Nachiyar Thirumozhi Breaking the Sand Castle

If a girl’s heart is broken, even sugar candy will taste bitter

In the 2^nd decad of Nachiyar Thirumozhi, Andal implores with her beloved Lord not to break the beautiful sand castles built by the young innocent girls alongside the river. This is a decad showcasing the playful side of the great Lord and how he finds delight in small things such as breaking the sand castle. In some ways, he is testing out the true devotion and seeing how they are reacting to his ‘irritating’ actions.

Interestingly, while she and her father (Periyazhvar) have pre - dominantly looked at the Lord in his Krishna Avatara, Andal refers in different verses in this decad to the Lord’s Rama and Vamana Avatara and the Lord’s achievements in these Avataras.

Continuing from the first decad, Andal says that she has waited till Panguni (after beginning her vows in Margazhi) for Kamadeva to take a ‘lover’s call’ to come and unite her with the Lord.

Dreaming about her beloved, she and the many young girls of Gokulam have made tiny little sand castles. She asks him not to display his naughty self and break the sand castles that have been so lovingly constructed. She praises her beloved as one with a 1000 names and presents a beautiful indirect phrase to solve her problems.

‘If he became her mother’s/ aunt’s son in law, it would bring to an end all her problems in life.’

நாம மாயிரம் ஏத்த நின்ற நாராயணா

உன்னை மாமி தன் மகனாகப் பெற்றால்

எமக்கு வாதை தவிருமே

காமன் போதரு காலமென்று பங்குனி நாள் பாரித்தோம்

தீமை செய்யும் சிரீதரா 

எங்கள் சிற்றில் வந்து சிதையேலே

He still refuses to accept her love

Praising the Lord as one who reclines on the banyan leaf, Andal showcases her toil through the day that has got her a back ache in constructing a beautiful sand castle for him. She wants her beloved to come and take a look at the lovingly made sand castle. While she is lovingly pleading with him for his gracious looks, she says that it is perhaps her misfortune and the sins of the past life that he is unresponsive to her requests.

என்றும் உன் தனக்கு எங்கள் மேல் இரக்கமெழாதது எம்பாவமே 

Further praising the Lord as reclining on the serpent in the milky ocean and his powers as one who came on a majestic lion and as one who saved the mighty elephant from the dreaded crocodile, Andal once again addressing him directly shares with him the loving sand castles that have tired the hands, which are now in severe pain as a result of the day long toil. All she is asking for is for him to not tease her by giving that glance with his beautiful eyes and pleads with him to not break those sand castles as his next action.

உன்னைக் கண்டு மாலுறு வோங்களைக்

கடைக் கண்களாலிட்டு வாதியேல்

Praises his Personality

Andal praises the special features of the Lord. She describes him as one with sapphire hue complexion that resembles the dark black cloud. The moment she listens to his words and watches him in action she is blissful impacted as if drawn by some magic. She praises his eyes as being like red lotus. In contrast to his delightful features and his striking personality, she accepts that she is ignorant and of simple nature and does not know the right choice of words. She is trying her best to be careful in not uttering harsh words that might inflict pain on him.

நொய்யர் பிள்ளைகலென்பதற்கு 

உன்னை நோவ நாங்கள் உரைக்கிலோம்

செய்ய தாமரைக் கண்ணிளாய்

எங்கள் சிற்றில் வந்து சிதையேலே

Andal praises her beloved as being adept in the art of deception and guile. She says that if he uses this art to break their lovingly made sand castles, it would be heartbreaking for a lot of pain has gone into decorating the entire street with neatly drawn kolams. While her heart will melt and she will feel grieved, she will still endure his torments without getting angry. All she is asking for is for his beautiful eyes to grace her love in the proper way it should be.

Rama Avatara

Praising her lord as one who built a beautiful bridge across the huge ocean and went across to defeat Rakshasha king, she says that she has not yet learnt the art of playing the games around the sand castles and asks her beloved not to shatter her dreams that has been lovingly built.

Portraying an innocent feel, Andal wants the Lord to showcase his games with his peers who are intellectually strong. She calls it a waste of his powers to display his powers with these innocent ones by breaking the sand castles that has been lovingly built for him. His words will smell sweet only if uttered to mature ladies.

பேத நன்கறிவார்களோடு இவை பேசினால்

பெரிது இன்சுவை

யாது ஒன்றும் அறியாத பிள்ளைகளோமை 

நீ நலிந்து என் பயன்

Andal says that the young girls are enjoying themselves playing petty games with the mud pot and small winnows around the sand castle that they have made with a lot of love and care. There is a lot of excitement around these. 

வட்ட வாய்ச் சிறு தூதையோடு

சிறு சுளகும் மணலும் கொண்டு

இட்டமா விளையாடு வோங்களைச்  

சிற்றிலீடழித்து என் பயன்

தொட்டு தைத்து நலியேல் கண்டாய்  

It would not make sense for him to come and spoil their fun with a single kick of their sand castles. She uses a beautiful comparison to prevent him from spoiling their fun.

She says that if a girl's heart is broken, even sugar candy will taste bitter.

கட்டியும் கைத்தால் இன்னாமை அறிதியே

Vamana Avatara

Praising the Vamana Avatara of the Lord where he effortlessly measured the entire world in a single step, Andal says that he has stolen the hearts of the innocent young girls with his sweet face and lovely smile. These features of his can win over any beautiful girl. Along with breaking the sand castles, he has also broken into many hearts.

சிற்றிலோடு எங்கள் சிந்தையும் சிதைக்கக் கடவையோ

Andal queries if it will not become a topic of gossip with the residents of Gokulam when he takes the young innocent girls in his embrace?

எம்மைப் பற்றி மெய்ப்பிணக் கிட்டக்கால்

 இந்தப் பக்கம் நின்றவர் என்சொல்லார் 

This decad showcases the playful side of the Lord and his Leela undertaken for spontaneous joy, with the young girls of Gokulam. 

Paripatal Nalleluniyaar Invocatory Song

‘We are blessed to be able to worship the Lord with our folded hands’

The 13^th Paripatal is on Tirumaal, the 5^th such on Lord Vishnu. It is a short poem by Nalleluniyaar with just over 60lines. The poet begins with an invocation describing the greatness of the Lord. He praises the Lord, his flag and his discus, his form, floral ornaments, golden garments and his weapons.

Adorned with the heart of a lovely flower, he shines like the resplendent morning Sun set against the rising clouds in the Sapphire Hills. He praises the Garuda Flag as being lovely and his discus as being dreaded by the asuras. He describes the Lord’s conch and chakra as shining like the Sun and the Moon on either side of the sky. His chest is full of grand jewels.

The poet ends the introductory verse with an assurance to the devotees that those who sincerely offer their prayers to the Lord will attain Vaikuntam.

Lord’s All Pervasive Powers

He then praises Vishnu as the all pervasive Supreme Lord. He is the senses of Five - of taste and sound, light and smell and touch. Like a few of the earlier poets in Paripatal, he too has praised the Lord as one who is the five sensory organs, 5 elements in all the triple 7 worlds. The poet praises the Lord as one beyond all divisions of time.

சுவைமை இசைமை தோற்றம் நாற்றம் ஊறு

அவையும் நீயே

அவை அவை கொள்ளும் கருவியும் நீயே

முந்து யாம் கூறிய ஐந்தனுள்ளும்

ஒன்றனில் போற்றிய விசும்பும் நீயே

இரண்டின் உணரும் வளியும் நீயே

மூன்றின் உணரும் தீயும் நீயே

நான்கின் உணரும் நீரும் நீயே

 ஐந்துடன் முற்றிய நிலனும் நீயே

He makes a mention of Moolam referring to Prakriti containing Satva, Rajas and Tamas in equal measure causing pleasure and pain and is always righteous in his actions. The Lord is not only the origin and source of all creations but he is also the essence and essential virtues. The poet ends each line with ‘Neeye’ referring to the Lord as everything.

Praising Balarama

He is in Conscious slumber in the sea of milk upon Serpent. The Poet here equates Lord Balarama as Lord Vishnu himself and praises him as one with the dreaded Plough with which he plunders his enemies.

Varaha Avatara

The Poet also praises the Varaha Avatara where he took to a Boar and with its mighty tusk lifted the sub merged earth from the nether world.

Lavish Praise of Garuda

ஏவல் இன் முது மொழி கூறும்

சேவல் ஓங்கு உயர் கொடிச் செல்வா நல் புகழவை

Interesting, like many of the earlier poets, he too praises the greatness of Garuda. He praises the Lord as one who has the great Garuda flag whose wings are spread wide. Garuda is referred to as on who is the eternal enemy of the Serpent race. As directed by the Lord, Garuda even chants the Vedas.

Lord’s Personality

He is praised as one of dark complexion and compares it to the blue sapphire, Kaya Flowers and Jasper Sea (almost a similar description of the Lord is found in the first decad of Andal’s Nachiyar Thirumozhi). He is one who adorns a lovely cloth of gold, a crown and the Garuda flag. The Lord’s chest is adorned with sacred Tulasi garlands

His eyes, hands and lips are described as resembling the lotus flowers. He praises the different features of his personality as being large. His arm, navel, elbow rings, nape, feet, shoulders, his heart, chest and back are all large, praises the poet. 

His eyes are praised as being red even when not in an angry mood. Tirumaal loves sacrifices made by his devotees, says the poet.

Conclusion

The poet describes the Lord’s intention as being always protect his devotees. He says that the merit of his previous birth alone has earned him the blessing of adoring the feet of the God. ‘We are blessed to be able to worship the Lord with our folded hands’. And that the poet says is his only desire -  to be able to adore his divine feet at all points of time.

நின் அடி தொழுதனெம்......... 
முன்னும் முன்னும் யாம் செய் தவப் பயத்தால் 
இன்னும் இன்னும் எம் காமம் இதுவே 

The two distinguishing features yet again in this Paripatal are the references to Balarama and Garuda and the unleashing of verses of praise on them, clearly indicating that the two were popular at that point of time.

Nachiyar Thirumozhi Kama Deva Andal

Andal addresses Kama Deva with her Prayers to attain her Lord- Prayers continue from Margazhi to Panguni

‘If you don’t unite me with my beloved, your reputation as the God of Love will go for a toss’ – ANDAL to MANMATHA

Having spent the entire month of Margazhi making several vows and having undertaken severe austerities invoking the Lord’s blessings to attain him, a devoted Andal, unfazed by the Lord’s refusal to accept, continued her persistence into Thai. But this time she adopted a different approach turning to Manmatha, the God of Love to explain her unflinching love for Lord Krishna and seeking his help.

In the 1^st decad of 14 of the Nachiyar Thirumozhi, Andal focuses entirely on addressing Kama Deva wanting him to help her unite with her beloved. She praises him, lures him, requests and pleads with him to take her to her Lord before cautioning and threatening him on the consequences of not getting her united with her beloved.

Through these set of verses she sings praise of her beloved’s greatness, his personality and his achievements. She also describes the personality of Kama Deva and repeatedly seeks his help also cautioning and threatening him about the consequences of not providing her with the support to reach her Lord.

Thai Rituals - Mid January

She performs more rituals in Thai continuing from Margazhi. She says that she is purifying the place - by clearing all the impurities with water and cow dung- with devotional circles and diagrams (she refers to this as MANDALA in the very first verse of Nachiyar Thirumozhi) drawn on the ground in an effort to reach him. She beings her adddress to the God of Love referring to him as Anga Deva and praising him as one who is the source of all desires. Since she is now in a state of total love with Lord Krishna, she is of the view that Kama Deva is the right one to help her reach her beloved.

தையொரு திங்களும் தரை விளக்கித்

தன் மண்டல மிட்டு மாசி முன்னாள்

இய நுண் மண்ற கொண்டு தெருவணிந்து

அழகினுக் கலங்கரித்து அனங்க தேவா

Praise of Lord of Thiru Venkatam

She continues this attempt into the early days of Maasi as well by beautifying the streets with fine decoration drawing the attention of the God of Love and invoking his blessings and that of his younger brother Shyama pleading with them to allow her to perform continuous service to the Lord of Thiruvenkatam, whom she describes as one wielding the discus.

உய்யவுமாங் கொலோ வென்று சொல்லி

உன்னையும் உம்பியையும் தொழுதேன்

True Love and Andal’s Prayers

Andal explains further the efforts taken by her. Waking up early, she has had bath much before dawn in the cool chilly river. And then decorated the streets with fine white sand and presented thorn-less twigs for the sacrificial fire.

வெள்ளை நுண் மணற கொண்டு தெருவணிந்து

வேல்வரைப்பதன் முன்னம் துறை படிந்து

முள்ளு மில்லாச் சுள்ளி யெரி மடுத்து

முயன்று உன்னை நோற்கின்றேன் காமதேவா  

Having thus undertaken penance, she asks Kama Deva to take her to the Lord’s side by directing his loving arrows that she describes as being flowery inscribing it with her beloved’s name.

கள்ளவிழ் பூங்கணை தொதுடுத்துக் கொண்டு

கடல் வண்ண னென்பதோர் பேரெழுதி

She is so determined to attain her beloved that she says she is praying thrice a day with fragrant medicinal herbs and milk white weed fig flowers. She once again pleads with Manmatha to send his loving flowery arrows inscribing the name Govinda and to release the arrows from his bow in a way that it reaches her Lord at Thiru Venkatam.

மத்த நன்னறு மலர் முருக்க மலர் கொண்டு

முப்போதும் உன்னடி வணங்கி

She reminds Manmatha of the many things that she had presented to him. Did she not inscribe his name on the walls and offered him the Great Pandya Flag with that famous fish sign as well as the royal horses too. She made him bows of sugarcane and to keep him cool she had even prayed for the celestial beauties to fan him with the sacred chamaras.

And now is hoping that the destiny’s direction will help her reach the Lord of Dwaraka.

சுவரில் புராண நின் பேரெழுதிச்

சுறவ நற் கொடிகளும் துரங்கங்களும்

கவரிப் பிணாக்களும் கருப்பு வில்லும்

காட்டித் தந்தேன் கண்டாய் காமதேவா

Request turns to Caution

In the initial set of verses, Andal requests, pleads and asks for help from Manmatha to take her to her beloved. And as months pass by, one finds a sense of frustration at the delay. For the first time, she mildly cautions him that by not taking her to her beloved, he would be abusing a loving heart and that his reputation as the God of Love who is involved in uniting lovers may be spoilt.

Having started with the penance in Thai (after unsuccessful prayers in Margazhi), she has now moved into Panguni. Every day she is performing the special rites relating to Panguni in order to attain him chanting hymns and sacred verses from the Vedas along with other experts.

Threatening Comparison

Andal then provides a beautiful comparison to describe her mad love for the Lord and threatens Manamatha further.

A wily jackal made its way from the forest and pollutes the sacred place by licking the sacrificial offerings that Vedic seers had kept specifically and exclusively for the Lord. Similar to these sacrificial offerings, her body too is fully dedicated for the Lord who has conch and chakra as his distinctive features and if the God of Love had any plans to marry her off to any normal man (anyone other than the one whom she is seeking and madly in love with) similar to the cunning fox taking away the sacrificial offerings that were directed at the Lord, she may not live any longer and he would have to take the blame for that. He asks him to make note of this.

மானிடவர்கென்று பேச்சுப் படில்

வாழ கில்லேன் கண்டாய் மன்மதனே

From Margazhi, now to Panguni

Having begun the Nachiyar Thirumozhi with prayers in Thai, through the first decad, she has already moved a few months into Panguni. 

This is similar to her father’s description of Krishna’s infancy in the Periyazhvar Thirumozhi where he praised the celebrations around his birth and how days and months passed by in no time (நால்கலோர் நாள் ஐந்து திங்கள் அளவிலே) - That was more a happy time as a result of the child’s unique activities. However, here the time is passing by in the hope that Manmatha would finally relent and take her to the Lord.

Describes Lord’s Features

Andal describes the Lord as seen elsewhere in Nalayira Divya Prabhandham as well as in Paripatal as one of dark complexion like the rain cloud, the blue sea, Karuvilai flower and the dark Kaya flowers. She also praises the physical strength of the Lord describing him as a powerful one who could even tear open the deadly demon Bakasura.

கருவுடை முகில் வண்ணன் காயா வண்ணன்

கருவிளை போல் வண்ணன் கமல வண்ணத்

திருவுடை முகத்தினில் திருக் கண்களால்

திருந்தவே நோக் கெனக் கருள் கண்டாய்

Describing his eyes as being like red lotus, she asks Manmatha to get her Lord to set his beautiful eyes on her. She praises her Lord as a bachelor who had measured the entire world.

Luring Manmatha for Sweet Eats

Andal then lures Kama Deva with tasty food and sweeteners. She presents him with Paddy, Flaked Seeds, Rice and Syrup of Sugar and juice made of sugar cane.

காயுடை நெல்லோடு கரும்பமைத்துக்

கட்டி அரிசி அவலமைத்து

வாயுடை மறையவர் மந்திரத்தால்

மன்மதனே உன்னை வணங்கு கின்றேன்

Andal informs Kama Deva about the extent she is going with the severity of her penance.

Keeping her body filthy, her hair unkempt and her lips discoloured, she says she eats only once a day and worships Kama Deva thrice a day (as seen above). She implores him to take serious note of these initiatives in her endeavour to reach the Lord.

மாசுடை யுடம்பொடு தலை யுலறி

வாய்புறம் வெளுத்து ஒரு போதுமுண்டு

Praises Manmatha

And praising Manmatha as the Great God of Love and one who is handsome and brave, Andal asks him to protect her feminine charm by granting her the opportunity to press the feet of her Lord.

கேசவ நம்பியை கால் பிடிப்பா

லென்னும் இப்பேறு எனக்கு அருள் கண்டாய்

Beautiful Comparison and THE FINAL THREAT TO MANMATHA

Towards the end of this first decad, she reminds Kama Deva of her sincerity in presenting flowers at his feet thrice a day and threatens him yet another time. Comparing her current state to a bullock that is beaten by her driver and not fed good food at the end of the day despite having toiled hard and sincerely through the day, she says that if she too is denied the selfless and loving service to her beloved despite having offered her sincere prayers to the God of Love ( and to her beloved Lord), she will create a public scene and cry out loud with a deep sense of pain that will then affect badly his reputation as the God of Love and his ability to unite true love may be put into questions!!!!

பழுதின்றி பார்க்கடல் வண்ணனுக்கே

பணி செய்து வாழப் பெறாவிடில்

நான் அழுதழ தளமந்தம்மா வழங்க

ஆதரவும் அது உனக்கு உரைக்கும் கண்டாய்