Koodaarai Vellum....Saint poet Andal's Tirupaavai 27th Verse.....and its uniqueness....

Koodaarai Vellum....Saint poet Andal's Tirupaavai 27th Verse.....and its uniqueness.... 

I haven't been in my elements off late. Blame it on my own mindset. So 'Marghazhi' or ' Margashish' has been kind of marred for me.  In reality this month is Shri Krishna's favourite as said by him in the Bhagavad Gita, " Maasanaam Margasheershoham" ( I am the month of Margashirsha). Maybe that is why he emanates in many ways to spread sweetness in everyone's life, more so today , as it is Koodaara Valli, the 27th day of the month.

I set out to seek his blessings with Andal's 27th Pasuram, 

" Koodaarai vellum seer Govindhaa Undhannai paadi parai Kondu yaam Perum sammaanam, Naadu pugazhum Parisinaal nanraaga, Choodagame Thol Valaiye Thode Sevip poove, Paadagame Enranaiya palagalanum yaam anivom

Aadai uduppom Adhan pinne paar choru

mooda Ney peydhu muzhangai vazhi vaara 

Koodi irundhu kulirndhelor empaavaay.." 

Andaal , is the saint poetess of Tamil Nadu, the only lady among the twelve Azhwaars, Sri Vaishnava saint poets of the south. She wrote the famous Tirupaavai to celebrate this month and her devotion to Krishna. She may not be known to many outside South India but her devotion to Krishna is akin to Radha or Meera as she was equally devout. Tamil sacred scriptures are abound with stories of this ardent devotee of Nandagopan Kumaran Krishna. 

For Sri Vaishnavites from Tamilnadu, the month Margazhi is synonymous with the Tirupaavai, 30 verses sung for each day of the month by the saint poetess Andaal. These verses known as Paasurams show how immersed she is in her devotion to Krishna. 

Compulsion has never been the forte of Hinduism. Therefore Andaal also does not force but exudes the young girls to wake up early during this auspicious month on all days, bathe in the holy river and seek blessings of the Lord Krishna.  Her love and devotion for Krishna are embedded in all the pasurams. 

She begins the month on a note of austerity with vows of abstinence from all  pleasure. Having attained the Lord , she is in totally different state on the 27th day  as her penance has borne fruit. Till now she and her friends had abstained from all luxury, avoiding sumptuos food, milk, not decorating their hair with flowers or applying Kaajal to their eyes. However now that they had attained oneness with Krishna they wished to adorn themselves beautifully. They ask bangles for their hands, ornaments for their shoulders, beautiful flowers for their hair, golden earrings and other ornaments including tinkling anklets for their feet. They want to wear flowing Silk garments along with the ornaments. Dressed up , they want to celebrate their Bhakti for the Lord by offering the prasadam cooked in milk, sugary sweet with jaggery and dripping with ghee down to the elbows. 

These thoughts are similar to the Pancha Samskaraas where all our senses are in total surrender to the Lord to receive his blessings. 

Krishna of course is the compassionate  one who ultimately wins over the hearts of even those who turn away from him and even his enemies. 

The very name Govinda is a favourite of his devotees and its utterance gives sheer joy. Their praise for him was unconditional and so will be his benevolence. 

 In some ways this is also similar to what her father, Periazhvar has composed in the Thiru Pallandu :

"Neyyidai Sorum, niyathamum atthanai chevagamaum, kaiadaikkAyum, kazutthukku poon, kaadhukku kundalamm, meiyida nalladhor sandham thanthu ennai velluyuriakka valla" 

It is the Lord who is the provider of abundance with rice and ghee, ornaments for the neck, earrings, and fragrant sandal paste to apply on the body along with the opportunity to do service to Him daily and yet purify us as white butter to ultimately recognise the Lord and be one with him. 

The deity never expects his devotees to lead a puritan existence but to enjoy the blessings of the Lord and His gifts with joy. 

Similarly Andal on receiving the blessings of the Lord adorns herself. 

In the beginning of the month they had vowed to abstinence but now it was time to rejoice. 

So she breaks her fast and offers 100 vessels of butter and Akkaarai Vadisal prasadam to the Lord.

Tadha Utsavam is celebrated in most Vaishnavite temples by offering 100 vessels to the Lord in a similar manner. 

Religion and spirituality are states of mind which should make us descend above our base feelings. Literature, ancient or modern  is replete with examples of saints, seers and thinkers who have written about the greatness of the Lord and experienced his benevolence. It is for us to understand the true spirit and follow it in best way we can. The beauty of Hinduism is that it offers us various paths to be human. Knowledge, that is Nyaana, Bhakti that is devotion, Karma that is duty and work or Vairagya that is total surrender. We can chose our path. This is beautifully highlighted in the 27th Paasuram, Kuddarai Vellum.