Tiruppavai Introduction - By U.Ve.E.S.Bhuvarahachariar Swamy

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INTRODUCTION: Sri ANDAL is the Quintescence incarnation

of Sri BHUMI DEVI the Divine Consort of SRIMAN NARAYANA,

who took birth on this earth to liberate suffering human

beings from worldly bondage.She sang thirty sweet songs

containing the cardinal principles ofSriVaishnava Dharma

during the month of MARGAZHI.Singing these songs,with

understanding of their inner meaning, will bring to us

peace, prosperity and above all Divine Grace.

 

ANDAL, though a Brahmin girl, assumes the guise of a

cowherdess and yearns for Everlasting Happiness and

Service of the Lord.It is the age-old practice of

Sri Vaishnavas to sing these stanzas every day of the

year in the presence of the Lord in the temple as

well as in their homes.This practice assumes special

significance during MARGAZHI so much so that each day

of this month gets its name from a pasuram,like for

example the first day (12.16.97) is called MARGAZHI-

TTINGAL.

 

It may appear in the beginning that Andal is intending

to perform a particular religious vow to marry the Lord

and thereby obtain His Everlasting Company,and that she

is inviting all her girl friends to join her.It is only

towards the end of TIRUPPAVAI that we learn that she

did not actually go to any pond or river or perform

a religious rite; SHE IS ACTUALLY PRAYING TO BE GRANTED

THE SERVICE OF THE LORD FOR ALL ETERNITY.It is the

Soul's inner craving to redeem itself and to reach

His Divine Nearness in order to serve him (" Attaani-

cchevagam" as her father PERIYAZHWAR calls it) which

forms the real purport of this poem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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