Tiruppāvai — Pāśuram 13

புள்ளின் வாய் கீண்டானைப் பொல்லா அரக்கனை

கிள்ளிக் களைந்தானைக் கீர்த்திமை பாடிப் போய்

Pullin vāy kīṇḍānai polla arakkanai

Kiḷḷik kaḷaintānai kīrttimai pāḍip pōy

In this pāśuram, Andal comes again with her sakhis to wake one more friend who is still asleep.

Andal and the sakhis walk through the village, speaking of Krishna — his strength, and how he destroyed those who came to harm him and protected everyone around him, whether it was Śakaṭāsura or Pūtanā, or even Rāvaṇa. These are stories they sing together as they move from house to house. By now, all the other sakhis have already gathered and gone ahead as one group.

Morning has clearly arrived.

The signs are everywhere. The sky has changed. The stars that belong to night have faded. Birds have begun to sing. The world itself feels awake and alive.

And yet, this sakhi is still lying inside.

Andal and the sakhis call out, gently but firmly. Why stay curled up in the cold when the day has already begun? On a day meant for bathing, prayer, and togetherness, why hold back?

There is warmth in their voices, but also honesty. This is no longer about sleep. It is about delay. About pretending not to hear when the call has already been made.

The pāśuram ends with a simple appeal. Let go of excuses. Let go of pretending. Come and join us.

Pāśuram 13 reminds us that sometimes everything around us is already awake — the world, the moment, the people moving together.

What remains is our own response.

Andal Thiruvadigalai Sharanam