Nachiyar Thirumozhi

 

Nachiyar Thirumozhi

Nachiyar means Devi or Consort of the Lord Narayana. Thirumozhi is holy sayings. 

Sri Andal, also known by the name Sri Goda Devi gave the Lord both Poomaalai as well as paamaalai. Poomaalai means Garland of Flowers and Paamaalai means garland of Poetry expressing Her longing and love for the Lord. She has sung 30 pasurams or Hymns of Thiruppavai and 143 Pasurams of Thirumozhi. Thiruppavai has been touched upon already.  

The following are the titles of pasurams ( in groups Of Ten pasurams each ) in which She has put forth the Outpourings on Her love for the Lord. 

1 Sri Andal prays to Kamadeva, Lord of Love, to make Lord Krishna to accept Her. In one of the Pasurams, She says that She has dedicated Her Body solely for the Lord bearing the Discus and Shankham and cannot bear the thought of fixing the marriage with a Human Being. For, She likens the latter event to Desecrating the offering meant for Celestial Devas in a Yaga by a Jackal from the Wild, touching and sniffing it ! 

 2. Andal and friends imagining themselves to be small girls, are playing making castles in sand. In this group of 10 hymns, they plead with the Lord not to damage their creations. 

 3. Krishna is playing pranks with Gopikas.Andal , one in the group is pleading to have mercy and spare inconvenience to them. 

 4. Sri Andal is addressing Her Soul to merge with Lord, if it is possible. 

 5. This group is famous as KUIL PATTHU. In this, Andal is seeking the help of Koel Bird act as Messenger and ask the Lord to come to Her. In one pasuram, She says that in Anticipation of glancing at the Holy Feet of the Lord of Villiputhur, wherein Swans play with their Soft tread,, Her fishlike eyes are ever awake (without Sleep ). If you call the Lord to come, She says to the koel that She will make Her pet parrot befriend it ! 

6. This group is Famous VARANAMAYIRAM. In this , Andal is recounting Her dream, in which The Lord is Marrying Her, to a friend. This group is sung with fervour during weddings. This group consists of various rites gone through in a wedding which Andal went through in Her wedding To The Lord ( Dream ) 

1. She sees Sriman Narayana coming in a procession with 1000 (ayiram ) Varanam or Elephants. To welcome Him, Purnakumbhams are kept and everywhere thoranam or festoons are used in decoration to welcome Him. Purnakumbham is pot (kudam, here gold kudam ) filled with water and pot’s mouth is covered by a coconut and with bunches of green Mango leaves. This Kumbham or Pot is taken in front of Very important persons, a Guru , Heads of State like King etc. The bearer of Kumbha walks backwards facing the guest never showing his own back to the guest . 

2. Andal sees the Lord Govinda entering the decorated wedding pandal for the wedding on the morrow. 

3. Indra and other celestials request Her hand for Lord and present the saree sanctified by chanting mantras. Sister of The Lord Goddess Durgai helps Andal to wear bridal saree and decorates Andal with flower garland 

4. Priests well versed in Religious rites have brought Water from Holy rivers from all directions. While the priests chant loudly the Mantras in benediction, Lord and Andal are tying Kankana (thread ) to take marriage vows. 

5. Young damsels of beauty of age and form are bringing auspicious kalashms and lamps while Lord enters. 6. With auspicious drums beating and blowing of conch I saw ( in dream ) The Lord taking my hand in His, beneath the pandal decked with strings of pearls says Andal. 

7. Amidst chanting Matras by priests, I saw the Lord going round the Holy fire holding my hand says Andal. 8. Andal Sees her brothers come and take part in Laja Homam, where brothers of bride come and give Pori or puffed rice for homam in fire by Both wedded couple.

9. To ease the discomfiture of exposure to the heat of Agni during Homam couple is anointed with cool Kumkumam paste and Sandal paste and in all finery Andal is going round the decorated city with Lord on an elephant in Procession. 

10. This hymn is giving the results of chanting these ten hymns with devotion. They are the reader will get good natured obedient children. Unmarried girls will get a good husband as good as Lord Krishna Himself !

7. This group is on Panchajanyam, Holy Shankham in Lord’s hand . She addresses the conch as the nearest relative of the Lord and enquires about the Lord. 

8. In this group, She is sending Clouds as messenger to the Lord. 

9. Andal is worshipping Lord at Thirumalirunjolai (near Madurai TamilNadu ) It is in this group that Andal is offering Butter in 100 vessels and Akkaravadishil (Payasam of rice cooked in Milk with jaggery and ghee ) in 100 vessels to Lord of Thirumalirunjolai so the Lord may come in person ! (see notes in Andal where reference is made to Sri Ramanuja making the offering promised in place of Andal. Nooru Thada (vessel ) utsavam is celeberated to this day in Melkote.)

10 Andal speaks of the miseries undergone due to Her love addressing various things in Nature. 

11. This group is dedicated to express Her love to Lord of Srirangam In one of pasurams, She says that in the past, when Mother Earth was submerged in water with moss covering Her all over, to get to Her in mud, Lord of Srirangam took avatar of Sri Varaha ( Wild Boar). He promised then to give protection to all His Devotees. This promise can never be erased ( from Memory ). 

12 In this group Andal requests Her people to take Her to the place of the Lord. ( Mathura, Vrindavan of U.P. Dwaraka Of Guj. ) 

13. This is a beautiful composition. Andal requests Her people to treat Her with things connected closely to Lord so that Her sickness due to love is pacified. 

 14. Andal is recounting here as She found the Lord in Vrindavan. 

In penultimate stanza, Andal finds Him coming hunting. VETTAIYADI VARUVAANAI.. she says. Lord known by name of Betarayaswami is worshipped at temple of Denkanikottai (Thenkanikottai ), near Hosur, in Tamilnadu. 

 ANDAL EMPERUMAANAAR DESIKAR THIRUVADIGALE SHARANAM 

 SRI LAKSHMINRISIMHA DIVYA PADUKASEVAKA SRIVANSHATAKOPA SRI NARAYANA YATHINDRA MAHA DESHIKAYA NAMAHA.

Taniyan

nAcciyAr tirumozhi - taniyan

tirukkaNNa mangaiyAnDAn's blissful taniyan for ANDAL's nAcciyAr tirumozhi is a great gift for us:

allinAttAmarai mEl AraNangin intuNaivi 
malli nAdAnda mada mayil - melliyalAL 
Ayar kula vEndanAgattAL ten puduvai 
vEyar payanda viLakku 

ANDAL is the friend of periya pirATTi Sree lakShmi; is the ruler of mallinADu (by her guNAs); is soft natured and beautiful like a peacock; is the consort of kaNNan of AyarpADi; is the daughter of periyAzhwAr and is the light of the world.

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allinAttAmarai mEl AraNangin intuNaivi:

ANDAL is the closest friend (priya sakhi) of SrI mahAlakshmI, who gives sEvai as kanakapadmAsani on fresh-bloomed lotus in the forest of red lotuses with beautiful petals. svAmi dESikan prays to SrI mahAlakshmI (in SrI stuti), as She is seated on a golden lotus, which is amidst a forest of lotuses (sthAnam yasyA: sarasijavanam). As ramAdevI's dearest friend, ANDAL stands by the side of emperumAn, joins forces with SrI dEvI (Aranangin tuNaivi) and both of them take turns to plead with emperumAn to salvage the sinners and save them. Like the drum which gets beaten on both sides, perumAL is stuck between SrIdevI on one side and bhUdevI on the other; when SrIdevI tries to plead with Him on behalf of her sinning children, He tries to turn His face away and what does He see? bhUdevI trying to continue the pleading!

malli nADAnDa maDa mayil:

ANDAL is like a female peacock who reigned supreme over the mallinADu - land that surrounds SrI villiputtUr.

melliyalAL:

ANDAL is "melliyalAL" - she is very soft-hearted; even though, as Her children, we commit a lot of sins, being patient as bhUdEvi and forgiving as kamalA (SrIdEvI), She ignores our faults and gives Her hand to save us. The reason why SrI svAmi dESikan says (in gOdAstuti): "sAkshAt kshamAm kAruNayA kamalAmivAnyAm gOdAm ananya SaraNa: SaraNam prapadyE" is that he is following tirukkaNNa mangaiyAnDAn's mArgam.

Ayar kula vEndanAgattAL:

"petram mEyttuNNum kulattil" piranda ANDAL became one with rAjagOpAlan, who was also the king of Ayar kulam.

ten puduvai vEyar payanda viLakku:

SrI tirukkaNNa mangaiyAnDAn states next that ANDAL is the mangaLa jyoti (auspicious lamp) that SrI vishNu cittar of SrI villiputtUr had. "ooRRamudaiyAi periyAi ulaginil tORRamAi ninRa cuDare" - ANDAL calls her nAthan thus. She prays to kAmadEvan "vittagan vEnkata vANan ennum, viLakkinil puga ennai vidikkiRRiyE" and through Her SrI sUktams, ANDAL merges into "vEnkata vANan ennum viLakku" (the lamp that is Lord vEnkatEsvaran), and shines brilliantly as a double jyoti. sarvam SrIman nArAyaNAyEti samarpayAmi.

patti mEynthu (637-646)

 

patti mEynthu (637-646)

patti mEynthu
Describing seeing Him at VrindAvan

From the first pASura ‘tai oru tingaLum’ till the previous pASurAs ANDAL wanted kaNNapirAn's samslESa but could not get it. She lamented over it in all the pASurAs. At last kaNNan comes as she has wished. This pASurAs talks her happiness over it.

paTTi mEindOr kArEru paladEvarkOr keezh kanrAi 
iTTeeriTTu viLaiyADi ingE pOda kaNDeerE| 
iTTamAna paSukkaLai inidu marittu neerooTTi 
viTTu koNDu viLaiyADa virundAvanattE kaNDOmE|| One ||

Where is that kaNNan who is the brother of baladeva; who wandered about the AyarpADi like a bull making all sorts of mischiefs? The people say – we saw Him in brindAvan grazing the cattle, managing them, watering them and playing with His pals. In paramapada BagavAn is in the lap of tiruanandAzhwAn, under the rod of sEnaimudaliyAr and protected by the garuDAzhwAn – living a life of a prisoner. But here in AyarpADi He is freely roaming the forest, playing with pals and grazing the cattle.

anunga ennai pirivu Seidu AyarpADi kavarndu uNNum 
kuNungu nAri kuTTETTrai kOvartananai kaNDeerE| 
kaNangaLODu min mEham kalandArpOl vanamAlai 
minunga ninru viLaiyADa virundAvanattE kaNDOmE|| Two ||

He went away from me making me sad but enchanted the whole AyarpADi by His charming ways making them happy. He always ate butter, ghee etc., and rubbed His hands in His body if He was caught. Did you see this gOvardhana? Yes. He was wearing vanamAla on His dark body and playing with His friends in brindAvan.

mAlAi piranda nambiyai mAlE Seyyum maNALanai 
ElA poihaL uraippAnai ingE pOda kaNDeerE| 
 mElAl paranda veyil kAppAn vinatai Siruvan Sirahennum 
mElAppin keezh varuvAnai virundAvanattE kaNDOmE|| Three ||

His form is enchanting; He deludes people; He is the maNavALan of all the girls of AyarpADi; He is an expert liar. He is seen in brindAvan roaming in the heat protected by the wings of garuDAzhwAn.

kAr taN kamala kaN ennum neDungayiru paDuttu ennai 
eerttu koNDu viLaiyADum eeSan tannai kaNDeerE| 
pOrta muttin kuppAya puhar mAl yAnai kanrE pOl 
vErtu ninru viLaiyADa virundAvanattE kaNDOmE|| Four || 

kaNNan is dark with beautiful lotus-like eyes. They are like ropes dragging me wherever He goes. It appears as if the dark cloud has two lotuses in the sky. He also looks like an elephant covered with a cloth with pearls stitched on it.

mAdavan en maNiyinai valaiyil pizhaitta panripOl 
 Edum onrum koLattArA eeSan tannai kaNDeerE| 
peetaha vADai uDai tAzha perungAr mEha kanrEpOl 
veediyAra varuvAnai virundAvanattE kaNDOmE|| Five || 

He is Sriyah pati and a precious sapphire to me. He is proud like a boar caught in the net and escaped from it. What is not caught can be caught but what is caught and escaped cannot be caught. He roams freely like a wild boar throughout the length and the breadth of the forest. He roams with shining peetAamBara, a proud young rain cloud spreading His form far and wide.

tarumam ariyA kurumbanai tan kai chArngam aduvE pOl 
puruva vaTTam azhahiya poruttamiliyai kaNDeerE| 
uruvu karidAi muham SeidAi udaya paruppadattin mEl 
viriyum kadirE pOlvAnai virundAvanattE kaNDOmE|| Six || 

He is not like Sree rAma who is dharma incarnation. He is mischievous and handsome too. His brows are well curved and beautiful like SArnga bow. He is not easily got even by His BaktAs. Have you seen Him? Yes. With a dark body and red lotus-like face He was seen in brindAvan like the brilliant sun rising on the mountain.

poruttam uDaiya nambiyai puram pOl uLLum kariyAnai 
karuttai pizhaittu ninra akkaru mA muhilai kaNDeerE| 
arutti tArA kaNangaLAl Ara peruhu vAnam pOl 
viruttam peridAi varuvAnai virundAvanattE kaNDOmE|| Seven || 

In the last pASura ANDAL said – ‘He is not easily got by BaktAs’. Now she says makes the contradictory statement. How? There are two interpretations – she feels it is wrong on her part to talk of kaNNan like this. Hence she corrects her statement. This interpretation not very interesting. periyavAchchAn piLLai has a different interpretation – ‘He is very good’ ironically will mean just the opposite. This is the same kind of expression. The people say He was like a bright moon surrounded by group of stars. He was seen in brindAvan.

veLiya Sangu onru uDaiyAnai peetaha ADai uDaiyAnai 
aLi nangu uDaiya tiru mAlai AzhiyAnai kaNDeerE| 
kaLi vaNDu engum kalandAr pOl kamazh poonguzhalhaL taDan tOL mEl 
miLira ninru viLaiyADa virundAvanattE kaNDOmE|| Eight || 

As there are Sanka in the dark sea the dark colored kaNNa has Sanka in His hand. He bears chakra in other hand. One is white and other is red. He wears golden colored peetAmBara. Since He is Sriyah pati He is full of compassion. His thick dark curly hair flow on His shoulders like swarm of intoxicated bees dancing after drinking honey.

nATTai paDai enru ayan mudalA tanda naLir mA malar undi 
veeTTai paNNi viLaiyADum vimalan tannai kaNDeerE| 
kATTai nADi tEnukanum kaLirum puLLum uDan maDiya 
vETTai ADi varuvAnai virundAvanattE kaNDOmE|| Nine || 

He created Brahma and small house for him from His navel. He ordered the prajApati to further create all the worlds. Thus He enjoys the leela viBooti. He destroys adharma in any form to protect the dharma. He is seen in brindAvana.

parundAL kaLiTTrukku aruL Seida paraman tannai pArin mEl 
virundAvanattE kaNDamai viTTu chittan kOdai Sol | 
marundAm enru tam manattE vaittu koNDu vAzhvArhaL 
perundAL uDaiya pirAn aDikkeezh piriyAdu enrum iruppArE || Ten || 

Sree gajEndrAzhwAn suffered for a long time and cried for the help of BagavAn. He was caught by the crocodile and suffered the pain. Similarly ANDAL afflicted by His separation cries and laments. As BagavAn at last comes to rescue the life of gajEndra so also He comes to rescue ANDAL. Thus the samslESa is obtained by her. Those who meditate on these pASurAs will also get the same result as ANDAL. They will live in paramapada forever doing kainkarya. 

nAchchiyAr tirumozhi muTTriTTru 

ANDAL tiruvaDihaLE SaraNam

kaNNanennum (627-636)

 

kaNNanennum (627-636)

kaNNanennum 

Pleading to reduce Her sorrow using Sri Krishna's dress and other belongings 

kaNNan ennum karundeivam kATchi pazhahi kiDappEnai 
puNNil puLi peidAr pOla puram ninru azhahu pESAdE | 
peNNin varuttam ariyAda perumAn araiyil peetaha 
vaNNa ADai koNDu ennai vATTam taNiya veeSeerE || One || 

Oh! ladies! You don’t understand my mind. It is but natural. What astonishes me is kriSNan also doesn’t understand me – ‘peNNin varuttam ariyAda perumAn’. If He had known He wouldn’t have made me suffer this much. If I see His peetahavADai it is as good as seeing Him. If you fan the peetAmBara on me I can smell the sweat of kriSNa and that will make me well.

pAlalilaiyil tuyil koNDa paraman valai paTTirundEnai 
vElAl tunnam peidAr pOl vENDiTTru ellAm pESAdE |
kOlAl nirai mEittu AyanAi kuDandai kiDanda kuDamADi 
neelAr taNNanduzhAi koNDu en neri men kuzhal mEl SooTTeerE || Two || 

kaNNan lies on a banyan leaf after praLaya; goes behind cattle with a stick in His hand; seen as archA moorti in tirukuDandai; plays kuDakoottu in AyarpADi. Thus He is seen on a leaf, in the forest, in the temple and in AyarpADi. I fell in love with Him. I cannot live without Him. However much I cry He doesn’t come. So please bring His tiruttuzhAi (tuzhasi) and put it on my hair.

kanjai kAinda karuvilli kaDaikkaN ennum Sirai kOlAl 
nenju ooDuruva vEvuNDu nilaiyum taLarndu naivEnai | 
anjEl ennAn avan oruvan avan mArvu aNinda vanamAlai 
vanjiyAdE tarumAhil mArvil koNarndu puraTTeerE || Three || 

kaNNan killed kamsa without the least effort. He is an expert killer for He kills me by discharging His arrows (eyes) burning my heart and breaking it beyond repair. That which brings me more pain is not the arrow but His indifference towards me. Knowing fully well my agony He never bothers to console me. Oh! Elderly ladies! You bring the vanamAla that He is wearing and roll it on my chest. It will alleviate my suffering.

ArE ulahattu ATTruvAr AyarpADi kavarndu uNNum
kArEru uzhakka uzhakkuNDu taLarndum murindum kiDappEnai |
ArA amudamanaiyAn tan amuda vAyil ooriya
neer tAn koNarndu pularAmE parukki iLaippai neekkeerE || Four || 

kaNNan not only steals in His house but in the house of everybody in AyarpADi. He tortures me severely. There is no one who can console me, or do something to alleviate my pain. The elders say ‘tell us ANDAL what should we do?’ she says ‘you should go to kaNNan wherever He is and bring me His nectar-like saliva and pour it in my mouth before it dries.

azhilum tozhilum urukkATTAn anjEl ennAn avan oruvan 
tazhuvi muzhuSi puhundu ennai chuTTri Suzhanru pOhAnAl | 
tazhaiyin pozhil vAi nirai pinnE neDu mAl oodi varuhinra 
kuzhalin tuLai vAi neer koNDu kuLira muhattu taDaveerE || Five || 

He is very hard hearted. He doesn’t show Himself even if I cry and pray; neither even say ‘don’t be afraid’. But Oh! He is here! Look He is hugging me! He is near me! Before me! He is everywhere! Alas! It is only my illusion! It is my mAnasa anuBava. Oh! It only increases my agony instead of removing it. If you bring the saliva drops on the flute of kaNNa and rub it on my face, I feel it is the greatest medicine for this disease.

naDai onrillA ulahattu nandagOpan mahan ennum 
koDiya kaDiya tirumAlAl kuLappu kooru koLappaTTu | 
puDaiyum peyarahillEn nAn pOTkan miditta aDippATTil 
poDittAn koNarndu pooSeerhaL pOhA uyir en uDambaiyE || Six || 

Already the world is lacking in showing respect and honor to others. People are very cruel and selfish. If nandagOpa’s son kaNNan is also like them who is to teach them the good? I am in capable of movement out of pain and weakness. I am affected mentally and physically. The best medicine is to bring the dust of His feet and rub it on my body.

kuLappu kooru kOLappaTTu – there is a saying ‘paTTa kAlilE paDum’ in tamizh meaning you get hurt where it is already hurt.

pOhA uyir en uDambaiyE – however much I drink poison, how many times I stab myself, the life refuses to depart from my body. The suggestive meaning is anyone with so much suffering as much as mine would have died by now. ANDAL is astonished at this.

veTTri karuLa koDiyAn tan meemeedu ADA ulahattu 
veTTri varidE peTTra tAi vembEyAha vaLarttALE | 
kuTTram aTTra mulai tannai kumaran kOla paNai tOLODu 
aTTra kuTTram avai teera aNaiya amukki kaTTeerE || Seven || 

In the last pASura she scolded Him as the son of nandagOpa. Now she scolds Him as the son of yaSOda. What kind of a mother is she? Doesn’t she know how to bring up a child with ‘Baya’ and ‘Bakti’. One should rear a child in such a way it should have both fear and love for the parents. Here yaSOda has never punished Him even if the AyarpADi women, men and girls complaint. Thus like a neem fruit He is bitter to everyone. Why should she do this? There seems to be no intention in her action. But still I like Him and want Him. My breasts want them to be tied to His long beautiful shoulders.

uLLE uruhi neivEnai uLaLO ilaLO ennAda koLLai 
koLLi kurumbanai gOvardananai kaNDakkAl | 
koLLum payan onrillAda kongai tannai kizhangODum 
aLLi parittiTTu avan mArvil erindu en azhalai teervEnE || Eight || 

kaNNan is born only to inflict the pain in the hearts of all women. He is the cause of my present condition. But He doesn’t care to enquire whether I am alive or not. Let Him come here I shall pull my breasts hanging useless on my chest from their roots and throw on His tirumArbu. Thus I shall get rid of my sorrow.

kommai mulaihaL iDar teera gOvindarkOr kuTTrEval 
 immai piravi SeyyAdE ini pOi Seyyum tavam tAn en | 
Semmai uDaiya tirumArvil SErndAnElum oru nAnru 
meimmai Solli muham nOkki viDai tAn tarumEl miha nanrE || Nine || 

Oh! I wanted so much His samslESa in this birth. I don’t see any use of tapas after I go to other lOkAs in order to get Him. My thirst is so much that in this birth alone I should have Him. Well! His apathy hurts me. If at least for one day He embraces me and says ‘I don’t want you. Get away!’ I shall be happy.

allal viLaitta perumAnai Ayar pADikku aNi viLakkai 
villi puduvai nahar nambi viTTu chittan viyan kOdai | 
villai tulaitta puruvattAL vETkaiyuTTru miha virumbum 
Sollai tudikka vallArhaL tunba kaDaluL tuvaLArE || Ten || 

Those who read the above pASurAs will get rid of the samsAra duhKa. ANDAL expressed her desire to have samslESa with kaNNan, the lamp of AyarpADi. She desired the objects that He uses and their connections. She couldn’t bear the separation and wants His embrace.

maRRirunthIrkatku (617-626)

 

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 (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 (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 (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.