Tiruppāvai – Pāsuram 28
If Pāsuram 27 is the moment when longing dissolves into rest,
Pāsuram 28 is what follows naturally and quietly after that rest.
There is no drama left, no pleading, no striving to be noticed.
What remains is life itself—lived in God’s presence, without self-conscious devotion.
Text
கறவைகள் பின் சென்று கானம் சேர்ந்துண்போம்
அறிவொன்றும் இல்லாத ஆயர்குலத்து உந்தன்னை
Kaṟavaigaḷ pin senRu kānam sērndu uṇbōm
Aṟivu oṉṟum illāda āyarkulattu un tannai
We follow the cows, go into the forest, and eat there together.
You, born in the cowherd clan, without worldly cleverness,
“Kaṟavaigaḷ pin senRu kānam sērndu uṇbōm”
The gopīs describe a life of complete ordinariness—following cows, entering the forest, and eating what is available. There is no ritual setting, no temple, no formal worship. Devotion has moved into daily life itself. Fulfillment has not removed them from the world; it has allowed them to live in it without anxiety.
“Aṟivu oṉṟum illāda āyarkulattu un tannai”
Calling the cowherd clan “without cleverness” is not self-criticism but spiritual confidence. Worldly intelligence calculates advantage and distance. Bhakti here does neither. Once belonging is secured, cleverness becomes unnecessary.
பிறவி பெறுந்தனை புண்ணியம் யாமுடையோம்
குறைவொன்றும் இல்லாத கோவிந்தா! உந்தன்னோடு
Piṟavi peṟuntanai puṇṇiyam yām uḍaiyōm
Kuṟaivu oṉṟum illāda Govindā! un tannōṭu
Meaning
To have such a birth—we consider it our great merit.
O Govinda, who lacks nothing, with You
Line-by-Line Explanation
“Piṟavi peṟuntanai puṇṇiyam yām uḍaiyōm”
The gopīs do not claim that they attained Krishna through effort or austerity. They say simply that being born into this life itself is merit. Grace is not achieved; it is received. Belonging precedes striving.
“Kuṟaivu oṉṟum illāda Govindā”
Krishna is no longer addressed as one who removes lack, but as one who has no lack. This marks a shift from petition to recognition. God is no longer approached as solution but acknowledged as fullness.
உறவேல் நமக்கிங்கு ஒழிக்க ஒழியாது
அறியாத பிள்ளாளோம் அன்பினால் உந்தன்னை
Uṟavēl namakku iṅgu oḻikka oḻiyādu
Aṟiyāda piḷḷāḷōm aṉbināl un tannai
Meaning
This bond of ours here cannot be undone.
Like children who do not know propriety, out of love,
Line-by-Line Explanation
“Uṟavēl namakku iṅgu oḻikka oḻiyādu”
This is one of the strongest relational statements in Tiruppāvai. The bond with Krishna is no longer maintained or protected—it is irreversible. Grace has reached a point where separation is no longer conceivable.
“Aṟiyāda piḷḷāḷōm aṉbināl”
The gopīs describe themselves as children who do not know rules or propriety. This is not ignorance but trust. Formality belongs to fear; childlike freedom belongs to safety in love.
சிறுபேர் அழைத்தனவும் சீறி அருளாதே
இறைவா! நீ தாராய் பறையேலோர் எம்பாவாய்
Siṟupēr azhaittanavum cīṟi arulāthē
Iraivā! nī thārāy paṟaiyēlōr empāvāy
Meaning
We have called You by small, familiar names—do not be angry.
O Lord, You must grant us the pārai—O dear one.
Line-by-Line Explanation
“Siṟupēr azhaittanavum”
Calling Krishna by small, familiar names is the final expression of intimacy. Titles preserve distance; small names dissolve it. Love no longer performs devotion—it simply lives it.
“Cīṟi arulāthē”
The plea “do not be angry” reveals not fear, but tenderness. Only those secure in love dare to cross boundaries without anxiety.
“Iraivā! nī thārāy paṟaiyē”
The pārai returns, not as reward or recognition, but as assurance of continuity. Even after fulfillment, dependence remains natural. Entitlement never enters this devotion.
Summary and Recap
If Pāsuram 27 declared, “We have received everything,”
Pāsuram 28 asks, “How do we now live?”
Āṇḍāḷ’s answer is simple and quiet: Live ordinarily.
Love without calculation.
Speak without fear.
Remain without exit.
Devotion, once fulfilled, does not become more dramatic. It becomes more human. Life resumes—not apart from God, but with God already within it.
This pāsuram is not a climax.
It is a settling.
The vow has ended.
Longing has rested.
Joy has returned.
Now life begins again—with Krishna already inside it.
Andal Tiruvadigale Sharanam
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