Paasuram - 1

Paasuram – 1

Maargazhi thingal madhiniraindha nannalal – Aandal starts with the concept of date. She is depicting the month and the Shukla paksha of the month. She did not depict the year since all of us will misinterpret that this vrattam/nonbu should be done only in that year. Remember, tamil years are cyclic in nature. Therefore she did not mention the year at which she sang this Tiruppavai. Perukkarunai swamigal mentions beautifully that this line is a sankalpam for Aandal to perform the vrattam/nonbu. Let’s look at the word by word meaning and then look into the Svapadesam(Rahasyaartha).

Maargazhi thingal -

If you look at the Sanaatana Dharma’s depiction of Time. 1 Year in earth is equivalent to 1 Day for Devas. Uttarayana is their day and Dakshinayanam is their night. Marghazhi comes a month before Uttarayana punya kaala begins, therefore it is their Braahma muhurtham. Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that “ I am Margaseersha within 12 months” “Maasanaam Maargaseershosmi”.

Svaapadesam : If you split Maargaseersham, you get Maarga + seersham. Maarga means way/path and seersham means “Head/top”. Krishna says in Bhagavad Geetha that there are only 2 Maargas to reach him. One is Bhakti and the other is Saranaagathi. Saranaagathi or Prappatti is said to be the easiest and fastest way to reach Perumal. Therefore, in the first paasuram, first word itself she depicts that go and surrender to Lord Narayana. We can correlate this as well with Varaaha charama sloka.

Madhi Niraintha Nannaalal -

Depicts the Shukla paksha of the month. People are celebrating Independence Day happily. That day is very important and significant because we got freedom from oppression. In the same way, Aandal says Madhi nirantha and celebrates the Paksha since she has found the way to start the nonbu to attain Lord Krishna. Valmiki in Ramayana also celebrates the month of Chaitra as “Chaitrasya ayam masa: punyo pushpitha kaananaha”. When Rama pattabhisheka was declared in Chaitra masa, the forests were blooming with flowers in that Punya maasa.


Neeradap pothuveer pothumino nerizhayeer!

Neerattam – Refers to Brahmaa anubhavam. Aandal is asking her friends to come and let’s take bath in Brahma Gunaa anubhavam. Where can we see some examples? Kulasekara azhwar says “Maayonai Manathoonai Pattri nindru Vaayara Enru kolu vaazhtum naale”. When you go to worship Sriranga natha, inside the Gayathri mandapam, there are two pillars on either called “Thirumana Thoongal”. Kulasekara azhwar says “I can swim against the current in Ganga/Cauvery, but I cannot swim against the Karuna pravaaham of Bhagawan. I need that pillar in support while worshipping Sriranga natha”. Desika says in Daayasatakam “Vigaahe Theertha Bahulaam Guru Santhatheem”. In order to immerse in the cool waters of Bhagavad Daya, we should use the Guru paramparam as the steps and rails one should hold while experiencing the cool water stream”. She invites her friend “Let’s go and take bath in Krishnaanubhavam”.


Seermalgum aaipadi selvachirumeergal

She calls the place aaipadi as Seermalgum aaipadi. When Bhagavan is in Sri vaikuntam, Bhagavan cannot use his Gunas like Dayaa, Kshama, Anukampa etc as the Nithyar and Muktar there are perfect. So, where can Bhagavan use all his Guna. Only on this earth. He descended down to aaypadi and it experienced all Bhagavan’s Guna. Therefore, she calls aaipadi a rich place (seermalgum aaipadi). She calls the Gopikas as selva chirumeergal. Not because they are rich. Its because Krishnan lives among them. Krishnan plays with them and does all his mischiefs with them. Some references can be correlated from Ramayana on this. Lakshmana was alongside all through the forest next to Rama without Urmila, without proper food or rest. Valmiki and Vashishta calls Lakshmana as Lakshmi sammpanna:. Vibhishana left his place, palace, position and came with his hands folded. Valmiki titles Vibhishana as Srimaan. Both mahaans left everything and had Raama as only their savior and wealth. It is the true wealth in eyes of Azhwars and Acharyans. In the same way, For Gopikas, Krishna is their life, Krishna is their only wealth. Aandal praises them as selva chirumeergaal


Kooerval kodum thozhilam Nandagopan kumaran

Nandagopala is a very soft person. Before the birth of Lord Krishna, he will not even kill an ant or an insect. After Lord Krishna took birth, he takes a spear in his hand and makes sure that even an ant doesn’t harm Krishna. Look at the transformation. Vishnu chittha is called Periazhwar for a reason. He cared for Perumal. Look at his works in Periazhwar Thirumozhi, his paasuram depicts deep care for Bhagavan. He goes and does safety rituals like Kappu kattudhal and he requests the Divya ayudangal to take care of Perumal during Perumal’s Yoganidra. Krishna is being depicted as Kumaran here to stress the fact that he doesn’t take a step outside what Nandagopalan is saying. Appakku adangina Pillai.


Er aarnda Kanni Yashodai Ilam singam

Aandal depicts Yashodai’s eyes as Er aarnda Kanni. The reason that her eyes became beautiful is that she looks at Krishna always and the Divya mangala sareera of Krishna makes her eyes beautiful. He is a dutiful son to his father, but in case of Yashoda he is a lion. He is the Yadava simham. When Gopikas come and complains to Yashoda on Krishna’s mischief, Krishna roars like a lion and says “I didn’t do it. Their sons did it”. Yashoda will be so angry and will not talk to Krishna for some time. Thirumangai Azhwar explains it so beautifully “Anja uraippaal Yashodai.”


Kaar meni chenkan kadhir madhiyam pol mugaththaan

He is Kaar meni, Megha Shyamalan. He is Kaar meni since he removes the thirst of his Bhaktas. Narayana anuvaakam says

“tasya madhye vahniSikhA aNIryordhvA vyavasthita: |

nIlatoyadamadhyasthA vidyullekheva bhAsvarA |

nIvAra SUkavat tanvI pItAbhA syAt tanUpamA || 11 ||”

Our heart is like a downshaped lotus. At the bottom of our heart, in that small space, there is a mighty tall fire (Mahaa agni) called jAthar agni. It spreads the tongues of flame everywhere within the body.It has a sound accompanied with it. It never gets extinguished. In the middle of the fire, there is a slender flame (vahnisikha) resembling a creeper which is staying upward firmly. It is abundantly bright. It is shining like a flash of lightening in the middle of the darkish blue rain cloud. This is where Paramatma resides within our body. This darkish blue rain cloud is the Paramatma and the flash of orange lightening is Piratti. This correlates with what Aandal says as Kaar meni. This is one of the reasons why Tiruppavai is called “Vedham anaithukkum vithu”. In Ramayana, Valmiki puts it so beautifully “Meghashyamam Jagadhas Sokha Naasanam”.

Aandal next describes Perumal’s eyes. He says “Senkan”. Puranas says “Kapyaasam Pundareekam”, “Maha Varaha: Sputa padma lochana”. Perumal when he takes avataaram, he always doesn’t leave 3 Gunas.

1. He will always have curly hair. Even in Kurma avataram and Varaha Avataram.

2. His eyes will always be lotus shaped. No matter what. – Maha Varaha Sputa padma lochana

3. Mahalakshmi Thaayar will always be in his heart Vatshastalam – Akalakiilen Iraiyum endru

Andal says Kadhir madiyam pol mugathan. Purusha suktam says “Shaksus suryo ajayatha”. Andal later says Thingalum aadhithanum ezhundaar pol. Bhagawan’s face is like Surya. When Sun rises, it dispels darkness. When we worship Lord’s face, our ignorance and Agnyana gets dispelled. Moon is cool in nature. When we worship Lord’s face and when we are his Bhaagavadas, his face will be as peaceful and cool in nature and we can experience the peace and coolness.

Naarayanane Namakke Parai Tharuvaan

This is the important line in the whole paasuram. Naarayanane – By saying the word Naarayanan, she means the Vatsalya Guna of perumal. Naarayana is the only destination and Naarayana is the only path to the destination. That’s why Andal stresses as “Naarayanane Namakke”. Since Aandal mentions as Naarayana, she depicts the Para Vasudeva who is in Sri Vaikunta. Naarayanane Namakke Parai means that he is only person who has the capacity and the interest in providing Moksha to the people who worship him.

Paaror pugazha Padindelor Empaavai

Aim for higher results that the world will realize. Aandal says lets not reduce this nonbu for Alpa astira phalan. The world should be benefited out of this nonbu. There should be copious amount of rainfall. Not just the Jala pravaaham, perumal’s daya, karunya should be there for the entire world. Like the clouds which doesn’t distinguish the good and bad, Perumal doesn’t distinguish good and bad when he is giving the rain of Daya and Karuna. Let’s do this for the benefit of the world. Interestingly, in the next paasuram, she addresses as Vaiyathu vaazhveergal.

This is anyaapadesam or the literal meaning of the paasuram. There is a hidden meaning called Svaapadesam which we can go in detail in the subsequent post along with the next Paasuram. Till then, May asmad acharyan, Aandal, Raamanuja bless us and give the strength to contemplate on this paasuram.




Kavitaarkika Simhaaya Kalyaana Gunasaleene

Srimathe Venkatesaya Vedanta Gurave Namaha




Asmad Acharyan Thiruvadigale Saranam