There have been women poets even during Vedic periods (Ghosha, Lopamudra, Sulabha Maitreyi and Gargi — the most famous among them). Only a few names are known, but they have made a significant contribution to poetry.
A common feature that binds these poets is devotion. Andal from Tamil Nadu and Meerabai from Rajasthan, who lived so far away from each other in distance and time, bore uncanny resemblance — both considered Lord Krishna as their husband.
Andal proclaimed that she would rather die than marry any mortal while Meera married a king, but considered Krishna as her real husband. For Akka Mahadevi from Karnataka, Lord Shiva was her soulmate. Avvaiyar from Tamil Nadu, a devotee of Lord Ganesha, led a nomadic life spreading wisdom and never distinguishing between prince and pauper.
Andal
Period: 8th Century C E. Some historians believe Andal belonged to 3000 BCE.
Amid a cluster of divine smelling Tulsi plants in Srivilliputtur, Vishnu Chitthar (Periazhwar) found a little baby and named her Kothai. Years later, she would become Andal, the one who ruled over the Lord himself, with her love and devotion!
Very few devotees have contributed so richly to Tamil literature as Kothai Natchiar (Andal) has done. She was the only woman among the 12 great devotees of Vishnu, known as Azhwars.
Legend Kothai grew up to become a great scholar in Tamil and a great devotee of Vishnu. She would string a garland for the Lord and wear it before sending it to the temple. Once, her father caught her in the act and refused to take the garland.
Legend has it that the Lord appeared in his dreams and demanded that He should only be adorned with garlands once worn by Kothai. Hence, she was referred to as ‘Soodikodutha Sudarkkodi’. With a firm determination to marry none except the Lord, she entered the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Ranganatha in Srirangam, dressed as a bride and never came out.
Works Andal’s two main works are ‘Thiruppavai’ and ‘Nachiar Thirumozhi’. Thiruppavai comprises 30 ‘pasurams’ (songs) that outwardly seem like ‘wake up calls’ for the girl who is still asleep, but they are actually meant to create an ‘awakening’ in every soul. ‘Nachiar Thirumozhi’ comprises 143 stanzas arranged in 14 chapters. Each chapter, known as ‘Thirumozhi’, deals with a specific topic. Andal begins with a plea to Kama (Cupid) to unite her with the Lord. In the 6th Thirumozhi —‘Vaaranamaayiram’ — she describes in graphic detail, her dream wedding with her Lord.
If ‘Thiruppavai’ stands for total surrender to the Lord, ‘Nachiar Thirumozhi’ brings out Andal’s longing for her union with the Divine. She takes liberties to scold her Lord for being hard hearted, but she can’t bear to be away from Him.
Andal is known for her absolute felicity with words and imagery. The pasurams, ‘Thoomani Maadathu Sutrum Vilakkeriya’ and ‘ Kuthu Vilakkeriya…….’ are delightfully picturesque. ‘Aazhi Mazhaikkannaa’ and ‘Ongi Ulagalandha’ bring out Andal’s ability to pack detail into her words. ‘In Karpooram Naarumo’, we meet the love-lorn girl, madly attached to everything connected to her Beloved.
Her devotion and mastery over Tamil and are inseparably blended. To think, she was hardly 15 when she composed these two monumental works!
B. Ramadevi is a teacher and writes music reviews. She regularly blogs on >http://rewindwithramadevi.blogspot.in/ Contact her at ramadevi1951@gmail.com
