Andal's Thiruppavai

கோதை பிறந்த ஊர் கோவிந்தன் வாழும் ஊர்

சோதி மணி மாடம் தோன்றும் ஊர்
நீதியால் நல்ல பத்தர் வாழும் ஊர் நான்மறைகள் ஓதுமூர்
வில்லிபுத்தூர் வேதக் கோனூர்

பாதகங்கள் தீர்க்கும் பரமன் அடி காட்டும்
வேதம் அனைத்துக்கும் வித்தாகும் கோதை தமிழ்
ஐயைந்தும் ஐந்தும் அறியாத மானிடரை
வையம் சுமப்பது வம்பு.

Sri ANDAL is the quintessence 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 of Sri Vaishnava 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.

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.

NeeLA-Tunga sthanagiri-taDI
Suptham udhbhOdhya KrishNam
PaarArTyam svam
sruthi-satha-siras-siddham adhyApayanthI
svOcchishtAyAm sraji nigalitham
yaa balAthkruthya bhunkthE
GOdhA Tasyai Nama idhamidham
bhUya yEvAsthu BhUya:
PARAASARA BHATTAR , Thirukkostiyoor


May I offer my obeisance again and again to
Goddess ANDAL alias GOdhA
--to her alone--
who awakened Lord KrishNA (taking rest and) sleeping
on the mountain-like lofty breasts of
Goddess NILA alias Nappinnai PirAtti;
GOdhA, who has imparted to Him
(Lord KrishNA) Her dependence (on Him) as established in the hundreds of the texts of
the crown of the
VedAs & VedAnthA or the Upanishads)
GOdhA, who forcefully enjoys Him
after binding Him with flower-wreaths
that were already worn by Her.

anna vayaRpudhuvai aandaaL arangaRku(p)

pannu thiruppaavai(p) palpadhiyam
innisaiyaal paadikkoduththaaL naRpaamaalai
poomaalai soodi(k) koduththaaLai(ch) chollu
soodi(k) koduththa sudar(k) kodiyE tholpaavai
paadi aruLavalla palvaLaiyaay
naadi nee vEngadavaRku ennai vidhi onRa immaatram
naangadavaa vaNNamE nalgu.

by UYYAKKONDAAR disciple of NADAMUNI
UyyakkoNDAr visualizes SrivilliputthUr
as a special divya dEsam, where the Hamsam
birds preside and those have powers to separate milk and water.

ANDAL is the Soodikkoduttha NaacchiyAr for Vatapathra Sayee
ANDAL married (garlanded) Sri RanganAthan.
Both garlands of ANDAL are saluted by UyyakkoNDAr.
For Sri RangarAjan, She offered the garland of
ThiruppAvai verses
and For Vatapathra SaayeeTuLasi Maalais
She adorned and sent with Vaadhyam and parisaram
through the sacred hands of Her father,
PeriyAzhwAr
(SoodikkodutthALai sol).

திருவாடிப் பூரத்து செகத்துதித்தாள் வாழியே

திருப்பாவை முப்பதும் செப்பினாள் வாழியே
பெரியாழ்வார் பெற்றெடுத்த பெண் பிள்ளை வாழியே
பெரும்புதூர் மாமுனிக்குப் பின்னானாள் வாழியே
ஒரு நூட்ரு நாற்பத்து மூன்றுரைத்தாள் வாழியே
உயர் அரங்கற்கே கண்ணியுகந்தருளிதாள் வாழியே
மருவாரும் திருமல்லி வள நாடி வாழியே
வண்புதுவை நகர்க் கோதை மலர்ப் பாதங்கள் வாழியே

ஆண்டாள் திருவடிகளே சரணம்...!!!