Sri Vishnuchitta kulanandana kalpavalim
Sri Rangaraja Harichandana yogadrishyaam
Sakshakshamam karunaya kamalami vaanyam
Godham ananyacharanaha charanamaham prapathye
— Goda Stuthi
Vedanta Desika’s visit to the temple on the occasion of Vaikasi Vasantham is commemorated even today by the recital of the Acharya’s Goda Stuthi, singing her glory, grace and greatness. This is a masterpiece on Andal by the Acharya singing about her as compassion incarnate.
Two centuries earlier, Anandalwan rose from the Thirumukkulam at Srivilliputhur, after making repeated dips trying to find out if there were any remnants left of the sacred turmeric used by Andal during her Margazhi Neeradal. He went on to compose the Goda Chathusloki.
Matha che Tulasi Pitaya titava Sri Vishnuchitto Mahan
Brathaschethathi sekara priyadama Srirangadama yati
Vishnuchitta was Andal’s foster father and located her near the sacred Tulasi garden he was mending in the sacred Srivilliputhur temple. He found in the garden a child with fascinating beauty, bewitching eyes and divinely beaming mien. He brought her up as a fond parent with tender care and affection. She was listening to all the poetic gems flowing from her foster father and naturally got imbued with spirituality from an early age. Her love for the divine grew day by day. In her divinely inspired anukara, she starts visualising the various episodes in Krishnavatara and imitated the gopis of Brindavan and Gokul. Thus was born the sacred Tiruppavai. Like the Gopis, she gathers all her friends in Srivilliputhur for congregational prayer set at the pre-dawn hour in the month of Margazhi.
“Masaanam Margaseersho Aham” — Krishna declared in the Gita. The whole month is soaked in spiritual fervour mainly because of Thiruppavai. Tiruppavai itself is an echo from the Vedas and the Upanishads. Ramanuja was struck by the very first stanza where Andal declared, “Narayanane Namakke parai tharuvaan — Lord Narayana alone can give us redemption and happiness. Taitriyopanishad laid down:
Narayana Param Brahma; Tatvam Narayana paraha
Narayana paro Jyothir; Athma Narayana paraha.
He is the Supreme absolute, real light and life. He alone can bless us and we alone get blessed (Namakke parai tharuvaan). The way Tamil phraseology is handled is scintillating. Andal was called ‘yekkara seematti’ by PBA Swami of Kanchi. The poet Kannadasan said “Andal Tamizhai aandal.”
Soodikoduthaal
Several savants and sages like Malakarar, Kurumbaratha Nambi, Periyazhwar, Thondaradipodi Azhwar and Anandazhwan had done pushpa kainkaryam for the Lord. Andal did it in a unique way. While making the flower garland for the Lord, she used to adorn herself with the same and look at the mirror at her own beauty with the garland. Her father would carry the garland without knowing the truth. Her idea was probably to find out whether the fragrance and the beauty of the flower will match that of the Lord. Sabari did it with fruits.
When Periyazhwar discovered what was happening, he was aghast and refused to carry the garland. That night the Lord appeared in his dream and wondered why the garland did not reach Him that day. Periyazhwar answered that it was desecrated by his daughter. “Consecrated,” corrects the Lord and says, We like them. We will have no other but they.”
Exchange of garlands
An astonished father obeys the command and carries the garland every day after having first used by his daughter. Pattarpiraan became Periyazhwar not when he sang Pallandu in the Koodal Azhagar shrine in Madurai but when he carried Andal’s garland to adorn the Lord. He became the father-in-law of Ranganatha. Even today, Lord Srinivasa of the Seven Hills awaits the Andal garland on the annual Garudotsavam day. Lord Varadaraja of Kanchi exchanges the garland with Andal everytime he goes up the Hasthigiri hills. She came to be called Soodikudutha Nachiyar.
Periyazhwar left Srivilliputhur and chose to remain in Thirumaliruncholai contemplating the beautiful and happy life he had in the company of his daughter in Srivilliputhur. (Oru magal thannai udaiyen, Thirumagal pol varathen, Senganmmal than kondu ponan — Periyazhwar Thirumozhi).
Margazhi Nonbu
Andal was following the Katyayani vratam of the Gopikas when she took up the Margazhi Nombu. The thirty pasurams are the quintessential wisdom of the Vedas and the Upanishads. The first five refer to Param, Vyuham, Vibavam, Antaryami and Archai. The whole text involves what is known as Bhagavatha Samagam and naictyanusandhana and self effacement — nane than aayiduka. (Pasuram 50) At the pre-dawn hour or Brahma Muhurtham, Andal and friends go round Aypadi singing the glory of Krishna. Neeradal implies getting immersed in Krishna consciousness — Mele Pani vellam, kizhe Paal vellam, Manathilae Maal vellam (Stanza 12).
Sacred Mysticism
Some of the intricate doctrines of Srivaishnavism are to be found in Thiruppavai. The sacred mysticism revealed by Andal indicates ananya seshtvam, ananyacharanatvam, ananya bogathvam and paratantriyam — surrender only to Krishna, take refuge only in Him, and enjoy only His company, depend wholly on Him. Towards the end, this classic rises to a crescendo — kurai onrum illadha Govinda, siruper azhaithanavum, sitranchirukale — these phrases reveal the inner most self of Andal.
Krishna on the palm leaf is avaptha samastha kaman, akatithakatha na samarthan. He came down to Ayarpadi to enjoy the company of the Gopikas who are utter ignoramuses — ari onrum illatha aykulam — not knowing anything Gnana, Bhakti or Karma Yoga. Calling Him Narayana does not do justice — he loves to be called Govinda — Draupadikku Aadai suranthathu Govinda namamire (Periya Vachan Pillai).
Andal prays for service to the Lord as the ultimate purushartham. Not for her liberation from the cycle of births and deaths. She would like to be born any number of times to enjoy the company of Krishna along with the Gopis (Etraikkum Ezh-Ezh Piravikkum, undanodu utrome, aavom unakke Nam aatcheivom).
Respect to acharya
Andal never refers to herself as Andal. She would like to be known as Vishnuchittan Kodai. He became her Acharya. She will approach Krishna only through the father. This shows the importance of Acharya Abhimanam. An inscription around the walls of the temple in Srivilliputhur, records Ranganatha’s Pranaya-patrika — love letter from Srirangam, reproducing passages from her songs.
Every Vaishnava temple has a shrine specially dedicated to Andal. Lord Srinivasa listens to Thiruppavai everyday during Margazhi. The temples in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bihar, U.P. etc., resonate with Tiruppavai in the regional languages.
The grateful people of Tamilnadu chose the Srivilliputhur temple as its State emblem.
Swochishtamalika gandhabandha gandha jishnave
Vishnuchitta tanujayai Godayai nitya mangalam
