Paasuram (Stanza)

nORRuc cuvarkkam puguginRa ammanaay! *

maaRRamum thaaraarO vaasal thiRavaadhaar *

naaRRath thuzhaay mudi naaraayaNan * nammaal

pORRap paRai tharum puNNiyanaal * pandu oru naaL

kooRRaththin vaay veezhndha kumbakarNanum *

thORRum unakkE perunthuyil thaan thandhaanO *

aaRRa anandhal udaiyaay! arungalamE *

thERRamaay vandhu thiRavElOr embaavaay.

Meaning Courtesy: https://ramanuja.org/sv/alvars/andal/tiruppavai/verse10.html

{Additional sites: http://www.asayana.com/religion/18-2/and http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/ebooks/tpv/}

Context: Andal's thirty songs contain the cardinal principles of Vaishnava dharma during the month of Marghazhi. Vaishnavas sing these songs to bring peace, prosperity and Divine Grace. Andal assumes the guise of a cowherd girl in these 30 verses. Andal appears intent upon performing a particular religious vow to marry the Lord, thereby obtain His everlasting company, and inviting all her girl-friends to join her. Towards the end we learn that she did not actually perform a religious rite; but is simply praying to be granted the service of the Lord for eternity. She yearns for everlasting happiness and service of the Lord.

The second section of Sri Andal’s Thiruppavai consists of 10 verses beginning with the above 6th verse and sets out to wake up 10 girls to join Andal for the Margazhi worship. Each verse is an attempt to awaken one of the girls and adopts a different reasoning and pleading. The common theme however is citing the reason for waking up ie to worship the Lord, and the Lord who is to be worshipped is referenced citing his many splendorous qualities and pertinent deeds that He performed during his incarnations in this earth.

Oh blessed girl, who by virtue of her earlier worships is destined to unite with the Lord in heaven, please open the door, why are you not even responding with words to our call ? Have you been handed over the sleep of the demon Kumbakarna ? Kumbakarna who was slain by Lord Rama, the embodiment of dharma who is adorned by tulsi mala, with fragrant hair, who is worshipped by us and is full of virtues. Oh sleepy slovenly girl, please wake up adorn yourself and come and open the door and join us in the Paavai Nonbu.