Abirami Bhattar, the legendary devotee of Goddess Abirami of Thirukkadaiyur in Tamil Nadu, wrote Abirami Andadi in praise of the Goddess. Bhattar says She holds in Her left hand a bow made of sugarcane. In Her right hand, She holds arrows made of five flowers — lotus, flower of the mango tree, Asoka, the jasmine variety known as mullai in Tamil and neelothpala (blue water lily). This is a symbolic indication that if we worship Her, She keeps us from falling prey to worldly attractions, said M. A. Manickavelu in a discourse. In other words, She helps us control our senses.
The sugarcane bow has a symbolic significance too. The tip of the sugarcane has a salty taste. It is only as one moves lower down that one can taste the sweetness. In the same way, if we study the attributes of Ambal superficially, we will not realise Her fully. The more we delve into the philosophy that Sakthi embodies, the greater will be our joy and our jnana. We must study the works of great saints who have extolled Her; we must contemplate on Her; we must meditate with Ambal in focus. Only then will we realise that She alone can lead us out of the bonds of samsara.
Kama, the god of love, also holds a sugarcane bow and arrows made of five flowers. But while his arrows evoke desires in us, Ambal’s arrows free us from desires. Ganesa, the son of Parvathi, has the pasa and ankusa in his hands. Pasa is a looped coil of rope, and the ankusa is the instrument used by mahouts to control elephants. It was Goddess Tripurasundari who gave these weapons to Her son Ganesa. The Goddess holds these weapons in Her hands. They show that She helps Her followers achieve self-control in a world full of temptations. Abirami Bhattar praises the Goddess as Tripurasundari. She is the Consort of Tripurantaka.
