Andal: The Quintessential Passionate Poetess, Ethereal Beauty, and Profound Female Devotion
Her intense words and poems still resonate deeply in the merrily dancing wind, the golden soil, the pristine rivers flowing freely, and the lush green forests. Her presence can be felt in any nook and corner of the state since she is ubiquitous. She is Andal – the epitome of divine and eternal love, exquisite beauty, and the vanguard of female devotion.
Andal awaits you, enveloping you into a warm motherly embrace as soon as you are born. Born in the 9th century, Andal is a venerated Alvar female saint. Alvars are affiliated to Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Innately imbued with devotion and spirituality, Andal was an ardent admirer and lover of Lord Krishna, a form of Lord Vishnu. Andal played a pivotal role in embellishing and enriching Bhakti Movement through her enchanting and compelling poems, exploring the themes of love, yearning, rage, anguish, and divine spirituality. For this resounding legacy, Andal is revered and worshipped in the temples of Tamil Nadu.
Wine-dark clouds, massed ready for monsoon,
Batter the name of my beloved on Vengadam,
for valiant in battle, he is finally ready to put
down his arms and come home to be with me.
Tell him like the scrolls of leaves that fall unread
after prolonged rain has stripped the branches,
I too waste away, unread, waiting for the day
he might translate the secret letters of my limbs.
History
Andal was born in 9th century in Srivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu to a brahmin priest Vishnuchithan, popularly known as Periyalvar, who was affiliated to Alvar tradition. Vishnuchithan was a fervent devotee of Lord Vishnu. He was a childless unmarried man however he had a deep affection for children and always yearned for a child of his own, so he adopted Andal, considering her a divine gift of the holy Mother Earth.
According to popular folklores he had found Andal under Tulsi leaves in his garden. Thinking she was bestowed upon him, as an invaluable gift, by the holy Mother Earth, he named her Kodhai, also known as Godadevi meaning ‘gift of the Mother Earth’.
Kodhai became an indispensable part of Vishnuchithan. He cherished her immensely, fulfilling her all the desires and also imparting education to her in a time when education was exclusive to only boys.
Vishnuchithan imparted his spiritual and devotional teachings, in the form of intriguing stories and mellifluous songs, to the adorable little Kodhai, who was enthralled by all these stories about Lord Krishna, one of the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu. Soon, Kodhai, just like her father, also turned a staunch devotee and lover of her Lord Krishna. Even as a child adorable Kodhai firmly made up her mind to either wed only Lord Krishna or remain single for the rest of her life.
In a few years, Kodhai blossomed into an exquisitely alluring teen girl. Her mind was mostly occupied with the thoughts of what it would be like to be Lord Krishna’s bride. She would build castles in the air and rejoice at her lovely imaginative stories.
Kodhai was besotted with Lord Krishna to the extent that she would wear the magnificent garland, prepared by her father for the deity’s idol, to check if it was okay and how it would look on the God’s idol. Kodhai would admire her stunning reflection in the mirror, wearing the garland, and smile inwardly considering herself the God’s bride. Once done admiring herself, she would quietly put the garland back in the basket, for her father to carry it to the temple.
One day Vishnuchithan spotted a few strands of hair in the garland. Deeply saddened and furious, he rebuked Kodhai for this sacrilege and offered a fresh new garland throwing the first one. He vehemently sought forgiveness from the deity for committing such an impropriety.
That very night God appeared in Vishnuchithan’s dream and gently asked him, “Why did you discard Kodhai’s garland, my child?”
Vishnuchithan, still burdened by the guilt of Kodhai’s misdeed, recounted to the Lord what sacrilege Kodhai had been doing.
Lord tenderly replied, “I don’t like this new garland you have offered me, my child. I long for Kodhai’s garland for I want to smell her presence. I will accept your garlands only if Kodhai first embellishes them.” Saying this the Lord disappeared leaving Vishnuchithan deeply overwhelmed. He was now feeling remorseful for not being able to discern his daughter’s pure and profound love for the Lord. Tears flooded his eyes thinking her love was so intense that even God wanted to wear the garlands worn by her.
From that day onward, Kodhai came to be known as ‘Andal’- the girl who captured the heart of the almighty himself.
As Andal reached a marriageable age, her father began looking for a suitable groom however Andal, who had already resolved to marry only Lord Krishna, adamantly refused to marry any other mortal human being. Considering it a mere childish and impractical desire, her father kept on looking for an ideal groom.
One fateful night Lord Ranganathan again appeared in Vishnuchithan’s dream and with divine authority commanded him saying, “Adorn Andal in a beautiful bridal attire, with all the jewellery and ornaments, and bring her to the Srirangam Temple, for I wish to marry her.”
At the same time Lord Ranganathan also appeared in the dreams of Srirangam Temple priest and ordered him to start preparing for his wedding because his bride-to-be Andal was going to come to the temple to tie the knot with him.
Wrapped in an ambivalent emotion, feeling both joy for his daughter’s divine marriage with the Lord and sorrow for her departure, Vishnuchithan dressed her in a resplendent bridal attire and carried her to the Srirangam Temple in an elegantly decorated palanquin.
Thrilled for her wedding, Andal couldn’t restrain herself once they reached the temple, so she jumped out of the palanquin in her excitement and enveloped the Lord Ranganathan’s idol in a warm embrace on entering the sanctum of the temple.
According to folklores, Andal vanished in an effulgent light as soon as she embraced the Lord’s idol, symbolising her ultimate union with her beloved Lord. That day she became one with the Lord and it is quite interesting to note that Andal is the only female saint who actually succeeded in marrying her divine Lord.
Achievement
Andal is the embodiment of mystic poetry, eternal and pure love, feminism, female devotion, and defiance. Her notable achievements are:
- Literary Legacy
Andal is the quintessential passionate poetess enriching Tamil literature with her majestic poems. Andal is known for expressing her feelings of love, devotion, lust, yearning, anguish, and rage for the Lord via her melodious poems. She has contributed two profound works to the Tamil literature – Tiruppavai and Nachiyar Tirumoli.
Tiruppavai is a collection of 30 hymns in which Andal imagines herself to be a Gopi or a cowherder girl serving Lord Krishna for eternity. She illustrates her deep longing and love for Lord Krishna in the poem.
Nachiyar Tirumoli is yet another significant contribution of her comprising a collection of 143 verses, suggesting to offer 1000 pots of ‘akkaravadisal’ to the God if he agrees to marry her. Nachiyar means goddess and Tirumoli means sacred sayings so the title literally means ‘sacred sayings of the goddess’.
- Epitome of Beauty
Goddess Andal was so enthralling and magnificent that she is still considered the quintessential beauty in Tamil Nadu. There’s a popular saying in Tamil Nadu that beautifully encapsulates this sentiment, “You are looking like Andal.”
- Pioneer of Female Devotion
Andal is the only woman among twelve Alvar saints. Andal defied the societal norms with her tenacious devotion and profound eternal love for the Lord. She received education at a time when it was restricted only to the male of the society. Andal with her resolute determination emerged as one of the earliest pioneers of female devotion underscoring that devotion knows no gender.
- Movies After Andal
A movie called ‘Sri Andal’ was produced paying homage to the timeless and divine legacy of Goddess Andal and her unwavering devotion and love for Lord Krishna.
Legacy
Godadevi or goddess Andal is a well-known household name in Tamil Nadu. People never get bored of listening her story. She is a revered deity of Tamil Nadu who is considered an avatar of goddess Bhudevi. It is due to her resounding and stupendous legacy that she is worshipped in Srivilliputhur Andal Temple.
Even now Lord Ranganathan is offered garland only after goddess Andal has adorned it. This practise is a testament to her majestic devotion and the divine union with the Lord. It also shows her historical and cultural significance in the hearts of Tamilians.
Andal would always stand out as a female poet-saint for her timeless poetry and devotion. Her legacy still continues to inspire generations.
O black cuckoo what ravaged garden girds
your song? Whirr plaintively instead a blue-
note for the one with a fluttering banner
on an immaculate field who alone
holds the purpose of my life as mere song in his paws
that we will both hear to vanish with us.
