The thirty sacred days of Margazhi have reached a crescendo with every dawn awakening the soul and enlightening it a little more. As we ponder over the 29th and 30th Paasurams of Thirupaavai, we realise that the journey was never about reaching God. It was about belonging to Him.
In Paasuram 29, gopikas are no longer standing as seekers but as believers, as those who have arrived.
Having risen in 'Brahma Muhurtam' , early dawn, “sitram siru kaale” they consciously reach early, to place themselves at the lotus feet of Govinda. There is no urgency or desperation but just a quiet certainty to reach Krishna whom they have come to worship.
“Vandhu unnai seviththu…”We have come only to behold You.
They do not ask for wealth, wisdom, power or liberation but just His feet.
“Un pottramarai adiye pottrum poruḷ kelaay.” Here, darshan itself becomes the reward.
They remind Him tenderly, “Petram meyththu uṇṇum kulaththil pirandhu ni…” You were born among cowherds and belong to the simple and the dependent so take us into Your clan.
This is Sharaṇaagati in its purest form, not seeking elevation, but seeking belonging. Not wanting to become great, but wanting to become His.
And then comes the vow that seals their surrender:
“Unakke naam aaṭcheivom.”For You alone, we exist.
Even if we are born again and again, across countless lives, we will serve You alone. They do not seek release from rebirth; they seek continuity of devotion. Every birth, every breath, only Him.This is not duty.This is kainkaryam born of love.
Moved by such complete surrender, Govinda responds. The parai He grants is not an object, it is acceptance, joy, and divine consent. The soul that surrenders completely is never turned away.
In the 30th Paasuram, the tone gently shifts. What began as the voice of the gopikās now becomes the voice of Aaṇḍaal herself, GodaaDevi, daughter of Periyazhwar (Pattarpiraan). This is the Phalasruti, the Lord’s own assurance to the world.
She speaks of Madhavan and Keshavan, the Lord eternally united with Mahalakshmi, the compassionate One who churned the milky ocean (Vangak Kadal) for the sake of His devotees. This is a God who acts out of love, who goes to any length to uplift those who surrender.
Aandaal promises that whoever recites these thirty Tamil paasurams, sincerely and without interruption, will be blessed eternally hereafter not because the devotee is flawless, but because His grace is boundless.
Even imperfect devotion, when rooted in sincerity, is accepted because where there is Sharaṇaagati, grace flows automatically.
The true depth of Thiruppāvai is perhaps best reflected in Āṇḍāl’s own life. Her journey did not end with the composition of poetry; it ended with her physical and spiritual integration into the Divine. Legend tells us that the Lord appeared in the dreams of her father, Periyazhwar, and the priests of Srirangam, commanding them to bring Aaṇḍaal to Him. So she who sang "Unakke naam aaṭcheivom" was finally united with Lord Ranganatha, she did not merely attain liberation she became one with the God who to whom she was devoted. Her life stands as a testament to the fact that when a soul surrenders without conditions, God ceases to be distant and draws the devotee into Himself.
Aandaal Thiruvadigale Sharanam...
R.Vimala, IAS
Resident Commissioner & Secretary,
Government of Maharashtra &
PhD Scholar at IIT Bombay
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