Incomparable devotion is the phrase that comes to mind when one tries to pen down the essence of Thiruppavai. This shloka is a beautiful poem of 30 verses composed in Tamil by a girl Andal who was a great devotee of Lord Krishna. The poet is said to have composed this ode when she was 4 years old. Astonishing poetry and peerless devotion are the hallmarks of this perfumed garland of shlokas that form Thiruppavai. In Thiruppavai Andal gives a clarion call to everyone to chant the name of Sriman Narayana & sing his glories. She shows the sure path to Moksha.
Andal is one of the most loved & revered poet-saints in the Tamil culture who has gained a place in the pantheon of the 12 saints celebrated by the Vaishnavas (worshippers of Vishnu). Much as Radha Rani is celebrated in North India as a devotee of Govinda, Andal is the epitome of devotion to Giridhara in the South. Her Thiruppavai stands tall among all devotional compositions teaching us the tenets of bhakti.
Andal imagines herself as a 'Gopi' in Vrindavan & Lord Krishna as the supreme being when she composed this poem. The poem transcends the love & devotion of a bhakta towards the almighty. It extolls the virtues of Lord Krishna & other manifestations of the great God Vishnu. Andal, who is also known as Kodhai, guides us on how to pray to God & what should we ask of him. The thirty verses of the poem symbolise the 30 days of the mirghasisha month & it culminates in asking Kesava for eternal bliss & oneness.
The most famous verse of this poem is the 29th stanza, in which the poet states her plea. She calls out to Govinda the cowherd & tells him to accept her & her friends (and all his devotees). She says grant us the blessings so that eternally, for all the births that we take, we should serve you and be associated you. All other desires should be eradicated.
This plea is the universal plea of every bhakta to God. Andal reiterates her devotion asking for eternal association with the Lord.
Thiruppaavai is sung in lieu of Suprabhatam during the month of Marghazi (Mid Dec to Mid Jan) at Tirumala, Tirupati.
The poem is also popularly called 'Kodhai's Tamil' & it is has the unique distinction of being described as the seed of the Vedas. It is believed that just as an entire tree with its branches, leaves & fruits are hidden in the seed, so are the core tenets of the sacred Vedas hidden in the verses of the Thiruppavai.
As Yashodha-lal, Devaki-nandan, Giridhara, Govinda plays his flute, through the ages reverberates the melody of an ode to him sung by a little girl wanting to be his bride. It inspires devotion & love for God in us. Listen to the Thiruppavai of Kodhai.
Thiruppavai parts 1 to 17 rendered beautifully by Mangalam Krishnan are now available on Vedadhara Website -
https://www.vedadhara.com/archive-details.php?id=5803
