“Maasaaṇaam Maargashirṣhoham...
Among months, I am Maagashirsha, says Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita.
Perhaps that is why Margazhi feels special, deeper and overflowing with sweetness. It is as if Krishna himself chooses this month to reveal His grace in many ways.
Today is Koodaarai Vellum, the 27th day of Tiruppavai, and my heart feels full.
This year, I am in Delhi, celebrating Sankranti and the Hurda Festival, far away from home. Yet, devotion has no geography. As I recited Andal’s 27th Paasuram this morning and later prepared akkarai vadisal, I felt that same nearness to God And that same warmth of Krishna's grace.
Aandaal, the saint-poetess of Tamil Nadu, is the only woman among the twelve Azhwaars, the Sri Vaishnava mystics of the South. Through her Thiruppavai, thirty exquisite verses or paasurams, one for each day of Margazhi, her Bhakti deifies Krishna as intensely as Radha or Meera. Each paasuram reveals a stage of devotion , leading from discipline and austerity to surrender, union, and celebration.
Hinduism has never thrived on compulsion. Aandaal does not command; she invites. She gently awakens her friends highlighting glories of Krishna, urging them to rise early, bathe in sacred waters, and immerse themselves in the bhakti of Nandagopan Kumaran, Krishna.
In the 26th Paasuram, Aandaal had addressed Maale Manivannaa, the blue-hued Krishna seeking sacred instruments instead of riches , so that they could sing His glories. She therefore asked for the Panchajanya, the conch, the drum, the temple flag, lamps to dispel darkness, shade for the village.
In the 27th Paasuram, Koodaarai Vellum everything transforms from abstinence to celebration.
After twenty-six days of consecration, penance has borne fruit. Until now, Aandaal and her companions had embraced austerity, no rich food, no milk or ghee, no flowers in their hair, no kohl in their eyes. But now, having attained the Lord, the mood transforms.
Andal sings,“Choodagame thol valaiye, thode sevi poove,
Paadagame enranaiya palagalanum yaam anivom…”
They had abstained from adorning themselves but would now adorn themselves with bangles, armlets, earrings, flowers, anklets, and flowing silk garments. Their food too was bland till now but they would now prepare prasadam with rice cooked in milk, sweetened with jaggery, drenched in ghee, flowing down to the elbows.
This is not indulgence; it is abundance sanctified.
In many ways, this paasuram mirrors what Periyazhwar, Andal’s father, sang in the Thiruppallandu , "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.
That is why Aandal, having vowed abstinence at the beginning of Margazhi, now breaks her fast. She offers one hundred vessels of butter and akkarai vadisal to the Lord. This tradition continues as Tadha Utsavam in Vaishnavite temples.
Listening to discourses onThiruppavai everyday has brought out a new facet, a nuance or truth of Bhakti
Today, as I prepared akkarai vadisal , I smiled.
The sweetness of the prasadam, the rhythm of Aandaal’s words, and the awareness of Krishna’s presence came together effortlessly. From Mumbai to Delhi, from temple corridors to my kitchen, the spirit remained the same.
Religion and spirituality are ultimately states of mind meant to lift us above our baser instincts and bring us closer to compassion, gratitude, and joy.
Hinduism offers many paths to salvation, Jnana (knowledge), Bhakti (devotion), Karma (duty), Vairagya (surrender).
We are free to choose our path or sometimes, as Aandal shows us, the path chooses us.
Koodaarai Vellum celebrates the moment when effort blossoms into grace, when discipline ripens into delight, and when devotion finds its fulfilment in togetherness and sweetness.
As we celebrated Sankranti and Hurda Party this year in Delhi sharing grain, warmth, and joy, the message of Aandaal’s 27th Paasuram feels especially alive: Come together, sing His glories, and let sweetness flow.
With blessings of Narayana and Govinda, the heart lacks nothing.
Koodaarai Vellum teaches us that true bhakti ripens into sweetness and when we gather to sing His name, grace overflows.
R.Vimala, IAS,
Resident Commissioner & Secretary,
Government of Maharashtra &
PhD Scholar at IIT Bombay
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