We have seen a day 1 pasuram to get recite with....and now we will have a look and an intro of the beauty Andal and her Thirupapavai and do continue with rest of the pasurams every day by then....
Andal and Thiruppavai
We all know that Sita Devi, our Universal Mother was found in the royal gardens of Mithila by Janaka Maharaja. Andal was also born as the incarnation of Bhudevi in the garden of Vishnuchittar under a Tulsi plant. Sri Vishnuchittar was endowed the title of “Periazhwar” meaning “the most enlightened who could rule over the Lord Himself” by none other than the Sriyapthi Sriman Narayanan Himself. Periazhwar raised Andal with great love, affectionately calling her as “Godai” (child of the Earth) or “Kodai” (garland of flowers) and enchanting her with stories of Krishna. Naturally, Andal developed deep love for “Krishna” and blossomed into a beautiful girl who considered herself as God’s bride. This love for her Lord was transmitted through the creation of “Thiruppavai”.
Andal was so profoundly enthralled by the bhakti of gopis and the deeds of Krishna in Mathura and Brindavan that she too wanted desperately to immerse in the divine experience. While still in Srivilliputur, Andal transformed herself into a yadava girl of Mathura and beseeched the Lord for His love. She undertakes a vrat much similar to the “Karthiyayani” vrat beginning on the first day of the month of “Margazhi” and adorning each day of the month with a new pasuram, an eight-lined verse. The thirty verses collectively from the book of “Thiruppavai”. In the first five verses, Andal dwells on the appropriateness of the vrat and the method to be followed, invokes varuna deva for timely rains and emphasized that all obstacles for performing the vrat will be eliminated
if everyone sings and reflects on the name of the Lord (“Namasankirtanam”). True to her nature as the “Bhumata” with utmost love for one and all, Andal invites each one of us to transform into a gopi and join her in awakening the ever awake Lord, from the sixth to the fifteenth verse of Thiruppavai. From the sixteenth to the twenty-ninth verse Andal reminds the seemingly forgetful Lord of His earlier promises to grant “salvation” to His devotees, alternatively seeking His pardon for earlier trespasses, worshiping Him for His superior qualities and surrendering unto Him unconditionally (“Charanagathy”tatvam/philosophy). The depth of Andal’s desire to become the “gopi” of dwarkapuri is explicit in her complete identification with the “ayarpadi” or cowherd community in words and deeds until the thirtieth verse in which she introduces herself as the daughter of “Periazhwar” in reverence to his role as her acharya/teacher in learning to appreciate of the “Lord”.
In the thirtieth verse Andal acknowledges the fulfillment that would arise from the observance of the “marghazhi vrat” of the Gopis and declares that those who recite Her Thiruppavai verses would become the objects of Her Lord's grace and would be filled with bliss.
Thiruppavai could be recited everyday to invoke the blessings of the Lord Narayana. However, the month of Margazhi (mid-December to mid-January) is significant with respect to the recital of Thiruppavai. Even Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita says "Masaanaam Margaseershohum", meaning “among the months, I am Margazhi”. It is said that if Bhagavad Geetha is "Geethopanishad", Andal's thiruppavai can be referred as "Godhopanishad". Parasara Bhattar, a great spiritual teacher and philosopher has also revealed to us that the grace of the merciful Lord is sure to fall on us from His listening to our recitation of His Piratti's (Devi’s) Thiruppavai.
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