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.