Sri.U.Ve.Elayavilli Bhuvarahachariyar Swami
Introduction
Sri ANDAL is the quintessence 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 of Sri Vaishnava Dharma during the month of MARGAZHI.
Sri.U.Ve.Elayavilli Bhuvarahachariyar Swami
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 paasuram, like for example the first day is called MARGAZHI-TINGAL.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.
Listen to the Thiruppavai Upanyasam by Sri.U.Ve.Velukkudi Krishnan Swami in the Upanyasam section.