THIRUPPAVAI
By Sri Vengrai V. Parthasarathy
Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore,
Chennai – 600 004. 2008. xviii +
78 pages. Rs.20
Andal exemplifies the only
instance of a poetess becoming a
goddess. We study her Nachiyar Tirumozhi and
Tiruppavai as devotional hymns that form a rich
portion of Tamil literature. At the same time, we
worship her as a goddess. Almost every temple
dedicated to Vishnu in south India will have a niche
for Andal’s image. 1500 years after her withdrawal
from the earth, she continues to be a living presence
for millions.
Come Margasirsa month, the homes
of the devout and the temples to Vishnu reverberate
with the Tiruppavai verses. They are recited and
sung. Artists dance to their vision. Scholars
eloquently bring out the inlaid significances of the
Tamil verses in an atmosphere of total devotion.
This matin song is not simply a prayer though
it is planned as one in which one gopi wakes up
others and they all go for their morning bath and
pray to Krishna to give them the ‘parai’. Parai is a
drum but traditionally it is held to be a sign of
servitude to the Divine. There is plenty of drama
as we move from one verse to another and the
mellifluous Tamil of the book is the singer’s delight.
Vengrai Parthasarathy belongs to a distinguished
Srivaishnava family and has had the
privilege of listening to expositions of Tiruppavai
from legends like Annangaracharya. However, his
garnered scholarship sits lightly on his English. An
excellent introduction, ‘Krishnabhakti of Sri Andal’
prepares the ground. The translation reads
smoothly with helpful English terms for important
words in the original such as ‘uthaman’ and ‘sillenru’.
The gist of each verse is given at the top, making it
easier to follow the thoughts imbedded in it. A
handy publication which provides the original
Tamil text, Tiruppavai gives us in addition the
translation of the verses describing Andal’s dream
in which the Lord had married her. Hence the
volume is also an auspicious publication. Occasionally
there is a lapse (for instance, the elephant
on which Krishna and Andal are seated in the
marriage procession is missing) but it does not
seriously mar the value of this slim paperback.
___________________________ PREMA NANDAKUMAR, TRICHY