Chapter Two

Sri Andal: Srivaishnaivite Woman Alvar Saint and Her

Path of Bhakti
In the first chapter we were trying to create a context for understanding the two poets in
this study. Through the religious background, we reached the beginning of Bhakti
movement in Tamil Nadu. In Bhakti movement, however, there are two streams which
have to be looked into before we arrive at Andal's path of Bhakti.
It is here, that we have to understand the distinction between Nirgun (without attributes)
Bhakti and Saguna (with attributes) Bhakti. While most Vaishnava and all Srivaishnava

poets are steeped in Saguna Bhakti (Bhakti of God with a specific form), Veershaiva
poets from Kamataka were steeped in Nirgun Bhakti (God without any specific form).
For Madhwya 'bhava' (sentiment), which involves thinking of God as one's Lover,
Saguna Bhakti is the natural way of being. However, there have been saints who could

relate to the Divine principle without subscribing to a specific form. Saint Kabir is the
foremost example in this category. The poets under study belonged to both the Saguna as
well as Nirguna kind of Bhakti. That is to say, while Andal was a Sagun Bhakta, Akka
Mahadevi was a Nirgun Bhakta.

Bhakti as Conflict and Reconciliation between Form and

Formless
The entire history of the Indian religious tradition foregrounds two aspects of the
Supreme reality simultaneously viz. an awareness of the Absolute as a mystical state of
being and a perception of it as a personal god. In other words, the Absolute is perceived
both as Nirakaar as well as Sakar (formless as well as in a form), Nirguna as well as
Saguna (without attributes as well as with attributes). The Shastras and classic religious

texts including Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagwad Gita generally project supreme
reality in both the aspects. However, Upanishads primarily focus on the first aspect and
epics and most Bhakti literature focus on the second aspect of the Supreme. This does
not, however, mean that there is absence of the elements pointing at the mystical,

37

incomprehensive Absolute in Bhakti literature. On the contrary, Bhakti poetry, throws up

a wonderful amalgamation of both of the above-mentioned aspects. Bhakti poetry while
making the personal God its subject, transcends it and foregrounds the mystical aspect in
all its intensity. A. K. Ramanujan makes a significant observation in this context. In his
essay on "The Myths ofBhakti: Images of Siva in Saiva Poetry", he says:
All devotional poetry plays on the tension between saguna and nirguna, the lord
as person and the lord as principle. If he were entirely a person, he would not be
divine, and if he were entirely a principle, a godhead, one could not make poems
about him .....The Vaishnavas, too, say that the lord is characterized by both

'paratva, 'otherness' and soulabhaya, 'ease of access' ;he is both here and
beyond, both tangible as a person and intangible as a principle-such is the
nature of the ground of all being. It is not either/ or, but both/ and; myth, bhakti
and poetry would be impossible without the presence of both attitudes.
[Dharwadkar: 1999:295]

The Alvar Emphasis on Form

It is interesting to note, that in Alvar songs, the Nil;iikaar and Nirguna (without form and
attributes) aspect of god is not taken up at all. Their Bhakti is 'Saguna Bhakti'. And it is
only in the doctrines of Srivaishanavism that evolved later, that the personal god and
Absolute God merged into each other.
Often saints pour out emotional Bhakti poetry and scholars create religious cults out of
their poetry. History has witnessed this phenomenon in Bhakti all along. All Bhakti cults,
be it Srivaishnavism, Veershaivism, Chaitanya Sampradaya or Kabir Pantha etc. are an
outcome of this process of emotional outpouring by saints and later indoctrination by the
scholars and critics and religious enthusiasts.
The framework of all the Alvar poetry compiled m Nalayiradivyaprabhandham
including that of both of Andal's poems, Tiruppavai as well as Nachiar Tirumoli, is
based on the concept of Vaishanava Bhakti. This Bhakti has a theological base supported
by Bhagwad Gita, and an emotional base supported by Vishnu Mythology as given in

38

major Purana-s like Harivansh Purana, 22 Vishnu Purana, and Brahama Purana and
epics like Ramanayana and Mahabharta. The following three stanzas from The
Bhagwad Gita are significant from the theological viewpoint and from the point of view
of later evolution of Krishna Bhakti:
Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati Bharat
Abhyuthanamdharmasya tadatmanam srajamyaham
[Hey Bharata whenever the righteousness is on the decline and
unrighteousness is in ascendant then I take upon a body]
Paritranaya sadhunam vinashaya cha dushkritam
Dharamsansthapanarthaya sambhavani yuge yuge
[For the protection ofthe virtuous, for the extirpation of the evildoers, and
for establishing dharma on a firm footing, I am born from age to age]
Janam karamcha me divyamevam yo vetti tattavatah
tyaktava deham punaijanam neti maameti soaijuna
[Aijuna my birth and actions are Divine. He who knows this in reality, is
not reborn after leaving this body, but comes to Me]
[Bhagwad Gita ch.- iv. 7-9.]
Above verses from Bhagvad Gita are the classic reference points, which are inherently
present in the collective unconscious of all the Bhakta-s. These verses point at the
concept of 'Avatara' (lit .descension). God takes an 'Avatara' whenever there is need to
protect the virtuous. The idea of God coming down to earth and live among human
beings is at the centre of all Bhakti literature. Nevertheless, this scriptural reference to
Bhakti as found in Bhagwad Gita is more of an intellectual nature and is very different

from the emotional Bhakti that prevails in Alvars' poetry. Intellectual Bhakti as
~. Harivansha Purana and Hala's Sattasai(Skt.Saptashati) are two important texts that were known to
South Indians. Harivansha with its typical beginning appears to be a later addition to epic tradition of
Mahabharata. Probable dates for Harivansha are considered to be before fourth century A.D.,much before
Bhagwad Purana, which is supposed to have been composed in 920 A.D. or so. Sattasai was a second
centuryA.D. Prakrit text compiled by a Satvavahana ruler Hala. These two texts i.e. Harivansh Purana
and Sattasai were well rooted in the South Indian culture by the time Alvars began singing their songs of
Krishna. All the chief motifs of mythical landscape that colour their poetry were supplied by such texts
much before Bhagwat Purana came into picture.
2

39

expounded in Bhagwad Gita has its roots in Upanishads and presupposes Yoga. Yoga
here is understood as withdrawing all the senses from their objects and focusing them
along with Mind (monas, buddhi, chit, ahamkar) on to the Supreme Being. This process
is supposed to be instrumental in attaining the state of Moksha i.e. liberation.
This process of withdrawal of senses, presupposed in intellectual Bhakti is certainly a
yogic state named as Pratyahara in Patanjali's Yogasutra and is exactly in opposition to
emotional Bhakti, which involves intense participation of the senses. A.K. Ramanujan
attributes "Being in Touch'. among the chief characteristics of Bhakti:
The alvars (and the nayanmars) thrive on contagion, communion in community.
Nammalvar says that all the five senses are 'the bodies of god" and he strains all
of them to realize god. Yet the sensory modes he favors in his poetry are the
"near senses": touch, taste, smell. The vedic poets were "seers"; philosophy is a
"seeing" (darsana); and the word "see" occurs in the Gita scores of times. The
Vedas are "heard" (srutis), as earlier classical Tamil poems were "things heard''
(kelvi). Both sight and hearing are senses of distance. But the favourite bhakti
sense is the sense of touch; bhakti is contact, contagion. The devotee's heart or
hands touch, not just the feet of god, but his entire body. [Ramanujan: 1981:
146-7]
Senses require objects to engage themselves. In Bhakti, the senses are foc;used intensely
on one single object, a personal god. In the final stage of Bhakti, however, this focus
becomes so intense, that all other objects are dropped off automatically. This state in
Bhakti is similar to the other classical form of Yoga known as 'Raja Yoga'. In these

stages, senses are withdrawn completely from everything else and are brought to focus on
one's Ishta (chosen deity). These processes of complete withdrawal and then intense focus
are in fact advance stages of Yoga defined as Dharna, Dhyana and Samadhi by Sage
Patanjali in his text Yoga Sutra. Therefore Bhakti in the beginning serves as the stepping
stone to 'Bhakti Yoga' and lshta or the chosen personal god serves as a stimulus to attain
those heights of Bhakti Yoga which lead to Samadhi or a complete union with the
Absolute.

40

The idea of a personal god, which is the founding stone of emotional Bhakti, is colored
by Indian mythological tradition. Indian mythology is based on the concept of God's
Avataras. The word 'Ava tara is related to 'Avataran' meaning 'to descend down'. As

observed in the shloka from Gita quoted above, God takes birth in the form of a living
being on earth to protect the world when evil begins to pervade it or when the cause of
the good is annihilated by the evil ones. Vishnu Purana relates twelve 'Avatars' of Lord
Vishnu, and Bhagwat Purana relates no less than twenty two Avataras of the Lord. Most
famous Indian epics are legends of God's 'Avatars and their feats on earth. The
Ramayana is story of Ram-avatara and Mahabharata relates the story of Krishnaavatara. It is the life story of Krishna, which captured the imagination of a whole

civilization that witnessed generations and generations of poets and saints singing and
writing about marvelous multifaceted Krishna- the God in a man's body.
The concept of "Avatara" is very significant for understanding the evolution of
Vaishnava Bhakti poetry. The whole of Alvar saints' poetic corpus refers to human form,
"Avatara" of the Absolute God (here Vishnu) especially as found in the Puranic lore.

Among the important puranas of Vishnu are Vishnu, Harivansha and Bhagwat
Puranas. All of them narrate the story of Krishna from his birth to human parents and his

divine play on earth through various stages of his life- as a child (in Gokul), as an
adolescent (in Vrindavana), as a youth (in Mathura), as a man (in Kurukshetra) and as a
king (in Dwarka).

It should be noted, that the historical authenticity of Puranic literature is debatable. Yet it
is quite probable that Krishna was a historical figure whose deification in later eras could
have strengthened popular faith in his 'Avatar' status. However, the question of whether
the character of Krishna is historical or mythical, is besides the point, as the image of his
character, which emerged through Puranic lore provided highly intense material for
poetic imagination. The idea of a God, who came down to earth and lived among the
mortals as one of them, who was loving and could be loved as a mischievous son , a
mysterious lover, a brave warrior, a divine friend

and a kind king, is thoroughly

fascinating. This visibility of the Absolute Supreme in human fonn is almost necessary
for any kind of emotional relationship with Him.

41

Alvar saints imagined this God in various relations to themselves - sometimes He is a

little child, sometimes a lover, sometimes a friend and sometimes Lord and the master.
Their poetry is an attempt to establish a relation with God in human form in order to
experience His Divine Being with human urgency.
While theology and religion make an attempt to comprehend the Supreme Being through
intellect and faith respectively, Bhakti is a way to comprehend the Supreme Being with
all human faculties-be they higher (relating to mind) or lower (relating to senses). Bhakti
is complete surrender of the whole being, intellect as well as emotion, mind as well as
senses, to God and works through faith and wisdom. Thus, while theology uses only one
faculty, that of the mind, to connect to God, Bhakti path uses the mind, body and emotion
-all three aspects of the human being to experience Him. Hence, the path of Bhakti is
considered as superior to the path of Jnana (knowledge) and that of Karma (detached
action). Sutra 25 of classical Narada Bhakti Sutra describes this supremacy of Bhakti
over other paths of attaining the Divine:

"Sa tu KaramJnanayogebhyopyadhiktra" (The Supreme Devotion (Bhakti) is

indeed, as a technique even superior to Path of Action (Kamw), the Path of
Knowledge (Gyana), and the Path of Disciplined Contemplation (Yoga).)
[Chinmayananda: 1968: 41.]

Bhakti Marga: The Way of Divine Love

Shashtras on Bhakti prescribe many ways of relating to God. Narada's Bhakti Sutra, one
of the classic texts on Bhakti, puts down not less than eleven ways of reaching God.
These are depicted in Sutra 82 as:
Gunmahatmyasakti rupasaktipujasakti
smaranasakti
Dasyasaktisakhyasakti vatsalyasakti
kantasaktiatmanivedanasakti
Tarunayasaktiparamvirahasaktirupa
ekdhapyekadashdha bhavati.

42

(Love for glorifying His Qualities; Love for His Divine Form; Love for
worshipping Him; Love for remembering Him; Love for doing service for
Him; Love for friendship in Him; Love for the Lord as one's own child;
Love as that to a beloved; Love for a total self-offering at His Feet; Love
for complete absorption in Him; Love as expressed in the pang of
separation from Him-- thus though Love is one only, It is expressed in
eleven different modes.) [Chinmayananda: 1968: 159]
If we look at this sutra closely, we will find that some of the attitudes mentioned here
overlap each other. And Navdha Bhakti, mentioned in the Bhagwat Purana, which gives
nine ways of Bhakti, seems to be a reordering of the eleven ways given by the ancient
Sage Narada. The stages of Navadha (nine fold) Bhakti are depicted as follows:
Shravanam Kirtanam Vishnoh Smaranam Padasevanam
Archanam Vandanam Dasyam Sakhyamatmnivedanam.
(Listening to the names of God; singing the names of God; continuous
remembrance of God; serving at the feet of God; worshiping the God;
praying to the God; relating to Him as a servant; relating to Him as a
friend;(finally surrendering the ego to Him.) 23
However, as has been said earlier, it might be true that Alvar Bhakti poetry was
composed before the theorization happened. Alvar saints might not have been familiar
with any of the above mentioned texts at all. They might not have known eleven ways of
Bhakti given by sage Narada or the nine ways of Bhakti ('navadha Bhakti ')expounded in
the Bhagwat Purana as Bhagwat Purana is later than Alvars. To quote Vidya Dehejia:
It appears certain that the Bhagavat Purana, which is the main text for the

legend of Vishnu, is later than Alvar poetry since it makes selective use of
themes from the poems of these saints. The relationship between Tamil Alvar

~ Navadha Bhakti as mentioned in Bhagvat Purana involves nine ways which are:
Shravanam Kirtanam Vishnoh Smaranam Padasevanam
Archanam Vandanam Dasyam Sakhyamatmnivedanam
Bhagwat Purana.vii.5.23-24.
3

43

poetry and the Sanskrit Bhagavat Purana has been explored by Friedheim
Hardy, who points out that the Purana was composed in South India in the ninth
century, and that it combined themes from the poems of Alvars (600-900) with
the input of the northern Sanskrit Brahama and Vishnu Puranas (500-700).
She further relates:
From the perspective of Antal's (Andal's) poetry, an important reason for
concluding that the songs of the Alvars must predate the Bhagvat Purana is the
fact that two episodes prominent in the Purana are not mentioned by Antal
(Andal). The celebrated Rasa dance of Krsna (Krishna) with the gopis, and the
theme of their intense longing for Krsna (Krishna) combined with the pain of
separation from him once he leaves Gokula for Mathura, are given specific
treatment in independent chapters of Bhagvat Purana ... If Antal had known of
these two Krsna (Krishna) themes through the Bhagvat Purana, she would
undoubtedly made use of them in her poems. With Krsna (Krishna) as her
chosen lord, and the anguish of separation as the personal theme of her Nachiar
Tirumoli, Antal would surely have made reference to the agony of the gopis
when Krsna (Krishna) departs. [Dehejia: 1990:21-22]
However, Vidya Dehejia's statement about Andal, relating that Andal does not use
episodes of gopikas' ecstasy in Rasa dance and their pining anguish when Krishna
departs to Mathura from the Bhagwat Purana, is true only to the extent that Bhagwat
Purana was not compiled in Andal's time. Although as we see that in the poem
Tiruppavai, Andal recreates the spectacle of a Gokul street and the cowherd girls (gopis)
living there as its chief motif, it is very clear that Andal was familiar with the earlier
puranas (Vishnu and Harivansha) and knew about the gopikas' intense love for
Krishna? 4 Another significant point in this context is that l?'h Canto of famous Tamil
~Aiso I do not agree with Vidya Dehejia when she says:
The subject matter of Nachiar Tirumoli suggests that it might have been her later work, since the
Tiruppavai is written in a much lighter vein , showing Andal as a carefree girl sttrrounded by companions.
[Dehejia: 1988:121.]
In fact Tiruppavai is not written in lighter vein at all. It is a very serious work. The only place, where one
finds humour, is in the dialogue between the sqkhi-s or gopikas. Here we have to remember that this
dialogue is a part of the technique which helps the poetess to unfold some nuances of a very mature
undertaking.For .instance ,it is in Tiruppavai, that one witnesses a range <lf rasas - Karuna, Hasya,
2

44

epic Cilappatikaram from Sangam period, that certainly predated Alvars, contains an
entire episode on the Raas Nritya enacted as the
''Round Dance of the Herdswomen". To quote from the Canto:
Among them, Pinnai (Radha) puts the garland of rich basil
On Mayavanand begins the flawless round dance.
It is our own Pinnai, her arms ringed with bangles,

that turned the gaze of the lord, renowned for striding

All the three worlds, away from his consort,
Laksmi, ensconced on his chest, Ha! Ha!''
(R. Parthasarth y: 199 3 : 173]
There is very high probability that Andal knew this episode from the epic, which was like
a popular cultural document of the Tamil land.
At the same time it is interesting to note, that in their way of worship (Bhakti) all the
Alvars make use of almost all the Bhakti bhavas (sentiments) mentioned in the classical
texts referred above in relation to their chosen God. Some scholars precipitate down these
nine sentiments in classical Navadha Bhakti to five important sentiments or bhavas.
Dr. P.Jairaman, in his study on Tamil Alvar saints and Hindi Krishna Bhakti literature,
brings out five modes of relating to the God which he says are very commonly used by
Alvars in their poetry. These, according to him, are: Dasya. Sakhya, Vatsalya, Madhwya
or Kanta, and Nirved or Shanta Bhava. 25

VatsaZva. Madhwya . Veera and Adbhuta - all in the thiny stanzas, while Nacbiar Tirumoli focuses
exclusively on Madhurya bhava (and corresponding rasa called as sringara.). Also the images and
metaphors used in Tiruppavai are pregnant with a range of references that encompass a whole cultural and
religious tradition. Nachiar Tirumoli also presents spectacular imagery but the metaphorical framework is
not as rich as that of Tiruppavai.
25
Jairaman,Dr.P. Bbakti ke Ayam: Krishna Bbakti Sahitya. New Delhi:Vani Prakashan.2003. Page 339340. (Hindi Text)
Here I would like to propose. that 'Nirved' or 'Shanta Bhava' need not be taken up and pointed out in
exclusion. According to Acharya Abhinavgupta 'Shan! a rasa' pervades and underlies all the other rasas
and that the experience of all rasas in their intensity finally leads to an experience of the Shanta rasa. What
the Acharya says about Shanta rasa should be true of 'Shanta bhava' as well.'Shanta bhava' is a bhava
which lingers behind all forms of Bhakti bhavas. In fact this bhava can be described as a pre-requisite or
preparation for Bhakti. Shanta Bhava has its source in the feeling of' Vairagya' (detachment) from the
transitory situations of life and a developing sense of omnipresence of the Divine. Rise of this Bhava leads

45

'Dasya bhava'is a way of relating to one's Lord and Master. In feudal set up and

monarchy, the status of the king and the feudal lord is considered to be next only to God
and it is the 'Dharma' (religious obligation) of all the subjects to serve their sovereign
and the master. This same sentiment when projected towards God becomes Dasya Bhakti.
Almost all the Alvars use this sentiment to express their intense love for the 'ishta ', the
chosen one. Nammalvar calls out, probably to his own self, to surrender at the feet of
none else but Krishna:
Quick, think of the fragrant Tulsi-wreathed Krishna's feet.
They who ruled over other kings who touched their feet, with great
kettledrums rumbling in their porticos, have become
pulverized to dust.
[Srirama Bharti: 2000: 487]
'Sakhya bhava' is a way of relating to God as a friend, where sharing, sacrifice and

surrender all are involved. Krishna relates to Aljuna in Mahabharata as a 'Sakha'

(friend). And Aljuna also takes Him to be his most intimate friend and shares every
desire and aspiration with Krishna.In Alvar poetry Sakhya bhava is mentioned in relation
to other bhavas. This is not found as a dominant bhava in any of the poems by Alvar
saints. Vishnuchitta Alvar or Periyalvar refers to Krishna's support to Aijuna as a Sakha
(friend) in the battle field as follows:
If you are in
search of him, there are many who saw him by Aljuna's side
where he hid the sun with his discus, when Aijuna rained
arrows that rolled Jayadratha's head into a pit.
[Srirama Bharti: 2000: 65]
'Vatsalya' and 'Madhurya' are the two most frequently used 'bhavas' in Bhakti poetry.

In the attitude of Vatsalya, the bhakta adores the God as his /her own child in order to
experience the wonder of His 'Bal Lilas' (i.e. His divine childhood). Vishnuchitta A!var' s
to a sense of calm in all situations and the Bhakta surrenders his/her self completely to the will of God.
Except for Shanta Bhava ,the other four Bhavas viz. Dasya. Sakhva, Vatsalva and Madhurva have their
.
.
.
.
source in common human relations.

46

songs elaborately deal with Krishna's childhood, adopting the perspective of mother
Yashoda, Krishna's earthly (foster) mother. There are cradle songs, 26 lullabies, songs
about giving bath to child Krishna, songs of gentle chiding, songs about sending the child
to cow grazing for the first time and so on.

27

'Madhurya Bhava ' is considered to be the most intimate and mystical relation between

the Bhakta and the Bhagwan (God). Here God is conceived as the beloved or as the
husband regardless of the gender of the Bhakta. Krishna's relation to gopikas and vice
versa is the ultimate example of Madhurya Bhakti. Madhurya Bhava can be experienced
in the state of separation from the beloved or in the state of union with the beloved. Love
of God experienced as a state of separation from Him is called as Viraha Bhakti and Love
of God experienced as complete union with Him is called as 'Madhurya Bhakti '. The
term 'Bridal Mysticism' is popularly used for this same concept. Sambhog Sringar also
refers to this relationship in classical poetic vocabulary.
In the same framework, Alvar saints fondly take on the role of Krishna's beloved to
express their deep longing to unite with Him in an eternal embrace. They express their
Bhakti through their songs in state of Viraha (separation) as well as in state of Sambhoga

(union). Though all the eleven Alvars use this bhava, Tirumangai Alvar, Nammalvar and
Andal stand out in their use of 'Bridal Mysticism'. As a result, a unique urgency and
intensity runs through their songs. 28

~ 6 0, Great Moon! My dark hued little child,

my sweet ambrosia, my master calls and
beckons to you with his wee hands.lfyou
wish to play with him, do not hide behind the
clouds. Come running here happily.
[Srirama Bharti: 2000: II]
27
If you catch insects and let them into
the calves' ears, they will go helter skelter
and run away. Let me see how you gobble butter
thereafter. 0 Lord who shot through seven trees,
it is your birth star, Sravanam today. You must
have your bath. My master. do not run away,
come hither!
[Srirama Bharti: 2000: 29]
28
Saint Nammalvar sings:
0 Gregarious bees go drink the nectar from
the Tulasi flowers worn by the lord,-he steered the chariot for the Pandavas against
the great army in war--come back quickly and

47

Before we take up an analysis of Andal's Madhurya Bhakti, it should be noted at this

point that Bhakti Shastra-s including Narada's Bhakti Sutra, Shandilya 's Bhakti Sutra
and Bhagwat Purana etc. exposit Bhakti not only as a means (Sadhan Rupa)but also as a
goal (Sadhya Rupa). This goal is worth pursuing for the eternal joy it ensues in the
Bhakta. The Bhakta is not aiming to achieve anything else but Bhakti itself.
This particular theme runs through the entire Alvar corpus also. Jeev Goswami in his
famous text Durgam Sangamni distinguishes between 'Sadhanrupa Bhakti and
'Sadhyarupa' Bhakti. 'Sadhanrupa Bhakti {relating to the means) is further divided into
'Vaidhi Bhakti and 'Raganuga Bhakti. In' Vaidhi' Bhakti, Bhakta takes up the means as
laid down in Shastras. 'Shravan ', 'Kirtan ', 'Poojan ', 'Archan' and 'Padasevan etc. fall
under this category. 'Raganuga Bhakti is marked by the fundamental human tendency to
love. Dasya, Sakhya, Vatsalya and Madhwya come in the category of Raganuga Bhakti.
In this kind of Bhakti, the Bhakta is able to transform the base emotions of Kama (lust)
and Vasana (desire) into a purer emotion towards ishta, the chosen God. In a way, when
a Bhakta takes first steps of 'Vaidhi Bhakti' i.e. Shravan, Kirtan, Manan, Archan,
Padasevan, then these steps serve as a means to a higher form of 'Raganuga Bhakti'
which finally leads to 'Prema Bhakti' which is a state of pure joy and love. Sage N arada
defines this Bhakti as "Sa Tvasmin Param Premsvarupa", which means that "it (Bhakti)
is of the nature of ultimate Love for the Divine''. It is complete merging with the Divine
and a state of self realization or Moksha.

Andal's Madhurya Bhakti

Andal was born in Srivelliputtur in Tirunelvelli district of Tamil Nadu in mid-ninth
century A.D. According to the legend associated with her life, Vishnuchitta Alvar, the
head priest in the Srivelliputtur temple found this baby girl in his tulsi-grove (basilgarden). He brought up the girl with enonnous affection and care, thinking of her to be a
gift of God.
Andal grew up in Vishnuchitta' s household in a very pious and devotional atmosphere. In
Andal's time Bhakti (devotion) had already captured the imagination of the people as
blow his fragrance over my coiffure flowers.
[Srirama Bharti: 2000: 539]

48

senior Nayanmar and Alvar saints had already been singing in rapture the songs of love
for God. According to Prema Nandkumar:
Andal grew up at a time when the Bhakti movement was in its noon-day glory.
The first group of Alwars had sung of the Lord in manifold ways, and the
general public fondly repeated these songs as though they were the Tamil
versions of Vedas, for the songs were musical, literary and above all, embedded
with the wisdom of the ages. To Andal and her companions singing the
pasurams must have been a favourite pastime. [Devotional Poets and Mystics:
1978 rpt. 1991:47]

Andal' s foster father Vishnuchitta was a great poet and saint (one of the Alvars himself)
and under his tutelage Andal must have received knowledge about the legends of Vishnu
and his Avataras. Myths about her say that her consciousness was so infused with the
'sanskaras' of Bhakti and devotion from a very tender age, that when she precociously

fell in love with Krishna 'Avatara' of Vishnu, she adored herself with the garland that her
father kept for the temple deity. She must have felt that she had all the right to wear it.
This act, which according to the sacred injunctions would be considered as an act of
grievous sin, was given a legitimate sanction by the Lord himself who appeared in
Vishnuchitta's dream and commanded him that henceforth only the garlands worn by
Goda (Andal) would be acceptable to Him. After this sign of confirmation of
reciprocation of her love from the Lord, Andal now was immersed in emotion of intense
love for Him and craved for a union with her Ishta. In her life Andal achieved this goal of
union with her chosen Lord at Srirangam. Vishnuchitta Alvar is directed in a dream to
prepare for Andal' s marriage with the Lord. Accordingly, Andal decked up as a bride, is
taken to Srirangam in a procession in a palanquin. After reaching Srirangam,when she
sees her Lord's figure lying on Ananta, she goes forward and disappears into the figure.
This is in short the story of her life as it comes down to us through various myths and
legends. She attained the status of an Alvar saint and was the only woman Alvar. She is
considered to be a reincarnation of Vishnu's consort Bhudevi. Hence her statue finds
place next to that of Vishnu in the sanctum sanctorum of many of the Srivaishnava

49

temples while all the other Alvars find their place in a different space assigned together to
all of them.
Andal's Tiruppavai and Nachiar Tirumoli are two beautiful garlands of thirty and one
hundred and forty three songs respectively. These two poems reveal that a very evolved
consciousness is at work here. Tiruppavai is a single narrative poem with thirty song
stanzas and Nachiar Tirumoli is a song - sequence of fourteen poems with ten
'pasurams'or stanzas each. In Tiruppavai, the theme is a journey to the house of Lord
for a meeting with him (union with the Chosen One), in Nachiar Tirumoli the theme is
more openly 'viraha -bhava' (separation in love sentiment) for the chosen one (Krishna).
Tiruppavai songs can be conventionally categorized as Madhurya Bhakti because here

the poetic.. personae are none else but 'gopikas' and Krishna (the classical source and
reference point of Madhurya Bhakti begins with them). However, the songs in Nachiar
Tirumoli sequence are a standard example of 'bridal mysticism' or Viraha Bhakti (which
is often not distinguished from Madhurya Bhakti) because these songs describe the
anguish of a beloved lbhaktalbride from her ishta. Viraha -Bhakti is the chief sentiment
that runs through most of the Bhakti poetry. Here, the bhakta (devotee) in the role of
God's beloved/bride expresses her deep anguish due to the separation from her
Lover/God.
Nachiar Tirumoli is a poem where the bhakta Andal treats god as her Husband/Lover
and exercises her exclusive rights as a wife/beloved on Him. She chides Him, abuses
Him, pleads to Him and wants Him intensely. But in Tiruppavai, compassion for the
community is privileged over individual passion and the bhakta feels the bond with her
friends and wants all of them and finally the whole community to partake of the grace
that flows after the ritual (Pavai) is undertaken.
It is evident that while Nachiar Tirumoli celebrates intense personal emotion for the
God, Tiruppavai celebrates the common human bond within the community and then of
the community with the God. Nachiar Tirumoli is exclusive in approach, Tiruppavai is
inclusive in approach. Tiruppavai is generally treated as an earlier composition and
Nachiar Tirumoli follows thereafter. However, a close reading indicates that since
Tiruppavai is a poem about a rendezvous with Krishna and Nachiar Tirumoli is one

50

about the desire to have a meeting with Him, Nachiar Tirumoli could easily be
sequenced as a composition written prior to Tiruppavai. Also song compositions of

Tiruppavai are more intricate and esoteric in nature. The later part of this study discusses
in detail various elements that go into making Tiruppavai a highly complex yet a very
r~fined

act of creative poetic expression.

To say it differently, songs in Tiruppavai and Nachiar Tirumoli are about an intense
desire to merge with God physically as well as metaphysically. In Nachiar Tirumoli she
depicts various episodes of her love affair with God Himself.In the fourteen decads of

Nachiar Tirumoli, the sixth one is extremely popular where Andal is depicting the
dream of her marriage to the Lord Himself:
I had a dream 0 Sister! The town was decked
with festoons and golden urns.
Sorrounded by a thousand caparisoned elephants
our lord Narayana came walking towards me.
[Srirama Bharti: 2000: 112]
The sequence called" Varnamayiram' is considered very auspicious in Tamil Nadu and is
sung at the time of weddings by the priests. This particular sequence is significant, as
Andal describes every rite and ritual of marriage in minutest detail revealing the divine
bridegroom in all His Glory. In this song, she is actually describing the vision of the Lord
as seen in her dream. She is sharing her revelation with us through her song. Thus, the
entire poem then becomes a medium of expression of an experience of Bhakti, that for a

bhata is the ultimate goal.

The poem Tiruppavai is also about the significance of living in higher realms of
awareness. The entire poem is a complex work of art which enjoins in itself a highly
symbolic design of a theological base. Bhakti, as it has been conceived in Vaishnavism is
expounded in the scheme of a poem in all its subtlety. Apparently the poem is a simple
song of celebration, among the sakhi-s, gopika-s or friends, of a ritual which is a portent
of prosperity and fulfillment for all of them. However, just a closer look at the structure
and one can see the subtle message of the poem which is to dissolve lower forms of
desires into the highest desire- to become one with the Lord. Dr. Eric J. Lott in his essay

51

"The Divine Drum: Interpreting a Primal Symbol" describes how the girls in Tiruppavai
ask for 'parai' (the drum) along with other material graces from Krishna as a
consequence to successful realization of their Margali bath ritual. The 'drum' signifies
the meaner desires. It is understood as ''what we desire" or as a "paltry thing". The
etymological meaning of 'parai' (= lowly, mean) thus being brought out." {Sri Andal:
1985:35]. In stanza 26 of Tiruppavai, Andal says: "We have performed the Margali rites
as our elders decreed. Now hear what we want: conches like your milk-white
Panchahjanya which reverberates through all creation with its booming sound, a big
wide drum and singers, who sing Pallandu, a bright lamp, festoons and flags,---0 Lord,
grant us these." But as the poem progresses, this desire is taken over by a single
overriding desire which is to be with Krishna and be with Him in all the births. "Know
that these goods are not what we came for. Through seven lives and forever we would be
close to you and serve you alone. And if our desires be different, you must change them."
(Stanza 29.). Dr. Lott comments in this regard:
The more usual Vaisnava position is (that) the lesser life - goals (e.g. the
pastoral concerns of verses 3 and 4) are not in themselves evils; they are rather
good and valuable. Yet what is needed above all is the vision of everything in
life utterly dependent upon the grace of the Lord .... God's gracious aid is
essential, therefore (we are) to move from one level of life-goal to this highest
level in which all the lesser goals eventually become included. To use more
traditional language,sadhana- (means of worship) Bhakti needs to be transposed
into sadhya- (that which is the goal of worship) Bhakti; God as upaya (means) is
to be experienced as final Upeya. [Sri Andal: 1985: 39]
It is important to note, that in Andal's Bhakti scheme Madhurya Bhava was predominant
as it fell into place naturally due to her gender. To experience this bhava (sentiment)
might have been primarily an act of pure imagination for other Alvars as all of them
belonged to the masculine gender. For bhaktas like Andal, it was extremely important to
ascribe a specific form to God, as without conceiving the form they could not relate to
Him.

52

What transformations Andal effects in inherited conventions and materials through her
madhurya-centred compositions and how other genres of art and culture integrate

Andal' s life and works will be dealt with in chapter four.

53

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Dehijia, Vidya. ( 1990) Antal and Her Path of Love : Poems of a Woman Saint from South
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1h and qh

Perumal , Dr. V. (1982) Glimpses of Tamil Culture. West Germany : Berlin Tamil
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