Tiruppāvai – Pāsuram 24
When the Lord Is Seated and the Devotee Begins to Bless
Where This Pāsuram Stands
From Pāsuram 16 onwards, Andal has been steadily bringing us closer.
She enters Nandagopa’s house.
She awakens the elders.
She wakes Krishna.
She stands before Him.
In Pāsuram 23, she asks Him to rise like a majestic lion and take His seat.
Pāsuram 24 begins after Krishna has already ascended the throne.
This is the first moment in Tiruppāvai where Krishna is fully present, fully attentive, and fully available.
Andal does not rush to ask.
She blesses Him.
The Pāsuram Opens
Tamil
அன்று இவ்வுலகம் அளந்தாய் அடிபோற்றி
சென்றங்குத் தென்னிலங்கை செற்றாய் திறல்போற்றி
Transliteration
anru ivv ulagam aḷanthāy aḍi pōtri
ceṉṟaṅguth thennilangai ceṟṟāy tiṟal pōtri
Explanation
“O Lord, we praise the divine feet that once measured the worlds.
We praise the valour that destroyed southern Lanka.”
Andal begins far away in time.
She recalls Vāmana, who spanned the universe with His feet — not to display power, but to restore balance.
She then recalls Rāma, who crossed oceans, marched into Lanka, and destroyed Rāvaṇa — not for conquest, but for justice.
These are not random memories.
By invoking Vāmana and Rāma first, Andal reminds us that the One seated before her in Gokula is not merely a local cowherd, but the same Lord who has repeatedly intervened in history when the world itself needed protection.
Moving Closer: Krishna of Gokula
Tamil
கொன்றடச்சகடம் உதைத்தாய் புகழ்போற்றி
கன்று குணிலா எறிந்தாய் கழல்போற்றி
Transliteration
koṉṟaḍac sakaḍam utaitāy pugazh pōtri
kaṉṟu kuṇilā eṟintāy kazhal pōtri
Explanation
“We praise Your glory for destroying Śakaṭāsura.
We praise Your ankleted feet for flinging away the calf-demon.”
Now Andal comes closer — into Krishna’s childhood.
She remembers:
Śakaṭāsura, the cart-demon crushed by a baby’s kick,
Vatsāsura (and by extension Dhenukāsura), destroyed effortlessly while Krishna was still among the calves.
And yet, she does not praise the violence.
She praises:
His fame (pugazh),
His feet (kazhal).
This is love speaking, not awe.
This is the voice that worries for the child even while celebrating the victory.
The Peak of Compassion
Tamil
குன்றுகுடையாய் எடுத்தாய் குணம்போற்றி
Transliteration
kuṉṟu kuḍaiyāy eduthāy guṇam pōtri
Explanation
“We praise Your quality of lifting Govardhana as an umbrella.”
Here Andal recalls Govardhana, where Krishna did not act against an enemy, but stood between danger and the helpless.
This is not a story of destruction.
It is a story of shelter.
By placing Govardhana here, Andal shows us that all the earlier acts — measuring worlds, crossing oceans, slaying demons — ultimately culminate in this single quality:
the instinct to protect those who have no protection.
Only Now Does the Request Appear
Tamil
என்று என்றுன் சேவகமே ஏத்திப் பறைகொள்வான்
இன்று யாம் வந்தோம் இரங்கேலோர் எம்பாவாய்
Transliteration
eṉṟu eṉṟu un cēvakamē ētti paṟai koḷvāṉ
iṉṟu yām vantōm iraṅgēlōr empāvāy
Explanation
“Praising You again and again as Your servants alone, we receive the parai.
Today, we have come — please show mercy.”
This is the turning point.
Andal does not say:
“Because You did all this, give us what we want.”
She says:
“Because we belong to You, we stand before You.”
The parai is not a reward.
It is the natural consequence of belonging.
And the word indru — today — is deliberate.
After all the preparation, after all the waiting, after all the praise and blessing, today is the day grace flows.
Why Pāsuram 24 Is So Critical
In this pāsuram, Andal does something rare and profound.
She protects the Lord with her words before asking anything from Him.
She blesses:
His feet (Vāmana),
His valour (Rāma),
His fame (Śakaṭāsura),
His anklets (Vatsāsura / Dhenukāsura),
His compassion (Govardhana).
Only then does she speak of herself.
This is not strategy.
This is love at its most mature.
From here onwards, the tone of Tiruppāvai changes. The distance has collapsed. The asking will become direct. The intimacy will deepen.
But it is Pāsuram 24 that makes that intimacy possible — because it establishes a relationship not based on need, but on belonging.
The Lord is seated. The devotee has spoken. The rest wil
l now unfold naturally.
Āṇḍāḷ Tiruvadigaḷai Śaraṇam
We take refuge at the sacred feet of Andal.
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