Andal Megha Sandhesham

Taking her message to the Lord through the Clouds

First it was the Cuckoo, then the Conch and Now its the Beautiful Dark Clouds

Having earlier addressed the Cuckoo seeking help to attain her beloved and then praising the special position of the Conch and making enquiries with him about the Lord, Andal now engages with the cloud. Through the Nachiyar Thirumozhi verses, Andal showcases the different modes of communication adopted in those days to reach the Lord.

She enquires if the Lord accompanies the dark cloud that spreads the entire sky like a canopy. With her breasts swollen out of anxiety she poses a question to the clouds if the Lord finds pleasure in destroying a lady’s beautiful personality. While the dark clouds are bringing in streams of water at Venkatam, tears of sorrow are rolling down her cheeks one to her bosom. She asks if seeing his beloved in such a sorrowful state will bring him any fame!!!

விண்ணீல மேலாப்பு விரித்தார் போல் மேகங்கள்

தெண்ணீர் பாய் வேங்கடத்து என் திருமாலும் போந்தானே

கண்ணீர்கள் முலைக் குவட்டில் துளி சோரச் சோர்வேனை

பெண்ணீர்மை யீடழிக்கும் இது தமக்கு ஓர் பெருமையே

Cool Breeze of the night impacting her

Praising the clouds as raining precious pearls, she enquires on the latest news about her beloved and his well being. She is waiting for the cool breeze of the night to come and give her some comfort. And then the fever of love has beseeched her entire body and through the night the cool breeze is adding to the vigour of the flame that has been lit by the oil. However, she stands waiting for him unmindful of this torrid chilly state looking for solace in him.

Losing her physical features

Andal provides insights into how women can lose their personality as a result of the unresponsive attitude of their beloved.

She has been missing the Lord so much that she informs the clouds that she has lost her lustre, colour, bangles, senses and ever her sleep. Her longing for the Lord and the absence of communication from him have all of a sudden taken away her beautiful personality. The grief caused by the Lord has resulted in a lot of her physical assets deserting her one by one.

Her special features in her body, bangles, bracelets and her peace have all gone. She asks the clouds if she can hold on to her soul singing his praise for a little while longer and if the clouds will share her current state with the Lord and help them unite.

She wants to know from the beautiful rain bearing clouds as to how much longer will she have to keep up her high flying spirits that seem to be slowly fading.

ஒளிவண்ணம் வளைசிந்தை உறக்கத்தோடு இவை யெல்லாம்

எளிமையால் இட்டு என்னை ஈடழியப் போயினவால்

குளிரருவி வேங்கடத்து என் கோவிந்தன் குணம் பாடி

அளியாத்த மேகங்காள் ஆவி காத்திருப்பேனே

Praising her beloved as one whose chest is resplendent with the presence of Sri, Andal directs the clouds to inform her Lord that her breasts are waiting for his embrace.

Heavy Rains as a communication message

Andal directs the dark clouds to hover over Venkatam and share this message with her Lord. And then getting a little angry and a bit frustrated, she wants to use the rain as a communication tool to pass on the message of her anxiety. She asks the clouds to gather dark over Venkatam and pour in buckets there so the Lord understands her woes.

What about my bangles that he took

Praising the clouds as one congregating in big waves and rising high in the sky and then resulting in torrential downpour, she wants the beautiful dark clouds to ask her beloved if he will return the bangles that he took away from her (like she did with the cuckoos). The remaining bangles are sliding down as the hands have become thinner. With the sadness that has been gripping her of late. And the only reason she has managed to survive is because of the fact the she continues to recite his names.

வான் கொண்டு கிளர்ந்தெழுந்த மாமுகில்காள் வேங்கடத்துத்

தேன் கொண்ட மலர் சிதறச்  திரண்டேறிப் போழிவீர்காள்

ஊன் கொண்ட வள்ளுகிரால் இரணியனை உடலிடந்தான்

தான் கொண்ட சரி வளைகள் தருமாகில் சாற்றுமினே

She compares her current dry status to the wood apple that has been dried by fruit flies hovering over them. Praising the cloud as covering the entire landscape of sky, she requests the clouds to share her current deplorable state of ailing with her Lord.

உலங்க்குண்ட விளங்கனி போல் உல்மெலியைப் புகுந்து என்னை 

நலங் கொண்ட நாரணற்க்கு என் நடலை நோய் செப்புமினே 

Seeking the Lord’s Love

She wants the clouds to share her desire to achieve complete surrender at the Lord’s feet. And she is seeking union with him just for a day so his loving embrace will erase the saffron smeared on her breasts. She wants the clouds to communicate to the Lord that her breasts are still young and yearning for his loving embrace.

சங்கமா கடல் கடைந்தான் தண்முகில்காள் வேங்கடத்து

செங்கண் மால் சேவடிச் கீழ் அடி வீழ்ச்சி விண்ணப்பம்

கொங்கை மேல் குங்குமத்தின் குழம்பழியப் புகுந்து ஒரு நாள்

தங்கு மேல் என்னாவி தங்குமென்று உரையீரே

Spring Goes, Monsoon Arrives

And then months pass. It is now monsoon time. Referring to the clouds as dark monsoon clouds, she says that her hopes have fallen apart in recent times like a withered leaves that fall to the ground following a heavy rain. Similar to the falling leaves of Erukku plant that are lying scattered in dust on the ground, Andal shares her sadness with the clouds saying that her hopes too are fading and that her body has drooped in recent times due to the tiredness of waiting for his arrival. She asks the clouds if there is any hope for her at all.

கார் காலத் தெழகின்ற கார்முகில்காள் வேங்கடத்து

போர் காலத் தெழுந்தருளிப் போருந்தவனார் பேர் சொல்லி

நீர் காலத் தெருக்கில் அம்பழ விலை போல் வீழ்வேனை

வார் காலத்து ஒரு நாள் தம் வாசகம் தந்தருளாரே

With the monsoon having arrived, Andal now compares the magnitude of the clouds to a huge mad elephant that is roaring and raging in anger. Hitting out angrily at the Lord, she threatens him that the world will lose the reverence for him if he continues his current attitude. He had promised refuge to his true devotees but has failed to keep his word. He will be seen as the one responsible for her death arising out of misery of not being able to attain him.

What happens to Devotees' belief in Him

She shares her lonely feeling with the clouds stating that she seeks refuge only in him. And how then can he let her down. The blame that he deserted a loving girl will ever be cast on him by the people of this world. Despite her sincere meditation, she has not heard from him. She has not received even a word of solace. His message that he offers protection may be deemed as untrue in the future, if she commits suicide. And that will bring him a bad name from his devotees across the world.

மத யானை போலெழுந்த மா முகில்காள் வேங்கடத்தைப்

பதியாக வாழ்வீர்காள் பாம்பணையான் வார்த்தை என்னே

கதியென்றும் தானாவான் கருதாது ஓர் பெண் கொடியை

வதை செய்தா னென்னும் சொல் வைய கத்தார் மதியாரே

In several of these verses in NT, Andal showcases the different approaches that can be adopted to reach out to the Lord and instils confidence in us that even birds and clouds can be addressed to communicate our messages to the Lord provided we have true devotion.