#14 - ANDAL

AYONIJA
Andal is the only female Azhwars , daughter of another Azhwar called Vishnuchitar who was later known as Periazhwar.Periazhwar was born in Kurodhana (785A.D )and lived for 85 years. Andal was born in Nala (836A.D ) , and so we can conclude that they lived around 850A.D . Andal was born under the asterism of Puram in the Tamil month of Adi. This asterism generally falls in July August when the annual monsoon
rains bring peace and plenty to land. Like Sita, Andal was Ayonija, not born of a womb. She was a gift of mother earth to all humanity.In Srivilliputhur of Madurai district while procuring flowers, Vishnuchitar saw a baby girl lying under Tulasi plant. He felt so much happy as he had no child before and so considered it as God's Gift. He named the baby as Kothai or Gift of Mother earth and raised her as his own daughter. Kothai with lot of love and devotion from her father ,started singing songs about her beloved Lord Krishna, with her knowledge of Tamil poetry.

ANDAL

As Vishnuchittar had already highest respects on Lord Ranganatha , it was intensified further in Andal. Andal adorned herself daily with the flower garland prepared by her father for the Lord Vadabadrasai in  Srivilliputhur temple. She first admired her reflection , with an idea of herself as Rnganatha's bride, and then she put the garland back for offering to Lord Ranganatha by her father. Vishnuchittar one day noticed a
strand of Kothai's hair on one of the garlands and got shocked . After identifying the reason he scolded Kothai for her childish activity and discarded the garland. Then he prepared another one and offered it to the Lord, and pleaded for God's excuses. Lord Ranganatha then appeared in Vishnuchittar's dream on that night and told that He missed the scent of Kothai's body in the flowers, as He preferred only that. Vishnuchittar then awoke and cried tears of both joy and remorse. As Andal's greatness was such that the Lord Ranganatha Himself wished to share her presence, she became known as "Andal", the girl who "ruled" over the Lord. She is also known by a phrase "Soodi kodutha Sudarkodi" or Soodikodutha nachiar which means "The bright creeper-like woman who gave her garlands after wearing them".
Andal said as " These swollen breasts of mine are meant for Krishna, Like a sneaky jackal from the forest toppling and sniffing the sacrificial Havis that vedic seers had kept for the gods, if you marry me to a mortal, I shall not live," and she was saying that she would only marry Sri Ranganatha, the Lord at the great temple town of Srirangam. Again Lord Ranganatha appeared in Vishnuchittar's dream and told that Andal be sent to Him in all her wedding dress and arrangements. Vishnuchittar then filled with both joy of his beloved daughter going to attain her goal, but a bit of sadness on losing her .
All the wedding preparations and journey in a palanquin to Srirangam were then arranged . Andal then jumped out of the palanquin, unable to restrain herself any longer. Andal at her fifteenth year, embraced Lord Ranganatha and disappeared in a blaze of glory, having joined her Lord.

Nachiar

When Andal was hardly fifteen, She sang Thiruppavai in 30 verses (Pasurams ) and Nacchiyar Thirumozhi, in 143 verses (in 14 Thirumozhis) steeped in her love for Krishna. Traditionally it is told that Andal began to practise Pavai nonbu to secure Lord Krishna as her husband. Andal ranks as a saint poetess on par with the Azhwars, and so her works are included in the Mutalayiram, or the first thousand in the Nalayaira Divya
Prabandham. In Tiruppavai, Pasurams 1to 5 explains the ancient Tamil custom of Pavai Nonpu, when
maidens undertake vows during Margazhi for a happy married life and for the good of the community. Pasurams 6- 15, deals with Andal's plight from door to door rousing her friends, her bath in river with friends and worship with flowers images made of sand. Pasurams 16 to 22 ,Arrival of friends in Krishna palace, and their seeking permission to wake up Nandagopala, Yasodha, Balarama and Krishna , who is sleeping in the company of Nappinnai .Pasurams 23-28, Andal's talking with Krishna . Pasuram 29, conveys the purpose of their visit,and Pasuram 30 is palasruthi (Engum Thiruvarul petru Inbura ) benediction for all who recite the work faultlessly .The famous song of Rajaji's Kurai onrum illatha Govinda is only from 28th pasuram Karavaigal.

Tiruppavai gives us a divine experience of unity with Lord Krishna . As Andal says"Sanga Thamizh muppathum Thappame, one who says this garland of verses in Sangathamizh are sure to get the blessings of HIM. Thiruppavai recited in all Srivaishnava temples throughout the year has no restriction on resitation. This is basis for vedas and so called as Vedam anaithukkum vithaghum .In very first poem Saranagathi is stressed as Narayane namakke parai tharuvan as Krishna said in Gita , bhakthi or saranagathi is necessary for everyone.

An element of swapadesa or inner allegorical meaning is available to the verses iof Tiruppavai. Verses 6 to 15 are interpreted as each directed towards the awakening from sleep of one of the ten Azhwars. Likewise some songs are considered as rousing Bhagavathas from sleep. Many scholars right from SriRamanujar have given meanings, explanations in plenty . Just like teachings in Gita, as one can see lot of such guidelines for everyone to adopt in one's life in this Tiruppavai , this is termed as 'Kothageetha'.The guidelines from a
word of each pasuram in Tiruppavai is furnished below.

Kothai

Just like teachings in Gita, as one can see lot of such guidelines for everyone to adopt in one's life in this Tiruppavai , this is termed as 'Kothageetha'.The guidelines from a word of each pasuram
in Tiruppavai is furnished below.
1.Religious observations are to be done for getting more wealth and peace. (padinthu)
2.All the prescribed dos and don'ts of the vow have to be followed strictly.(Kirisai)
3.Sincere prayers will always bring abundant rain ,causing more prosperity.(Perpadi)
4.Water fetched from ocean ,is poured as rain over the good and bad alike.(Peithidai)
5.God thinking, disappears accrued Karmas from deliberate or accidental acts.(sinthikka)
6.The mentality to aid inexperienced seeker to help the way to realization is good. (kettu)
7.Full attention in any activity is needed for getting complete grace of god.(Padavum)
8. Most wise people when they do not teach others ,are sure to slip and accused. (Kathu)
9. A step of surrender,by uttering God's name, cause many steps of protection (Navindru)
10.God is embodiment of grace, light , wisdom, strength,love and power. (potra)
11.A family of generosity, pure and wise characters will have a good offspring.(Karanthu)
12.Moksha is prefered as bondage start from babies, with the love of parents. (irangi)
13.Use of power ,specially gifted is needed and must not be going inactive.(Thavirnthu)
14.Prescribed duties for daily and seasonal have to be performed in dedication.(Nanathu)
15.Taking the responsibilty of errors ,encomiums will come automatically.(nanayiduga)
16.Praising and Worshipping God in word,mind and action,pave way for Grace .(Thiravu)
17.Avoid inactivity .If we succeed evils in resisting, calmness will then come. (Urangathu)
18.Enjoy pleasures of righteousness, with family and friends without prejudice.(Magizndu)
19.Thinking must be raising the lower ,helping the needy and feeding the poor.(Meleri)
20. A man of faith constructs something beautiful even in the midst of chaos.(Thiral)
21.Avoid unpleasant truths which make one of rude and loss of sensitivity. (Matrathe)
22.When the mind goes after various things , divert the same at the feet of God. (Nokku)
23.Vishnu took avatars to teach a virtuous life, and to take the lives of bad. (Arainthu)
24.Incarnations of God in human form is for easy approach of us to understand.(Vandom)
25.Money may fetch your today's bread. but it is not to be taken as sole end or aim.(Thiru)
26.Trust in hopes and achievements of senior people and take the same as guide.(Kettu)
27.Community participation,is stressed for the welfare and happiness of all.(Kudiirunthu)
28.Ever help others to achieve their aims for salvation by complete devotion.(Serndu)
29. The ego that asserts "I am the servant of God' is true character of a devotee.(Sevithu)
30.The whole world is sure of attaining the benifits of all actions done properly.(Inbutru)

GREAT WOMAN

Andal's Nachiar Thirumozhi is with 143 verses attempting various methods to join with Lord Krishna. Thiruppavai starts with the name of the month of Margazhi, which Krishna in Geetha told as masanam margasirso aham. But Nachiar Thirumozhi starts with the name of the next tamil month Thai as “Thai oru thinngalum”.
Tiruppavai has unique popularity in having many commentaries. Azagiya Manavala Perumal nayanar has said that Kothai revealed to us clearly through her pasurams , the esoteric meanings (Rahasyathrayam ) of Ashtakshari, Dhwayam and Charamaslokam given by Lord Krishna to great warrior Arjuna in the Kurukshetra battle fields. Swami Desikan praises Andal in his Godasthuthi and compares Andal with Kshama also called Bhoomi Devi . He personifies her to Lakshmi who has immense Karuna for her devotees and so sings as "sakshaath kshamam karunaya kamalam ivanyam"in the very first sloka.

GREAT STORY WRITER

Varanamayiram , is a very renowned tirumozhi. Even today, this sixth tirumozhi is being sung in Tirumalai Kalyana Utsavam daily and in all Vaishnava weddings as Thengai uruttal.  Traditional belief is that when this ritual is performed, the newly wedded couple's lives  forever remain sweet. The wedding scenes that Kothai describes are full of beauty and superb in imagination, and have a divine vedic flavor.
Varanamayiram , is just description of her dream about her marriage with Lord. She says that the Lord is coming in a procession with thousand elephants, first. Purnakumbhams are kept and many thoranam or festoons are used in decoration to welcome Him.  Andal then sees the Lord entering the decorated wedding pandal for the wedding on the morrow. Indra and other celestials request her hand for Lord and present the saree sanctified by chanting mantras. Andal is then in bridal saree and with flower garland .Priests is seen as brought Water from Holy Rivers from all directions and chants loudly the Mantras in benediction. Lord and Andal then take Kankana (thread) to take marriage vows. When Lord enters auspicious kalasams, lamps are brought by youths. Drum beating and blowing of conch takes place then. It was followed with Lord taking her hand in His, beneath the pandal decked with strings of pearls. Amidst chanting Mantras by priests, the Lord going round the Holy fire holding her hand .Andal sees her brothers come and take part in pori iduthal. (Laja Homam).The 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 after wedding.  All those are from her dreams.

GREAT HOME MAKER

Andal's gesture and broadmindedness is exhibited fully in 'Nooru thada' pasuram in 9th Thirumozhi. She says as she is offering butter in 100 vessels and Akkaravadishil (the famous Ayyangar veettu Payasam of rice cooked in Milk with jaggery and ghee) in 100 vessels to Lord of Thirumalirunjolai . Andal's description of this attracted Ramanuja , and he carried out fully as she wrote ,and so Ramanuja was conferred as Nam koil Annan. Ramanuja was so much fascinated by Andal's Tiruppavai and so he was called as Tiruppavai Jiyar. Just like the lines of 'Mooda Nei peithu muzhankai vazhiyara' in Koodaravalli pasuram of Tiruppavai, these lines are found in this to draw the attention of Lord to come in person. Andal kondai is also a unique attractive feature
Andal spells out her desire of her union with Lord Krishna, and as she found no response to her love message, she invokes the help of Manmatha for her union with Krishna. .Method of sending a message to the lover adopted by Andal adds variety to the treatment of devotion. Andal prays to Kamadeva, Lord of Love, to make Lord Krishna to accept her. Andal and friends imagining themselves to be small girls, and playing making castles in sand, plead with the Lord not to damage their creations. Krishna is playing pranks with Gopikas .Andal, one in the group is pleading to have mercy and spare inconvenience to them. She narrates the ritual of penance, worship, and humble prayers to HIM. This is then followed with description of her dreams in which she gets married with Krishna. The song of despair, cuckoo's cry welcoming her lord, clouds sending message ,mystic kudal in attaining the lord are all other verses in nachiyar thirumozhi.

GREAT TAMIL POET

Andal has proved her scholarship in Tamil by introducing not only the local language of words like 'paiya''elle''ude' , and she handled carefully in some words like' Neyyunnom palunnom'. As people sometimes take liquids also like a solid food, she chose the word as not to drink, but not to eat and so he preferred the word 'Unnom' instead of 'kudiyom'.

Also she tells every people as "Vaiyathu vazhvirgal' ,'Selvachirumirgal' with an idea to greet everybody  happily and not at all in any accusing language such as 'sinners'. In her Nachiyar Thirumozhi also she states as 'Vengadathai pathiyaga vazhvirgal,'Nanmakkalai petru magizhvir, Thunbakkadalil thuvalre , vallarkku illai pavame etc.

Her poetic interest is also revealed that she quotes word 'padi' in 14 times of 30 songs of Tiruppavai.1.Paraman adi padi,2. uthaman per padi, 3.vayinal padi, 4. kesavanai pada , 5.padipparai kondu, 6.mugilvannan perpada,7. manathukkiiniyanai pada ,8. keerthimai pada, 9.pangayakkannanai pada,10.  mayanai pada, 11.thuyilezha pada, 12.maithunan per pada,13. selvamum sevagamum yam padi,14.  unthannai padi,

Andal gives importance to both men and women in all her poems. In first poem, she tells Krishna as 'Nandagopan kumaran' first praising from fatherside, and immediately in the next line, she states from mother side as "Yasodai ilanchingam' .

The present form of Tamil Archana system in Temples, is also introduced by Andal only through her 'Andru ivvulagam alanthai adi POTRI' etc.

Andal is not only 'sudikkoutha nachiyar' but also 'padikkoutha nachiyar' through her 'Nachiyar Thirumozhi'. Nature of Abundance is also felt in her poems.

GREAT PHILOSOPHER

Manavala Mamunigal in his upadesa Ratnamalai states Andal as "pinjai pazhuthalai as she blessed us with Thiruppavai in her fifth year. Andal had parama Bhakthi right away instead of the steady ripening through the other two stages of parabhakthi and paragnanam .Bhumi devi incarnated as Kothai and blessed us with Thiruppavai and Nachiar Thirumozhi, in her own unique Tamil,  Andal being in fifth rank to Periazhwar who had already four sons, is called as Anjukudikku oru santhathi. Anjum in tamil means 'afraid of ' Azhwars were always afraid of dangers, but Andal was progeny among them. 

Andal's life is idealised and she is idolised in sriVaishnavite shrines and homes of millions of srivaishnava through ages in South India and worshipped as embodiment of fidelity of feminine love raised to the divine level.

Lord Ranganatha is fancied to be reclining with his face turned to south, because of his esteem for that direction in which Srivilliputhur the place of Andal's birth. Periazhwar composed 473 verses in praise of God, but he did not get any reputation, though God usually pleased even with a little submission. Andal with just 173 verses got fame to her father because of Lord adorning the flower garland after her, and so he was named as Periya Azhwar.

Sri Andal grasped vedic doctrines and conveyed them as palatable sweet Tamil rhymes, like the clouds taking salt water released later as pure rain water. As vedas are beyond understanding capacity of an ordinary man, Andal presented them to us .If we store them and use like rain water harvesting methods, in good reservoir of further research, study, propagation and conducting seminars like Chennaiyil  Srivilliputhur it will then be a great service to humanity in  the field of education.