INTRODUCTION: Sri ANDAL is the Quintescence incarnation
of Sri BHUMI DEVI the Divine Consort of SRIMAN NARAYANA,
who took birth on this earth to liberate suffering human
beings from worldly bondage.She sang thirty sweet songs
containing the cardinal principles ofSriVaishnava Dharma
during the month of MARGAZHI.Singing these songs,with
understanding of their inner meaning, will bring to us
peace, prosperity and above all Divine Grace.
ANDAL, though a Brahmin girl, assumes the guise of a
cowherdess and yearns for Everlasting Happiness and
Service of the Lord.It is the age-old practice of
Sri Vaishnavas to sing these stanzas every day of the
year in the presence of the Lord in the temple as
well as in their homes.This practice assumes special
significance during MARGAZHI so much so that each day
of this month gets its name from a pasuram,like for
example the first day (12.16.97) is called MARGAZHI-
TTINGAL.
It may appear in the beginning that Andal is intending
to perform a particular religious vow to marry the Lord
and thereby obtain His Everlasting Company,and that she
is inviting all her girl friends to join her.It is only
towards the end of TIRUPPAVAI that we learn that she
did not actually go to any pond or river or perform
a religious rite; SHE IS ACTUALLY PRAYING TO BE GRANTED
THE SERVICE OF THE LORD FOR ALL ETERNITY.It is the
Soul's inner craving to redeem itself and to reach
His Divine Nearness in order to serve him (" Attaani-
cchevagam" as her father PERIYAZHWAR calls it) which
forms the real purport of this poem.
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