Tiruppavai pasuram 23

 Tiruppāvai – Pāsuram 23

When the Lord Rises to Receive

The Flow Until Now

From Pasuram 20 onwards, Andal’s movement becomes increasingly intimate and deliberate.

In Pasuram 20, she reminds Krishna of His cosmic responsibility — the One who stands in front even for the devas, shielding them from fear.

In Pasuram 21, she shows that His grace overflows without effort, like milk pouring unasked from unmilked cows.

In Pasuram 22, she and her companions finally stand before Him, shedding all pride, asking not for gifts or words, but for His merciful glance, knowing that even a measured look can dissolve lifetimes of burden.

Up to this point, Andal has:

Approached Him with humility

Awakened Him gently

Allowed Him to open His eyes

Stood silently, receiving His presence

Now, in Pasuram 23, a decisive shift occurs.

For the first time, Andal does not merely wait or request attention.

She addresses Krishna directly, not as one who must be coaxed awake, but as one who is now fully ready to respond.

This pasuram marks the moment when repose gives way to responsibility, and presence gives way to action.

Tamil Text

மாரி மலைமுழஞ்சில் மன்னிக் கிடந்துறங்கும்

சீரிய சிங்கம் அறிவுற்றுத் தீவிழித்து

Transliteration

Māri malai muḻañjil manni kiḍandhu uṟangum

Sīriya siṅgam aṟivu uṟuttu tīviḻittu

Explanation

Āṇḍāḷ now introduces one of the most powerful allegories in the Tiruppāvai — the lion.

She asks us to imagine a lion lying deep within a mountain cave during the rainy season, stretched out in complete stillness. This stillness is not helplessness, nor neglect. It is contained majesty — power at rest because nothing yet has demanded its full manifestation.

When awareness dawns — aṟivu uṟuttu — the lion opens its eyes, not in confusion, but in clarity. The awakening is sovereign, not startled.

So too, the Lord’s repose has never been indifference. It is fullness.

Now that the moment has ripened, He is ready to rise.

மயிர் பொங்க எப்பாடும் பேர்ந்துதறி

மூரி நிமிர்ந்து முழங்கப் புறப்பட்டு

Vēri mayir poṅga eppāḍum pēyndu thaṟi

Mūri nimirndhu muḻangap puṟappaṭṭu

The lion’s mane bristles. Its body stretches fully. A roar emerges — not out of anger, but as a declaration of presence.

This roar does not threaten devotees; it reassures the world.

It announces that protection has awakened.

Āṇḍāḷ is careful to show that this emergence is not hurried. It is perfectly timed. Strength and beauty move together. Readiness takes visible form.

போதருமா போலே நீ பூவைப்பூ வண்ணா!

உன் கோயில் நின்று இங்ஙனே போந்தருளி

Pōtharumā pōlē nī pūvaippū vaṇṇā!

Un kōyil ninru iṅṅanē pōndaruli

Now Andal’s address becomes direct.

“O Lord of flower-like hue,” she says,

“come forth — just like that lion.”

Notice what she asks.

Not merely to look.

Not merely to speak.

But to emerge from where You are.

This is the first time in the Tiruppāvai that Krishna is invited to move from inner repose into public, responsive presence. The temple, the inner chamber, the resting place have all served their purpose. The hour of response has arrived.

Yet even here, intimacy is preserved. Majesty does not cancel tenderness. The lion is also beautiful.

கோப்புடைய சீரிய சிங்காசனத்திருந்து

யாம் வந்த காரியம் ஆராய்ந்து அருளேலோர் எம்பாவாய்

Kōppudaiya sīriya siṅgāsanaththirundu

Yām vanda kāriyam ārāyndu aruḷēlōr empāvāy

Here lies the turning point.

The lion does not wander after emerging. It goes straight to where it belongs.

So too, Krishna is asked to sit upon the throne that suits Him — not as ornament, but as responsibility assumed.

From that seat alone can He inquire — ārāyndu — a word that implies deliberate attention with the intent to grant.

By this request, Andal and her companions have completed their approach.

They are no longer asking to be noticed.

They are presenting their purpose before One who is now fully ready to respond.

This is why Pasuram 23 is pivotal.

Everything before this led towards awakening.

Everything after this flows from acceptance.

From here onward, the Tiruppāvai will move into praise — not pleading praise, but confident praise — because the Lord has risen, taken His seat, and turned His attention toward them.

The lion has emerged.

The throne is occupied.

The moment of response has arrived.

Āṇḍāḷ Thiruvadigaḷai Śaraṇam

We take refuge at the sacred feet of Andal