ANDALS THIRUPPAVAI

PASURAMS 16 TO 25
ARRIVAL AT THE DOORS OF THE NANDAGOPA
MANSION AND AWAKENING OF THE LORD
Andal's Thiruppavai Pasurams 16 to 25 in Images and a brief discussion. Here Andal
and her friends arrive at the doors of Nanda Maharaja's mansion (or at the temple
doors, or inside the temple with the curtains drawn like we stand) and awaken the
Lord and His parents and elder brother and also His eternal consort (16 to 20). Then
finally the Lord Himself is addressed eloquently and His glories are praised (21 to 25).

The five pasurams (16 to 20) where Andal and her friends appear at the
mansion of (or the temple) Nandababa and awaken all (Nanda, Yashoda,
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Krishna, Baladeva and Nappinai). The Lords eternal consort Nappinnai

is addressed in three pasurams (18 to 20) and the first letter of these
three pasurams together constitute the Pranava sound Om.

Left: Venru pagai keDukkum nin kaiyil vel PoTRi

Right: Oruththi maganaai pirandhu Orriravil l Oruththi maganaai oLiththu vaLara

The five pasurams where the Lord is being awakened and addressed
directly by Andal (21 to 25).
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Pasuram 16: Nayaganaai ninDRa ...

Andal and her friends have arrived at the palace of Nanda Maharaja and ask
the doorkeepers there to let them in. One must seek permission from the
doorkeepers of the Lord before entering His temple.

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Pasuram 17: AmbaramE thaNNeerE SorE aram

cheyyum...
Having entered the mansion, Andal and her friends proceed to wake the
sleeping Nanda Maharaja, Mother Yashoda, the sleeping Lord who is
addressed here as Vamana who rose to a gigantic form and tore the divine
firmament with His toe-nail (ambaramE ooDa aRuththu ongi uLagaLandha
umbar komaanE), and His brother Baladeva. This is akin to our waking of the
Lord in His temple with chants like the Venkatesa Suprabhatam and
Ranganatha's Thiruppaliyezhuchchi.

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Pasuram 18: Undhu madha kaLiTRRan....

Now Andal and her friends are trying to wake up Nappinnai, the eternal
consort of the Lord. She is referred to as the daughter-in-law of Nandagopa
Maharaj and his glories are described in the first line. This is like Seetha
introducing Herself to Hanuman as the daughter-in-law of King Dasharatha.
Only after that She says that She is the daughter of King Janaka and finally the
wife of Lord Rama. Being a daughter-in-law is the greatest honor. Nappinnai is
asked to come and answer the door, the fragrance of flowers adorning Her
hair is described and the jingling sound of the bangles in Her hands as She
would come forward to open the door. This is also the pasuram
Ramunjaacarya was reciting when he came one day to beg for alms at the door

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of his own guru and heard the jingling sounds of the bangles worn by his
guru's daughter. Ramanujacarya then went into a swoon! (see story in

Pasuram 19: Kuththu viLakkEriya ..

The Lord is being awakened here again by referring to Nappinai.. He is lying
over his huge mountain like breasts (kongai mEl). Nappinnai is again asked to
come and answer the door while also singing the praises of the Lord.

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Pasuram 20: Muppaththu moovar amrarkku...

This is the third pasuram where Nappinnai is again addressed and Her beauty
is described. She is being beseeched to awaken Her Lord so that Andal and her
friends can proceed to perform their religious vow.

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Pasuram 21: ETRRa kalangaL pongi meedhaLippa ..

The Lord is now being addressed directly. They are standing at His door, like
the vanquished kings who came to His door (or the sages who stand at His
door in VaikuNTha, as described in the verses of the Suprabhatam and
ThiruppaLLiyezhuchchi). The Lord is addressed by first referring to cow that
produce milk profusely to overflow the milking pots. in an obvious reference
to Krishna who was a cowherd boy who tended to the cows of Vrindavan.
We too come and surrender at Your feet, we are recalling Your glories, we are
singing Your praises...open the door!

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Pasuram 22: AngaN maa jnaalaththarasar ...

Just as great kings, who were defeated and whose pride has been vanquished,
come and surround Your bed and await the glance of Your eyes when You
arise, we too are here waiting for You to rise. Do rise and shower us with Your
grace. Cast thy glances upon us, upon Your eyes and cast them upon us like the
rays of the sun and the moon when they rise...burn away all of our sins when
You do....

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Pasuram 23: Maari malai muzhainjil ....

The Lord is being further addressed and awakened here. He is compared to a a
sleeping lion that wakes up... likewise raise in all glory, rise from your throne
(simhaasanam, a play on simha the lion the throne is called the seat of the
liion) and understand and know and try to figure out (scrutinize) Yourself
why we are here at Your door and bless us.

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Pasuram 24: AnRi ivvulagam aLandhaai aDi poTTRi...

One of the most eloquent pasurams where Andal recalls every limb of the
Lord and many His divine leelas one by one in various incarnations to sing His
praises and extol His glories. POTRi means to glorify, or all glory to you. The
Lord is praised as Vamana, then as Rama, and His childhood pastimes as baby
Krishna (ShakaTaasura, Dhenukaasura, Govardhana-giri-dhaari) are recalled .
The spear in His arm kills not the enemies but enmity itself. Let us always be
able to serve You (yenRenDrum sevgamE eththi). Accept our service and
liberate us (paRai koLvaan). Here we are today, shower us with Your
compassion (irangElor) for the performance of our vows.

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The Lord is NOT usually described as having a spear (vEl in Tamil) and this is
depicted in this artistic rendition along with the Govardhana-giri-dhari leelaa.

Pasuram 25: Oruththi magannai pirandhu...

Another glorious pasuram wher Andal is singing the praises of the Lord
directly by recalling His birth as baby KrishNa. Born to one He was raised by
another. He agreed to hide Himself in Gokula just to please His mother Devaki,
not because He was afraid of Kamsa. The latter was filled with fear and in his
(who was evil and plotting to kill) belly fear rage...
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The full texts of these ten pasurams, in easy to read Tamil and English
transliteration, can be found at

Andal's Thiruppavai in easy to read Tamil

text and English
https://www.scribd.com/doc/76214700/Andal-s-Thiruppavai-in-easy-toread-Tamil-text-and-English
The entire collection of 35 documents, including the present one, with a
discussion of each pasuram (a compilation of the commentaries of various
acaryas and SriVaishNavite scholars, with references cited to various
important sources) may be found at
https://www.scribd.com/collections/10617483/ANDAL-S-THIRUPPAVAI

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