Vamana

 Wishing all a very Happy Tiruonam

Tiruppavai 24

Krishna is elegantly seated on the throne.  

The gopikas adore his magical charm. They are grateful that Krishna has accepted their request to participate in the sacred bath.

Overwhelmed with the Darshan of the Lord, they express their gratitude and sing the glory of the Lord’s feet.   

“Long ago, you measured this Universe with your feet. Glory to those feet !!

“You went south to Lanka and killed Ravana, who held Sita captive. Glory to your valour !!

“Shakatasura came in the form of a cart to kill you. You destroyed him with your kick, even as a child.   (It was so unbelievable, you became famous.)  

Glory to your feet and Glory to your everlasting fame !!

“You used Vatsasura as a stick and smashed it against a wood-apple tree (another asura), in one shot.

Your admirable stance when you used your feet to whirl the calf around and throw it at the tree!  Glory to those feet !! 

“You lifted the Govardhan mountain like an umbrella ; Glory to that quality of extraordinary grace !!  

“You wield a powerful spear that wins over your opponents and removes any trace of enmity !!  Glory to that spear in your hand.   

“We’ve all come today to seek the accessories required for the sacred bath.  Please be compassionate to us. We only seek eternal servitude to you.”  

(The word Bhagavan has six attributes. Gnana, Shakti, Balam, Aishwaryam, Veeryam and Thejas. Andal praises all these aspects in this verse.)  

Tiruppavai 05

 20-12-25 | Bhagavatha , Gopika , Tiruppavai , Damodara

The Mayavi.

 

Everyone has a doubt. 

Does God talk to us? Does he mingle with us like normal folk? Can he sit amongst us to chat and have a conversation with us? Will he play with us? He answered all this with his avatar as Krishna - pure Joy. He also restores dharma. 

 

Andal calls Krishna as Maayavi. She elaborates the power of his Maya. He jumps out of a pillar as Narasimha, goes to Mahabali as Vamana and transforms into Thrivikrama, and now incarnates as Krishna, living amongst the cowherds.

 

That’s the wonderful power of Maya. He leaves his comfy snake-bed in Ksheerasagara and chooses Mathura as his home. It is here that Krishna does wonders — he played with everyone in the banks of the Yamuna. When the scriptures were searching for the Supreme, he enriched them with complete Brahmanubhava (the experience with the divine).

 

He chose to be with the cowherds and became a leading light of that community. The gopikas were overjoyed and celebrated Krishna for having chosen to be with them all. Above all, he allowed himself to be tied to a grinding mortar by his mother, Yashoda — showing that he can be won over by love. 

 

Now Andal tells the young gopikas about the ways to worship Krishna. She stresses primarily on purity of the mind. She says Krishna is here, as the antaryami. Where you are. A place which is pure and clean is where god resides. We need not go anywhere in search of him. The gopikas do not know how to string a garland. They just collect different flowers from the plants and offer it gently at his feet. 

Andal says one can sing his glories folding their hands (Anjali) and thinking about him in the mind. When the prayer is sincere, all their sins in the past, present and future will be erased without a trace like dust on fire. 

Tiruppavai 03

 

TIruppavai 03

18-12-25 | Bhagavatha , Gopika , Tiruppavai , Dashavatara , Guru and Devotee

Andal leads the way to the sacred bath, as a part of their austerities, singing the glory of Trivikrama. The one who conquered the three worlds in just two strides, with the third step on Mahabali’s head. She calls him Uthama  (Who can be so benevolent, to claim his own property in alms!) 

She begins to list out the benefits of completing these austerities:

 
“This vow will help our land receive copious rains thrice a month in equal intervals, bringing in prosperity, bountiful crops* of red paddy etc.,

The fish will jump about amidst tall stalks of large red paddy crops. 

 

The bees hovering over the flowers will drink honey and fall asleep amidst the petals.  

 

The generous cows, will yield milk profusely by a mere touch on their udders.  

 

Thus, the whole country will be filled with good wealth and prosperity which will be unhindered.”

————

(Notes for the seeker: )  

Rains three times a month:  attaining fruits of the austerities - When the disciple surrenders (Saranagathi) to the Supreme, initiated by the Acharya.

The strong fish jumping with joy in the paddy fields:  Happy Acharyas , who recognize that their efforts have borne fruit .
Narayana is the bee who sleeps in our heart (Hrdaya Kamalam) without worry, like a content farmer who has realized abundant crops. His work through his AchAryAs has been successful.  

Generous cows : The most generous Acharyas, who just need a small nudge to explain any doubt in detail, without expecting anything in return.  

 *(In olden times, it was the practice of the farmers sing ‘Raghu Rama’ while transplanting paddy seedlings).

Trivikrama

 

Andal in Vraj 24

 

08-01-25 | Krishna Leela , Gopika , Tiruppavai , Dashavatara

Andal now sings the glories of Krishna. There are six qualities which are in Him, which make Him Bhagavan. 

1. O’Krishna! Glories to your feet (as Vamana) which straddled the entire earth!
    
2. Rama! you’ve walked all the way to Lanka for the sake of Sita. How much pain your legs must have borne!! Glories to your feet!
    
3. O’ Krishna! Your soft little feet kicked an asura in the form of a cart and broke it into pieces. Glories to those feet! 
    
4. O’ Lord (Balarama)! You threw the asura calf as a stick to bring down another asura in the form of a wood apple tree — Glories to your feet! (as it was the slight bend of feet which gave more momentum to hit the tree). 
    
5. O’ Krishna! You held the Goverdhan standing on your feet for seven days, to protect your devotees. Glories to such quality of protecting your devotees! 
    
6. O’ krishna! Glory to your thejas! Your Sudarshana chakra always protects us from all harm.
7. 
   
   
   
   

Andal in Vraj 03 - The glory of Vamana

 Andal hails the glory of Vamana who curbed the pride of Mahabali. 
The vow of austerities when complete will bring in bountiful rains.  She also commends the services of the  graceful gurus.

The Story of Vamana

 

Brahma Washes Trivikrama’s Foot

 

Universal Grace - Trivikrama

 

Trivikrama Avatar

Trivikrama Avatar - when Jambhavan circumambulated the cosmic form of Vamana. Happy Vamana Jayanti and 

Happy Onam

Trivikrama

 

Vamana

Bhagiratha's mighty penance was instrumental in bringing down the heavenly river Ganga. Krishna, as Vamana the dwarf, takes a majestic form and raises his second step to the skies to humble Mahabali. On this occasion, Brahma, on a lotus chariot drawn by swans, washes Krishna's feet which becomes the Ganga (Brahma kadigina Padamu). Siva prepares himself standing atop the Himalayas, untying His locks of matter hair, to contain the force of Ganga on his head. Swamy Desikan, depicts this in his Shloka Dehalisa Stuthi, his observation on the stars in the sky. First it becomes the garland on Vamana's neck, when He grows bigger it becomes the girdle and finally it is just an anklet for His leg. This glorious spectacle, happens in a matter of seconds, where all the three manifestations of Krishna come together for the benefit of humanity. 

Trivikrama

 

Vamana

 Wishing all a very happy Onam