Thiruppavai - Verse 1

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Thiruppavai - Andal

(Translated by Dr. Saroja Ramanujam, M.A.,Ph.D)

 

Andal of SouthIndia was like Meera of the North, great devotee

of Lord Narayana from her childhood. She was found among the bushes of

Tulsi plant by Vishnuchiththa, who was later known as Periyazvar due

to his hymns about the Lord to guard Him from evil eye. His story will

follow later. Andal wanted to marry only the Lord and unlike Meera her

father did not force her. She observed the vow of Pavai nonbu in the

month of Margazi collecting the girls in Srivillipuththur where she

lived and sang the verses which are famous today as Thiruppavai. The

work is steeped in Bhakthi and extolled as being capable of destroying

sins, showing the path to attain the feet of the Lord and it is said

to contain the essence of the vedas because it describes the Lord and

the means of attaining Him.

 

The story goes that Bhoodevi on being rescued from the depth of the

9ocean asked Lord Varaha to tell her by which easy way can her

children on earth attain Him.Varahamurthi bade her to take birth as

Godha to teach the humanity the path of devotion. Thus Sookaramurthi

has shown the sukara, easy to do upaya.

 

Pasuram1.

 

Margaziththingal madhi niraindha nannaalal

 

Neeraadappodhuveer podhumino nerizaiyeer

 

Seer malgum aaippaadi selvasirumeergaal

 

Koorvel kodunthozilan nandagopan kumaran

 

Eraandhakanni yasodhai ilam singam

 

Kaarmenichchengann kadhirmadhiyam pool mugaththaan

 

Narayanane namakke parai tharuvaan

 

Paaror pugaza padindhelorempaavai

 

Margazi Thingal- month of Margazi.. .

 

In the month of Margazi the austerity of pavai nonbu is observed.

 

Mathiniraindha nannaal- full-moon day.

 

On the full-moon day in Margazi the star of Mrgasirsha is very near

the Moon. Hence the name Margaseersha which is known as margazi in

Tamil. Among the twelve names of the Lord that which dominates the

month is Kesava. Krishna says in the Gita `I am Margazi among the

twelve months. This month denotes the small hours of the morning for

the devas to whom one human year amounts to one day. Moreover this

month has the seed of the rain for the next year. For these reasons

the month is very sacred and any austerities undertaken in this month

fructify soon. Andaal calls this day a nannaal, good day because the

day when the thought of attaining the Lord arises in the mind is a

good day.

 

Neeraada podhuveer podhumino- Come let us go and bathe in the river.

 

Neeraadal means taking bath in ordinary language. But in this

context it implies the union with Krishna.

 

Nerizaiyeer- Those with lustrous face and ornaments. As soon as they

were called to approach Krishna. Their faces lighted with love and

expectation.

 

Seer malgum aaipaadi.- The gokula which is rich and beautiful. Gokula

,the residence of the cowherds became prosperous after Krishna's arrival.

 

Selvachchirumeergaal – Oh , the affluent cowherd girls., The wealth of

these girls is their devotion towards Krishna which alone is eternal

while all the other wealth is fleeting and transitory.

 

Koorvel kodumthozilan nandagopan kumaran- The son of Nandagopa, who is

terrible wielding his `vel.' The implication here is that Nanda even

though soft by nature became terrible ready to attack those who wanted

to harm Krishna.

 

Eraarndha kanni yasodhai ilam singam- The epithet erarndha kanni

used with reference to Yasodha means that she has lovely wide eyes on

account of looking at Krishna all the time and when used as one word

it refers to Krishna Himself when erarndha kanni means the vyjayanthi

mala worn by Him. The lion cub of Yasodha who is wearing the

vyjayanthimala, will be the meaning of the phrase then. He is called

a lion cub here whereas he was termed as kumaran, young boy in the

previous line to indicate that he was obedient and docile to his

father while he asserts himself like a lion cub when he was with his

mother through her indulgence.

 

Kaarmeni- His dark body is compared to kaar, the rain bearing cloud

because His shower of mercy towards His devotees is like the life

giving rain to the world.

 

Chengann- Eyes red like lotus.

 

Kadhimadhiyam pol mugaththaan- His face is like both the Sun and the

Moon, scorching toHis enemies and cool to His devotees.

 

Narayanane – Narayanane who has been described above will Himself

give us the boon of His service.

 

Paarorpugaza padindhelorempavaai. – The word pavaai at the end of each

verse denotes the paavai nonbu they are observing. Andal here says

that the vratha which is usually observed for rain in the world will

fetch the desired result also and get them the praise of the society

even though it was only a pretext and their real purpose is to unite

with the Lord.

 

This world is the aayarpadi or aaippaadi. Andal represents the Acharya

who is instructing the devotees, who are endowed with the virtues of

kshama, ,patience, ahimsa, nonviolence, indriyanigraham, control of

the semses, dhayaa, mercy, jnanam, wisdom, tapas, austerity, dhyaanam,

contemplation and satyam, truth, to do service to the Lord.

 

This service or kainkarya is the neeraadal or bathing and

the nerizai or ornaments are the above-said virtues. These are the

riches, `seer' and the selvachchirumeer refers to the devotees blessed

with the wealth of devotion.

 

Madhi niraindha nannaal is the day on which one starts

thinking about resorting to the Lord when it becomes nannaal or good

day, filled, niraindha, with the thoughts mathi, of Him, Margazi or

Margasirsha in Sanskrit means the way, marga, which is sirsha, the

first and foremost and refers to the path of surrender, Prapaththimarga.

 

The words nandagopan and kumaran may both be taken to

denote Krishna himself, nanda meaning one who gives joy and kumaran

may refer to His eternal youth, Nithya yuva as He is called by Desika

in Godhasthuthi. Then the word kodunthozilan implies that He is

merciless towards the wicked. Parithraanaaya saadhoonaam vinaasaya cha

dush krthaam as He says in the Gita. Not only the enemies outside but

also the internal foes like kamakrodhaadhi flee from the heart, once

He is established in it. In that sense also He is kodunthozilan and

ilam singam

 

Narayanane namakke parai tharuvan- The `ekaara' in

Narayanane is to emphasize that Lord Narayana alone, is capable of

giving parai, Moksha.

 

Andal says podhuveer podhumino to imply that whoever is so

inclined can join the group of devotees. It is always commendable to

go in groups for activities pertaining to God.

 

It is said in Srimathbhagavatham that the rshis of

Dandakaaranya were born as the gopis to enjoy the company of the Lord

which was denied to them in Ramavathara. They were steeped in bhakthi

and vairagya and hence termed as selvachirumeergaal, who have had the

wealth of His company and kainkarya.