Thiruppavai - Pasuram 1 - Margazhi Thingal

Goda Devi, also known as Andal, was determined to have Lord Krishna as her husband. To achieve this, she initiated the auspicious pavai ritual by performing a Vratham. Throughout the month, she composed 30 beautiful lyrics that praised the glories of Lord Krishna and were dedicated to Him. She worshiped Lord Krishna in the form of Vatapatrasaayee for a full month. In this process, she gathered her companions as well, so they too could be blessed with the gift of the Lord's companionship.

For this purpose, she considered her birthplace (Srivilliputhur) as Gokulam and her father's temple (Vatapathrasayi temple) as Krishna's home, and herself as a gopi, cowherdess.

Andal composed this Thiruppavai magnificently, ecstatically filling each pasuram with in-depth spiritual and intellectual knowledge incorporating beautiful descriptions. Many hidden meanings and blissful revelations have been filled in each of these paasurams.

I am trying to fill some light on each of these paasurams in a very simple way with my own humble efforts.

Paasuram 1 of Thiruppavai

Maargazhi thhingaL madhi nirainda nannaaLaal
Neeraada ppOdhuveer pOdumino neriLaiyeer
Seermalgum aayppaadi chelva chchiru meergaaL
KoorvEl kodunthozhian NandagOpan kumaran
Eraarnda kaNNi Yasodai iLamsingam
KaarmenichengaN kadir madiyambol mugathhaan
NaaraayaNane namakke Parai tharuvaan
PaarOr pugazhappadindeLor embaavaay

The outer explicit meaning of this paasuram is as follows:

On this auspicious Margazhi month's full moon day, oh you, the well-ornamented (jewel-like) girls, let us (whoever wants to observe this holy ritual) go to Aayppaadi (Gokulam, the residential village of Krishna)) that is full of virtues and wealth and is the abode of noble people and Lord Krishna Himself, to take the holy bath.
He (Krishna) is the son of King Nandagopan, who holds a sharp spear always to protect his people, and, is (like) the lion-cub of beautiful-eyed Yasodha.
Krishna whose complexion is like dark clouds and whose face is like vibrant Sun and pleasing Moon, that Lord Narayana Himself will grant us the Parai (a musical instrument).
The whole world will witness it, O my dear friends.

The inner, in-depth meaning of this Thiruppavai Pasuram:

The first paasuram of Thiruppavai highlights the deep love and commitment that God has towards His devotees, emphasizing His unwavering dedication to protecting them from ignorance and the evil forces in the universe. It suggests that just as moonlight dispels darkness, God’s grace will shield them from all worldly evils and ultimately grant them moksha (liberation).

The auspicious month of Margazhi is described as a celestial period, particularly the early morning hours. It assures that the Lord will listen to those who pray to Him during this sacred time, rewarding them for their pure dedication and self-discipline in thoughts and actions.

Through this first paasuram, Goda Devi emphasizes that Lord Narayan is the only true savior of our worldly lives. To attain salvation and seek His protection, one must earn His grace.

Thiruppavai Paasuram 19 - "Kutthu viLakkeriya"

When Andal praises Nappinnai (NeeLA) and reminds of the duties, she wakes up and wants to open the doors. But Krishna wants to open the door himself and so prevents her from going to the door. So, the gopis now appease both Krishna and Nappinnai again in this 19th paasuram.

Paasuram 19

Kutthu viLakkeRiya kOttukkaal kattil mEl
Metthaina panja sayanathin mEl ERi
Kotthalar pUngudal Nappinnai kongai mEl
Vaitthukidandha malar maarbaa vaay thiRavaay
Maththadan kaNNinaay nee un maNaaLanai
Etthanai pOdum thuyilezha vottaay kaaN
Etthanai yElum pirivaatRagillaayaal
ThatthuvamandRu thagavElor embaavaay

Outer, explicit literal meaning of this paasuram

Oh, Krishna, you are sleeping even when the lights are glowing beside the ivory bed, on the soft mattress (having all the five qualities of coolness, freshness, fragrance, softness, and filled with flowers) resting your broad chest on the lofty bosom of Nappinnai whose braid is adorned with fresh bunches of flowers. Oh, Krishna, please open your mouth (and answer to our calls).

Oh, Nappinnai, whose eyes are dark and wide as if decorated with collyrium lotion! Won't you allow your Lord to wake up even after so long duration to come to us? Won't you bear separation from Him even for a while? It is not just for you or noble on your part.

Inner, in-depth meaning of this Thiruppavai Paasuram 19 

In this paasuram, Andal is referring to the Purushakaara element or nature of Nappinnai and reminds her of this nature and the other important point that Lord is not the possession of a single being. He belongs to all and He should attend to all his people's needs and calls.

The glowing lights refer to the knowledge imparted by teacher or Acharya.
The bed with its four legs refers to the four goals of life - Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha.
The mattress is the five-headed serpent's ShEshatalpam or universe.
MaiththadamkaNNi means the best disciple of her Teacher as Nappinnai always has been close and dear to Lord.

Thiruppavai Paasuram 18 - Undhu madagaLitRa nodadha

When Krishna does not awake, Goda Devi realizes that she should first awaken Nappinna piRaati (NeeLa Devi) as they are both inseparable and Krishna would not awake without her. So she awakens NeeLa first.

Thiruppavai Paasuram 18

Undhu madhagaLitRan Odaadha thoLvaLiyan

Nandagopalan marumagaLe Nappinnaay

Kandham kamazhum kuzhali kadai thiRavaay

Vandhengum kozhi aLaiththanagaaN Madhavi

Ppandhalmel pal kaal kuzhilinanagaL koovinakaaN

Pandhaarvirali un maiThThunan peRpaada

Chendhaamarai kayyaal Siraar vaLaioLippa
Vandu Thiravai maghindu Elor enbaavaay

Literal, explicit meaning of this Paasuram

Oh, daughter-in-law of the great warrior Nandagopan who is famous for his invincible valor and army of giant elephants and so never faces defeat!
Oh, Nappinnaay! you, whose hair is dark and beautiful with locks, please open the door.
Even the cocks have arrived now making loud noises and even the cuckoo birds sitting on the bower of creeping flower plants have cuckooed many times very sweetly.
Oh, Lady with lofty round fingers! As we want to sing in praise of your Lord, please open the door making a loud noise of the bangles on your lotus like hands, so that He can awaken.

Inner, in-depth meaning of the Thiruppavai Paasuram 18

Here, Nappinnai is the PurushakAram or the important recommendation for reaching Lord Krishna. So, she is to be pleased and requested for seeking the blessings of Krishna.
Now, to appease Nappinna, Goda Devi first praises her father-in-law Nandapopan. Goda is clever enough to know that if she praises Nappinna's father-in-law, she would get much pleased and listen to her requests as Nandagopan is a close relative of Nappinna. Goda Devi praises his great valor and then praises Nappinna's good qualities. She praises her beautiful long hair, her lotus-like hands, and her bangles. She further adds that the shouting of the cocks and the cuckoo birds making pleasant sounds as the signal for people to awaken and indulge in their duties. The cock generally crows three times to awaken people. It is a symbolic reference to the three mantras that are imparted by Vaishnava Acharyas for attaining moksha, the Thirumanthram, Dvayamanthram, and Charama slokam.  So, Andal requests Nappinna to kindly open the door so that Krishna will awake.

The opening of door refers to the removal of obstructions in the path of reaching God. Goda Devi requests Nappinnai to help us in crossing the obstacles in the path of reaching God.

Thiruppavai Paasuram 17 - Ambarame thanneere - 1st January

The gopis get inside the palace of Nandagopan after besieging the gatekeepers and now, they have to wake up Krishna's parents, Nandagopan and Yasodha, and Lord Krishna himself and his brother Balarama. So, they reach their chambers and try to awaken one-by-one.

Paasuram - 17 of Thiruppavai

Ambarame thaNNeere SoRe aRam Seyyum
Emberumaan Nandagopaalaa eZhundiraay
Kombanaarkellaam kozhunDe kulaviLakke
Emberumaatti Yasodhaa aRivuraay
AmbaramoodaRiththu ONgiuLagaLandha
UmbaR komaane uRangaaDu eLundiRaay
SemboR kazhaLadi chelvaa BalaDevaa
Umbiyum neeyum uRangelor embaavaay

Outer, explicit literal meaning of this paasuram

The gopis first awaken Nandagopan by praising his virtues.
Oh, King Nandagopan, who generously gifts away clothes, water, and food in abundant quantities, Oh, our Lord kindly awaken.
Oh, Queen Yasodha, who is the slimmest, young beautiful lady (being like a tender child) among all the gentle women and is the brightest light of the entire clan, please wake up.
Oh Krishna, who pierced through the sky with your gigantic form and measured all worlds with two steps, please awaken.
Oh Baladeva, whose feet are adorned with reddish golden anklets, please wake up along with your brother.

The inner, in-depth meaning of the Thiruppavai paasuram 17 

Andal here refers to the four essentials required for accomplishing union with God.
One should first seek an Acharyan, thereafter the Thirumantram, next, he should understand the meaning of it and the last one is to get to the essence of that Thirumantram.
Nandagopan is the Acharyan here. Lord Vishnu himself has imparted the Thirumantram to Goddess Lakshmi. Nandagopan is compared to Vishnu and so got praised as the giver of all essentials.
Yasodha is Compared to Vishnu's consort Lakshmi and so being praised as the most virtuous lady who possessed Lord Krishna in her womb. So, she is the Thirumantram,
Krishna and Balarama are the meaning and essence of Thirumantram. Both are inseparable as they are Sriman Narayan and Adi Seshan themselves. So, along with Krishna, Balarama also gets awakened. The gopis request Balarama to awaken Krishna also along with himself.

Thiruppavai Paasuram 16 - naayaganaay ninRa - 31st December

Thiruppavai paasuram 16 is an important one as it is the stage where the gopis enter the house (temple or Vaikuntham) of Lord Narayana in the form of Krishna to besiege for his darshan and blessings.

Paasuram 16

Naayaganaay ninRa Nandagopan udaiya
Koil kaappaane kodi thhonrum thoraNa
Vaasal kaappaane maNi kaDavam thaaL thiRavaay
Aayar siRumiyomukku arai paRai
Maayan maNi vaNNan nennele vaay neRundaaN
Thooyomaay vandhom thuyiLeda paaduvaan
Vaayaal munnamunNam maatRaadhe amma nee
Nesanilai kadhavam neekkeLor embaavay

Outer, literal meaning of this paasuram
Oh, dear (embaavay) guard of our king Nandagopan's (temple) palace, oh guard at the highly visible flag-staff (the Garuda dhwaja) that is decorated with thoraNams (festoons), please unlock the bejeweled door to let us in.
Lord Krishna, who is full of wondrous deeds and whose complexion is like that of blue sapphire gems, has already promised us to bestow with Parai.
We have come here without sleeping (with a pure heart) to awaken Him with praising songs.
Please don't say no to us immediately, kindly open the door without hesitation listening to our request.

In-depth inner meaning of this paasuram 16 of Thiruppavai
The gopis are the devotees. In order to enter the Lord's Vaikuntham, they have to first cross the doors by appeasing the gate-keepers.
The gate-keepers here refer to the teachers or acharyas who show us the path to moksha.
The temple is the abode of Lord Narayana, Vaikuntham. There are two Dwarapalakas (gatekeepers), one who guards the building and the other who guards the entrance to Lord's presence. Here, the guards are the two mantras of moola mantra and dhvaya mantra as revealed by Lord Narayana to Goddess Lakshmi and through her to other Acharyas. So, the devotees should seek the help of these two mantras to possess God's blessings.
Hence, the request is made to the Acharyas to kindly accept us into their presence as disciples without refusing our prayers instantly (as we have come to them with a pure heart) and impart us these two mantras so that we can reach the abode of Lord Narayana who has already promised through his various avatars that he will grant moksha to all those who seek his protection with a pure heart and sincere efforts.

Thiruppavai- A Holy Composition of 30 Verses by Andal (Goda Devi)

Thiruppavai is a collection of 30 stanzas or verses (known as paasurams in Tamil and Telugu languages). Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya people regard this Tiruppavai book as very auspicious. They narrate the performance of a ceremony known as Holy Penance (Thiru Pavai) as construed by Goda Devi also known as Kodai in Tamil Language (and as Choodikudutha Naachhiyar).

Goda Devi, Author & Devotee 

These Tiruppavai paasurams were composed by Sri Goda Devi, also known as Andal, who was a great devotee and lover of Lord Krishna (presently in the form of Sri Ranganathaswamy in Srirangam Temple). She was the adopted child of a great priest named Vishnu Chitta of Srivilliputtur temple near Madurai. She was attracted to God since childhood and developed pure love and attachment to Him as she grew up. She decided to marry God and not any human being. To achieve unity with Him, she performed the ritual of Pavai as a vow or penance. She would offer garlands to God after testing them for freshness. So, she came to be known as Choodikudutha naachhiyaar.

Tiruppavai Significance

Thiruppavai refers to the revered Pavai, a type of penance performed primarily by young women to achieve specific desires. Kothai, also known as Andal, undertakes this significant ceremony under the guise of a religious ritual. This practice takes place during the auspicious month of Marghazhi, which runs from December 16 to January 14, a time deemed part of the celestial dawn in heaven.

In her role as a cowherdess, Goda Devi invites other young girls to join her in performing this ritual to seek eternal bliss for all. She continues this practice for all 30 days, rising early at Brahma Muhurtam each morning and worshiping God with a verse she composed in praise of Him. So, she wove 30 paasurams, one each per day, and performed this ritual. On completion of this penance, God appears in a dream to her father and orders him to get her married to Him in the Sri Rangam Temple. 

To know how to perform Dhanurmasam rituals, view this article about "Dhanurmasam".

Tiruppavai Contents

The first five verses of Tiruppavai introduce us to the main purpose and theme of this ritual. While common people seek happiness in life, Andal pursues a deeper form of eternal happiness and bliss—attaining unity with God. Although other members of her group may believe she is seeking worldly happiness like them, Goda Devi emphasizes that true fulfillment comes from worshiping God rather than from material luxuries. She encourages people to rise early in the morning, take a bath, and make offerings of flowers and sincere prayers to God, seeking His blessings and true happiness in their lives. Goda Devi also asserts that honest prayers can bring rain and prosperity.

The next ten stanzas of Thiruppavai emphasize the importance of collective participation and highlight how nature and surroundings contribute to the success of one's penance. Andal stresses the significance of honestly fulfilling daily duties rather than avoiding them under the guise of being busy with spiritual rituals. She goes around her neighborhood, waking up each friend to join her in the ritual and describing the beautiful aspects of nature, such as the chirping of birds, the vibrant colors of the sky and clouds, the blooming flowers, their enchanting fragrances, the bells ringing from the necks of cattle, the reverberating echoes of chants from temples, and the sounds of conches. 

Andal reminds everyone that these elements are part of daily life and encourages them to rise early to find inspiration in their surroundings. She urges them to perform their daily routines while also engaging in spiritual meditations and rituals. Furthermore, she advises that we should restrain ourselves from indulging in worldly pleasures by curtailing our desires, ego, prestige, and pride. Only then will God be pleased, granting us all blessings and happiness.

In verses 16 to 22, the text describes the awakening of Lord Krishna's father, mother, brother, consort Neela, and finally, Lord Krishna himself. In these verses, the author praises their great virtues while emphasizing that God is not limited to certain chosen individuals but is accessible to all His devotees. It’s important for everyone to remember this truth and not to hinder others from seeking His companionship and blessings.

In the following five stanzas, from 23 to 27, Andal asks for Krishna's forgiveness for waking Him up so early in the morning, while also glorifying Him by listing all His virtues. The 28th verse highlights the humbleness and ignorance of people in recognizing or realizing God, and it requests that He kindly bestow His gifts upon them in the form of eternal bliss.

Verse 29 describes her vow and the determination of other devotees to perform the Pavai ritual in order to attain eternal happiness and find relief from worldly problems.

Verse 30 serves as the concluding stanza, summarizing her collection of these 30 verses, known as Pasurams. This verse emphasizes their dedication to God and states that anyone who recites them daily for 30 consecutive days without fail will receive all the pleasures and blessings from God.

This text captures the essence, importance, and purpose of Thiruppavai, which is recited by Sri Vaishnava devotees, especially during Dhanurmasam, a month that occurs from December 16 to January 14 each year.

To learn more about the story of Andal or Goda Devi view this "article on Andal's life and her greatness".

Each one of these 30 paasurams has been provided by me with full meanings in my other posts tagged with the label "Tiruppavai".