news from Him for me?’ they keep quiet. ‘Oh! You can give pearls to others, can’t you give a words to my ears? You are merciless. Don’t you know my condition? The fire of love has entered into my body and burning me slowly. The breeze from the south fans it adding to my agony. If I can hear a word from Him it would greatly reduce my suffering. Oh! How long should I suffer like this?’
oLi vaNNam vaLai Sindai urakkattODu ivai ellAm
eLimaiyAl iTTu ennai eeDazhiya pOyinavAl |
kuLir aruvi vEngaDattu en gOvindan guNam pADi
aLiyatta mEhangAL Avi kAttiruppEnE || Three ||
Oh! Clouds! All my beauty, my complexion, my bangles, my heart and my sleep and everything that is mine I lost pining for Him. I am now left only with my prANa as a living dead. How can I retain my prANa? But I have to retain it at any cost because I still hope He will come. I think I shall chant His name, sing His kalyANa guNa to sustain my life.
minnAhattu ezhuhinra mEhangAL vEngaDattu
tannAha tirumangai tangiya Seer mArvarkku |
ennAhattu iLam kongai virumbittAm nADorum
ponnAham pulhudarkku en purivuDaimai SeppuminE || Four ||
Oh! Clouds! You with your lightening streaks resemble BagavAn. He is dark with pirATTi in His tirumArbu. She is said to be lightening like. I want you to do one thing for me - go and tell Him that my young and firm breasts want His embrace. If He does that I shall regain whatever I had lost.
vAn koNDu kiLarndu ezhunda mA muhilhAL vEngaDattu
tEn koNDa malar Sidara tirandu eri pozhiveerhAL |
ooNkoNDa vaLLuhirAl iraNiyanai uDal iDandAn
tAn koNDa SarivaLaihaL tarumAhil SATTruminE || Five ||
Oh! Dark clouds! You rise in the sky in clusters and occupy the whole length and breadth of it. You pour such heavy rain as to scatter the flowers laden with honey. I needed those flowers when I had samslESa with Him. But now I don't have Him nearby. What do I do with these flowers? But when I have samslESa you should bring them to me. I need one more help from you. I want the bangles that I lost on seeing Him. During vislESa my body became thin and I lost my bangles. If I have Him again I will be my old self. Then my bangles become objects of enjoyment. Whether He agrees or not it is up to Him. But you tell Him to give my bangles – sATTrumin.
Salam koNDu kiLarndu ezhunda taN muhilhAL mAvaliyai
nilan koNDAn vEngaDattE nirandEri pozhiveerhAL |
ulangu uNDa viLangani pOl uL meliya puhundu ennai
nalangoNDa nAraNarku en naDalai nOi SeppuminE || Six ||
Oh! Clouds! You take away the water from the sea and rise high spreading your form all over the sky. I am sure you are over tiruvEngaDam too. You know kaNNan who as vAmana took away the land from mahAbali. He has now taken away my spirit by entering my soul like a fruit fly sucking the sap from the fruit. He makes me suffer beyond my endurance. Please tell Him ‘this is how she suffers because of you’.
Sanga mA kaDal kaDaindAn taN muhilhAL vEngaDattu
chengaN mAl SEvaDikeezh aDi veezhchchi viNNappam |
kongai mEl kungumattin kuzhambu azhiya puhundu oru nAL
tangumEl ennAvitangum enru uraiyeerE || Seven ||
kaNNan churned the ocean at the request of dEvAs. I am sure He will not refuse my (His dAsAs) request too. He should come here so that I can enjoy His samslESa at least for one day. Only then I can retain my prANa in my body. To ANDAL whose agony of separation of beyond words, is one day of samslESa is enough to satisfy her grand desire? No. It can at least make her live hoping again and again for more samslESAs
kAr kAlattu ezhuhinra kAr muhilhAL vEngaDattu
pOr kalattu ezhundaruLi porudavanAr pEr Solli |
neer kAlattu erukkil ampazha ilai pOl veezhvEnai
vAr kAlattu orunAL tam vASaham tandu aruLArE || Eight ||
Oh! Clouds! kaNNa told me that He would come during rainy season. Normally people who have gone out on trade or war do come home during the four months of rainy season. But He has not at least you, Oh! Clouds! Who resemble His color and compassion have come. I thought I would at least do ‘nAma sankeertana’ if not His samslESa. Hence I started chanting rAma nAma who always had His BaktAs in His mind and did ‘virOdhi nirasana’ (killing of their enemies). But the very names reminded me of Him and I lost my color, my weight and my bangles. Still He doesn’t seem to take pity on me. Oh! God! Am I going to spend my whole life like this? Can’t He utter even a word or send some message to save me.
mada yAnai pOl ezhunda mA muhilhAL vEngaDattai
padiyAha vAzhveerhAL pAmbaNaiyAn vArttai ennE |
gati enrum tAnAvAn karudAdu Or peN koDiyai
vadai SeidAn ennum Sol vaiyahattAr madiyArE || Nine ||
Oh! Clouds! Neither does He come Himself nor does He talk to me. I thought I would do kainkarya to Him as tiruanandAzhwAn does. No. He doesn’t care for me. Nor does He care for His reputation too. He is said to be the rakShaka for His Bakta. Look at what He does to me! People will blame Him and say ‘look at His rakShakatva! Mercilessly has He killed her, leave alone protect her’. kaNNa, You are always associated with serpent bed. Hence you have become like Him talking with two tongues (a liar).
nAhattin aNaiyAnai nannudalAL nayandu urai Sei
mEhattai vEngaDakkOn viDu toodil viNNappam |
pOhattil vazhuvAda puduvaiyar kOn kOdai tamizh
Ahattu vaittu uraippAr avar aDiyAr AhuvarE || Ten ||
This the Pala Sruti. Those who read these pASurAs wherein ANDAL sends clouds as messenger to BagavAn at tirumala will do nitya kainkarya to Him at Paramapada.
karuppUram nARumO (567-576)
karuppUram nARumO
Relation of the Pancajanya conch to Her Lord
karuppooram nArumO kamala poo nArumO
tiru pavaLa chevvAi tAn tittittirukkumO |
maruppoSitta mAdavan tan vAi chuvaiyum nATTramum
viruppuTTru kETkinrEn Sol Azhi veN SangE || One ||
ANDAL is jealous of pAnchajanya which often goes to His lips and taste its sweetness. Oh! pAnchajanya! I am really interested in knowing whether His red coral-like lips taste and smell like camphor or lotus? Please tell me!
kaDalil pirandu karudAdu panchaSanan
uDalil vaLarndu pOi oozhiyAn kai tala |
tiDaril kuDiyEri teeya aSurar
naDalai paDa muzhangum tOTTrattAi nar SangE || Two ||
Oh! Sanka! Look how fortunate you are! You are born in a salt see where terrible creatures live; you grew up in the stomach of a rAkShasa. But still you have risen to such greatness when you climbed on to His hand. Your greatness lies not because of your living place (His hand) but because you taste His adarAmruta often. You make the enemies fall by your mere sound.
ANDAL is jealous of the Sanka not only because it tastes the sweetness of His mouth, but because it is similar to kaNNan in all respects. kaNNan was born in jail; brought up in AyarpADi; became the king of dwAraka, like Sanka He terrorized duryOdanAdis.
taDavaraiyin meedE Sarar kAla chandiran
iDai uvAvil vandu ezhundAlE pOla neeyum |
vaDa maduraiyAr mannan vAsudEvan kaiyil
kuDi yEri veeTTrirundAi kOla perum SangE || Three ||
The poorNa chandra of autumnal season is beautiful. He is compared to the Sanka. The mountain is compared to kaNNan, dark and beautiful. I am not as fortunate as you Oh! Sanka! says ANDAL.
chandira maNDalam pOl dAmOdaran kaiyil
andaram onrinri yEri avan Seviyil |
mandiram koLvAyE pOlum valamburiyE
indiranum unnODu Selvattukku ElAnE || Four ||
Even SaratkAla chandra will disappear when it dawns; it wanes the next day. But Sanka never disappears nor wanes. His stay is permanent. Even the chakra which He holds in the other hand sometimes leaves His hand when it is discharged on an enemy. But Sanka is even more fortunate to be in His hand always. When He holds it is near His ears as if uttering some mantra. Even indra the king of the three worlds is not equal to your aiSwarya.
unnODu uDanE oru kaDalil vAzhvArai
innAr inaiyAr enru eNNuvAr illai kAN|
mannAhi ninra madusoodan vAyamudam
pannALum uNhinrAi pAnchajanniyamE || Five ||
Oh! pAnchajanya! You are very fortunate. There are so many creatures in the sea where you are born. But does any one care to know about them or did any of them have this fortune of sitting in His hand and drinking the adarAmruta? Even I born in the human races have not had this opportunity. How lucky you are!
pOi teerttamADAdE ninra puNar marudam
SAittu eerttAn kaittalattE Eri kuDi koNDu |
SEi teerttamAi ninra SengaN mAl tannuDaiya
vAi teerttam pAindADa vallAi valamburiyE || Six ||
If a person wants to take a holy dip he has to travel long distances. Sanka is very fortunate that he need not travel nor leave His hand. kaNNan Himself puts it in his mouth. So he can drink His adarAmruta, the holiest of holy water.
Sengamala nAN malar mEl tEnuharum annam pOl
Sengat karumEni vAsudEvanuDaiya |
angaittalamEri annavaSan Seiyyum
SangaraiyA un Selvam SAla azhahiyadE || Seven ||
Sengamala poo is kaNNan’s tirumeni; annam is the Sanka; madu of the flower is the adarAmruta. Thus the comparison is total. How fortunate is the Sanka to have the permanent abode and drink the adarAmruta too.
uNbadu Sollil ulahaLandAn vAyamudam
kaN paDai koLLil kaDal vaNNan kaittalattE |
peN paDaiyAr unmEl perum pooSal SATTruhinrAr
paNpala SeihinrAi pAnchajanniyamE || Eight ||
Oh! pAnchajanya! What you do is wrong. You never leave Him; either you are in His hand or you are in His mouth. Like an idle person eating the prasAda, taking bath in the temple tank and sleeping on the veranda of the temple, you sleep in His hand drink His amruta. ‘We are not given a chance to do so’ – cry all the ladies. You earn the hatred and jealousy of all of us.
padinArAm Ayiravar dEvimAr pArttiruppa
madu vAyil koNDAr pOl mAdavan tan vAyamudam |
poduvAha uNbadanai pukku nee uNDakkAl
SidaiyArO unnODu Selva perum SangE || Nine ||
Oh! Fortunate Sanka! You either reside in kaNNan’s hand or His mouth. You never leave Him. There are sixteen thousand wives of kaNNan waiting for their turns to enjoy His adarAmruta. But what is the use of waiting? You think you alone are entitled to enjoy Him. Won’t they contend with you for your actions? You cause displeasure to all of us.
pAnchajanniyattai parbanAbanoDum
vAinda perum SuTTram Akkiya vaN puduvai |
Einda puhazh paTTar pirAn kOdai tamizh eeraindum
Aindu Etta vallAr avarum aNukkarE || Ten ||
ANDAL ends these pASurAs with the Pala Sruti. Those who read and meditate these ten pASurAs will be liked by Him as the pAnchajanya is.
vAraNamAyiram (556-566)
vAraNamAyiram
Describing Her dream of wedding the Lord
vAraNam Ayiram Soozha valam Seidu
nAraNa nambi naDakkinrAn enru edir |
pooraNa porkuDam vaittu puram engum
tOraNam nATTa kanA kaNDEn tOzhee nAn || One ||
ANDAL is describing her dream to one of her friends. She dreamt she is getting married to nArAyaNa. The previous day to the marriage the whole city is decorated giving a festive look. The porkuDam are placed in the marriage hall. nArAyaNa is arriving dressed as a groom surrounded by thousand elephants decorated to suit the function. The ‘vAdyagoSTi’ play musical instruments when He comes.
nALai vaduvai maNam enru nALiTTu
pALai kamuhu pariSuDai pandarkeezh |
kOLari mAdavan gOvindan enbAnOr
kALai puhuda kanA kaNDEn tOzhee nAn || Two ||
Oh! My dear friend! Listen to my dream – when nArAyaNa enter the marriage hall, the elders of both the parties sit together and make engagement and fix that such and such a boy marries such and such a girl at such and such a time. The marriage hall is decorated with auspicious betel nut leaves and bunches. The bridegroom is called by thousand names. They perform certain religious rites previous to marriage.
indiran uLLiTTa dEvar kuzhAm ellAm
vandu irundu ennai mahat pESi mandirittu |
mandira kODi uDutti maNamAlai
andari SooTTa kanA kaNDEn tOzhee nAn || Three ||
ANDAL continues her narration – indra and all the dEvAs came with great enthusiasm to this earth to take part in the kalyANa mahOtsava of their Lord. They do all the arrangement for the marriage. They talked to the bride’s people about how it should be conducted. They decide about the gifts from both the sides, ornaments, dresses etc. Then they arrange the marriage to be conducted on the very next day since any obstacle may come if there is delay. Immediately, as a token of starting of the ceremony the sister-in-law durga gifts the bride the beautiful saree and a garland to be worn.
mahat pESi – this girl to be given in marriage to this person.
mandirittu – to talk in secrecy about the gifts and bride money.
mandira kODi – the dress for the marriage
durga is called andari because she disappeared in the sky as kamsa try to kill her. Since she is born to dEvaki she becomes the sister-in-law to ANDAL.
nATTriSai teertam koNarndu nani nalhi
pAppana chiTTarhaL pallAr eDuttu Etti |
pooppunai kaNNi punidanODu entannai
kAppu nAN kaTTa kanA kaNDEn tOzhee nAn || Four ||
tOzhi! During Sree rAma paTTAbiSEka the vAnarAs brought ‘teerta’ from all the quarters. Likewise BrAhmaNAs have brought the teerta from all directions and sprinkle several times chanting mantras on both of us. They tied kankaNa on our wrists.
kadiroLi deepam kalaSamuDan Endi
SadiriLa mangaiyar tAm vandu edir koLLa |
maduraiyAr mannan aDi nilai toTTu engum
adira puhuda kanA kaNDEn tOzhee nAn || Five ||
Oh! My dear friend! I saw in my dream such beautiful young girls who are so beautiful as to attract the attention of all assembled there. They were carrying deepa and kalaSa in their hands to invite the Bridegroom. The King of madura put on the pAduka and started walking in a royal dignity shaking the earth.
mattaLam koTTa variSangam ninrooda
muttuDai tAmam nirai tAzhnda pandarkeezh |
maittunan nambi madusoodan vandu ennai
kaittalam paTTra kanA kaNDEn tOzhee nAn || Six ||
ANDAL says to her friend – ‘He came into the marriage hall with pAduka on. The hall was decorated with pearl garlands hanging from the ceiling. As He came there was the beating of drums and blowing of conches. He came to take my hand into His (pAnigrahaNa)’.
vAi nallAr nalla marai Odi mandirattAl
pASilai nANal paDuttu paridi vaittu |
kAi Sina mA kaLirannAn en kai paTTri
tee valam Seyya kanA kaNDEn tOzhee nAn || Seven ||
After the pAnigrahaNa the couples hold hands and go round the agni (pradakShiNa) with priest chanting the vEda mantras loudly. kaNNan looked like a proud war elephant – proud because He married ANDAL.
immaikkum EzhEzh piravikkum paTTrAvAn
nammai uDaiyavan nArAyaNan nambi |
SemmaiyuDaiya tirukkaiyAl tAL paTTri
ammi midikka kanA kaNDEn tOzhee nAn || Eight ||
kaNNapirAn is the SESi and receives our kainkarya. He puts my foot on stone this is called ‘aSmArOhaNam’. During the marriage there is some argument between the two parties – of bride and groom. The groom likes her so much that He catches hold of her leg. When BagavAn is in samslESa it is He who falls on her feet. It is not like upadESa samaya – when the SESa holds the master’s feet. It is to symbolize that the bride will be steadfast in her ‘pativrata dharma’.
variSilai vAN muhattu ennaimAr tAm vandiTTu
erimuham pArittu ennai munnE nirutti |
arimuhan achchutan kaimEl en kai vaittu
porimuhandu aTTa kanA kaNDEn tOzhee nAn || Nine ||
After ‘ammi midittal’ comes ‘rAja hOma’ i.e., offering rAja into the sacrificial fire. This practice is found in prayOgachandrika. It is done by the bride’s brother. ANDAL says ‘my brothers came and made me stand in front of the fire and placed my hand on His and offered pori into the fire’.
kungumam appi kuLir SAndam maTTittu
mangala veedi valam Seidu maNa neer |
angavanODum uDan Senru angu AnaimEl
manjanamATTa kanA kaNDEn tOzhee nAn || Ten ||
For a long time ANDAL and kaNNan were sitting in front of the sacrificial fire to do certain rites. In order to cool their body they smeared kunkum and sandal paste. Then they are taken in a procession along the streets decorated for marriage. Finally they come to the marriage hall where they were given ‘mangala neerATTu’.
AyanukkAha tAn kaNDa kanAvinai
vEyar puhazh villiputtoor kOn kOdai Sol |
tooya tamizh mAlai eeraindum vallavar
vAyu nan makkaLai peTTru mahizhvarE || Eleven ||
This is the Pala Sruti. ANDAL has in her dream married kaNNan which she narrates to her friend. This shows how she desires deeply to be with Him. Those who read them will have good children.
