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Inputs for CD ROMs on ANDAL: Part V

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • January 26, 2001 


General Remarks
****************
ANDAL is the incarnation of Bhoomi Devi, one
of the three dear consorts of Lord Narayanan. She is
the only woman AzhwAr among the twelve AzhwArs. She 
incarnated on an Aadi Pooram day in the Tulasi garden of 
Sri Vishnuchittar at Srivilliputthur. Andal's charithram
is described very well by Sri Mani VaradarAjan in 
Vaishnava home pages( http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/alvars/andal).

The 11 Dhivya Desams sung by Andal
***********************************
The MangaLAsAsana Dhivya Desams are:(1) Thiruvarangam
(2)Thiru AayipAdi (3)ThirukkaNNapuram (4)Thirukkudanthai
(5)Thiru DhvArakai (6)Thiru Parama Padham (7)Thiru PaaRkkadal
(8)ThirumAlirumchOlai (9)Thiru Vadamathurai 
(10)ThiruvilliputthUr (11)ThiruvEnkatam .

Fifty Nine of the 173 Paasurams of Andal perform 
MangaLAsAsanam for the EmperumAns of the 11 dhivya desams.
ThiruvEnkatam, ThirumAlirumchOlai and Thiruvarangam 
have received 16,11 and 10 paasurams respectively.
The EmperumAns of Srivilliputthur , ThirukkaNNapuram ,
Thirukkudanthai and Thirupparama padham have received
one paasuram each.Thiru Vadamathurai , Thiru AaypAdi,
Thiru DwArakai , all dhivya desams connected with
Lord KrishNA have received 6,5 and 4 paasurams respectively.
ThiruppARkkadal has received the remining 3 paasurams.

Her Prabhandhams : ThiruppAvai
*******************************
Andal has blessed us with two immaculate prabhandhams : 
ThiruppAvai (30 Paasurams)and NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi
(143 Paasurams) . In ThiruppAvai , Andal utilizes the story 
of a Vratham observed by Gopis in Bhagavatham and recasts 
that story with a new orientaion. She enacts the concept of
bridal mysticism to perform upadEsam for us about
the relationship between the jeevans and the Supreme
Lord that can not at all be severed and that total surrender 
at His holy feet and seeking uninterrupted kaimkaryam 
to Him is the parama purushArtham for us.In Thiruppavai,
Andal also awakens the sleeping Krishna and reminds Him
of His sworn duties to come to the rescue of the suffering
jeevans . Only the dearest consort of the Lord can take 
such liberties with Him on behalf of us , Her children.

Her Prabhandhams: NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi
****************************************
This foundling daughter of Vishnuchitthar-- known later
respectfully as PeriyAzhwAr-- grew up in a parama Bhagavatha
family and began to identify early on Lord Krishna as Her beloved.
She adorned the garlands woven for the Lord by Her dear
father to see if She would be an appropriate bride for
Her Lord .Her father was upset over the apachAram committed
by his daughter through this act and discarded that garland 
worn by Her as unfit for the Lord. He created another 
garland that day and presented it to the Lord of Srivilliputthur ,
Sri Vatapathra Saayee. The Lord appeared in Vishnuchitthar's 
dream next morning and told him that He preferred the garland 
worn by Andal because it carried Her body fragrance. From then on 
Vishnuchitthar presented to the Lord only those garlands 
worn first by his daughter , the Soodik Koduttha NaacchiyAr.

As Andal reached marriage age , She refused to be considered
for marriage to any one except the Lord Himself. She 
dreamed about Her marriage to the Lord in Her other
Prabhandham , NaachiyAr Thirumozhi . The 143 passurams of
this Prabhandham are filled with the intensity of feelings 
of Andal seeking the Lord as Her bridegroom , Her Lord's
indifference, Her suffering as a result of that and
finally Her aanandham over His sevai at BrundhAvanam as
Raajagopalan.Some thing wonderful happened thereafter.

Andal's Marriage to Lord RanganAthan
*************************************
The Lord of Srirangam appeared in the dream of Vishnuchitthar
after Andal completed the NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi and commanded 
him to bring his daughter to Srirangam for Her marriage with Him. 
Vishnuchitthar obeyed he Lord's command and traveledwith his daughter 
to Srirangam. When Andal reached the sanctum sanctorium of Her Lord , 
RanganAthan at Srirangam , She climbed over the bed of Adhiseshan 
and merged with Her Lord .

Tell Me More section
*********************
There is a rich source of information available on the net
on ThiruppAvai and NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi of Andal. The text
of the Prabhandhams, the inner meanings of ThiruppAvai 
Paasurams as given to us by PoorvAchAryAs , the recital 
of the thrity paasurams by Srimathi Nithya SrI , contributed 
articles on the deep VaishNavite tatthvams covered by Andal 
in Her ThiruppAvai and more are are housed in the following 
home pages/URL(this is just a partial list):

(1)http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/alvars/andal
   ( Life and aruLiccheyalkal of Andal by Sri Mani Varadarajan).

(2)http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/7673/azhwars/andpas.html
   (Taniyans of ThiruppAvai ,Brief commentaries on ThiruppAvai
    Paasurams by Sri U.Ve.Bhuvarahacchar Swamy ).

(3)http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/7673/Azhwars/nachiyar.html
   ( The postings of Srimathi Kalyani Krishnamachari on Naacchiyar
     Thirumozhi decads).

(4)http://geocities.com/Athens/Troy/7673/azhwars/godas.html
   ( Swamy Desikan's Godha sthuthi and commentaries:V.SatakOpan)

(5)http://Srivaishnava.20m.com/pavai/pavaimeaning_index.htm
   ( Postings on ThiruppAvai Paasurams by U.Ve.PerukkAraNai
     Swamy : V.SataKopan ); This beautiful and informative 
     home pages are maintained by Sri Venkataraghavan of 
     Baharain .

(6)http://www.geocities.com/Troy/7673
   ( Beautiful and rich home pages on Srivilliputthur 
     maintained by Sri Venkat Iyengar of Srivilliputthur:
     The topics of coverage are -->Andal , PeriyAzhwAr , 
     the temples of Andal and VatapathrasAyee , Uthsavams 
     for Andal and picture gallery).

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SaTakOpan         


  


 


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